Step in Time: The History of The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
Welcome back to our continuing journey through the history of the Magic Kingdom.
Going attraction by attraction, we are going to take a deep dive through the history of the park, bringing you the definitive history of each ride and show.
Last time we chatted, we discussed the storied history of the Prince Charming Regal Carrousel. Now, however, I want to turn your attention to Adventureland and explore the history of an often-overlooked ride.
The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
You may or may not know this, but The Magic Carpets of Aladdin was the first permanent Aladdin-themed ride in any Disney Park.
In fact, the creation of the attraction began after Disney CEO Michael Eisner gave Imagineering a mandate to create a ride based on Aladdin, which was a newly minted hit.
At the same, Magic Kingdom operations were looking for a way to soften the demand for Dumbo the Flying Elephant, which continued to be one of the park’s most popular attractions. To solve both problems, Imagineer Jim Shull suggested creating a new Aladdin-themed hub-and-spoke attraction for Adventureland.
In order to increase the capacity of the new ride, Shull and his team decided to design the Aladdin attraction’s ride vehicles to hold four guests each, as opposed to the two riders that the Dumbo elephants hold.
As the ability to change the height of their elephant was one of Dumbo’s defining characteristics, Imagineers knew that they wanted to give Aladdin riders the same ability. Since The Magic Carpets of Aladdin would also have guests seated in the back of the ride vehicles, however, Imagineers added a second joystick, which tilted the carpet left and right.
Construction Begins
To create the ride’s central mechanism, Imagineers contacted Zamperla, a manufacturer in Italy. In total, Disney ordered three identical rides from Zamperia. In addition to the Magic Kingdom attraction, a second ride would become a Disneyland Paris version of the attraction. The third would be given dinosaur theming and open as TriceraTop spin in Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
As Zamperla began to construct the ride itself, Imagineers began work on the ride’s vehicles. Taking inspiration from the “A Whole New World” scene, Imagineers decided to design the vehicles to resemble the magic carpet from the film.
The team then built a full-sized carpet model, which allowed them to test the new ride and get feedback.
Inspired by a jar that he found in EPCOT’s Morocco pavilion, Shull designed a wrap for the attraction’s central pole featuring different versions of Genie. Finally, a large Genie lamp was installed atop the ride’s central pole. The golden lamp would serve as a weenie for the attraction, drawing guests further into Adventureland.
The Magic Carpets opened on May 23, 2001, in the newly created Agrabah Bazaar (an expansion of Adventureland).
What About Those Spitting Camels?
In addition to the flying carpets themselves, The Magic Carpets of Aladdin also features two large golden camels that “spit” on guests.
One camel shoots riders with water as they soar above Adventureland, while the other faces away from the attraction, spraying pedestrians as they walk by.
These camels were originally featured in Aladdin’s Royal Caravan parade that ran at the Disney-MGM Studios from December 21, 1992, until August 27, 1995.
Following the end of the parade’s run, the camels were installed outside the park’s Soundstage Restaurant until the eatery closed on November 13, 1998.
During the construction of the Magic Carpets of Aladdin in 2001, the camels were relocated to Adventureland.
Fun Facts and Trivia
So there you have it! That is the complete story of how The Magic Carpets of Aladdin came to be in Adventureland!
Next time you visit the Magic Kingdom, stop by and check the ride out.
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