I admit, I never found much entertainment on the King Arthur’s Carrousel until I became a parent. Seen through the eyes of my toddler-aged daughter, this beautifully decorated carrousel provides much enjoyment for young kids. My daughter’s favorite pastime while riding the carrousel? She enjoys waving at everyone as she holds court on her white, prancing pony during the 2 minute ride.

It is rumored that Walt Disney wanted every horse on the carrousel to be white. This way, every child got to ride on the white horse, which is the most enviable steed around. However, historians claim that the originally multi-colored horses received their white coats in 1975. Bejeweled, with reins painted in vibrant colors, these glossy 68 horses bob up and down as the carrousel rotates, providing a complete view of Fantasyland.

For those who do not care to lift their leg clumsily and climb aboard the back of a bobbing horse, the carrousel also features the traditional bench seat, perfect for our daughter’s grandparents.

For small children, parents must accompany them. I’ve seen parents ride on the back of the horse, with their small one on the front, clutching the golden pole. Me, I prefer to stand to the left of the horse (I found out that standing to the right draws the attention of the Cast Member because there’s a danger that I will fall off the carrousel), holding our princess as she waves to her admirers. In all honestly, I get more amusement from watching the smiles and laughs from those in line, watching my kid make royalty of herself.

Apparently, the lead horse, by the name of Jingles, wears bells and flowers in her mane. She also received preferential treatment during Disneyland’s 50th Anniversary when she was painted gold in honor of the golden celebration.

Above the horses, 14K gold leaf covers filigree and ornamentation, along with mirrors and scenes from the animated feature, "Sleeping Beauty." Some get confused because the name of the carrousel suggests guests will see scenes from "The Sword In The Stone." However, due to the carrousel’s proximity to the Sword In The Stone courtyard in Fantasyland, the carrousel received its name in honor of "The Sword In The Stone’s" main character.

The best part of this attraction is the shorter lines. Usually, guests do not have to wait too long for this attraction so standing in a shaded queue does not meet with too much objection from our little one. The festive music and smiling faces complete the experience.

These days, guests will not find many one-of-a-kind Disney theme park attractions. Disney has been installing attractions proven successful in other Disney theme parks. Called a "lift," Walt Disney Imagineering lifted several attractions from existing theme parks and built Hong Kong Disneyland. At EPCOT, Imagineering also installed Soarin’, the ultra-popular attraction that exists at Disney’s California Adventure.

With that said, the Matterhorn Bobsleds holds much significance as the only one in the world. Only Disneyland features it in its attractions menu. The Matterhorn is also rumored to be the oldest tubular roller coaster west of the Mississippi.

Built in 1965, Walt Disney fashioned the Matterhorn after its Alpine namesake. Inside, high-speed bobsleds careened through icy slopes. Back then, the Skyway traveled through the mountain to give guests, who needed extra encouragement, a glimpse.

Many changes have occurred since 1965. The Skyway is gone, as are the two holes in the mountain that allowed the Skyway’s passage. An ominous creature took up residence inside the mountain. The Abominable Snowman, named Harold by Cast Members, appears throughout the ride. Small children will easily fear his menacing face and loud roars. All of the original tubular track on which the bobsleds glide has been replaced.

Guests begin their experience in a Swiss chalet-styled queue. Complete with yodeling and themed music, the load area does not hint of the thrills inside. Only the occasional roar from Harold and screams from guests reveal the attraction’s true nature. As the bobsleds slowly ascend up the initial slope inside the mountain, guests see ice caverns and a memorial to Disney’s late President, Frank Wells. Killed in a helicopter accident, Disneyland created a memorial which shows climbing equipment marked "Wells Expedition," honoring Frank Wells’ mountain climbing experience.

Guests have a choice of two ride experiences. The A Track, on the right side of the load area, tends to feature a milder ride with fewer sudden drops. The B Track will leave your bottom a bit more bumped and bruised but overall, the ride is more exhilarating. Children as young as 3 have boarded the coaster, but riding the attraction depends on their height. Guests sit tandem style, with the larger passenger in the back and the smaller in the front.

Because the Matterhorn consists of curving tubular track, the technology found in Space Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain will not work due to the lack of straight sections of track. As such, the braking system on the Matterhorn tends to be a little rough. At the end of the ride, bobsleds splash down into a pool of water, which helps to slow down the vehicle. As the vehicle comes to a stop, brace yourself for quite a jolt.

I recommend this 2-minute attraction as a must-experience. Children need to be aware of the Abominable Snowman and that his is rather scary. You may find yourself wishing that Disney would "lift" this ride to a Disney theme park near you.

