Spotlight On...Le Carrousel de Lancelot

As we are approaching summertime, and children will be off school, I thought that we should pop over to Fantasyland and relive our inner-child. Plus it's a good excuse to look over one of the most famous attractions in all the Disney theme parks.

Le Carrousel de Lancelot, or Lancelot's Carousel, is situated in Fantasyland behind le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant. This carousel is rather unique for a number of reasons, specifically because it has 5 rows of horses, allowing you and four friends to ride side-by-side. Additionally, it is the first carousel in all the Disney theme parks to have chariots in the ride, which means that guests who cannot climb a horse can still ride the carousel.

The horses themselves also have a great deal of history and detailing behind them. The 16 horses on the outer ring were designed by Joe Leonard, an American carver. Once these horses were finished, they were sent to Florida where they were painted, each one's armour individually detailed with a golden shimmer, which was produced through using 24-carat gold leaf. The inner horses, made by fiberglass, each have colourful armour and have been arranged in order of the colours of the rainbow. They have also been modelled after the horses on the carousel in the Magic Kingdom, Florida.

The outer horses each weigh 250 pounds, and are 6 and a half feet tall! The chariots in use date back to 1917 and were built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company, and have been updated by Disney to also be decorated in 24-carat gold leaf, as well as copper and aluminium leaf.

Le Carrousel de Lancelot is a beautiful carousel, and at present is the largest in Europe. And whilst you're enjoying yourself on the attraction, you can listen to a selection of tunes from 'Beauty and the Beast', 'Aladdin' and many other Disney movies. And - like most of Parc Disneyland - it's a breathtaking site at night.