Disney carousels
Carousels can be found in several theme parks owned or licensed by Disney Experiences, one of the three business segments of the Walt Disney Company.[1][2] The inclusion of carousels in Disney parks around the world can be traced back to the experiences of Walt Disney taking his young daughters Diane and Sharon to ride the carousel in Griffith Park in Los Angeles, which was one of many inspirations for creating the original Disneyland (a key component of the Disneyland Resort) in California in the United States.[3][4] The first Disney carousel, the King Arthur Carrousel, opened with Disneyland on July 17, 1955.[5] This carousel, along with the Prince Charming Regal Carrousel in the Magic Kingdom within Walt Disney World in Florida in the United States, are historic carousels, which were originally built in 1922 and 1918, respectively.[5][6]: 34 The Disney theme park chain is the largest on the planet by annual attendance with over 155 million visitors in 2019, and the carousels located inside its parks function as key attractions for its visitors.[7]
Carousels
[edit]| Name | Location | Image | Theme | Builder | Carousel figures | Opened | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| King Arthur Carrousel | Disneyland Resort (Disneyland, Fantasyland section) |
|
Knights of the Round Table | Dentzel Carousel Company/ Arrow Development |
68, four abreast; one 4-seat chariot[8] |
July 17, 1955 (originally built in 1922)[5][8] |
Disneyland's oldest purpose-built amusement ride[5] |
| Prince Charming Regal Carrousel | Walt Disney World (Magic Kingdom, Fantasyland section) |
|
Cinderella | Philadelphia Toboggan Company/ Arrow Development |
87, five abreast; one 3-seat chariot[9] |
October 1, 1971 (originally built in 1918)[6]: 34 |
Magic Kingdom's oldest purpose-built amusement ride[10] |
| Castle Carrousel | Tokyo Disney Resort (Tokyo Disneyland, Fantasyland section) |
|
Cinderella | WED Enterprises | 72, four abreast; no chariots |
April 15, 1983[11] | The carousel figures are fiberglass copies made from eighteen molds cast from the original wood-carved carousel figures on the Prince Charming Regal Carrousel in Magic Kingdom.[10] |
| Le Carrousel de Lancelot | Disneyland Paris (Disneyland Park (Paris), Fantasyland section) |
|
Knights of the Round Table | Walt Disney Imagineering | 86, five abreast; two 2-seat chariots |
April 12, 1992[12] | First carousel to operate with more than one chariot at a Disney park[13] |
| Cinderella Carousel | Hong Kong Disneyland Resort (Hong Kong Disneyland, Fantasyland section) |
|
Cinderella | Chance Rides | 60, four abreast; two 4-seat chariots |
September 12, 2005[11] | Customized 50-foot (15 m) grand carousel model[14] |
| Jessie's Critter Carousel (formerly King Triton's Carousel of the Sea) |
Disneyland Resort (Disney California Adventure, Pixar Pier section) |
|
Toy Story 2 (formerly The Little Mermaid) |
D.H. Morgan Manufacturing | 46, four abreast; two 4-seat chariots |
February 8, 2001[15] | Reopened with current theme on April 5, 2019[16] |
| Caravan Carousel | Tokyo Disney Resort (Tokyo DisneySea, Arabian Coast section) |
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|
Aladdin | Walt Disney Imagineering | 124 (60 1st level, 64 2nd level), four abreast; one 4-seat chariot, one 2-seat chariot (both 1st level) |
September 4, 2001[17] | Double-decker carousel[17] |
| Fantasia Carousel | Shanghai Disney Resort (Shanghai Disneyland, Gardens of Imagination section) |
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|
Fantasia | Chance Rides | 60, four abreast; two 4-seat chariots |
June 16, 2016[18] | Customized 50-foot (15 m) grand carousel model[14] |
See also
[edit]- Crescent Park Looff Carousel (originally built in 1895)
- Melbourne Zoo Carousel (originally built in 1878) in Melbourne Zoo
- Stoomcarrousel (originally built c. 1895–1903) in Efteling
- Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress (a rotating theater attraction, and not an actual carousel, originally built in 1964) in Magic Kingdom
References
[edit]- ^ "The Walt Disney Company Announces Strategic Reorganization". Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media. Archived from the original on March 29, 2018. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
- ^ "Walt Disney Parks and Resorts – Overview". Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. Archived from the original on August 13, 2016. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
- ^ Broggie (2014), p. 26.
- ^ Blake, Lindsay (September 3, 2015). "This Old-Timey Merry-Go-Round in Griffith Park Inspired Walt Disney to Create Disneyland". Los Angeles Magazine. Archived from the original on November 13, 2024. Retrieved April 1, 2025.
- ^ a b c d Powell, Joshua (September 20, 2022). "Oldest Rides at Disneyland". Magic Guides. Archived from the original on January 15, 2025. Retrieved April 3, 2025.
- ^ a b Gardner, Richard; Williams, Barbara (June 2010). "Philadelphia Toboggan Company Carousel History; 1904–1941" (PDF). The Carousel News & Trader. p. 34. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 10, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
- ^ "TEA/AECOM 2019 Theme Index and Museum Index: The Global Attractions Attendance Report" (PDF). TEA/AECOM. 2020. p. 11. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 23, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
- ^ a b MacDonald, Brady (May 8, 2021). "Disneyland Polishes Fantasyland's Crown Jewel with Carousel Makeover". Orange County Register. Archived from the original on May 8, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2025.
- ^ Pilcher, Ken (August 26, 2021). "Everything You Didn't Know About Disney World's Oldest Attraction: the Carrousel". ClickOrlando.com. Archived from the original on March 10, 2024. Retrieved April 3, 2025.
- ^ a b "How an Iconic Jersey Carousel Landed at Disney's Magic Kingdom". NJ.com. July 20, 2015. Archived from the original on October 5, 2024. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
- ^ a b "Cinderella's Golden Carrousel". D23: the Official Disney Fan Club. The Walt Disney Company. Archived from the original on January 16, 2025. Retrieved April 3, 2025.
- ^ "Carrousel de Lancelot, Le". D23: the Official Disney Fan Club. Archived from the original on December 10, 2023. Retrieved April 3, 2025.
- ^ "Le Carrousel de Lancelot". DLP Guide. Archived from the original on November 20, 2023. Retrieved April 3, 2025.
- ^ a b "The 50-foot Grand Carousel". Chance Rides. Archived from the original on November 7, 2024. Retrieved April 3, 2025.
- ^ "King Triton's Carousel". D23: the Official Disney Fan Club. Archived from the original on October 7, 2024. Retrieved April 3, 2025.
- ^ "Jessie's Critter Carousel". D23: the Official Disney Fan Club. Archived from the original on September 15, 2024. Retrieved April 3, 2025.
- ^ a b "Caravan Carousel". D23: the Official Disney Fan Club. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved April 3, 2025.
- ^ "Fantasia Carousel". D23: the Official Disney Fan Club. Archived from the original on January 21, 2025. Retrieved April 3, 2025.
Bibliography
[edit]- Broggie, Michael (2014). Walt Disney's Railroad Story: The Small-Scale Fascination That Led to a Full-Scale Kingdom (4th ed.). The Donning Company Publishers. ISBN 978-1-57864-914-3.
External links
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Disney carousels.
- Official website (Disney Parks)
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