2. King Arthur Carrousel

Image: HarshLight, Flickr (license)

The original: Walt originally dreamed up Disneyland while watching his daughters spin around the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round, so is it any wonder that you can find a big, beautiful carousel in each of his theme parks? Despite its misleading name and prominent placement near a replica of The Sword in the Stone’s famous sheathed sword, Disneyland’s King Arthur Carrousel features colorful motifs from Sleeping Beauty and serves as the main focal point for Fantasyland itself.

The variations: While King Arthur’s Carrousel commits a minor theming faux pas, his true rival’s carousel can be found in Disneyland Paris, where it goes by the name Le Carrousel de Lancelot and showcases detailed scenes from the Knights of the Round Table. Over in Florida, however, the Magic Kingdom’s Cinderella-themed Prince Charming Regal Carrousel became the blueprint for many other Disney parks. Originally called Cinderella’s Golden Carrousel, the Prince Charming Regal Carrousel comes with a, well, charming backstory in which Prince Charming commissioned a “training device” to practice his horsemanship and ring-spearing techniques. In Hong Kong Disneyland, the attraction still goes by “Cinderella Carrousel,” while Tokyo Disneyland’s version is simply called the Castle Carrousel. Perhaps the most inventive take on Disney’s love for merry-go-rounds is the one found in Shanghai Disneyland’s Gardens of Imagination, where riders can sit astride a flock (herd?) of colorful winged horses on the Fantasia Carousel.

While you may not find any painted green benches around the carousels at the Disney Parks, it’s not hard to look at them and picture Walt dreaming up his own fantasy land.

3. Dumbo the Flying Elephant

Image: Jeremy Thompson, Flickr (license)

The original: Dumbo the Flying Elephant first landed in Disneyland in October 1955. Its enthusiastic reception, particularly among the park’s smaller guests, has made it a must-have in every Disney park since, and it also happens to be one of the parks' most unchanged attractions — a true classic. Fun fact: The concept for these ride vehicles originally featured the pink elephants of Dumbo’s nightmares… which, had Walt not protested the unusual theming, might have given the attraction a slightly different feel altogether.

The variations: Dumbo flitted off to the Magic Kingdom in 1971, where it underwent a stunning renovation when the park debuted New Fantasyland in 2012. From there, it became a staple for every single Disney park to date, right up until it was added to Shanghai Disneyland’s Gardens of Imagination several years ago. Slight cosmetic changes vary the ride from park to park, but it remains as recognizable and lovable as it first did 63 years ago.