Crowds for the Final Day of This Attraction in Disney World Are… Not What We Expected

It’s been a BIG year for Magic Kingdom. Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad reopened as new and improved versions of themselves. Cinderella Castle got repainted. Now another big change is coming to the park!

It’s Carousel of Progress’ final day before refurbishment!

The Carousel of Progress is getting a massive makeover, which means we need to say goodbye to the version we know and love. We’re here on the last day of operation for the current Carousel of Progress, and we’re not the only ones who came out to say farewell.

While crowds at the Transportation and Ticket Center this morning for rope drop weren’t any more intense than normal, we were super curious to see how many people lined up for rope drop would actually head for Tomorrowland. Rope drop crowds outside the gates were a little backed up, but nothing too wild, which was a little surprising. Not only because of today being as important as it is for Carousel of Progress, but also because it’s Fourth of July weekend!

Rope Drop Crowds

Once people were allowed into the park and able to line up near the lands they planned to get in first thing, there was a small crowd for Tomorrowland as a whole, but it wasn’t shoulder to shoulder, which was a nice reprieve.

Lines for Tomorrowland

Right around 9:30 AM, after the park had officially been open for about half an hour, Carousel of Progress was only sitting at a five-minute wait, which is usually its regular wait time. There was a small crowd of people who headed straight for the ride when it opened, but otherwise, we’ve noticed so far that the theaters haven’t been filled up for each showing. That’s partly due to just how large the capacity for this ride is.

Carousel of Progress crowds

Today (July 5th) is the final day of operation for the original version of Carousel of Progress. The ride will reopen in 2027 as a completely NEW version. The new version will feature a new timeline, including the 1960s, the 1980s, the new millennium, and the potential future. “There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow” will remain the song for the new version, and we’ll be following the same family. The new ride will also feature a Walt Disney animatronic in the very first scene.

©Disney

We’ll be sure to keep you updated on all the changes coming to Carousel of Progress. Stay tuned to the Disney Food Blog for all the latest Disney World news and updates!

We NEED to Know. Will Disney Fix This Major Carousel of Progress Problem During Its Closure?

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What are your thoughts on the new Carousel of Progress that’s coming? Let us know in the comments!