Disney plans 60-year time jump for its Carousel of Progress

This is causing quite the uproar across the Disney and theme park communities. Honestly, my only issue with this is that they're insisting on calling this "Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress" even though the modifications will more or less strip everything that Walt personally worked on out of the attraction. Simply because "Walt" is going to do an intro, doesn't mean it's still "his" attraction. I would prefer they call it "Walt Disney AND The Carousel of Progress".

I find it so hypocritical that fans complain about aged, antiquated attractions getting minor updates to keep them current, but those same "fans" have the audacity to complain at the top of their lungs when an attraction that has been left in the 70's as much as humanly possible has to go through a massive renovation to appeal to modern audiences. If WDI been more proactive in consistently and comprehensively updating this attraction, it would never have reached this point where a massive, shocking, renovation was necessary. Neglect builds malaise and disinterest, which leads to situations like this (and Rivers of America), and the folks who whine and complain about minuscule, incremental changes to attractions and experiences should look in the mirror. Time is undefeated, and if nothing else, the Carrousel of Progress should be a testament and exemplification to that fact of life and the universe.

@Robert - You just had to throw a bone at TH with a nod to their trademarked "small ball" terminology.

In my view, CoP's greatest selling point at WDW is that it is a 20+-minute respite from the heat in a cold, dark theater - perfect for a midday nap that you rarely have to wait more than 10 minutes to enjoy (like a Minute Suite at a busy airport). I'll never forget the time we rode CoP back in 2010 when our son was an infant. We were seeking that moment of peace and quiet (and refrigeration), but our son was not impressed and crying uncontrollably throughout the first scene. As a courteous parent, I thought I was being smart and considerate by removing myself and screaming baby from the theater when the second scene started through the emergency exit so other guests could enjoy the rest of the show. Little did I know that opening the emergency exit door triggered the e-stop on the entire attraction and ruined the experience not only for the guests in our portion of the rotating theater, but the other sections as well. It's the only time I have ever had a negative interaction with a Disney CM.

I. . . actually am a big fan of this. I know people are going to be against this, but as someone who holds no emotional connection to the ride, I think that this is a necessary update and a worthwhile small ball addition. I personally love the retrofuturism aesthetic, too, and it works to fix the "tomorrow always arrives" problem that tomorrowland has always faced.

I don't know if Walt and the original Imagineers ever intended for the show scenes to be swapped out as time passed, or even thought this ride would survive this long, but I think the ride needs to adapt regardless of what they would've thought.

While I'm glad the ride is getting some TLC, I'm a bit disappointed they're retooling it completely. First with Muppet*Vision for Jim Henson, now with Carousel of Progress with Mr. Disney, WDW is strip mining some of the final work's of its creatives.

Part of me wishes they would restore the original 1960s final scene & build a "second story" atop the original attraction that runs simultaneously & covers more recent decades hosted by Sarah. Practical? No. But a man can dream.

I do really wish WDI would stop trying to imagine the future with the final scene. To your point, Robert the original impetus of the attraction was a giant advertisement for GE products. The final scene is supposed to be "we're living in the future now!"

Instead of these odd 15-year periods, they could easily keep the 20-year jumps of the original by focusing on the technological progress of these eras. 1969 would be the Space Age (Moonwalk). 1989 would be the Computer Revolution/Information Age (Birth of World Wide Web). 2009 would be the Smartphone Revolution (proliferation of iPhone, social media). And 2029, love it or hate it, would cover the AI Revolution (you could even make a call back to the voice-activated stove in the current Christmas scene by having an AI hallucinate or break down).

In ten, twenty year's time the "future" scene will seem dated, quaint, & rather off the mark. Why not have the final scene be the future of today?

To the pitchfork and torch wielding mob that would decry any update to this attraction I would simply ask, how often do you actually seek out this experience when you visit the Magic Kingdom? For as much as Walt Disney was a nostalgia fan, he was also a futurist and avid believer in the possibilities of technology. I for one think that he would always be on board with updating and retooling his attractions to keep them fresh and enjoyable for everyone, of all ages and eras.

"Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world.”
- Walt Disney
- Michael Scott

- couldn’t resist the Office joke. IYKYK

As the one ride at WDW that litteraly has Walt’s fingerprints on it somewhere, I’m cautious about this, I’d prefer if they kept the 20s scene at least, but having Walt introduce it is a good but risky idea. Walt is very much at risk of becoming much like Colonel Sanders - people forget he was more than a mascot - fending on how this is executed this could either bring that human connection, or reinforce the logo- isation.

I haven't been to this for....I can't remember. And I agree with Russell and others, an update sorely needed as early 20th century setting doesn't quite resonate so well.

Reminds me of how I can love and miss EPCOT stuff like Horizons and World of Motion but acknowledge they're dated for today. I think the Walt inclusion a bit tricky yet as others say, it's a bit hypocritical to complain something that has "progress" in the title refuses to change.

It will be a great big beautiful attraction. Can't wait.

It's a pity there isn't enough room to retain the existing one and add this modern version to maintain the overall timeline.

I love the current Carousel of Progress, and I love the fact it's getting a major update. I would rather they do this than tear it down. It's time for the update while keep the original spirit of the attraction.

I'm a huge fan of COP. That said, my deep desire would be for them to restore it to the original show complete with outdated jokes and ending in the 1960's. I know that's never gonna happen, so I guess this is the next best thing. Glad to see it's getting some investment and love.

If I trusted Disney more to deliver a quality product, I'd be quite excited about this. However, seeing what Imagineering has put out over the past decade and change, I don't have the highest opinion of their work, and given this will lack an IP connection, wouldn't be surprised if it gets budget cut to the point the whole thing falls apart. I suppose it's better than shutting the ride down, and it's such a unique attraction I appreciate them trying to keep the Carousel of Progress spinning, but unless the new show is significantly more impressive than the other animatronic shows at the resort I doubt it will last ten years before the whole thing closes anyway.

Now that Astro Orbiter, Buzz Lightyear, and Carousel of Progress are checked off the list, lets continue the momentum with Space Mountain next and Tomorrowland Speedway after that. A much needed Space Mountain rebuild was already de-railed by a major global recession once, lets pray to the Disney gods that they don't make the same ill fated decision again 20 years later.

A couple quick comments:

First, my family and I really like Carousel of Progress and can't wait to see the updated show.

Second - though Grandma was indeed commenting like she was watching a boxing match in the current version of the show, it was clearly old-time pro wrestling she was watching on the tv set. A quick internet search has verified that it was 1940s-era Paris Wrestling and the wrestlers involved were Rene Ben Chemoul and Gipsy Guy Laroche. I am hopeful that we will recognize the modern WWE Superstars in the new show!!

...the WWE superstar featured is going the be The Rock, isn't it?

It depends what decade it is shown in. Maybe Hulk Hogan.....?

Robert: "Which raises the question, is this a family of Time Lords? Why do these people never age? Of course, the answer is that they are supposed to be symbols for human roles ... "

Me: Nope. I am goin' with Time Lords. You called it. Deal with it. Waiting for the scene where gramps fixes something in the kitchen with a sonic screwdriver.

AJ: "However, seeing what Imagineering has put out over the past decade and change, I don't have the highest opinion of their work ..."

Me: Yeah. I mean, since 2016 they've dropped stuff like Pandora, 'Flight of Passage' the Na'vi shaman, Cosmic Rewind, 'Rise of the Resistance' Shanghai Disneyland (including Pirates) expansions in Tokyo and Hong Kong ... All of which give us no reason to be optimistic.

