Carosel of Progress to be removed and moved to the Walt Disney Family Mueseum

[UrbanDonovan]

The Hall of Presidents, as an idea, does date to plans for Disneyland's Liberty Street, but I do not think they got further then vague ideas for a show featuring the US presidents. I have never seen any mention that the Audio-Animatronic of President Lincoln from the 1964-65 New York World's Fair was used for the Hall of Presidents. Why would Disney give the Hall of Presidents a seven year old figure when even a new, better figure was built for Disneyland during the run of the World's Fair?

The Parkeology website had a recent blog about the early days of the Hall of Presidents and it was a fantastic read. Here is the link for anyone interested.

http://www.parkeology.com/2010/04/hall-of-imagineers-or-how-mop-saved-day.html

 

[TP2000]

Turn the Wonders of Life Pavilion into a World of Progress Pavilion focusing on Walt Disney as a visionary and the pursuit of progress.

They already have that. It's called the Walt Disney Family Museum, it's in The Presidio in San Francisco, and it's totally amazing. If you consider yourself a Disney fan, your membership card has a big black X on it until you get yourself to The Presidio and visit the museum.

I thought I could do it all in 3 hours, and I ended up spending 5 hours there and totally forgot about going on to the California Academy of Sciences that afternoon.

Anyone with more than a passing interest in Walt Disney needs to get there ASAP. Walt Disney World fans should be forewarned however, the museum covers extensively the entirety of Walt's life. That means the museum ends, quite literally dumping you out the exit and into the gift shop, at December, 1966 with Walt's death. Disneyland is covered extensively in a multi-level showroom, with even a huge moving model of the park as it only existed in Walt's imagination, but Walt Disney World is not mentioned anywhere at the museum.

But it's just an AMAZING experience, and extremely well done! They spent a fortune on this museum, and it shows! :sohappy:

http://disney.go.com/disneyatoz/familymuseum/index.html

 

[DocMcHulk]

AS much as I like COP, I honestly would have no problem with it going. If it's replaced with a more compelling and crowd drawing attraction, then why not? I understand its history. But as long as it is preserved SOMEWHERE,to me it's not a big deal.

I dont consider myself a Disney traditionalist in the sense that legacy or historical rides can never be closed. Sometimes, things need to be changed in the name of progress.

 

[MKeeler]

They already have that. It's called the Walt Disney Family Museum, it's in The Presidio in San Francisco, and it's totally amazing. If you consider yourself a Disney fan, your membership card has a big black X on it until you get yourself to The Presidio and visit the museum.

Understand and it's definitely high on the list of places to visit. My comment stems more from a desire to see each park compliment the museum with Walt Disney exhibits that are appropriate for the theme of the park. An exhibit on the Florida Project in the Magic Kingdom, One Man's Dream at DHS focusing on the Disney Studios and the growth of animation, even a True Life Adventures exhibit at DAKbased on Walt's nature documentaries and connection to the animal kingdom.

In learning more about Walt's involvement at the 1964 World's Fair, I've increasingly wanted to see Epcot represent that World's Fair. And with a now vacant pavilion, I could easily seem turning it into a World of Progess with the CoP in it, focusing on Walt's innovations and innovative spirit. And with CoP and maybe Lincoln in that World of Progress pavilion, you would have representations of almost all of the 64 World's Fair attractions (with the Skyway represented by Test Track in architecture and Energy in spirit). While It's A Small World would make a wonderful transition into the World Showcase, we know that's not going to move. CoP might as it has been done before.

[I also have an idea for a replacement for Illuminations called something like Imaginations that involves a medley of Sherman Brothers songs capturing the spirit of the 64 World's Fair, but that's a topic for another post. Surprisingly "One Little Spark" and "It's A Small World" work very well in counterpoint. ]

 

[WondersOfLife]

Main Street ain't quite what is used to be...

oh crap, main street dont count and pepsi dropped sponsor like what, 20 years ago on CBJ???....

HEY!!! We still have the Walt Disney World Railroad right!? :shrug:

 

[redkoala245]

I think COP should be removed from MK and transfered to Epcot. Now with this decade of rides (Monsters Inc Laugh Floor, Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin,SGE, etc.) I feel that COP does not belong in Tomorrowland anymore. COP is getting old and a little boring.
I cannot picture a ride being in a museum also.

