BREAKING: Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress Timeline Shifting, New Scenes and Closing Date Announced
Disney has announced the major changes they will be making to the classic Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress attraction at the Magic Kingdom, including creating several new scenes as part of a drastic timeline shift.
Carousel of Progress Closing at Magic Kingdom
The final day of operation for this version of the Carousel of Progress will be July 5, 2026. The attraction will be closed beginning July 6, 2026, and Disney expects the overhaul to be completed in 2027.
New Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress Attraction Poster
First, we have a look at the new attraction poster:
Obviously inspired by the 1964 attraction poster from the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair, the new poster features John and Sarah with Rover and a new robot assistant who will debut in a completely reimagined vision of the future during Act 4 of the attraction. Plenty of Disney easter eggs reside in the art, such as the Moonliner, Progress City, and the monorail.
Major Changes to the 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. “
Chris Beatty, Walt Disney Imagineering
New Scenes for Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress:
The attraction’s timeline is shifting to a new series of years. The current attraction takes guests from the early 1900s to today, although it originally took guests to the present day in 1964. The current version’s finale has been stuck in what could have been just beyond 1993. Now the attraction will travel from the 1960’s (beginning with Walt in 1964) to the future. Here’s an early breakdown of what guests can expect from the new scenes:
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, gathered 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 (mother) is taking center stage. She’ll share how all the new appliances and gadgets are making life easier for the whole family, including a house phone with a nice, long cord.
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!” He’ll be able to gain that privacy with the use of The Clapper to turn off the lights.
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.
Like in most families, 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. Seeing as this is 1999 and ESPN now has a deal with WWE, could we be seeing a bit of professional wrestling’s “Attitude Era” on the TV in this classic attraction?
The scene will also feature a multitude of single-use appliances, which were all the rave at the time.
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.
The scene also pays homage to past Carousel shows, including having the daughter playing the guitar in the middle of the living room.
Carousel of Progress Update
The Carousel of Progress update was announced with a new introduction featuring a Walt Disney audio animatronic at Destination D23 last year.
Before you follow an American family over four generations of progress as technology transforms their lives, you’ll be able to catch a brand-new introductory scene and hear from the legendary man who never stood in the way of progress — Walt Disney.
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 scene includes homages to the city of EPCOT, the Tower of the Four Winds, Enchanted Tiki Room, and several other 1960s pieces of Disney history.
Imagineers state their main goals for this update are to keep the attraction relatable for today’s audiences by featuring eras in which guests have personal connections.
Stay tuned to WDWNT for future updates.
For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
