Disney World Announces New Decades for Carousel of Progress, as Sarah Takes Center Stage in Scene!

Walt Disney World has announced that Carousel of Progress is getting more than just a new Audio Animatronics introduction. The Magic Kingdom classic will receive a reimagining, featuring all-new show scenes and decades as part of a timeline shift forward. Here are official details about the changes, concept art, and our emotional roller coaster of reactions to this truly conflicting news.

During a recent media event at Walt Disney World, we had a chance to hear a presentation by leadership about how they reinvest in classic experiences, spending hundreds of millions of dollars each year in the parks & resorts. These efforts and expenditures are part of a broad effort to ensure existing experiences receive the care, to maintain the guest experience.

As part of that presentation, Michael Hundgen, Imagineering Portfolio Executive for Walt Disney World Resort revealed details about the future of Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress. He shared that the coming changes are more than a new introductory scene, but rather, this will be the fourth major update to the attraction in its history. Imagineers offered a behind-the-scenes look at the project with concept art for the new decades, research and prop sourcing being done for the update, and how the team is treating the reimagining with great reverence.

Hundgen explained how seriously Walt Disney Imagineering is taking the opportunity to go in and refresh something that is so quintessentially Disney, and viewed internally as original Parks IP. Their aim is to connect with new guests of the future, but also diehard Walt Disney World fans who already love and cherish the classic attraction.

He shared that the Imagineers who are working on the updates to Carousel of Progress are a phenomenal team, who get what makes Carousel of Progress special. They care a lot about the legacy of the Walt-era attraction, while also wanting to inject new optimism into the attraction.

Following that, Walt Disney Imagineering has pulled the curtain back on the updates to Carousel of Progress. Here’s the announcement via Walt Disney World, followed by our commentary:

The Evolution of Carousel of Progress

To understand the full history of Carousel of Progress, you have to go all the way back to the 1950s. As Walt Disney set his sights on expanding Disneyland, he envisioned an extension of Main Street, U.S.A. called Edison Square.

The square would be anchored by Harnessing the Lightning, a walkthrough drama exploring how electricity and technology transformed the lifestyle of the American family. While Edison Square was never built, the groundwork was laid for a show centered on a powerful idea: technology would continue to evolve, but people would stay the same.

When work began on the Disney shows for the 1964–1965 New York World’s Fair, Walt and his team of Imagineers reworked the Harnessing the Lightning concept into the smash hit of the Progressland pavilion — Carousel of Progress.

The fair marked the debut of the attraction’s iconic rotating theater system, as well as its equally iconic anthem by songwriters and Disney Legends Robert B. and Richard M. Sherman (the latter pictured below performing the song at D23 several years ago). It was an enormous success and a project deeply personal to Walt. It captured his overarching spirit of optimism while reflecting his hands-on creative direction, down to details as specific as how Uncle Orville’s toes should wiggle in the bathtub.

Following its run at the fair, Walt brought the show to Disneyland, where it opened in 1967 with several updates, including a refreshed Act Four (now set in Progress City, a community of tomorrow based on Walt’s vision for EPCOT). At the time, no one could have known that this finale would become a sign of things to come, as Carousel of Progress made its way to Walt Disney World in 1975.

In its time at Magic Kingdom, the attraction has continued to evolve, through new scripts, voice actors, time periods, and even full scene updates. The attraction even featured a new theme song, “The Best Time of Your Life,” which stood in for “There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow” for the attraction’s first two decades of operation in Florida.

You can still hear the “Now is the Time” tune playing as background music throughout Tomorrowland today. The attraction’s last major update was back in 1994, which included an updated finale scene and the return of the original Sherman Brothers’ song.

Keeping Walt’s Vision Alive

Carousel of Progress was designed to celebrate change, not to stand still. In announcing the changes, Imagineers shared that they have the great responsibility of keeping Walt’s ideas of innovation and forward-looking spirit alive as we continue building the attraction’s future together.

