Thoughts on Carousel of Progress?

[Mag1575]

I've always enjoyed the ride. In fact, I usually ride the ride everytime I go down there.

 

[Chef Mickey]

I know this thread is old, but I find it interesting how rumors of closing the COP even in 2001 lingered.

In 2017, I still get the feeling Disney is going to scrap it any minute, but it continues to solider on. With the new developments in Tomorrowland, is the COP safe? I think if they could at least put one or two updates in it, it'd be safe for another 20 years.

Every day that goes by with no content updates, I get a little more worried. It's in my top 5 attractions in all of WDW.

 

[roj2323]

Yes it's safe. Short of it burning to the ground I think it's safe to say it will be around for the foreseeable future. They just spent a boat load of money fixing and painting the outside, creating new signs and generally improving the exterior of the ride. The inside of the ride got a multi week referb last year which was mostly animatronic maintenance and new costumes for the characters and even last week they updated the laptop computer in the "modern" scene. I as well as many others here suspect the ride will go down for an extended refurbishment sometime soon but whether that's 2 months from now of two years is anyone's guess. Regardless the attraction is staying. It's a people eater, it's not ungodly expensive to run or maintain and it's compact which few attractions can claim now a days.

 

[Jeff456]

Wow serious thread bump but as you say it's interesting these fears circulated then. I think it's safe... I know the parks are not museums but I'd be happy even if it stays in its current format, the future scene being dated actually makes me laugh..

 

[SyracuseDisneyFan]

One of my favorites. I always make a point to do it every time I go to Disney World.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I think it will remain for a long time. I believe that those in charge of continuing the Disney legacy, something that if abandoned makes Disney just another plot of land covered with semi interesting toys, are starting to understand this. They are in the business of nostalgia. They always have been. If they think it would be cheaper to just constantly address the whims of the public will find that the winds of popularity shift constantly. It's way cheaper to promote and maintain that nostalgia angle then to renew and cater to the public's current views every few months.

I know, for me personally, the voluntary removal of CoP would be a big notch in my increasing lack of desire to go there. It's only my small amount of money, but, there may be more of us out there then they figured on.

 

[Chef Mickey]

Yes it's safe. Short of it burning to the ground I think it's safe to say it will be around for the foreseeable future. They just spent a boat load of money fixing and painting the outside, creating new signs and generally improving the exterior of the ride. The inside of the ride got a multi week referb last year which was mostly animatronic maintenance and new costumes for the characters and even last week they updated the laptop computer in the "modern" scene. I as well as many others here suspect the ride will go down for an extended refurbishment sometime soon but whether that's 2 months from now of two years is anyone's guess. Regardless the attraction is staying. It's a people eater, it's not ungodly expensive to run or maintain and it's compact which few attractions can claim now a days.

Do you have a picture of the new laptop? I was just there in early June and it was still the old brick.

 

[JusticeDisney]

I would be devastated if they ever did away with CoP. Actually, I would be angry. It's one of the most unique attractions anywhere. It's very entertaining, IMO. It doesn't take up a ton of space. It's a fantastic place to just go relax and cool off for a bit. And everything about it just screams Disney. It is Disney nostalgia at its finest. CoP and Space Mountain are the two things that I think of right away whenever I think about Magic Kingdom.

I hope CoP is there forever.

 

[rodserling27]

Holy Pre-9/11 thread bump, Batman!

 

[Gitson Shiggles]

The inside of the ride got a multi week referb last year which was mostly animatronic maintenance and new costumes for the characters and even last week they updated the laptop computer in the "modern" scene.

I hope poor grandma got a costume/hair update in the last scene. No "modern" women of any age dresses like that. She looks like a Warren Jeffs follower.

 

[wendysue]

If it's even been mentioned that COP is closing, then it is a done deal. I just read that the Great Movie Ride is done in August. I understand that some people want change, but it just won't be the same without the Movie Ride and COP, if they do close it. Things are changing fast, and some old timers like us DON'T LIKE IT. (just my opinion) Please don't say nasty things like "Good, more room for the rest of us", etc.

