Ornament Review: Ride Around the Kingdom - 2025 Hallmark Release

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Fun piece for Disneyland’s carrousel

Cons: Doesn’t stand, tips slightly

The Bottom Line:

Trip on carrousel

Mickey enjoying magic

Fun for fans of ride

Mickey is Enjoying a Royal Trip

Being the DisNerd that I am, I really do enjoy this unofficial series of Mickey Mouse on various rides around the Disney theme parks.  For 2025, he took a ride on King Arthur Carrousel with Ride Around the Kingdom.

Yes, this ornament is pretty much what you’d expect.  Mickey is sitting on a highly decorated carrousel horse.  It’s a mostly white horse, but it’s got multiple colors painted on it to represent saddle, bridle, and various other ribbons and decorations.  It looks very nice and festive, which is always good.  Mickey is turned so he is waving and smiling at us.

I learned a couple of years ago that the carrousels in the two parks here in the US have different names.  Yes, I know that this ornament is for Disneyland’s King Arthur Carrousel because it is right there on the box.  Unless Hallmark printed different boxes for the Eastern part of the country, which I don’t think happened in this case.

I don’t tend to ride the carrousel when I’m in the park, so this isn’t quite the draw for me that some of the others have been.  But I do still like it.  It’s a fun reminder of Disney’s take on a classic theme park attraction.

Given the nature of the ornament, I’m sure it’s no surprise to say it doesn’t stand on its own.  The pole is actually sticking out at the bottom, and it’s too narrow to balance the ornament.  Even if it weren’t there, the horse’s hooves aren’t positioned in a way that would allow the ornament to stand.

Which means you have to hang the ornament.  The loop is at the top of the pole, and when you slip a hook through it, you’ll find that the ornament tips back slightly.  It is noticeable if you are looking for it, but it isn’t too bad.  The ornament still looks good, and you’ll never notice once you get some tree branches around it.

This may not be my favorite ride, but I know others who do enjoy it.  They will love Ride Around the Kingdom even more than I do.  And yes, I am still glad to have it in my collection.