Disney Is Overhauling Walt Disney’s Oldest Magic Kingdom Ride

Walt Disney did not live to see the opening of Walt Disney World in October of 1971; he passed away in late 1966 while the resort was still in its planning stages. But he still had plenty of influence over the final shape of the Magic Kingdom, particularly through the attractions he helped develop at California’s Disneyland that were then transported to Florida. One of the oldest of those attractions — and one of the oldest in the entire park still in operation today — is the Carousel of Progress.

Unlike a traditional carousel, Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress takes place indoors, in a circular theater with partitioned stages. The theater seats rotate from one stage to the next in a circle (hence the carousel concept). Over the course of one full rotation, the audience watches a series of animatronics tell the story of American invention and innovation across the 20th century, as seen through the eyes of a single family. The show begins in the early 1900s, then jumps to the 1920s, then the 1940s, and as it currently stands, into the near future, where guests see potential technology advancements like virtual reality video games and voice-activated ovens.

The original Carousel of Progress debuted at the 1964 World’s Fair. Afterwards it was moved to Disneyland, where it stayed until the mid-1970s. Disney then relocated the attraction to the Magic Kingdom in 1975, where it’s been ever since. It’s often billed as the longest-running stage show in theater history, thanks its decades of service at the various Disney parks. Although the Carousel of Progress has been updated intermittently through the years, it’s last major refurbishment is now three decades old, and its “future” feels a little dated.

You can watch the Carousel of Progress in its current form below.

If you want to see the O.G. Carousel of Progress in person at Walt Disney World, you better act quickly — because Disney announced on its Disney Parks Blog today that it is closing the current edition of the ride in July so that it can completely overhaul it — keeping the theme and its famous “There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow” song by the Sherman brothers, but updating all four of its scenes to new time periods.

The update will start in the 1960s instead of the early 1900s. (Ironically, the oldest past in the new version will essentially be the near future of the original 1964 edition. Then it will jump to the 1980s, then “the new millennium,” and finally what Disney calls “the possible future.”

The update will also include an animatronic of Walt Disney himself, 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.”

Here is how Disney describes the future portion of the new carousel:

As we reach the end of our show, we see the family one last time in the distant future, in an out-of-this-world home. 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.

Disney Parks Blog

It’s been a couple years since I went to Walt Disney World — but any time I go to the Magic Kingdom, the Carousel of Progress is always on my to-do list. Yes, the ride is almost laughably dated now. Instead of bringing guests into the future, it became more like a time machine to the past — but in a strange way, that was why I liked it so much.

At a certain point, the Carousel of Progress became less about the future and more about the past, not only Walt Disney World’s and our society’s broader ideas about progress, but also my own. I have fond memories of riding this attraction as a kid; something about the all-robot show really appealed to me, as did the Sherman brothers music. Plus the Carousel of Progress was always a great spot to get off your feet and escape the Orlando heat; the fact that it was old and dated meant you never had to wait for a seat in the air conditioning. I will miss the classic version.

Still, it’s great that Disney is not simply getting rid of the ride; its theme of hopeful optimism about technology and the future arguably feels even more dated than the 1900s scene. They could have easily junked it and turned the space into a Cars show or something. I look forward to seeing the new version on my next visit to the park. (As long as the air conditioning is still good.)

The classic version of the Carousel of Progress at Magic Kingdom is set to close on July 6. Disney says the updated version will reopen some time in 2027.