Carousel of Progress Shutting Down in July For All New Scenes – Nothing is Sacred

I have some sad news for some and happy news for others.  Disney has announced that the beloved Carousel of Progress will close on July 6 to be rethemed into more modern decades, wiping out Walt’s version.

They are not giving people much time to get in there before it shuts down.

But it is called the Carousel of Progress.  It’s just sad because this was a time capsule and something Walt Disney himself worked on for the 1964–1965 New York World’s Fair. He probably would have wanted some progress to be made, but only with corporate appliance sponsors.

All five scenes will be reimagined.

What are the new scenes?

Starting off, Walt Disney will now introduce the show instead of a big “Carousel of Progress” sign. 

I hope that they made Walt look a lot better than the version in Disneyland.

Walt is being based on the “Disneyland Goes to the World’s Fair” special aired in 1964.

Act 1 -1969 – The Moon Landing

The first scene will jump 60 years into the future for the moon landing, but it’s summer and not spring here?  Seasons are being switched up.

This scene makes a lot of sense for an attraction about progress. The moon landing was a huge deal.

Act 2 – 1985 

The next scene moves forward by 16 years to Halloween Night 1985.

There are no major events, but Halloween has always been one of the holidays featured.

Sarah is going to be the main character here, sharing how the new appliances of the day make everyone’s life easier.  So John is not leading the entire show now. Instead, he’s out handing candy to trick-or-treaters (wanna bet they’re Disney, Marvel, or Star Wars costumes?)

Act 3 – 1999 New Year’s Eve- The New Millennium

Now we jump ahead to New Year’s Eve 1999.  Y2K, where everyone was afraid the world would shut down when clocks reset online.

Speaking of, the internet will be featured, but I’m sure it will be a more celebratory scene and won’t be about Y2K

The Disney Parks Blog described the scene:

“Amid the excitement of the countdown to 2000, a new thing called the Internet is bringing John, Sarah, Jimmy and Patty – and the world – closer together than ever before.”

Oh, and Grandma will still be watching wrestling, but on TV.

Act 4 – The Possible Future

As in the last version, the final scene will be seen in the distant future that still looks inspired by the original 1960s ending.

John is still at the stove, and now a retro-style robot that kind of reminds me of Herbie from the “Fantastic Four” is helping the family.

The new attraction will open in 2027. 

I’m really torn on this one because I know it’s meant to show actual progress, but losing the original makes me incredibly sad.

What do you think? Comment and let us know!