Carousel of Progress Closing for Reimagining Until 2027

After announcing a new Walt Disney Audio Animatronics being added to Carousel of Progress during last year’s Destination D23, Walt Disney World has finally announced a closing date for the classic Magic Kingdom attraction. On top of that, they’ve revealed that the project is a fully-fledged reimagining or refresh, with all-new show scenes due to a decade shift. Here’s the closing date, reopening timeline and other details, along with our commentary about why the last-minute notice is frustrating.

Prior to today, it was radio silence from Walt Disney World about the Carousel of Progress changes since last August. The project was a conspicuous omission from Walt Disney World’s 2026 calendar, which listed almost everything else happening this year. It hasn’t had any refurbishment warnings, updates, or even a passing mention.

This led some to speculate that the Carousel of Progress reimagining was further into the future than originally thought. That Imagineering needed more time to fine tune the look of the Walt Disney Audio Animatronics likeness, details hadn’t been sorted out about the other enhancements, etc.

Basically, that the reveal had been made early in order to announce the project in front of the hometown Florida crowd instead of at D23 Expo, but it was actually a 2027 or 2028 project. This wouldn’t have been shocking, as the same thing happened with the multiple projects from the last Destination D23 slate. The difference was that Imagineering was just starting to ramp up back then, whereas they’ve kicked into high gear now.

Well, we finally have details and details about the Carousel of Progress updates, and as it turns out, it sort of is a 2027 project. At least, in terms of opening. And more likely than not, the delay in making an announcement was due to the project growing in scale and scope from its previous Walt Disney Audio Animatronics introduction into something bigger and (hopefully) better.

Here’s the timeline for Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress to close and reopen…

Carousel of Progress Closing Date

To prepare for the next version of this ever-progressing attraction, the Carousel of Progress will be temporarily unavailable beginning July 6, 2026.

The last day to experience the current incarnation of Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress will be July 5, 2026.

Between the CoP closure and three days of fireworks, Independence Day weekend will be a distinctly patriotic time to visit Walt Disney World. This was already one of our favorite weeks, with low crowds expected, but this just sweetens the deal (in a bittersweet sort of way).

Carousel of Progress Reopening Predictions

Imagineering expects Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress to reopen in 2027.

Walt Disney World has not provided an opening date or even a season. It is exceedingly difficult to estimate or reverse-engineer a reopening date based on recent projects, which have been all over the place.

One thing we have seen in the last year is Walt Disney Imagineering work more efficiently and expeditiously. From the outside looking in, it appears that pre-closing prepwork and project management has improved, allowing for minimal downtime.

The most notable recent example of this is Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets, which was closed for less than three months for its reimagining from Aerosmith. (Excepting the pre-show, which was closed for roughly six months.) During that shorter timeline, the queue was entirely updated, on-ride elements were refreshed, Audio Animatronics were added to the finale, and more.

Other projects, including Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, Walt Disney Studios Courtyard, and even Big Thunder Mountain Railroad took longer, but were larger endeavors. Again, it’s impossible to estimate based on this imperfect precedent, but our expectation is that this is a year-long project.

My guess is that Walt Disney World will aim for a Summer 2027 opening if at all possible. At the later end of the spectrum, Magic Kingdom’s October 1, 2027 anniversary strikes me as realistic. Other notable dates are April 22nd and October 17th, the start and end of the 1964-1965 World’s Fair, which would put the opening after Easter or around Fall Break.

No Notice for Fan Farewells

One thing that really bugs me about the timeline for the Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress reimagining is the lack of notice. As is patently obvious to even Walt Disney World based on the delicate handling of the announcement, this is a classic attraction with a loyal fan following.

As an international tourist destination, Walt Disney World really needs to get better about providing more notice of ride closures. This applies to refurbishments, but even more so to permanent closures or reimaginings. Carousel of Progress most definitely qualifies as the latter. However you might categorize it, the version of the attraction that exists today will be gone forever once Carousel of Progress reopens in 2027.

This closure is not due to urgent maintenance. It isn’t the kind of project that couldn’t have been foreseen or scheduled months ago. Walt Disney World, Imagineering, and other teams have been working on this for months–if not years–and have known for a while that it was going to receive a large-scale refresh starting this summer.

We have zero issue with ride refurbishments and reimaginings at Walt Disney World. To the contrary, we are very much in favor of them. There’s a pervasive sense among fans that nothing should be closed during their trip, and the saying “vacation ruined” has attained near-meme status among some fans.

Frankly, this is a bit absurd. Fans demand stellar maintenance and the highest of show standards, but also no ride closures during their trip. Those perspectives are impossible to reconcile. In our view, it’s better to have several scheduled ride closures as opposed to a bunch of random downtime due to deferred maintenance.

As before, this lack of notice is frustrating. There have been way too many last minute closures announced by Walt Disney World over the last year that are impossible to plan around since guests have already locked in their travel dates–not to mention dining reservations, Lightning Lanes, and so forth. For a company that prides itself in exceptional guest service, this is not the way to go about ride downtime.

This is doubly true when it comes to saying goodbyes to classic attractions. With a little over one month’s notice before this version of the attraction closes for good, most non-locals won’t have a chance to take trips down to Walt Disney World for a farewell ride. (This is triply true right now, with skyrocketing fuel prices making last-minute flights particularly prohibitive.)