Last year, Imagineering announced that guests will soon be able to see Walt Disney himself in the attraction, made possible through the magic of Audio-Animatronics technology. Walt is in an introductory 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 team is having a lot of fun sourcing and replicating many of the props seen in that special, like the prototype Tiki bird, the Tower of the Four Winds model, a doll from “it’s a small world,” and more. This once unimaginable opening moment will set the stage for the next era of storytelling for our American family and their lovable dog.

New Decades Coming to 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 periods. With this timeline shift, 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 Imagineering’s main goals for this update was to keep the attraction relatable for today’s audiences by featuring eras to which guests have personal connections. That includes the iconic “There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow,” which will continue to play as guests transition between scenes in the reimagined ride.

The Imagineers working on the Carousel of Progress updates grew up during these decades, so it’s been a real trip down memory lane to revisit the music, fashion, technology, and experiences that helped shape the history reflected in this family’s story.

One thing that makes the Carousel of Progress so special is that physical props, painted backdrops, and practical effects everywhere. The team is working tirelessly to make sure things like appliances and artwork are true to that decade. During the presentation, Imagineers shared that they’ve been scouring eBay endlessly for authentic period pieces and have been excited with many of their finds.

With that, let’s turn to the new century aboard Carousel of Progress!

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, gather 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 is taking center stage. She’ll share how all the new appliances and gadgets are making life easier for the whole family.

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!”

During the media presentation, Imagineers shared that Orville has invested in a small fruit stand that’s starting to sell personal computers, as John quips that “it’ll never work.” Orville gets the last laugh and his privacy with a clap-on (or is it clap-off?) moment at the end of the scene as we and the Progress family shift once again.

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 newfangled thing called the Internet is bringing John, Sarah, Jimmy and Patty – and the world – closer together than ever before.

And of course, not everyone is making it to midnight. Grandpa has already nodded off before the big countdown, while Grandma switches the TV over to professional wrestling when no one’s looking.

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. Concept art released by Walt Disney Imagineering for the new scene is pictured above.

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. The reimagined ride will open sometime in 2027. For more on timing and frustrations about the lack of notice, see: Carousel of Progress Reimagining Timeline.

Before we dig into the commentary, here’s a first look at the new Carousel of Progress attraction poster, which pays homage to the original Carousel of Progress poster created for its Magic Kingdom debut:

Our Commentary

I’ll be honest with you. The first time I heard this news, my heart sank. When I told Sarah about the news, she started crying. And not because she will be featured center stage for a scene.

Sarah is just as opinionated as me, and this is the most visceral reaction she’s had to any Walt Disney World news in the last two years. At the risk of stating the obvious, there has been a lot of Walt Disney World news in that span (including the last D23 Expo), and not all of it has been great!

For both of us, the reactions were driven by powerful nostalgia. We have a ridiculous number of memories as a couple in Carousel of Progress, dating back to 2006. In the last 20 years, there’s only one attraction we’ve likely done more, and that’s the TTA PeopleMover. Sarah specifically said that she wasn’t crying because she was upset, but that “we just have had so many happy moments” associated with Carousel of Progress.

It’s also one of my mom’s favorite attractions, so I have a lot of memories from Carousel of Progress from the last four decades. I could make my own Carousel of Progress about Carousel of Progress! Suffice to say, there’s a reason why it makes Sarah & Tom Bricker’s Top 15 Disney Attractions, and countless other ‘best of’ lists on DTB.

This sentiment is hardly unique to us. Countless diehard Walt Disney World fans have deep wells of nostalgia for Carousel of Progress. To many of us, the Progress Family feels like actual family.

There are few things that Walt Disney World could change that would elicit a more powerful response among a vocal minority of fans than Carousel of Progress. MuppetVision, Country Bear Jamboree, and the Rivers of America were the big ones!

The memories we’ve made watching our families grow up over the years while watching the Progress Family do the same are powerful. It’s an amusing parallel when you think about it, and it’s difficult to untangle the sentimentality we have for the attraction itself with that of our own past trips spanning decades, when reminiscing about the attraction.

