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View Full Version : King Arthur Carrousel operating again??



Pixie Glitter
08-28-2002, 05:44 AM
I've been checking the refurbishment schedule on Disney.com periodically for our upcoming trip in October. The carrousel has been listed there at least through Oct. 13 for quite some time. Now today when I checked, it's gone. I checked several other dates between today and Oct. 9, and it's not listed on any of them. It's not actually running again, is it???

kranders
08-28-2002, 06:09 AM
Not even close :( . I was there last weekend and the entire carrousel has been removed. I saw no signs of construction.

Darkbeer
08-28-2002, 07:03 AM
My guess (and just a guess on my part), is that the rebuilding of the carrousel is going to take longer than predicted, and instead of just picking a new approximate date for completion of the Carrousel, they just removed it from the schedule.....

Cadaverous Pallor
08-28-2002, 07:57 AM
The carousel has been completely gone for months. We can only assume that work is continuing off-site, and the finished pieces will be reassembled back in Fantasyland when they're done.

I never even bother with the site's refurb schedule anymore.

evildorko
08-28-2002, 02:01 PM
i noticed this yesterday actually....although the sign did say it would return this fall....who knows
i got a pic of what is still there though:

http://barelystable.com/visual/disney/images/DSC00761.jpg

AliKzam
08-28-2002, 07:15 PM
I agree with Cadaverous Pallor. Maybe they're reconstructing it over in Burbank? Testing it out and everything. That way, once everything is working the way it should and looks pretty, they'll reassemble it quickly back in Fantasyland.

Lost Boy
08-28-2002, 09:19 PM
The entier carrousel is all laid out and resting comftorably right now in Disneyland itself. Not in Burbank. Not Backstage. But right in Disneyland, in the only round place they could put it that wasn't being used currently for anything. It's in the Circle Vision Theater. All nicely in proper form, although dissamebled and laying on the ground in pieces. And when it comes back, there will be changes, oh yes. Still have White Horses? Yes. Still revolve clockwise? Yes. But, in order to comply with handicap rules, there will be a couple of additions. Two wheelchair sections, one on each "side" with a ramp on the ground to allow access to the special platforms (or benches, not sure which right now), which means, the operator has to make sure the carrousel always stops in the same place, so the ramp is postioned properly for easy use. Same pictures and mirrors and lights? Yes, from what I have heard.
All new wood frames, and supports though as the originals were so badley worn and ripped, they had to pull the whole thing down, before it litterally fell down. It's going to be awhile folks. Lots of work to be done and things to add.
But, it is coming back, and right now it's just resting, in a nice place.:D

Bill Catherall
08-29-2002, 07:18 AM
Originally posted by Lost Boy
Still revolve clockwise? Yes.
Is that clockwise looking down on it, or looking up? Because it used to rotate counterclockwise...looking down on it.

Cadaverous Pallor
08-29-2002, 08:17 AM
Originally posted by Lost Boy
It's in the Circle Vision Theater.
Dude, that's cool! Where did you hear about this, LB?

Now how do I go about sneaking into the old theater? Hmmm....;)

DLfreak
08-29-2002, 10:10 AM
I also heard that the top of it that they had ordered was too heavy, and when they put it on, it was having trouble turning....so that may have contributed to how long it's taking.

Pixie Glitter
08-29-2002, 01:12 PM
Hi all,

I e-mailed Disney to ask about a re-opening date for the carrousel. A Diane Elizabeth replied to my e-mail and said that the carrousel is scheduled to reopen in January of 2002. Yes, that's right, 2002 . Sigh. So much for going straight to the horse's mouth!

Andrew
08-29-2002, 01:37 PM
Originally posted by Pixie Glitter
...the carrousel is scheduled to reopen in January of 2002. Yes, that's right, 2002 . Sigh. So much for going straight to the horse's mouth!

I'm sure the Guest Communications people always have the correct information, so we just need to determine how it can be so. My guess is time travel.

(quoting from this month's Scientific American, citation below)
In 1974 Frank J. Tipler of Tulane University calculated that a massive, infinitely long cylinder spinning on its axis at or near the speed of light could let astronauts visit their own past, by dragging light around the cylinder into a loop.

Now, examine the structure of the King Arthur Carrousel. It's essentially a large flat disc rotating around a central pillar or cylinder. So all the Imagineers would have to do is get the Carrousel spinning up to near light speed, and the riders would travel back in time. Properly calibrated, it should be possible to stop at any point in the past--January 2002 for instance.

I'm quite pleased with Disney for exploring the possibilities of time travel in their attractions! I think they will be able to use this technology to enhance the Guest experience in many different ways. For example, how about FastPasses that instantly transport you forward to their maturity time? Or, say you ran out of time to experience all the attractions at Disneyland. All you have to do is hop on the Carrousel for a moment and it's back to opening time again!

