When Walt Disney opened Disneyland® Park 58 years ago today, he introduced a new concept in family entertainment and launched the theme park industry. With five themed lands, Disneyland® Park had 18 major attractions on that opening day.
One of those opening day attractions was King Arthur Carrousel. Salvaged from Sunnyside Park in Toronto, Canada, Walt purchased the carrousel for $22,000 and moved it to Anaheim where it has served Disneyland® Park guests since 1955.
Enjoy these fun facts about King Arthur Carrousel:
- Walt only wanted jumping horses on his carrousel, so some of the original animals found on Sunnyside Park’s version were not used. The additional horses were sourced from other old carrousels, including one at Coney Island.
- Each horse is checked every night for chips and cracks and will receive touch ups as needed.
- Almost once per year, each horse will come off the ride for a complete refurbishment – a process that costs Disneyland® Parks far more annually than Walt’s original $22,000 investment! About 40 hours are spent refurbishing each horse.
- King Arthur Carrousel has a 85-steed herd.
- About one-in-five Disneyland® Park visitor takes a spin on King Arthur Carrousel.
- Changes about 10 years ago gave King Arthur Carrousel an all white herd, but still no two horses are the same.
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