Jingles

King Arthur Carrousel may not be among Disneyland’s popular “E-ticket class” attractions, but it holds a special place in many a guest’s heart for several reasons. For one thing, it’s older than the park itself, being originally made for a Canadian amusement park in 1922 and relocated to California in 1954 for the opening of the original Disneyland.

Much of the love goes to one of the horses running in the outer row, the one named Jingles for her ornate jingle-bell decorations. Once a personal favorite of Walt Disney’s, she is considered the lead horse of this merry-go-round. Many guests in the know come to the attraction wishing to ride the iconic Jingles, but the chances are pretty slim as she’s so popular and there are a total of 72 horses on the carousel.

In 2005, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Disneyland, Jingles got a sparkly makeover: She was repainted gold and placed near the queue for the Dumbo the Flying Elephant ride as a photo opportunity. Not long after, she was repainted again, this time in a pastel color scheme and reinstalled on the carousel with some Mary Poppins-inspired decorations, including an umbrella motif, a Hidden Mickey on her left hindquarter, and the initials JA.

The initials, of course, stand for Julie Andrews, the musical legend who played the titular role of Mary Poppins and rode a fantastical carousel horse in the 1964 film. She was named Honorary Ambassador during the celebration and Jingles was dedicated to her, celebrating not only the park’s anniversary but Andrews’s stellar career, particularly her everlasting contributions to the Disney canon.