Carousel of Progress is about progress, but it’s also one that offers a nostalgic trip down memory lane. It’s something around which so many lifelong fans have fond recollections of simpler times, both in real life and at Walt Disney World. It’s one of those “if you know, you know” type of things, and either you’re already quietly nodding along or no amount of further explanation will make it make sense, so I’ll stop here.

After my heart sank upon initially hearing the news that Carousel of Progress was shifting decades, I listened to a comprehensive explanation of the changes. Along with the timeline, my perspective shifted, as did Sarah’s.

Previously, we’ve said that the best long-term move for Carousel of Progress would be to restore the original World’s Fair version of the attraction, with a narrative framing device that it’s being presented by the Tomorrowland Metro-Retro Historical Society and the introduction featuring the Walt Disney Audio Animatronics figure.

The purist in me thinks that a restoration of the World’s Fair version would be the safest approach. And even if that were to happen, I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I’d miss the woefully dated finale with its glorious 1990s interior design, the Virtual Boy-esque game, Sorcerer Mickey abstract art, and little Easter Eggs I’ve grown to love. The finale absolutely, without question needs a wholesale replacement, but saying goodbye even to just that (while retaining the other scenes) after three decades would’ve been a tough task.

The optimist in me is more open to the Carousel of Progress decade shift.

Since I’ve been an adult Walt Disney World fan, this has been one of the most misunderstood Magic Kingdom attractions. The next closest would’ve been the old Country Bear Jamboree. They are two attractions that I’ve spilled considerable digital ink defending, trying to convince the uninitiated to give a chance.

Despite my best efforts, no attraction better exemplifies the tension between WDW diehards and first-timers than Carousel of Progress. If you’re new to Walt Disney World, you might hear the emphatic praise for Carousel of Progress from people like me, and be shocked to see it yourself. You might even think you’ve been Punk’d. Why does anyone love these antiquated robots talking about the distant past, and a version of the future that is also, pretty much, the past?!

I’m not naive enough to think that an Audio Animatronics-driven stage show with no Disney intellectual property is suddenly going to become a must-do for first timers. It probably won’t skyrocket in guest satisfaction, as happened with the Country Bear Musical Jamboree reimagining.

That’s actually precisely why I’m optimistic about the changes to Carousel of Progress. This reimagining still allows the attraction to retain its fundamental nature, charm and character, and connection to Walt Disney, while being modernized in the process. It won’t appeal to all casual guests, but it’ll attract more of them. And that’s progress.

We can quibble about the degree to which the essence of Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress is remaining intact in light of the decade shift (and there will undoubtedly be a lot of that in the next year), but the style and spirit of the attraction will remain. It’s not going to be a synergy play. John and Sarah won’t do some thinly-veiled marketing for Disney+ or Hulu halfway through.

Even so, I already know many fans are going to question whether it’s still Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress after replacing all of the decades from his version of the attraction. I would argue that it will be so long as the spirit, intent, and vision of the original attraction remain intact.

Walt’s idea for Carousel of Progress revolved around his love for the American family and for progress, and showcasing all of the new wonders of the 20th century as the American family navigated them. The attraction is imbued with Walt’s worldview of a brighter tomorrow and romanticized past; that is its heart and soul, regardless of the changing of the seasons. So long as the show revolves around those central themes and maintains its core essence, it’ll always be Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress.

Beyond that, I don’t really have any desire to play the game of invoking out of context quotes from Walt Disney about museums or (ironically enough) progress to make bold assertions about what he would’ve wanted or done if he were still alive today.

My perspective is that the parks need to meet modern guests where they are, for better or (often) worse. Doing that while attempting to respect the intent, vision, and spirit for the original 1964 World’s Fair attraction some 60 years later is a difficult balancing act. If Imagineering can achieve that, this still deserves to be viewed as Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress. Contextualizing it with the historical introduction will certainly help reinforce that.

The other reason why I’m optimistic is because it will be more relatable. I’m sure some of you groaned upon reading that line in the announcement, having flashbacks to Chapek’s infamous mission statement when describing the EPCOT overhaul back in 2019: “more Disney, more family, more timeless, and more relevant.”

