Prince Charming Regal Carrousel

Prince Charming Regal Carrousel (formerly Cinderella's Golden Carrousel was renamed in 2010) was built in 1917 by the Philadelphia Toboggan Co.  Originally called the Liberty Carousel it was built for Electric Park in Detroit Michigan.

     Electric Park, originally built as a trolley park, was in operation from 1906 until it's demolition in 1928.  In 1917 the Philadelphia Toboggan Co. installed the Liberty Carousel at the park.  Liberty Carousel is the 46th of 87 Carousels they built. The Liberty like most had a war theme where your riding the horses into battle with Patriotic colors and banners festooned all over her.  She originally had 72 horses and 2 or 4 charriots depending on who you talk to.

     In 1928 the Liberty was sold to Olympic Park in Maplewood New Jersey. Olympic Park was in operation from 1887-1965.

     The Liberty was bought by the Walt Disney Company in 1967, saved from certain destruction.  Carousel horses had become quite valuable by that time, and today they are astronomical.  It is suggested that each of the horses today is valued at up to $100,000. Walt Disney dismantled and shipped her to Orlando Florida for the upcoming Walt Disney World.  She was painstakingly restored to it's originally glory albeit in a more festive color scheme and renamed Cinderella's Golden Carrousel.  Walt Disney decided she needed to be bigger and added another row of horses on the outside giving her the present day 90 horses.


     There's a few facts I can't find.  I thought she was originally a "catch the ring" carousel, where the object was to reach up and grab a brass ring and if you caught it you got to ride again for free. The other mystery to me is what band instrument was originally housed in it to provide the music.

update:
     The original Band organ is thought to be a Gavioli. But Gavioli shut down in 1912 and was bought out by Limonaire Frères which had their factory confiscated by Germany in 1917 during WWI. So I'm guessing if it was a Gavioli it was an instrument that Electric Park allready had.  It is also believed that When Walt Disney aquired the carousel from Olympic Park that the organ was no longer with it.

I shot this video of the carrousel in October 2009