Poor King Arthur Carrousel; couldn’t even get its own attraction poster. It had to share with Dumbo and the Teacups. Not only that, it has suffered the indignity of having to be moved almost 30 years after its construction. Nevertheless, it is still a guest favorite and stands in the heart of Fantasyland. The concept art and the final production are very close in detail:
The horses that the Disney team gathered for the Carrousel were not exactly what Walt wanted, so much work had to be done to them. Some had to be converted to jumpers, and obviously, a little bit of paint had to be added, too. Here are some shots of the horses in their scrubbed state, with the markings of what color was to be applied where.
After the conversion process, these beauties sat at the Burbank studio awaiting their move to Anaheim; note the Casey Junior vehicle and carriage in the background. These photos are from June 1955.
And here is the Carrousel itself under construction:
The Carrousel is still a jewel in Fantasyland, especially at night:
See more Disneyland King Arthur Carrousel photos at my website.
very nice captures of the horses in burbank prior to opening.
ReplyDeletevery good informative post.
I still love the Carousel, even though it isn't a priority ride anymore. It sure was fun to ride with my niece and nephew though!
ReplyDeleteDave
ReplyDeleteI'm going to admit a secret.. I never knew the carousal at Disneyland was King Arthur’s Carousel. I always thought it was tied to Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty somehow.
But this is why I visit your blog, to further my Disney education.
P.