Relatable isn’t necessarily a dirty word. While I enjoy looking back at the distant past long before I was born, not every guest is me. The current decades do make Carousel of Progress feel more like a museum exhibit, and less a contemporary attraction over which multi-generation families visiting Walt Disney World can bond, sharing firsthand memories.

These multi-generational trips are becoming increasingly common, with baby boomer grandparents taking their millennial children and grandchildren. This family is essentially the target audience for Carousel of Progress, and will see themselves reflected in the reimagined ride. They’ll be able to reminisce about their own experiences living through the updated decades, making the new Carousel of Progress nostalgia fuel for generations of future fans.

That’s what came to mind for me when having the new decades broken down. When our daughter is old enough to understand Carousel of Progress, the new version will present a great opportunity to regale her not just with an arm’s length history lesson, but our own experiences living through these eras.

My parents were kids in 1969. I’ve probably heard more stories about the moon landing than any other historic event that they lived through, save for perhaps the finales of MASH and Cheers. If we took a multi-generation trip with my or Sarah’s parents, this scene would absolutely spark memories and the sharing of stories.

Meanwhile, I was born in 1985. As a baby, I do not have memories of that year, but I do of the late 1980s. Same goes for 1999, which is probably the most positive, formative year of my youth. It was this weird amalgamation of anxiety about Y2K, excitement about the internet and the last gasp of a simpler time before 9/11 and the dot-com bubble burst.

The years picked for the new timeline are fantastic choices, even if there’s a smaller than expected gap between them. I assume this is driven by a desire to not dig too far back, aiming at baby boomer to millennial memories. At the same time, does anyone really want to revisit the period between September 2001 and the Great Recession? Or COVID? That pretty much locks in this range.

After hearing more details about the 1960s, 1980s, and Y2K, and seeing additional unreleased concept art, I like the years that were picked even more. Obviously, everything hinges on execution, but there’s tremendous potential for visual gags, Easter Eggs, amusing nods to the past, and cheesy dad (and mom!) jokes. The reimagined Carousel of Progress will absolutely be a bonding experience for families, as kids ask “you did what back in the day?!” to their parents and grandparents in response to seeing the show.

Although I know it’ll be controversial in some circles, I like the idea of Sarah taking center stage.

This has the potential to break up the show a bit, and hearing from Sarah while John interrupts could add a fresh point of view as well as amusing jokes and observations. The 1980s era of big hair, neon-clad fitness craze, glamorous power dressing, and oversized shoulder pads has the potential to be a fun visual alone.

While there’s definitely room for a bit of, ahem, modernization with the script, I hope that Imagineering doesn’t overcorrect. One of the reasons the Progress Family feels like family is because John and Sarah have the rapport of a married couple, talking to one another and the kids like actual parents would behind closed doors. There’s a fine line between loving quips and bickering, but the couple absolutely needs good banter if Disney’s goal is that they be relatable as real people.

All of this is not to say I’m fully on board with the decade shift to Carousel of Progress.

Honestly, I’m still torn. The optimist in me wants to be unequivocally excited. The pessimist and purist in me wishes they’d leave it alone, preserving the history and restoring the 1964 New York World’s Fair version. I don’t think it’s wrong to have conflicted feelings about this. It’s both the end of an era and opening of a new chapter.

As with so many things, it’ll ultimately come down to execution for me. This is a passion project by Imagineers who get what makes Carousel of Progress special, which is a great start. If they handle it with care and deliver a strong show with a smart script, memorable and quotable lines, I’ll be thrilled. I’ve seen the current version enough that it will always live on in my mind’s eye, and now I’ll have a new version to memorize.

On the other hand, if this ends up being another Zootopia: Better Zoogether…oh no. That’s what gives me the most pause here. For all of the great results Walt Disney Imagineering has delivered in the last year-plus, their track record isn’t flawless.

I can accept imperfection. Even the current Carousel of Progress is a ‘warts and all’ attraction that has benefited tremendously from being viewed through rose-colored glasses. But I cannot view it through CarrotVision glasses, and another atrocious outcome like that is what worries me.

