The version of Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress that has entertained a generation of Magic Kingdom visitors is going away for good after July 5th, so let the Unofficial Guides team take you for one more spin through the decades before this classic attraction gets its most major makeover ever.
Carousel of Progress is the only attraction in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom that displays Walt’s optimistic vision of a better future through technology, and we’ve always considered it a must-see if you’re interested in the man behind the mouse. (The fact that the show handles big crowds effectively even on busy days—and that it’s blissfully air-conditioned—doesn’t hurt.)
So when we heard that Disney was not merely adding an animatronic Walt (similar to the one seen inside Disneyland’s Main Street Opera House) to the Carousel’s introduction as previously announced, but also radically overhauling the entire production from top to bottom, we knew that “now is the best time“ for us to take one last trip to Tomorrowland for what is claimed to be the longest-running stage show in American theater history.
Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress is a four-act play performed by audio-animatronic actors offering a nostalgic look at how electricity and technology change the lives of an American family. General Electric sponsored the first version of the show for the 1964 World’s Fair in New York, which was moved mostly unchanged to Disneyland in 1967.
The show got its first big update in 1975, when it was relocated again to its current home in Walt Disney World. Original lead voice actor Rex Allen (who returned as Grandpa in the most recent version) was replaced as Father by Andrew Duggan, and the beloved “Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow“ theme song was swapped (at sponsor GE’s insistence) with another slightly less-memorable Sherman Brothers tune, “The Best Time of Your Life.“
The version of Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress that most of today’s guests will be familiar with debuted in 1994, with Christmas Story narrator Jean Shepherd taking over as John, and the original theme song restored.
In this version, the first scene was set on Valentine’s Day 1901; the second, Independence Day circa 1927; and the third, Halloween in the late 1940s. The fourth scene was allegedly contemporary—originally set in the late 1960s—and was gradually updated over the decades to 2000.
After the final curtain falls on July 5th, Disney Imagineers will give the family’s home an extreme makeover using a time machine. When the revamped show returns sometime in 2027, the acts will take place in summer 1969, Halloween 1985 (where Sarah will finally take center stage), New Year’s Eve 1999, and the “possible future“ on another planet. Disney’s stated intention is to recreate the 60-year gap that 1964 audience experienced between themselves and the original opening scene, while preventing the finale from quickly becoming outdated.
Was the old version of Carousel of Progress on your must-do list, and are you excited about its update? Let us know in the comments below!
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