KING ARTHUR CARROUSEL

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Daveland King Arthur Carrousel header photo

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(August 1955—Present) BACKSTORY: Disney felt every park needed a carousel (it was supposedly a carousel that Disney watched his daughter ride that inspired the park itself). Therefore, an 1875 Dentzel park model carousel which had operated since 1922 at Sunnyside Amusement Park in Toronto, Ontario was taken from Sunnyside and moved to Disneyland in 1954. The ride was refurbished and turned into a 4 row unit by adding additional animals that came from other carousels around North America. The original chariots were removed and used as cars on the Casey Jr. attraction. A Wurlitzer #157 band organ is on the carousel but does not operate. Motifs from The Sword in the Stone were used in 1955 to replace elements of the carousel. Original inner rounding boards were replaced with mirrors, and the jester and princess head shields on the outer rounding boards have also been extensively altered. The carousel has seventy-two horses, some carved in Germany and the rest in the United States. Some of the horses were taken from a Stein & Goldstein carousel and another carousel in 1955 to add a fourth row, completely made of jumpers and operated by a custom-built crankshaft. Standers on the original three rows were converted to jumpers in 1955. Because of the overwhelming popularity of the carousel’s single white horse, all horses have been painted white since 1976. King Arthur Carrousel reopened in February 2003 after extensive renovations. These renovations included an entirely rebuilt turntable, a new computerized operating system that stops the carousel in the same spot every time, and the replacement of about half of the mirrors with scenes from Sleeping Beauty.

Most photos available for purchase as enlargements; email your request. To view photos, allow popups in your web browser & click thumbnails below.

King Arthur’s Carrousel, 1950’s

Disneyland Carrousel concept art
Concept art
Disneyland Construction, Carousel Horse, 1955
Color scheme, 1955
Disneyland Construction, Carousel Horse, 1955
Color scheme, 1955
Disneyland Construction, Carousel Horse, 1955
Color scheme, 1955
Disneyland Construction, Carousel Horse, 1955
Color scheme, 1955
Disneyland Construction, Carousel Horse, 1955
Color scheme, 1955
Disneyland Construction, Carousel Horse, 1955
Color scheme, 1955
Disneyland Construction, Carousel Horse, 1955
Color scheme, 1955
Disneyland Construction, Carousel Horse, 1955
Color scheme, 1955
Disneyland Construction, Carousel Horse, 1955
Color scheme, 1955
Disneyland Construction, Carousel Horse, 1955
Color scheme, 1955
Disneyland Construction, Carousel Horse, 1955
Color scheme, 1955
Disneyland Construction, Carousel Horse, 1955
Color scheme, 1955
Disneyland Construction, Carousel Horse, 1955
Color scheme, 1955
Disneyland Construction, Carousel Horse, 1955
Color scheme, 1955
Disneyland Construction, Carousel Horse, 1955
Color scheme, 1955
Disneyland Construction, Carousel Horse, 1955
Color scheme, 1955
Disneyland Construction, Carousel Horse, 1955
Color scheme, 1955
Disneyland Construction, Carousel Horse, 1955
Color scheme, 1955
Disneyland Construction, Carousel Horse, 1955
Color scheme, 1955
Disneyland Construction, Carousel Horse, 1955
Color scheme, 1955
Disneyland Construction, Carousel Horse, May 1955
Carrousel Horse on the Backlot, June 1955
Disneyland Construction, Carousel Horse, May 1955
Carrousel Horse, June 1955
Disneyland Construction, Carousel Horse, May 1955
Carrousel Horse, June 1955
Disneyland Construction, Carousel Horse, May 1955
Carrousel Horse, June 1955
Disneyland Construction, Carousel Horse, May 1955
Carrousel Horse, June 1955
Disneyland King Arthur's Carrousel, October 1955
Oct. 1955
Carrousel attraction March 8, 1956
March 8, 1956
Disneyland Carrousel attraction, March 1956
March 1956
Disneyland Carrousel attraction, March 1956
March 1956
Disneyland King Arthur Carrousel attraction, August 7, 1957
Aug. 7, 1957
Carrousel Ride
Date unknown
Carrousel attraction at Disneyland, April 1958
April 1958
King Arthur's Carrousel attraction, September 1958
Sept. 1958
King Arthur's Carrousel attraction, November 1959
Nov. 1959
King Arthur's Carrousel attraction, 1950's viewmaster slide
Viewmaster slide