 

[Goofyernmost]

There was a time when these attractions that we hold near and dear to our hearts weren't even there. I heard that over in Disneyland, Big Thunder Mountain used to be some slow moving train ride or something through the wild wilderness. What im trying to say is that the generation that grew up with the great movie ride and COP (after the worlds fair and Disneyland obviously) are rapidly being pushed aside so the new generation can experience a whole new set of attractions, that they will love and adore until eventually they get pushed aside for the next generation. It's a literally the circle of life.

CoP has been through the process of being selected for closure before. In the late 90's it went seasonal and was strongly rumored to be closing permanently. Then they decided that they had bigger fish to fry because of pressure to get rid of Alien Encounter because the little snowflakes were freaking out. Parents chose to ignore the signs that said it was going to be scary for small children and took them in and due to the stanchion setups pretty much had to work through the screams of the youngin's until the show was over. So since they were going to have to close AE to revamp it into Stitch's Great Escape, CoP came back on line full time to take up the slack and desperate need for something for people to do over in that area.

There was a huge campaign launched by fans of CoP urging (well more like demanding) that CoP be saved from the bulldozers. That was widely believed to be why it is still there today. It is also thought that because more people were forced, in a sense, to experience CoP a certain bit of positive feedback was being generated from people that had not seen it previously. Couple that with the fact that CoP, not being the only animatronic show at the 64 Worlds Fair, but, being a very complex show and unique revolving theater and the start of the ability to have diverse shows with AA's as stars, it is a hugely historical attraction and one that Walt himself was heavily involved in during it's creation. To take it out would be like tearing down the White House and replacing it with a Trump Tower. If it weren't on private property it could easily be declared a US historical site.

 

[FettFan]

If they close it down, I hope that they at least restore it to its World's Fair incarnation and reassemble it at the Disney Family Museum in San Fran.

 

[Surfin' Tuna]

I thought it was only us old timers that like it, but I just just learned that my four year old loves the CoP. It's her favorite. Sure I might have influenced her a bit with my Disney nerd side, but I think there are a young batch of kids out there who might just get it one day. We need to keep some things that are what Disney was. Of course, in their eyes, there are several rooms where they could put IP or even a new indoor dance party...

I just can't imagine them closing it. They did just add that new sign last year (or maybe early this year).

 

[Goofyernmost]

I hope poor grandma got a costume/hair update in the last scene. No "modern" women of any age dresses like that. She looks like a Warren Jeffs follower.
View attachment 215673

Once again, in order to have CoP as a permanent part of Disney (WDW) it can only survive by being a historical show. Any attempt to make it stay current would immediately mark it as dead in the water. Disney will not be locking themselves into something that needs updating every year or more to satisfy those that that think it should be. When originally built the final scene was to depict what they thought the future would look like. It is currently impossible to predict or to stay current with that thought. What you see basically is what was happening or about to happen in the 90's. That means that CoP covers the 20th Century pretty completely. If they want a predicting attraction they can build another one, maybe call it CoP Part 2. CoP needs to stay as it stands now. Some updating of AA's, more promotion and a little more love will revive an old great that is largely responsible for the Theme Parks we see today. Everyone needs to keep their filthy paws off a legend.

Those that don't think it is relevant today. Ask yourself or your kids what they know about our lifestyle back in the early 1900's. They don't know. I was born in the center of the 1900's and I didn't know until I saw the show. It is important to see how much advancement happened during that small time span. It boggles the mind. BTW, that dress is worn by young women now. Older women lived the time and have no need to relive it. They are more inclined to embrace the present when health and ability allows. Disney can advance everything to the 21st century but that would mean losing a lot of history and we have never needed to recognize how things were then we do now. That topic is for another attraction.