A Disneyland Guest Literally Pulled The Sword Excalibur From The Stone

Arthur pulling the sword in Disney's The Sword in the Stone

Legend tells of the Sword in the Stone, a weapon that can only be pulled from its resting place by the new king. For decades that sword has rested in front of King Arthur's Carousel at Disneyland, and now, it appears we have a new leader, because somebody apparently pulled the sword from the stone.

A few days ago the sword, which sits in front of the carousel, went missing, and while it was believed to have something to do with an upcoming refurbishment of the attraction, it seems that's not the case. WDWNT reports that the site has been told by somebody in the know, that the hilt of the sword was actually pulled, or more accurately, broken, by a guest who pulled on it so hard that it came out.

Luckily, a Disneyland cast member was apparently nearby to deal with the situation, the area of the anvil was taped off so that guests couldn't get close and stick their fingers in the hole, where there were now jagged pieces of metal where people could injure themselves.

The sword has now been repaired and replaced, and it's gleaming a bit more than usual based on photos, which is nice.

If you've been to Disneyland you've quite possibly taken a picture in front of the sword, probably in a pose of attempting to pull it out. Considering how many people have done that, it's not too surprising that eventually the sword received enough stress to finally come apart. Especially since the sword is designed to move, however slightly, in place.

Now that the sword has been pulled from the stone, I'm assuming we're all subjects of whoever did it, his name was Sam according to one report, so I guess King Sam gets to be in charge now. or maybe he gets to run Disneyland, or maybe he was thrown out for damaging park property, there are so many possibilities.

The King Arthur Carousel is expected to close for a major refurbishment later this month that will keep the attraction down for a few months. Whether that will require more work on the sword in the stone, or whether it will still be available for photo ops is unclear.

This time of year, which tends to be the closest thing Disney parks have to an off-season, is when when many refurbishments are planned. Snow White's Scary Adventure is currently undergoing work on its first major update in decades, and it's been reported that when the Haunted Mansion Holiday ends its in about a week, it will also close for a significant refurbishment.

On the plus side, a lot of people won't care so much since Rise of the Resistance will be opening at the end of the week, so Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge is clearly where a lot of people will be spending their time. We'll also be seeing the new Avengers Campus open this summer.

Dirk Libbey
Content Producer/Theme Park Beat

CinemaBlend’s resident theme park junkie and amateur Disney historian, Dirk began writing for CinemaBlend as a freelancer in 2015 before joining the site full-time in 2018. He has previously held positions as a Staff Writer and Games Editor, but has more recently transformed his true passion into his job as the head of the site's Theme Park section. He has previously done freelance work for various gaming and technology sites. Prior to starting his second career as a writer he worked for 12 years in sales for various companies within the consumer electronics industry. He has a degree in political science from the University of California, Davis.  Is an armchair Imagineer, Epcot Stan, Future Club 33 Member.