(Chuckle)

@TH - I think AJ was referring to revamps and tweaks to existing attractions when challenging the quality of WDI's recent work (maybe AJ can confirm that, but that's how I read his critique within the context of this CoP renovation). Aside from MMRR (and that was almost a blank slate at DHS aside from the front facade and building shell - DL's is a completely new building backstage and minor facade modifications), the track record over the past decade hasn't been great from WDI doing major rework to existing attractions - Incredicoaster, TBA, Frozen Ever After, Zootopia (DAK), Communicore, Soarin' Around the World, and others. There's little doubt that when given a blank slate, WDI does some breathtaking work with Avengers CAMPUS being a rare miss. However, when they've gone back to retcon aging/antiquated attractions in the past 10-ish years, the results have not been as universally acclaimed.

The WWE angle is interesting to me simply because the company has been tied to NBC/Universal for such a long time until Netflix grabbed Raw at the beginning of 2025, leaving NBC/Universal with Smackdown (shown on USA), LFG, and archive-based programs shown on A&E (Legends, Rivals, and Greatest Moments), and quarterly "Saturday Night's Main Event" programs on Peacock. Disney/ESPN paid a reported $1.6 billion in late 2025 to start showing live WWE content previously under NBC/Universal control over the next 5 years (WWE "PLEs" - formerly known as "pay-per-views" that generally occur once per month). So doing the math, Disney/ESPN are paying WWE @$23 million for each 2-4 hour program assuming Wrestlemania and Summer Slam remain 2-days and no other event expansion occurs over the contract term. Given WWE's longstanding relationship with Disney's theme park and entertainment rival, and overall frustration from Disney/ESPN executives with the ROI on a contract that isn't even a year old yet (they've resorted to showing the first hour of events, including Wrestlemania, on ESPN/ESPN2 to generate interest in the ESPN Unlimited service needed to watch the full event), I'm wondering if this could potentially be a consolation/make good for underwhelming returns on the broadcast contract.

@Russell: Why do you feel compelled to reply on behalf of AJ? This is the second time in recent memory that you have jumped in to rationalize his point. Maybe restrain yourself and let him respond.

(Maybe Russell and AJ are the same person?)

Sorry, Beacher, but Russell and I have no relation aside from being longstanding regulars of this site. Sometimes we're on the same wavelength and back each other up with our comments, but there's definitely no coordination going on here.

TH, I find it fairly amusing that you, the champion of "small ball" Disney, are choosing to defend what seems to fit exactly within the scale of "small ball" by citing some of the largest projects Disney has ever brought to life as justification for having confidence in this. If you consider "small ball" a successful strategy, I would have expected an argument based on the overwhelming success of similar overhauls at Disney properties in recent times. Unless, of course, you don't consider this a "small ball" project, and in that case, it defeats your argument of things like Test Track 3.0, Soarin' Across America, and Rock 'n' Muppet Coaster as being "small ball" projects as I'd be quite surprised if this got a budget significantly exceeding those.

Regardless of the above, the only attractions that I've personally experienced that debuted at a Disney park between 2016 and 2024 (the year of my most recent visit to a Disney property) that impressed me were Guardians of the Galaxy Mission: Breakout!, Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway, Star Wars Galaxy's Edge, and The Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast. While that may sound decent, it represents only 20-30% of the projects Disney executed over that time period, and that is not something I consider a flattering success rate for the world's most popular theme parks. While I'll fully admit to my own biases, peak Disney for me was late 1990s to mid 2000s, and the track record of the current company has enough misses throughout the 2010s that I'm no longer willing to give them the benefit of assuming a quality product until I've seen the final result. I do plan to visit WDW again this fall for the first time since 2021, so if I find what they've installed since then more impressive than previous efforts I am open to a reevaluation of my stance.

Wow. I look forward to this update although my family is not the target audience for this ride. I found it interesting they are starting in 1969. I could not put my finger on it. Starting in 1969 allows them to skip the Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam War, Civil Rights movement, the political assassinations and Woodstock. Then it made sense. Perfectly cleansed. Removing any trace of contention or progress made outside of the "Family". And we know what happens when you alter the "Family". Lord if they had introduced a minority of any type crap would hit the fan. Now in a very alternate reality it would be a hoot to have the Grandparents divorce, Uncle Orville be gay, Patricia announce she was pregnant and James bring a Black girlfriend home. Oh the entertainment would be watching the audience. Ok not very Disney. Not very Disney at all. Best to stick to technical progress. When does this thing reopen ? Got to go.