"A Bug’s Land" like many things in the park is specifically for kids. This part of the park is cute. It is meant to look like you are the size of a bug. The entrance is made out of cardboard boxes and many of the rides are meant to look like they were made out of things that humans threw away. This land has a lot of kid’s rides like the Flik’s Flyers, which is a hot air balloon rides that lifts you off the ground similar to the Dumbo ride. Francis’ Ladybug boogie is much like the teacup ride. Your ladybug car spins as it twirls around. There is Heimlich's Chew Chew Train, which is like a train that goes through a land of giant fruit. Princess Dot Puddle Park is fun to watch. This is a great way to cool off during the day. Water shoots out of the ground (an oversized water hose) while you run through it.

The theme of this park is really cute. You enter though an arch made out of a box and are shrunk to the size of a buy. Rocks and blades of grass tower over you and boxes are turned into rides. One of my favorite parts was a giant, half eaten watermelon that arches over the tracks at Heimlich's Chew Chew Train. It’s Tough it be a Bug is the same version that is in Animal Kingdom in Florida. You enter an "underground" theater wearing your 3D bug glasses. Flik hosts a show of bugs until it goes horribly wrong. Although it is a cute show this is something that small children might want to stay away from. It gets dark and there are many special effects that might frighten them. If you want to try it out sit to the far let near the door so you can exit if it is to much for your child.

Outside of the entrance to "a bug's land" is the Bountiful Valley Farmer's Market that looks like a fruit stand next to a truck. However you aren't limited to fresh fruit. You can also get BBQ chicken, turkey legs, and beef brisket.
Across from this stand is Sam Andres Shakes. The shakes are "delicious to a fault" cute but corny. They offer a very limited of options. I got a chocolate shake (they had a selection including chocolate and vanilla.) My shake was $3.95. They have other options where you can opt to add in extras such as cookies and gummy bears. The most expensive shake is under $5, but make sure that you have cash handy, because you can’t use a credit card here.
The shakes aren’t that great, a bit watery. This stand starts to close down a little more then an hour before park closing, so make sure that you have ample time to get there. Lesson learned: just because your name is Sam doesn’t mean that you need to eat at this stand.

Located in the Condor Flats is one of the parks most popular attractions, Soarin' Over California. Alison and I were allowed into the park early thinking that only the shops were opened, but were surprised that Soarin' was also opened and quickly got on the ride. Once inside they have you sit on a hand glider(really just a row of seat that isn't attached to the ground) that takes you up to a giant IMAX screen. Seriously, you are only feet away. The ride makes you feel like you are actually flying though various places in California. During the flight you see the Golden Gate Bridge, the ocean, and Downtown Los Angeles ending up in Disneyland. The hand glider moves with the movie making it feel as if you are actually flying and sometimes dropping through the scene. If you are getting a fastpass do it early. The day I was there the fastpasses were handed out by 1pm.

The other part of the Golden State is Grizzly Peak Recreation Area. This area is a throw back to California’s gold rush days. The Grizzly River Run isn’t hard to miss. You can see a giant bear in the form of a mountain appearing over the horizon. Here you’ll find the Grizzly River Rafting Company. Guests are put into rafts that carry eight people. It starts off nice and slow, but don't be fooled. This is a water-drenching ride that takes you down the rapids and over two waterfalls. Be prepared to get wet, sometimes wetter then others. When you go over the falls water can rush into the raft soaking everything. The first time on it I only got a few drops of water on me. The second time I wasn't so lucky. My whole left side was drenched, but my right side went untouched. There are also fastpass available for this ride.
Redwood Creek Challenge Trail is across from the entrance of the Grzzly River Run. Kids seem to love it. Set in the California redwoods is a huge play area containing trails and suspension bridges in the trees above. Along the way there are animal prints of various animals that live in California. "Hidden" in the park is also Kenai's Spirit Cave where you can put your hand into a glowing paw print.

Disney Animation was one of my favorite parks of the park. There are several things to see and do here. First we went to see Turtle Talk with Crush. This is an interactive show with Crush from Finding Nemo. You enter a movie theater setting where kids can sit on the floor down front. In a few minutes Crush appears to speak to all of the "humans in the human tank". Crush will ask questions, play, and answer any questions you want to ask him. He talks to the children, but adults don’t think you got away free. Crush loves to talk to adults. Each show is different and worth a stop.

Drawn to Animation is another great place in the Disney Animation building. You enter a theater where you meet a Disney animator and learn how to sketch a Disney character. Each show is different so you never draw the same thing twice. In the middle of the building they occasionally do character greetings. When we left Turtle Talk with Crush Sleeping Beauty, Woody, and Mickey were giving autographs and taking pictures.

Aladdin at the Hyperion Theater can’t be missed. It is about an hour long, Broadway quality show. It follows along the movie of Aladdin; however not exactly and many thing are left out like Abu. Although it isn’t the same the beauty of the show well makes up for it. My favorite part was when Jasmine and Aladdin soared over the crowd on the magic carped. There are a few different seating options. One is the preferred seating, which you need to make reservations to see. I sat in the Merranine section and couldn’t be happier with my view. Times for the show can be found in the Entertainment Time Guide handed out at the entrance of the park. Make sure you get the at least 15 minutes before the show, earlier if you want your choice of seating.