Updates Coming to Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress

There’s a great big, beautiful tomorrow on the way for Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress. For the last 60 years, this passion project of Walt himself has served as a powerful reflection of optimism, innovation, and family over time.

Yet while the themes have always stayed the same, the most performed stage show in the history of American theater has taken several forms over the years. So, before we talk about what’s next for this beloved attraction, let’s take a look back at its evolution.

The Evolution of Carousel of Progress

 

To understand the full history of Carousel of Progress, you have to go all the way back to the 1950s. As Walt Disney set his sights on expanding Disneyland, he envisioned an extension of Main Street, U.S.A. called Edison Square.

 

The square would be anchored by Harnessing the Lightning, a walkthrough drama exploring how electricity and technology transformed the lifestyle of the American family. While Edison Square was never built, the groundwork was laid for a show centered on a powerful idea: technology would continue to evolve, but people would stay the same.

When work began on the Disney shows for the 1964–1965 New York World’s Fair, Walt and his team of Imagineers reworked the Harnessing the Lightning concept into the smash hit of the Progressland pavilion — Carousel of Progress.

 

The fair marked the debut of the attraction’s iconic rotating theater system, as well as its equally iconic anthem by songwriters and Disney Legends Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman. It was an enormous success and a project deeply personal to Walt. It captured his overarching spirit of optimism while reflecting his hands-on creative direction, down to details as specific as how Uncle Orville’s toes should wiggle in the bathtub.

Following its run at the fair, Walt brought the show to Disneyland, where it opened in 1967 with several updates, including a refreshed Act Four (now set in Progress City, a community of tomorrow based on Walt’s vision for EPCOT). At the time, no one could have known that this finale would become a sign of things to come, as Carousel of Progress made its way to Walt Disney World in 1975.

 

In its time at Magic Kingdom, the attraction has continued to evolve, through new scripts, voice actors, time periods, and even full scene updates. The attraction even featured a new theme song, “The Best Time of Your Life,” which stood in for “There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow” for the attraction’s first two decades of operation in Florida. You can still hear the tune playing as background music throughout Tomorrowland today. The attraction’s last major update was back in 1993, which included an updated finale scene and the return of the original Sherman Brothers’ song.

Keeping Walt’s Vision Alive

 

Carousel of Progress was designed to celebrate change, not to stand still. As Imagineers, we now have the great responsibility of keeping Walt’s ideas of innovation and forward-looking spirit alive as we continue building the attraction’s future together. So where are we heading?

 

Guests may remember that last year we announced that guests will soon be able to see Walt Disney himself in the attraction, made possible through the magic of Audio-Animatronics technology. Walt is in a scene inspired by the 1964 special “Disneyland Goes to the World’s Fair,” which is where he first introduced the idea of Carousel of Progress and shared his enduring belief in the power of progress to shape a better tomorrow.

 

The team is having a lot of fun sourcing and replicating many of the props seen in that special, like the prototype Tiki bird, the Tower of the Four Winds model, a doll from “it’s a small world,” and so much more.

 

This once unimaginable opening moment will set the stage for the next era of storytelling for our American family and their lovable dog.

New Decades Coming to Carousel of Progress

 

In addition to adding Walt Disney to the very attraction that bears his name, Imagineers will also be updating all the scenes to new time periods, where we’ll get to see what John, Sarah, and the rest of the family are up to as they navigate ever-changing technology in new decades.

 

One of our main goals for this update was to keep the attraction relatable for today’s audiences by featuring eras in which our guests have personal connections. Lots of our team grew up during these decades themselves, so it’s been a real trip down memory lane to revisit the music, fashion, technology and experiences that helped shape our history all reflected in this family’s story.

 

Act 1 – the 1960s

 

When the show first opened at the World’s Fair, its story began by looking back about 60 years to the dawn of the new century. Now more than six decades later, this new iteration mirrors that idea, starting 60 years back from today in the 1960s.

 

In the summer of 1969, our Carousel family, along with millions around the world, gather around the television to witness one of humanity’s greatest achievements: the historic moon landing. Filled with awe, the moment captures the spirit of innovation and possibility that has always been—and always will be—at the heart of Carousel of Progress.

 

Act 2 – the 1980s

 

It’s the ‘80s, where everything bigger is better, and things keep on getting bigger! We pick up with the family on Halloween Night of 1985, and for the first time ever, Sarah is taking center stage. She’ll share how all the new appliances and gadgets are making life easier for the whole family.

 

Speaking of John, we’ll find him out on the porch handing out candy to trick-or-treaters, and poor Uncle Orville can be found in the bathroom with “no privacy around here!”

 

Act 3 – The New Millennium

 

With the ‘90s drawing to a close, our Carousel family is preparing to ring in the new millennium on New Year’s Eve 1999. Amid the excitement of the countdown to 2000, a new thing called the Internet is bringing John, Sarah, Jimmy and Patty – and the world – closer together than ever before.

 

And, not everyone is making it to midnight. Grandpa has already nodded off before the big countdown, while Grandma sneaks the TV over to wrestling when no one’s looking.

 

Act 4 – The Possible Future

 

As we reach the end of our show, we see the family one last time in the distant future, in a home off planet. From a helpful robot assisting with everyday tasks to space travel, the scene imagines a future where extraordinary innovation has become part of life and proves that a beautiful tomorrow is just a dream away.

 

To help bring this new finale to life, Imagineers looked back at original concept sketches by Disney Legend John Hench, drawing inspiration from his imaginative vision of the future.

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