King Arthur’s Carrousel, 1960’s–1980’s

Carrousel Ride
King Arthur’s Carrousel
King Arthur Carrousel, February 1960
King Arthur’s Carrousel, Feb. 1960
Disneyland King Arthur Carrousel photo, January 1961
Jan. 1961
Carrousel, July 1961
July 1961
Carrousel, July 1962
Carrousel, July 1962
Carrousel, August 1962
August 1962
Carrousel, Summer 1962
Summer 1962
Carrousel, Summer 1962
Summer 1962
King Arthur's Carrousel, December 6, 1962
Dec. 6, 1962
June 1963
June 1963
King Arthur Carrousel, November 1963
Nov. 1963
King Arthur Carrousel, January 1966
Jan. 1966
King Arthur Carrousel, October 1967
Oct. 1967
March 1968
March 1968
September 1969
Sept. 1969
September 1969
Sept. 1969
Carrousel, date unknown
Date unknown
King Arthur Carrousel, November 1970
Nov. 1970
King Arthur Carrousel, March 1974
March 1974
King Arthur Carrousel, March 1974
March 1974
King Arthur Carrousel, March 1976
March 1976
King Arthur Carrousel, March 1976
March 1976
King Arthur Carrousel, April 1977
April 1977
King Arthur Carrousel, April 1977
April 1977
King Arthur Carrousel, July 17, 1977
July 17, 1977
King Arthur Carrousel, July 17, 1977
July 17, 1977
King Arthur Carrousel, July 17, 1977
July 17, 1977
King Arthur Carrousel, 1981
Danny Kaye, 1980
King Arthur Carrousel with King Hussein of Jordan, November 1981
King Hussein of Jordan with son Prince Hamzah, Nov. 1981
       

King Arthur’s Carrousel, 2000+

Carrousel, February 2007
2005
Carrousel, February 2007
Feb. 2007
Carrousel, February 2007
Feb. 2007
Carrousel, February 2007
Feb. 2007
King Arthur's Carrousel, November 2007
Nov. 2007
King Arthur's Carrousel, November 2007
Nov. 2007
King Arthur's Carrousel, November 2007
Nov. 2007
King Arthur's Carrousel, November 2007
Nov. 2007
King Arthur's Carrousel, November 2007
Nov. 2007
King Arthur's Carrousel, December 2007
Dec. 2007
King Arthur's Carrousel, March 2008
March 2008
King Arthur's Carrousel, March 2008
March 2008
King Arthur's Carrousel, March 2008
March 2008
King Arthur's Carrousel, March 2008
March 2008
King Arthur's Carrousel, March 2008
March 2008
King Arthur's Carrousel, March 2008
March 2008
King Arthur's Carrousel, March 2008
March 2008
King Arthur's Carrousel, March 2008
March 2008
King Arthur's Carrousel, March 2008
March 2008
King Arthur's Carrousel, May 2008
May 2008
King Arthur's Carrousel Sword in the Stone, June 2008
Sword in the Stone, June 2008
King Arthur's Carrousel, February 2009
Feb. 2009
King Arthur's Carrousel, February 2009
Feb. 2009
King Arthur's Carrousel, February 2009
Feb. 2009
King Arthur's Carrousel, February 2009
Feb. 2009
King Arthur's Carrousel, February 2009
Feb. 2009
King Arthur's Carrousel, February 2009
Feb. 2009
King Arthur's Carrousel, June 2009
June 2009

Jingles

On April 8, 2008, Julie Andrews came to Disneyland to for a ceremony that recognized her service as Honorary Ambassador of Disneyland’s 50th Anniversary Celebration. Joined by Marty Sklar (Executive VP & Imagineering Ambassador) and Ed Grier (President, Disneyland Resort), Julie was at the King Arthur Carrousel for the dedication of the lead carrousel horse, “Jingles.”

Jingles was “goldenized” in 2005 in honor of Disneyland’s 50th Anniversary and Julie was photographed with the horse during the festivities. To acknowledge Julie’s role as an honorary cast member, Disneyland Resort gave Jingles another makeover and dedicated the cherished horse in her honor.

Jingles now dons a hand-painted, colorful jewel-tone palette. Special features have been added to honor the screen legend, including embellishments of gold leaf horseshoes, flowers representing Julie’s love of gardening, and Mary Poppins’ themeing on Jingles’ enhanced golden saddle. Hand-painted features on the saddle include Julie’s initials, the number “50” representing Disneyland’s 50th anniversary, Mary Poppins’ boots and a flying silhouette of Mary Poppins. Golden, wooden jingle bells also adorn the horse’s body.

A miniature, one-of-kind replica of Jingles was also presented to Julie. The commissioned, hand-carved wood piece stands nearly 2.5' tall and wears a special replica broach of the custom-made pin that Julie received for being an Ambassador for Disneyland’s 50th anniversary.

Jingles at King Arthurs Carrousel, May 2008 Jingles at King Arthurs Carrousel, May 2008 Jingles at King Arthurs Carrousel, May 2008 Jingles at King Arthurs Carrousel, May 2008 Jingles at King Arthurs Carrousel, May 2008
Classic Carousel Carvings website
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