Prince Charming Regal Carrousel at Magic Kingdom Park
Prince Charming Regal Carrousel sits in the center of Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom. As you walk down Main Street, U.S.A., from the park’s entrance, you can see the carrousel through the opening at the base of Cinderella Castle.
This timeless carrousel is absolutely beautiful and worth riding at least once during your vacation. Below, I’ll share a few specifics for experiencing this attraction during your Walt Disney World vacation.
Here are a few quick details for Prince Charming Regal Carrousel.
| Prince Charming Regal Carrousel | Magic Kingdom |
|---|---|
Location: | Fantasyland |
Height Requirement: | None |
Lightning Lane: | No |
Ride Type: | Carrousel |
Seats Per Vehicle: | Individual Horses |
Rider Switch: | None |
Early Theme Park Benefit: | Yes |
Extended Evening Hours: | Yes |
Good For: | Children Nostalgia |
Scare Factor: | None |
Must-Do List: | Medium |
Perfect For: | All ages |
Special Mention: | The carousel does not have a single rider line. |
Additional Info: Guests in ECVS must transfer to a wheelchair. Service animals are permitted with caution. Additionally, you’ll want to remember Disney’s rule that children under seven must be accompanied by a person aged 14 years or older.
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Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
Carrousels are a little extra special in regards to Disney Parks. Walt Disney used to take his children to Griffith Park to ride a carrousel. It was during those visits that he dreamed up the idea of Disneyland. Years later, carrousels exist in many Disney Parks, including Prince Charming Regal Carrousel at Magic Kingdom. The carrousel sits directly behind Cinderella Castle.
Guests can choose from one of 90 wood-carved horses on the carousel.
A few tunes from Mary Poppins play in the background.
Each spin lasts approximately 90 seconds. Panels inside the carrousel portray the story of Cinderella and Prince Charming. Each panel shows various scenes from the movie, including when Cinderella and the Prince are reunited by the glass slipper.
The History of Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
This carrousel was initially built in 1917 by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company. At that time, it was the Liberty Carrousel at Belle Isle Park in Detroit, Michigan. In 1928, it was moved to Olympic Park in Maplewood, New Jersey, where it entertained guests for 39 years. It was then acquired by Walt Disney World and redesigned to reflect the story of Cinderella. When Magic Kingdom opened in 1971, it was called Cinderella’s Golden Carrousel.
The carrousel was redesigned again in 2010 and renamed Prince Charming Regal Carrousel. Here is the story that Imagineers released regarding the changes:
“Following their fairy-tale romance and happily-ever-after wedding, Cinderella and Prince Charming took up residence in Cinderella’s Castle. With peace throughout the kingdom, Prince Charming had time to practice for jousting tournaments. In the countryside near the castle, he built a training device of carved horses, on which he could practice the art of ring-spearing, a tournament event in which a knight rides his horse full speed, lance in hand, toward a small ring hanging from a tree limb, with the object of spearing the ring. This event was known by various names throughout the lands but generally came to be called “carrousel.”
The carrousel device drew the attention of the villagers, who wanted to take a turn on this amazing spinning contraption. So Prince Charming had a second carrousel constructed closer to the Castle, where everyone could take a spin on this wondrous invention. Instead of a working knight’s training device, however, this new carrousel is more befitting of its regal location in the Castle Courtyard – its rustic training horses replaced with ornately decorated prancing steeds adorned with golden helmets and shields, flower garlands, feathers, and other festoons. Prince Charming invites one and all to test their horsemanship skills and enjoy their own happy ending.”
The Resorts Gal Spin on Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
We give Magic Kingdom’s carrousel the green light! You will rarely have to wait more than a round or two for your turn on the carrousel. Plus, the wait isn’t so bad as you listen to tunes from Mary Poppins play in the background. Make sure to soak in the moment when it’s your turn. It’s not every day that you get to ride a carrousel sitting directly behind a castle!
Resorts Gal Traffic Signals
Green Light
We give an attraction the green light if we consider it a must-do, regardless of the posted wait. We also give the green light for attractions we deem suitable to experience anytime. For example, some attractions have high capacities. Therefore, the lines continuously move and you shouldn’t have a long wait unless the attraction experiences downtime.
Red Light
We recommend checking the posted wait times for red light attractions. Then, make a quick judgment call on whether to wait, skip it, or return later. We also red light some attractions that we feel might not be suitable based on our experience.
Final Thoughts
Prince Charming Regal Carrousel is considered an anytime attraction and rarely has a long line. The best time to experience this attraction is in the morning before wait times begin to build. But anytime is suitable. Given the high load capacity, you shouldn’t have to wait long even when a line has formed.
Here are a few other attractions in the nearby area:
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh Ride
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Review
- Under the Sea Journey of the Little Mermaid
- Peter Pan’s Flight
Or you can preview the entire list of rides at Magic Kingdom.
Resorts Gal specializes in Disney World Resorts, Characters, and Dining. You might enjoy some of our resources, like our list of Disney World Resort Reviews. Other helpful resources include our Disney World Vacation Planning Guide, and our guide on How to Create a Budget for Your Disney Vacation.
We also have a complete list of Disney restaurant reviews for planning dining reservations. Usually, we recommend scheduling at least one Disney World character dining meal and a Disney signature dining reservation.
If you plan to meet characters in the parks, we have an updated list of Disney World Characters. That guide links to every meet available in each of the four parks.
In the Comments
Do you plan to take a turn on Prince Charming Regal Carrousel? Will anyone in your group be excited about this attraction? share your thoughts below in the comments.
