One of Disney’s Oldest Rides Is Temporarily CLOSING in a Few Weeks

By Brian Delpozo Leave a Comment

One of Disneyland’s oldest attractions, which it predates the park itself, is seemingly set to close for refurbishment in a few weeks.

King Arthur Carrousel

According to Disneyland’s operational calendar, King Arthur Carrousel — which sits at the center of the park’s Fantasyland just behind Sleeping Beauty Castle — is set to close beginning July 6th, with a final day of operations scheduled for July 5th, the cap of the busy Fourth of July Weekend.

While Disney hasn’t confirmed the length or reasoning behind the closure as of yet, it is worth remembering that the ride itself is actually over 100 years old. The ride was originally designed by William Dentzel and was first operated at Sunnyside Beach Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in 1922. The attraction was purchased by Disney in 1954 and has been operating at Disneyland since the park opened the following year.

Disneyland’s Fantasyland

Today, the ride features 68 “ornately carved, hand-painted horses” and a fanciful chariot. During the ride, guests listen to recordings of classic Disney songs in fairground organ arrangements, and circle nine hand-painted vignettes telling the story of Sleeping Beauty on the inner rounding board above the horses.

The entrance

Of course, carrousel attractions have been baked into the mythos of Disney theme parks from before Disneyland was designed, as the oft-repeated (and likely somewhat apocryphal) story goes that Walt Disney was inspired to build his own theme park for children and adults alike while sitting on a bench watching his daughter ride a carousel in Griffith Park. While there surely is some truth to the story as far as inspirations for Disneyland go, plans for the park had been coming together in Walt’s mind for years, and were inspired by several different interests, including miniatures, model railroads, and other pursuits.

King Arthur Carrousel

Disneyland’s historic King Arthur Carrousel is closing on July 6th. Stay tuned to DFB for further updates on the attraction’s reopening timeline as they’re announced.

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Are you planning to squeeze in a few rides on King Arthur Carrousel before July 6th? Let us know in the comments below.