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Flying Carpets Over Agrabah
You got a genie for your charge d'affaires!
Thanks to his resounding success in Disney's Aladdin, the Genie has made the leap from actor to director, and he wants to put YOU in the picture with his high-flying film set in the skies above Agrabah.
The only ride in Toon Studio not to be based on a modern Pixar film, Flying Carpets Over Agrabah is as classic a Disneyland experience as you can get: Sixteen rising and falling magic carpets, circling a golden lamp centrepiece.
Riders pass through a "backstage" area littered with props and film equipment before arriving "on set" in front of the giant, colourful Agrabah backdrop. The attraction mixes touches of Middle Eastern influence which wouldn't be out of place in Adventureland with less attractive, industrial studio sets and props to fit the conceit that this is a working film set.
In some ways this feels like a not-so-subtle way to save money on more expansive landscaping, but it does put a unique "spin" on the concept and hardly affects the actual ride experience.
A regular, fun aerial carousel, this is also a great alternative if the lengthy queues for Dumbo the Flying Elephant over in Fantasyland don't appeal.
- Disney's FASTPASS available
Genie invites you to star in a circling elevated carousel of flying carpets for his directorial debut.
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Opening Date
16th March 2002
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Attraction Type
Aerial carousel
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Duration
1 minute 30 seconds
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Capacity
4 Guests per flying carpet,
16 flying carpets
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Category
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Wait Time
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Suitablility
- Children 3-7
- Children 8-12
- Young Adults
- Adults
- Seniors
Trivia
- It has been speculated that Flying Carpets Over Agrabah was originally intended not for Walt Disney Studios Park but for Disneyland Park next door, where it could have taken residence in Adventureland just like its Florida cousin, on a vacant piece of the land between Adventureland Bazaar and Restaurant Hakuna Matata. Rumour has it that the ride was originally ordered with the intention of placing it here, but when management suddenly decided the new Studios park needed at least one family-friendly ride it was diverted at the last minute. Upon opening in 2002, Flying Carpets Over Agrabah was the only actual ride in the park, besides Rock 'n' Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith and Studio Tram Tour, but it was not shown on any of the plans for the park until the very final blueprints.
- For those early visiting families — and all fans of Toon Studio today — it's lucky that Flying Carpets did end up here at the Studios. It was this attraction which launched upon the genius fictitious concept that animated movies might not be drawn or created by humans, but filmed and produced by the "toons" themselves. It was this admittedly oblique idea behind the attraction, of Genie directing his own film, that allowed all of the land's subsequent expansions, such as Toy Story Playland, to be shoehorned in and sit comfortably together.
- The oasis area in front of the attraction, comprising several planters and exotic palm trees, was added only in late 2006 as part of the Toon Studio placemaking improvement project, although it had actually been a part of the original plans for the ride before being cut. New lanterns with a Middle Eastern style were also added around this area.
Take your pick from 16 magic flying carpets!
Tips
- Unlike the better-known Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Flying Carpets Over Agrabah offers the free Disney's Fastpass service. This is the best way to get on-board one of these popular aerial carousels with minimal waiting in line.
- If you have a choice, sit in the front of a Flying Carpet for an unobstructed view and the chance to control its height. If you're not so lucky, the back rows at least still offer the "Magic Scarab", which tilts the carpet forward and back as if rocking in the wind.
