Disney just announced some HUGE changes for the Carousel of Progress at Magic Kingdom — the entire ride is changing!
Carousel of Progress
We already knew that a Walt Disney Animatronic would be coming to the ride, but Disney shared that even more updates are on the way for this iconic ride. Each scene will be completely overhauled to feature new decades — and we’ll even get a glimpse into the future! We’re sharing everything we know so far.
Disney shared that 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. Carousel of Progress will be closing on July 6th to make way for these massive changes.
©Disney
One of Disney’s main goals for this update is to keep the attraction relatable for audiences of today by featuring eras that people have personal connections to. Imagineering has been revisiting the music, fashion, technology, and experiences that helped shape history as it’s reflected in this family’s story.
Carousel of Progress
Act 1 will feature the 1960s, which is when the Carousel of Progress first opened at the 1964 World’s Fair. The story looked back about 60 years, and now this new scene will mirror that idea — starting 60 years back from today, in the 1960s.
In the summer of 1969, the Carousel family gathers around the television to witness the historic moon landing. The moment captures the “spirit of innovation and possibility that has always been — and always will be — at the heart of Carousel of Progress.”
Carousel of Progress
Act 2 takes us to the 1980s, where bigger is better. On Halloween night in 1985, Sarah will take center stage as she shares all about how the new appliances and gadgets are making life easier for the whole family. John is out on the porch handing out candy to trick-or-treaters, and poor Uncle Orville will still be in the bathroom with “no privacy at all around here!”
Carousel of Progress
In Act 3, we’ll travel to the new millennium as the 1990s draw to a close. The family is getting ready to ring in the new year on New Year’s Eve 1999. The Internet is bringing John, Sarah, Jimmy, and Patty closer together than ever before. Of course, Grandpa has already nodded off, so Grandma changes the TV over to wrestling when no one is looking.
Carousel of Progress
And finally, Act 4 features the possible future. The family is seen one last time in the distant future, in a home that’s out of this world. The off-planet scene features a helpful robot assisting with everyday tasks, along with space travel, and imagines a future where extraordinary innovation has become part of life.
To help bring the 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.
What will the future bring?
Disney shared that Carousel of Progress is expected to reopen sometime in 2027, and we can’t wait! These are some MAJOR changes, and we’re hopeful that the ride will still reflect everything we loved about the original.
If you’re looking for a way to show off your love of the Carousel of Progress, make sure you check out DFB’s Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow shirt! It comes in multiple colors, styles, and sizes, and will hopefully make being without this ride for so long slightly less painful. Grab it here!
©DFB
We’ll be on the lookout for even more Carousel of Progress updates you need to know about. In the meantime, make sure you stay tuned to the Disney Food Blog for the latest Disney news and more!
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Super excited to see these changes!
Disney needs to stop changing the old stuff. They din’t care about the history of the parks. If they want to modernize and use newer characters they should take some of that land Walt bought and hasn’t been used to build a new park. They seem to forget whi appreciates the old stuff.
Not happy about this. Just stop already with ALL the changes ! Leave good enough alone and stop trying to shove all this down our throats. That’s why crowds are
So low and will get lower. And
Prices continue to rise. You can go to Shanghai Disney ( all expenses) less than WDW. ENOUGH leave it alone already
NOOOOOOOO! This is the worst Disney news ever. I’m crying😭
I’m excited for this new change. It was starting to look ridiculous skipping from 1960s to 2026 . If you’re doing a journey through time you have to update it. It’s just a shame we have to lose the old parts.
Spaceship Earth needs an update next. The way we communicate has changed but the ride has not.
Excited to see these changes, but sad because the ride will likely not be open for our February 2027 trip. Guess this means we’ll have to go back again! 🙂
😭 I get it, but I will really miss the old scenes! We need a Vintage Disney park that has all the things they take away so we don’t have to say goodbye forever.
changes are needed. Right now this is a great place to take a nap on a hot day.
Not sure what I think other than change for change’s sake is not always the best. Could have left the same basic idea with John explaining what was going on but change and update the years in the discussion. Also, history was being explained to a younger generation in the present form which will now be gone.
I love the carousel of progress in its present form.
Wow ! After 25 years they actually implemented an Update
Are you saying that some of the opening scenes (like the rooms with all of the extension cords for power) etc. will be eliminated?
Looking forward to this change. I thought it could use an update. Though I get it that some will be upset for the nostalgia of it. But at least they aren’t getting rid of the ride completely like they did my River Boat! Still upset about that.
What next?!?! I’m so tired of all the changes being made!!! What’s wrong with letting history be told, the kids nowadays aren’t allowed to know what happened back in the “good old days?” So sad that they can’t leave well enough alone!! Just another example of them removing Walt from the park!!
I wish Disney would stop losing all the classic rides just for the sake of “progress” (pun intended). The Great Movie Ride, Muppets 3D and now this. Why do they need to replace classic rides, rather than adding to them. They’ve got enough land not to keep reusing existing property. If they wanted to update the Carousel of Progress, they could have cut the size of the theatre to allow more scenes eg 6 instead of 4 and keep some of the old ones. Or maybe that would have been too expensive for the bean counters who seem to run Disney these days.
Horrible news! CoP is one of my favorites & they’re ruining it. Yes it needed some updating (especially the last scene), but to scrap everything Walt created is idiotic. Yet another attraction to cross off my list.
This a terrible idea. All of the scenes that show how we got to where we are now will be gone. I agree that the final scene needed updating but to lose all the history of how we got there is a shame.
I’m all for updating Carousel of Progress, but I hope Disney doesn’t remove too much of the history and nostalgia that makes the attraction special. The older scenes are part of the charm and show how far we’ve come. Modernize it, sure — but keep the heart of it intact
After reading the details, this sounds like an interesting update! I think the touchpoints they chose are really good ones that will resonate with a wide variety of ages. The moon landing, the 80’s (today’s kids will probably be familiar with this time period thanks to ‘Stranger Things’), Y2K, and the future (be honest, the final “future” scene in the current version was looking VERY dated). Walt always said Disney will never be complete as long as there is imagination in the world. Change is hard but it is part of life! We can fondly remember the old while being excited for the new!