A Glimpse of the Circle D Corral at Disneyland Park

posted at the Official Disney Parks Blog on March 30th, 2010 by Heather Hust Rivera, Manager, Social Media, Disneyland Resort

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We’ve all seen the horses on Main Street, U.S.A in Disneyland park, but do you know where these horses really live? Backstage, north of Frontierland in Disneyland park, there is a working ranch, called Circle D Corral.

Backstage, north of Frontierland in Disneyland park, there is a working ranch, called Circle D Corral.

Here are some fun facts to consider before taking a step “backstage” in today’s video to see the animals that live in Circle D Corral:

• The ranch is currently home to 28 horses, a jersey cow, two miniature donkeys, three turkeys and 15 goats.
• Forty-eight cast members work at the ranch.
• All the horses are large, “draft” horses (”draft horses” are horses that are adapted to pull heavy loads).
• The following breeds of horse are represented at Circle D: Percheron, Clydesdale, Belgian and Shire.
• No Disneyland horse works more than 4 hours a day, 3 days a week.
• And, like all cast members, the horses at Disneyland park always wear their name tags when they are working.

Caring for the Antique Horses on King Arthur Carrousel

posted at the Official Disney Parks Blog on April 23rd, 2010 by Heather Hust Rivera, Manager, Social Media, Disneyland Resort

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The preservation of the King Arthur Carrousel horses – each of which is a genuine antique, older than Disneyland itself – involves pulling horses off the Carrousel, replacing them with “alternates,” repairing them, sanding them, refinishing them and repainting them. It’s why they always look “new,” even though they’re decades old. Not only are they antiques, they’re probably among the most well-maintained antiques in the world, considering they have guests bouncing up and down on them for hours a day, every day of the year.

You might be surprised to learn that….

• The original fleet of horses came from Canada.
• All the Carrousel horses are made of wood.
• There is one cast member whose sole responsibility is to take care of all 85 horses.
• There are 72 horses on King Arthur Carrousel at a time.
• Horses are rotated whenever they need maintenance.
• In 2008 Jingles, a very special horse, was redesigned and decorated in the theme of “Mary Poppins” as a dedication to actress Julie Andrews.

A Disneyland Resort cast member, Rick Temple, tells us how King Arthur Carrousel is more than just an attraction – it’s a piece of history that he’s happy to preserve.