I'm too young to have seen the original version of Carousel of Progress at Disneyland before they installed America Sings and have not seen any version of the attraction in Florida. I'd like to have experienced both the original version of the attraction and the current one, and have guarded hope that WDI will do a decent job on the refurbished attraction.

Robert, on Saturday you posted this in the Walk Time column:
"Disney will close the Magic Kingdom attraction on July 6 to install new scenes. Instead of portraying life in the 1900s, 1920s, and 1940s, the new Carousel of Progress - which will open next year - will show 1969, 1985, and 2000. The idea is to time-shift the experience so it is no father away from us in the past as the original was from audiences at the New York's World Fair in 1964, when the attraction first appeared. I was a math major and have never feared the subject before, but doing that math scared me. Yup, it checks out. Anyone else feel older now?"

Does the math check out? From 1964, 1900 is 64 years previous, 1920 is 44 years previous, and 1940 is 24 years previous. From 2027, 1969 is 58 years previous, 1985 is 42 years previous, and 2000 is 27 years previous. The jumps in time will be different than the original version of the attraction, and seem to be focusing on specific interesting and convenient points in time that WDI wants to highlight, as leroyk mentions above.

Hubert, I love the original version and very partisan towards it but understand Disney need to move with the times as technology and relevant world history has moved on at a rapid pace. The gulf between the third and fourth scenes were getting far too big and the fourth segment was way out of date for today. Just condensing the four scenes from 1969 to the future will see significant changes in each segment. It is also catering for this and the next generation of guests. The initial iteration was to help sell General Electric products but without their sponsorship Disney has a clean canvas. I await with bated anticipation on the re-opening.

No not Time Lords. They're vampires. And *we the audience* are *their* great big beautiful tomorrow. Literally.

AJ: "TH, I find it fairly amusing that you, the champion of "small ball" Disney, are choosing to defend what seems to fit exactly within the scale of "small ball" by citing some of the largest projects Disney has ever brought to life as justification for having confidence in this".

Me: Not sure what you mean by "champion of small ball". I've made the observation that WDW is making investments in lower cost attractions to draw attention (and admissions) to its Orlando parks -- a strategy that Robert affirmed after talking to Disney execs. The strategy appears to be successful as these "Small Ball" projects are quite visible across the internet -- a circumstance that caused Russell to opine "... it does look like Disney is getting plenty of mileage from their modest improvements".

As for the quality of these shows and attractions, I don't think I've said any of them are especially impressive. I wrote: "I mean, they basically ran a vacuum through the queue of 'Frozen Ever After' and when it re-opened as an allegedly upgraded "new experience" the line on the first day stretched from Norway to Germany". I also wrote: "I haven't seen the Zootopia flick at DAK -- nor have I heard anyone rave about it. I would guess it's nothing special".

But I do think your bias and negativity towards Disney is exposed when you claim that "However, seeing what Imagineering has put out over the past decade and change, I don't have the highest opinion of their work ..." Unless you're limiting that assessment to the stuff you've actually experienced.

"Not sure what you mean by 'champion of small ball.'"

I mean that you seem to to be acting like Disney using that strategy is having comparable success levels to other parks adding headliner attractions. For the record, I don't think it is bad as a short term strategy, but I see it far more as as something attempting to maintain current visitation levels when major expansions are known to be several years out than something that will do anything to grow the visitation, yet many of your comments imply there is little impact difference between something like Hollywood Drift at USF and the Muppet version of RnRC at DHS.

"Your bias and negativity towards Disney is exposed...unless you're limiting that assessment to the stuff you've actually experienced."