Quote and reference from "How to Build a Time Machine" (http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=0004226A-F77D-1D4A-90FB809EC5880000&catID=2), Paul Davies, Scientific American Sept 2002, pp 50-55.

Sheila
08-29-2002, 02:00 PM
Originally posted by Andrew
(quoting from this month's Scientific American, citation below)
In 1974 Frank J. Tipler of Tulane University calculated that a massive, infinitely long cylinder spinning on its axis at or near the speed of light could let astronauts visit their own past, by dragging light around the cylinder into a loop.


Oh, so they're going to use the time-tested Star Trek boomerang around the sun to go back in time method? Excellent! Those Disney folks are so ahead of their time (ouch). :D

Sheila

JeffG
08-29-2002, 03:04 PM
I think what I'm most impressed by is that WDI has apparently figured out how to build an infinitely long cylinder.

-Jeff

Bill Catherall
08-29-2002, 03:31 PM
Originally posted by JeffG
I think what I'm most impressed by is that WDI has apparently figured out how to build an infinitely long cylinder.
Heck...that was the easy part. Now, getting it to accelerate to the speed of light...talk about your speed bumps!

Lost Boy
08-29-2002, 07:48 PM
Whichever way it turned before, I do think it was counter-clockwise now that I visualize it in my mind, that is the way it will turn when it comes back. It's getting so cluttered in there (my mind that is) that it is hard to remember things. Sometimes the data is there, the connection just can't be made.

Anyway, there is a difference between Carrousels and Merry-Go-Rounds. One turns clockwise and the other turns counter-clockwise. One has only horses, the other has a mix of animals and benches. Technically, when the original machine was purchased and taken to Disneyland, it was a Merry-Go-Round, with a mix of animals and four bench seats. And it rotated Counter-Clockwise. They redid the main platform, taking out the Benches and other animals. All horses where placed on the main floor and they were all different colors. They did not attempt to change the rotation, as that gets rather complicated. Later all the horses where painted white, so the story goes, when Walt walked thru Fantasyland one day and saw two boys fighting over the last White horse. Next rehab, all the horses where done white. Of course all the Sleeping Beauty paintings were from the studio, not part of the original. I have no idea where the non-horse animals went, but the benches are still in use today, in the Park. Next time around, check out Casey Jr. The first car pas the tender, and the next to the last car (on both trains = four) are the bench seats from the original Merry Go Round. So King Arthurs Carrousel is sort of a mixed up Carrou-Go-Round, I guess. Oh, all Merry-Go-Rounds and Carrousels have a "Lead" Horse. This the leader and all the other animals follow him. He is usually different in some manner and can be picked out from the others. Look for him on King Arthurs Carrousel (when it comes back), he is there. I have spotted him lots of times. He's the only one of his kind. Hint: The "Lead" horse is ALWAYS on the outside ring. Don't bother asking a Cast Member, they don't have a clue about things like this. I am a Carrousel/Merry-Go-Round fan and have read lots of books on them. I built a miniature working one and it is still at the house. I have no room for it here right now, but I will move it in later.

I found out where the carrousel is currently resting from a Cast Member friend when we were standing in Fantasyland, I made a comment about it. He is on the Custodial Staff, and had been in cleaning and saw it. Rather easy to spot, I would guess. Hard to miss.

Darkbeer
08-29-2002, 09:15 PM
The new "expected" to return date is now February 1st, 2003, but of course that will be subject to change.....:p

JeffG
08-30-2002, 09:37 AM
Originally posted by Lost Boy
Anyway, there is a difference between Carrousels and Merry-Go-Rounds. One turns clockwise and the other turns counter-clockwise. One has only horses, the other has a mix of animals and benches.

My father used to work as a volunteer tour guide at the Merry-Go-Round Museum in Sandusky, Ohio and has done extensive research on carousels over the years, much of which he has shared with me. The idea that there is a difference between "carousels" and "merry-go-rounds" comes up in Disney fan circles (and even showed up in at least one edition of Birnbaum's Guide) from time to time, but I've never been able to figure out where it comes from. Everything I've ever seen in carousel-enthusiast circles and industry publications indicate the two terms to be purely synonymous, with merry-go-round basically just being a more informal, kid-friendly term.

As a standard rule, antique carousels that were manufactured for use in America turned counter-clockwise while ones that were manufactured for use in England turned clockwise. The reason for this is that American operators generally wanted people to easily be able to grab a brass ring with their right hand (generally these rings hung on the outside of the carousel and riders tried to gather them in order to win a free ride), while British operators wanted riders to be able to mount the animals via standard horseman-etiquette, which called for placing your left foot in the left stirrup and then swinging your right leg over the horse. This is easier to do when the left side of the horse is facing outward. As far as I know, Disneyland's carousel has always run counter-clockwise.

Finally, I've never been able to find any written material, with the exception of one edition of Birnbaum's Guide, that supports the idea that carousels have horses only. Every other book and publication that I've seen has always referred to carousels with a variety of animals as "menagerie" carousels.

-Jeff