ANAHEIM, Calif. — Tucked behind Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland Park, the King Arthur Carrousel stands as a living relic of amusement history—one that predates even the first ticketed guest to Walt Disney’s original theme park.
Before it began delighting visitors in Anaheim in 1955, the carousel had already spent more than three decades charming crowds in Canada. Originally constructed in 1922 by the Dentzel Carrousel Company, the ride first operated at Sunnyside Amusement Park in Toronto, Ontario. At the time, Sunnyside was widely regarded as “Canada’s Coney Island,” drawing locals with attractions such as the “Flyer” roller coaster and an expansive bathing pavilion on the shores of Lake Ontario.
The site of Sunnyside was itself a product of ingenuity, built on reclaimed land from the lake and capped with fresh soil from nearby Pickering. Over the decades, the park became a staple of Toronto’s recreational life, hosting concerts, flagpole-sitting stunts, fireworks displays, and even ceremonial boat burnings. The atmosphere combined amusement with spectacle, becoming a cultural mainstay through the Great Depression and into the Second World War.
However, the growth of Toronto and the demands of urban planning ultimately spelled the end for Sunnyside. Starting in 1943, the city began planning the Gardiner Expressway, a major infrastructure project that would run directly through the amusement park. As Sunnyside was owned by the Toronto Harbor Commission—a city-run entity—the decision to shutter the park was unchallenged. By 1954, demolition was underway.
While many of the rides were sold off or relocated to the Canadian National Exhibition and local traveling carnivals, the historic carousel found a new purpose. Purchased by Walt Disney, it was shipped to California during the construction of Disneyland. Ahead of its debut, the attraction underwent extensive refurbishment. The Arrow Development Company widened the platform to accommodate more riders, and additional horses were sourced from various locations, including Coney Island’s famed Looff carousel.
The ride opened with Disneyland on July 17, 1955, becoming a central feature of Fantasyland. Over the decades, it has been updated to reflect both changing tastes and accessibility standards. In 1983, it was repositioned to make space for new attractions, and by 2010, it had been modified to comply with ADA accessibility guidelines.
The carousel remains one of the park’s most iconic attractions, drawing generations of fans. Its lead horse, Jingles—adorned with ornate carvings and bells—was Walt Disney’s favorite. Jingles became so emblematic of the ride’s appeal that all the horses were eventually painted white to match. In 2005, the horse was gilded in gold to celebrate Disneyland’s 50th anniversary, and in 2008, it was rededicated to actress Julie Andrews as an “Honorary Ambassador.”
In front of the carousel stands a replica of the legendary Sword in the Stone, where park guests once participated in a daily ceremony led by Merlin, attempting to pull the sword from the anvil and be crowned “King for a Day.” While the ceremony ended in 2006, the statue remains a popular photo spot.
Today, as Disneyland celebrates over 70 years of operation, the King Arthur Carrousel continues to welcome new and returning riders. Its journey from Toronto’s lakeside boardwalk to Anaheim’s fantasy realm serves as a reminder that even as cities evolve and landscapes shift, some magic is simply too enduring to disappear.