As I quote from myself: "The only attractions that I'VE PERSONALLY EXPERIENCED...that impressed me." My only visit to DLRP was 2012, my last visit to WDW was in 2021, my only visit to TDR was 2023, and my last visit to DLR was 2024 (and I've never been to the China resorts), so there is absolutely stuff out there in the timeframe I've mentioned that I haven't experienced yet. However, I found Pandora to be underwhelming after all the hype I had heard prior to my visit, felt Toy Story Land was merely fine, didn't care for Remy's Ratatoutille Adventure, consider Pixar Pier a disgrace compared to Paradise Pier, was quite disappointed with Avengers Campus as a MCU fan, and have found pretty much all the re-skinned attractions inferior to the version that they replaced (with the exception of the previously mentioned Mission: Breakout!). I'll fully acknowledge that many of Disney's more recent efforts haven't really done it for me and that my opinion of them is not at the level it used to be, but I am open minded about every new attraction until I've experienced it. At the same time, though, I expect Disney to offer a product worthy of the premium that they demand, and each time I feel unsatisfied with what they're selling, I feel less inclined to keep giving them chances.

So ...

I wrote (@AJ): "Not sure what you mean by 'champion of small ball.'"

AJ responded: “I mean that you seem to be acting like Disney using that strategy is having comparable success levels to other parks adding headliner attractions. For the record, I don't think it is bad as a short-term strategy …”

Me: My God did you screw that up. Over on the “Small Ball” discussion thread, V-Coaster and I had this exchange.

V-Coaster: “Hmmm, I wonder what could have possibly brought people into the Orlando area in the past year to cause a rise in Disney's revenue …Oh I know! It was the Zootopia show.

Me: No. I doubt that. But it seems that multiple, small, incremental additions to WDW's attractions and entertainment helped allow it to sustain admissions.”

That back-and-forth undermines your assertion. I had no problem with VC's snarky (albeit vague) assertion that Epic Universe (a theme park I believe will welcome 14 million people in 2026) is the main reason people are travelling to Central Florida. I also specifically assert “Small Ball” is meant only to “sustain” admissions (cash flow). I have never claimed the “Small Ball” additions will have “comparable success levels to other parks adding headliner attractions”

AJ: “I see it far more as something attempting to maintain current visitation levels when major expansions are known to be several years out than something that will do anything to grow the visitation yet many of your comments imply there is little impact difference between something like Hollywood Drift at USF and the Muppet version of RnRC at DHS.

Me: You really need to read my posts before commenting on them. I have been consistent in my position that a “Small Ball” strategy is meant to sustain visibility and admissions. I never said anything close to “there is little impact difference between something like Hollywood Drift at USF and the Muppet version of RnRC at DHS.” I never even mention “Hollywood Drift”.

And the qualifiers you have been using are weak. “Seem to be acting like”? “Comments imply”?

Also what is this “several years” stuff? DAK’s expansion opens in 2027. Monsters at DHS opens in 2028. MK’s Cars and Villains follows in 2029-2030.

Regarding his biases about Disney AJ writes: "As I quote from myself: "The only attractions that I'VE PERSONALLY EXPERIENCED...that impressed me …”

Me: That’s a 180 from your first assessment which read “If I trusted Disney more to deliver a quality product, I'd be quite excited about this. However, seeing what Imagineering has put out over the past decade and change, I don't have the highest opinion of their work …”

Sorry but those don’t appear to be the words of someone committed to objectivity until they have “personally experienced” the attraction. They sound as if they are written by someone who is biased.

I think the phrase "small ball" is destined to go viral across both sides of the Atlantic. I wouldn't be surprised if DJT drops it out in one of his interviews although he is not noted for "small ball" tactics..........but you never know.

THC, your influence is gathering momentum. I am on Hinkley Point C, a new nuclear power station being built in England. At this morning's meeting I could have quite easily have used "incremental" but was compelled by a hidden force to say "small ball."