You didn’t think we would notice, huh, Disney?
Carousel of Progress
Disney makes a lot of announcements. Like, a lot, a lot. It can sometimes be hard to keep track of them, but we’re always looking for new details and updates after the original announcement. Well, we never got an update on this project, and we’re starting to wonder why.
Back at Destination D23 in August 2025, Disney announced that Magic Kingdom’s Carousel of Progress was getting an update. Part of the changes include a new opening scene with an animatronic of Walt Disney.
©Disney
We saw the first-ever Walt Disney animatronic in Disneyland for a new show called Walt Disney — A Magical Life, which rotates with Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. It opened in July 2025, so we were pretty thrilled when, only a month later, we learned we would be getting our own in Disney World.
Walt Disney — A Magical Life
Disney also said that more details about the updates are coming, including news about what John, Sarah, and the rest of the family are up to. We weren’t given any other information on this part, whether it included new scenes, audio, props, or anything else Disney might be thinking of.
The family
Why haven’t we heard any updates about this project? Well, it could be because there are a lot of changes already happening in the parks, and Disney might not be ready to start yet. In Magic Kingdom, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin just reopened after a long refurbishment, and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will be reopening in May 2026 after a refurbishment, as well.
It’s Buddy!
Both of these Magic Kingdom projects are wrapping up, but there are still two major projects in the works, including Piston Peak, which is the Cars-themed land, and Villains Land.
Work being done in Piston Peak
Piston Peak and Villains Land have no opening timeline expectations, but we can see lots of dirt and land being moved around. Since these are bigger projects, and the two smaller ride refurbishments are finished, we might be getting new updates on the Carousel of Progress soon.
Piston Peak construction
Walt Disney Studios in Hollywood Studios is also almost open, along with Soarin’ Across America in EPCOT. There’s even a Bluey experience coming to Animal Kingdom, and all three projects are set to open in May. These projects were all announced after D23, and therefore after the Carousel of Progress update, but again, maybe since these are wrapping up, more details are coming to this nostalgic Magic Kingdom attraction.
Mickey’s Sorcerer Hat — Construction April 2026
Another option, which we’re hoping isn’t true, is that Disney has decided not to move forward with the project. This happens from time to time, but a lot of the time, it’s when Disney announces “Blue Sky Projects,” which are just ideas they share with the public with no guarantee they will happen. They’re usually pretty clear whether they’re announcing a Blue Sky Project or an actual project that they are ready to work on, and Disney did not say this was just an idea. Again, sometimes it just happens where Disney decides not to move forward, and this can be from the public’s reaction, budget, or literally any other reason.
Carousel of Progress
We’ll be keeping an eye on the project to see if anything is announced, especially since this year’s D23 event is in August. Make sure you keep following Disney Food Blog for more Disney news and all the tips and tricks you need to know before heading on your next vacation.
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I certainly hope we haven’t heard anything because they’re taking their time and tweaking the project to make it even better. The more time the goes by, the better the advancements to the animatronics become. And I’m hoping they can come up with a way the last scene won’t be obsolete before it starts.