The same thing happened last year with MuppetVision and the Rivers of America. Those closures were handled the wrong way.

By contrast, Walt Disney World telegraphed the extinction of DINOSAUR years in advance, and likewise made abundantly clear when Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith would retire.

Going forward, I would propose to Walt Disney World a formula for providing advance notice.

If it’s a permanent closure or anything that could be reasonably construed as rising to the level of a reimagining, the requisite notice is at least one week for every year that version of the attraction has been in existence. Since this version of Carousel of Progress has been around since 1993, it would require notice approximately 33 weeks in advance.

If it’s a routine refurbishment, the necessary notice is at least one week for every day of downtime, not to exceed 6 months’ notice. Meaning that a brief 3-day closure would only require 3 weeks’ notice, whereas a 3-month closure would require 6 months’ notice.

This doesn’t need to be perfect. Even a closing season is superior to absolutely nothing at all. It’s especially frustrating here because fans were led to believe during last year’s Destination D23 that the most consequential change to Carousel of Progress would be the new Walt Disney Audio Animatronics introduction.

If the only thing changing were the plussing of the introduction, no special send-off would be needed. There was always the possibility of an updated finale, but even that was far from a sure thing. Now, we’re learning that this is a fully-fledged reimagining that warrants a fan farewell.

Walt Disney World seems averse to adequate notice for reasons beyond me. I assume it’s because they want to avoid closing days being spectacles, and like making announcements strategically on their own timeline. No matter what the excuse, it’s insufficient.

Walt Disney World has developed a fervent fan following over the years, especially as the legions of Disney Vacation Club Members and out-of-state Annual Passholders have exploded. Giving the WDW diehards a chance to say their goodbyes isn’t just the right thing to do. It helps offer closure to the closure and reduces resentment.

Disney is never going to be able to fully control the narrative or massage the messaging on this stuff. The sooner they recognize that, the better, because this last-minute approach is actively counterproductive. Not only that, but out of state saying their goodbyes means people booking trips, hotel rooms, and spending money on-site.

Heck, Walt Disney World could even capitalize via merchandising, which is something Tokyo Disney Resort does exceedingly well with its “[Insert Ride] Forever!” lines. Nothing quite as distinctly Disney as monetizing memories and nostalgia of something that’s (soon to be) extinct!

Carousel of Progress Past Updates

As noted above, there’s no clear precedent for the reimagining timeline on Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress, which is largely because this version has been stuck in the past since 1993. That’s over three decades ago, and projects were done differently back then. That was also a less consequential update than the one being made in 2026-2027.

With that said, this is not the first time Imagineers have updated Carousel of Progress in recent years. Walt Disney World made a minor but meaningful refresh to the finale a few years ago, which mostly involved changing the wardrobes and hairstyles of the Audio Animatronics, along with a few updates to the set.

The goal of that was making the “futuristic” finale feel less stuck in the 1990s, and it at least partially succeeded. In addition to modernizing Carousel of Progress, a bunch of great easter eggs and nods to Disney history were also added–including things like Patricia’s “Progress Tech – School of Urban Planning” sweatshirt (a nod to Walt Disney’s Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow), John’s “My Food Rocks” apron (a nod to the defunct EPCOT Center stage show), slippers featuring the Bill Justice silly reindeer, and more.

The finale scene still isn’t perfect, but we love it. There’s still a VR video game, but not a current one–one closer to Virtual Boy (remember that?). There script still contains words like “laserdisc” and “carphone.” There are other elements of the smart home–but not a modern-day one–that feel quaint.

While these changes would’ve been nice, it was clearly a “no dough” refresh. Enter the upcoming changes that appear they’ll have a very healthy budget (“lotsa dough,” or whatever the opposite of “no dough” is).

Frankly, I hope some of these and other quips from the current “future” and other scenes in Carousel of Progress are reprised in the new version. If Imagineering can find ways to work laserdisc players and carphones into the 1980s or perhaps even Y2K scenes, that would be a fun nod back to the past.

Ultimately, we have mixed emotions about the reimagining of Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress, and the timeline for its closure that won’t allow the legions of diehard Walt Disney World fans ample time to say their goodbyes. As shared elsewhere, we’re ‘cautiously apprehensive’ about the project, and hopeful that a team of passionate Imagineers guided by Walt Disney’s original vision and intent for the attraction can deliver a loving modernization for new generations to enjoy.

One thing about which I do not have mixed feelings is the ongoing overhaul of Tomorrowland, which continues to occur in phases. It now seems that Carousel of Progress is the next piece of this particular puzzle, following up the success of Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin and various placemaking projects. Here’s hoping that this continues to occur over the next few years, culminating in the repurposing or replacement of Tomorrowland Speedway and Monsters Laugh Floor once Piston Peak and Monstropolis open in 2028 and 2029.

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Your Thoughts

What do you think about the new decades coming to the Carousel of Progress at Magic Kingdom? Thoughts on the closing timeline or lack of notice being given to diehard Walt Disney World fans? Any hopes for additional updates or an overarching reimagining of the Tomorrowland? Do you agree or disagree with my thoughts? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!