Disney’s iconic Carousel of Progress is getting overhauled at Disney World

I ride Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress nearly every time I visit Walt Disney World. The rotating theater show, following an audio animatronic family across the 20th century, reminds me of going to the parks as a kid with my dad in the 1980s and ‘90s.  

He’d wake up before dawn to drive to the parks before opening and take me on every ride, even ones he'd never choose on his own like Space Mountain. When we needed a break in Magic Kingdom, the Carousel of Progress was his favorite place to relax in more than 20 minutes of glorious air conditioning. We’d laugh at its intentionally corny jokes and sing along to the Sherman Brothers earworm “The Best Time of Your Life” between every scene. 

It took me a while to get used it when Disney changed the theme song in the '90s back to its 1964 original “There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow.” To me, the switch felt as significant as the various updates Disney has made to the show’s final scene since the attraction's debut. 

Now longtime fans are facing an even bigger change: a complete reimagining of what Walt Disney conceived. Here's what’s coming and why the changes are such a big deal for Disney fans. 

Walt Disney's idea 

The attraction was Walt Disney’s idea from the beginning.

It was originally planned for Disneyland but debuted as the centerpiece of Disney's Progressland pavilion at the 1964-65 New York World's Fair – the same seminal event where Disney introduced “it’s a small world,” Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, and a ride called Ford’s Magic Skyway with dinosaur animatronics that can still be seen along the Disneyland Railroad. 

The show moved to Disneyland following the fair, then moved again to Disney World when the resort opened in 1975. Over the years and locations, the Carousel of Progress has entertained generations of fans with “more performances than any other stage show in the history of American theater,” according to the official Disney Parks Blog. 

What’s changing and when 

Last August, Disney announced that it was adding an audio animatronic of Walt Disney to the attraction, as well as updating “what John, Sarah and the rest of the family are up to.” 

Disney has now revealed that those updates are essentially a full reimagining.  

The Walt Disney audio animatronic will open the show in an Easter-egg peppered scene inspired by the 1964 TV special “Disneyland Goes to the World’s Fair," where he first introduced audiences to the Carousel of Progress. Then instead of rotating audiences through scenes from the turn of the 20th Century, 1920s, 1940s and turn of the 21^st Century, “We’re starting where Walt left off,” in the 1960s, Disney said.  

The first scene featuring the show’s familiar audio animatronic family will be set in the 1960s. John, Sarah and their kids, Patty and Jimmy, will have come back from the World's Fair, inspired by all the new technology and optimism that defined that era. Jimmy will be watching the moon landing on TV, inviting the rest of the family to gather around.  

The next scene will be set on Halloween in the 1980s, with big hair and bold fashion. Sarah will take center stage for the first time while Patty gets ready for work and Uncle Orville talks about investing his life savings into a company called Apple, while continuing to complain about having "no privacy."

The third scene will be set at the turn of 21st century, with the rise of the internet. Grandma and Grandpa are visiting for New Year’s. Once Grandpa falls asleep, Grandma turns on pro wrestling, like she tunes into boxing on the current version of the attraction. 

The final scene will be “very, very far into the future,” so it won’t get quickly dated. The family is now living off-planet with a robotic assistant, in a scene inspired by Disney Legend and Imagineer John Hench, who helped create the original attraction.  

“When we touch a classic like this, especially Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress, our Imagineers take the utmost care in thinking how we approach that,” Disney said. “It’s got the heart. It’s got the humor. It's got the dad jokes ... and it’s got a lot of just what makes our show so special." That includes practical effects like the show has now and “a slew of Easter eggs.”  

The current version of the Carousel of Progress will close on July 5. It will reopen with updates sometime next year.  

Why it’s changing and why some fans may be wary

Some Disney fans can be adverse to change, especially if it's something they have core memories like mine or if it’s directly tied to Walt Disney. The Carousel of Progress is both.  

However, Disney himself embraced change. He famously said Disneyland would never be finished, but “something that I can keep developing, keep plussing and adding to – it's alive. It will be a live, breathing thing that will need changes.”  

Following a slate of Disney Parks announcements at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event in 2024, then Disney Experience Chairman and now Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro echoed that sentiment. He told USA TODAY, “We have cast members all across this company, including me, who care very much about making sure that we find a balance between pushing the boundaries on what is new and also preserving the legacy and memory that so many of our fans have here in the parks.” 

Disney World recently updated several fan-favorite attractions, including Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. On May 26, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster reopened with a new Muppets theme and Disney's Conservation Station reopened with a new Bluey experience.

In announcing the Carousel of Progress changes on May 28, the Disney Parks Blog said Imagineers 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."

Disney hopes the updated Carousel of Progress will connect with current and future generations of guests while still being enjoyed by those who love the classic. I’ll have to see what my dad thinks about it.

(This story was updated to refresh headlines.)