One thing about which I’m unequivocally excited is Carousel of Progress getting love in the first place. This means the attraction can be marked “safe” from replacement until I’m Uncle Orville’s age. My daughter will be raised right, by the Country Bears and Progress Family, just as the Tiki Gods intended.

This is obviously not an outright removal and replacement. It’s not even like Country Bear Musical Jamboree, where Imagineers were tasked with an unpleasant assignment and making “lemonade out of lemons.” Walt Disney World has had a fair number of projects like that, where we’ve basically had to say, “you don’t understand just how much worse this could’ve been.”

This might end up turning out badly. I’m not ruling out that possibility because, again, I’ve been subjected to Zootopia: Better Zoogether. I know modern Imagineering is not infallible. However, I also know this is not a “lemonade out of lemons” scenario or a reimagining that is borne of bad intentions.

Critics cannot credibly claim that this is about scrubbing Walt Disney or Americana from the parks; if it were, the attraction would be replaced outright (nevermind the new introduction). There’s also the very real possibility that it turns out brilliantly!

This is a labor of love for the Imagineers working on the project, and could be a big win for Walt Disney World diehards if Imagineers can stick the landing. It has the potential to modernize Carousel of Progress and make it more relatable, which should attract new audiences to the attraction.

Not only that, but it’s an ambitious undertaking and one that undoubtedly has a healthy budget attached. It’s yet another sign of paradigm shift at the Walt Disney Company, within Imagineering, and signals the continuation of a new chapter.

Since we’ve invoked the zerrible Zoogether attraction a couple of times, it’s only fair to point out that Imagineering has far more hits than misses when it comes to recently completed projects. Just across the walkway in Tomorrowland, one of the biggest hits was the recharge of Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, which breathed new life into the aging interactive attraction. In the last week alone, they’ve opened a half-dozen offerings that I view as materially better than what they replaced. Things are trending in the right direction, and there’s cause for cautious optimism.

Bluntly, I cannot imagine this getting greenlit back in October 2022. I shudder at the thought of a Carousel of Progress reimagining being announced back then. Stitch, Moana, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson all probably would’ve ended up with speaking roles in a far worse attraction done on a far smaller budget.

This isn’t to say that everything is perfect now (gestures over at the gigantic dirt pit on the west side of the park), but things are getting back on track with the passion projects being approved and properly funded, and the creatives given the latitude to actually execute on their visions.

Imagineers are not being forced to reimagine the Progress Family as the Incredibles or some other nonsense (and I can totally see an alternate timeline where exactly that could’ve been announced in 2021).

Ultimately, it’s nice to see Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress receive a refresh. Even if the prospect of all-new show scenes leaves me a little uneasy, I’m heartened that Walt Disney World is giving Imagineers the resources, both in time and money, to go in and give the classic long-overdue love.

That they are getting the budget to lovingly refresh the attraction while keeping Carousel of Progress true to its original style and spirit, without injecting gratuitous animated IP and characters is itself remarkable. Since I’ve been an adult fan, the prospect of Carousel of Progress closing completely has loomed large. There was a stretch during the seasonal, ‘Bonus FastPass’ (IYKYK) era when it seemed like the show’s days were numbered.

Even as recently as 2022, this type of loving Carousel of Progress reimagining would’ve been unfathomable. The fact that this project was greenlit alone suggests that things are back on track for the company as a whole, Walt Disney World as a site, and within the halls of Imagineering.

While I remain ‘cautiously apprehensive’ about the outcome of the Carousel of Progress overhaul, the scope and scale of this reimagining is a win for the classic attraction, diehard fans, and the legacy of the man behind the magic. The Imagineers working to bring the attraction into a whole new century have a tough task ahead of them, and I truly hope that there’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow for Carousel of Progress and in fact, that Now is Not the Best Time.

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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 Sarah taking center stage? What about the shift to 1969, 1985, Y2K, and the distant future? Do you agree or disagree with my assessment? 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!