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| All images: Disney |
The Carousel of Progress is one of the classic shows at Disney World. The attraction made its debut at the 1964-65 New York World's Fair. It was a passion project of Walt Disney's that included a rotating theater and a song written by the Sherman brothers. The show included four scenes: the early 1900s, the 1920s, 1940s, and a futuristic finale.
It arrived in the Magic Kingdom in 1975, where it included a different song, "The Best Time Of Your Life". Over the years, the scenes have been updated and altered, especially the final scene which is a vision of the future. The last major update was in 1994, when the original song was restored, so Imagineers have decided it's time for a major refresh. But don't worry: John, Sarah, and the rest of the family won't be going anywhere, just experiencing a new timeline.
The show will close on July 6th and reopen sometime in 2027. An entirely new opening scene will be added, based on the 1964 TV special "Disneyland Goes to the World's Fair". It will include an Audio-Animatronic of Walt Disney himself. Imagineers have been recreating the room, filling it with props like a prototype Tiki Room bird and a doll from it's a small world.
Imagineers also plan to change the other scenes to reflect newer decades that guests may remember.
- Act 1 1969 - The family is gathered around the TV to watch the moon landing.
- Act 2 1985 - It's Halloween and Sarah gets the chance to show off the new gadgets that make life easier while John hands out candy. Uncle Orville is still in the bathroom with "no privacy around here!"
- Act 3 1999 - The family is preparing for the new millennium on New Year's Eve and exploring that exciting new thing called the internet. Grandpa is already asleep and Grandma is watching wrestling.
- Act 4 The Future - As always, this scene explores what the future may look like, with a robotic assistant and inspiration from the original sketches for the show.
It's going to be a long wait to experience this new version of the Carousel of Progress, but it sounds quite exciting. What new scene are you looking forward to most?