 

[Expo_Seeker40]

many museums have carousels, just none that make progress

 

[Enchantâmes]

Im not sure but it makes perfect sence to be in DCA and fits better there than TL in WDW. When DCA is done being rethemed it is supposed to be Walts park. The front of the park will be themed to look like LA when Walt arrived in the 20's.

Also the are retheming the Swings to Silly Synphony swings and doing the Night time show World of Color. COP would be a great addition to DCA.

CoP does not fit the theme of any of the areas of DCA what so ever, quit feeding people nonsense. :ROFLOL:

 

[ScrapIron]

Definitely not enough space at the museum in SF for the CoP.

 

[misterID]

I kind of hope COP stays. Or at least moved to EPCOT.

 

[mickey2008.1]

it appears that most would like to see it stay for historical value, but why not just update the american family, is there one anymore? Its passed its time.

 

[bryPOD]

I haven't read all the pages, just the first 2, but I honestly think moving CoP to the Walt Disney Family Museum would be a fantastic idea.

If you've never been to the museum, it's amazing, fun, and completely interactive. Check out their website for more details and if you find yourself in Northern California, do swing by.

CoP would be a great addition to the museum, and add maybe the one element that was missing: an example of one of Walt's attractions...

 

[gsimpson]

Combine the exit & entry theaters and add another scene.

Right now you exit through one theater and enter through the next. As we all know, there are many theaters where the crowd comes in on one side and pushes the last group out, Philharmagic comes quickly to mind. Why not take the existing exit theater and turn it into a 2020 family, or some such thing, and put the timing of the other scenes a bit further apart. They might have to make each scene a couple minutes longer to allow time for the unload/load from the same theater but that would not be a problem. And while they are reprogramming perhaps they could somehow add a "stall for time" routing in their code so that each scene could kill time while waiting for the fools to stop opening the doors instead of recycling through the entire scene before the theater-go-round gets back underway, if they really felt like spending the time they could have a few different bits so that if after bit 1 the problem isn't resolved, then onto bit 2, if not resolved, on to bit 3, if not resolved start over at bit 1. It is pretty bad to sit through an entire scene the second time with the CM periodically blaring through the PA that "the theater will start again in 3 minutes, please stay in your seats".

 

[Figment632]

I haven't read all the pages, just the first 2, but I honestly think moving CoP to the Walt Disney Family Museum would be a fantastic idea.

If you've never been to the museum, it's amazing, fun, and completely interactive. Check out their website for more details and if you find yourself in Northern California, do swing by.

CoP would be a great addition to the museum, and add maybe the one element that was missing: an example of one of Walt's attractions...

I disagree it needs to stay in WDW so either update it start in the 40's, scene 2 70's, scene three, 90 or present, final scene to make it fit the theme of TL set it 100 years in the future, you could take alot from Horizons for this scene.

Or move it to WOL for a new progress pavilion

 

[EpcotTraveler]

I doubt they would ever do this. Imagine the backlash, like closing Mr. Toad's wild ride. Riots, mobs, and hate mail would be rampant all over the company. (Ok, maybe not riots, but mobs and hate mail yes)It wouldn't make sense to close it for this reason, as well as the operating costs being little to nothing.

 

[Pluto'sGrl]

DH and I were told by a DVC employee this past March to make sure we saw CoP one last time while we were there, as it would almost certainly be gone the next time we visited (we go every 2 yrs). We always make a point to see it anyway.
Vague reference, to space being used for thrill ride, was made.

 

[wm49rs]

DH and I were told by a DVC employee this past March to make sure we saw CoP one last time while we were there, as it would almost certainly be gone the next time we visited (we go every 2 yrs). We always make a point to see it anyway.
Vague reference, to space being used for thrill ride, was made.

I think vague should be the operative word in that tale from the DVC employee....

 

[PhilharMagician]

DH and I were told by a DVC employee this past March to make sure we saw CoP one last time while we were there, as it would almost certainly be gone the next time we visited (we go every 2 yrs). We always make a point to see it anyway.
Vague reference, to space being used for thrill ride, was made.

Back in 03' when we bought into DVC we were told by our sales person that a Coaster Kingdom was in the plans and the ground work was already started. :brick:

I personally do not foresee COP going anywhere for a while. Fantasyland is getting all the attention right now and that will be going on for a couple of years at this point. Maybe after that Tomorrowland will be updated and expanded.

 

[JWG]

DH and I were told by a DVC employee this past March to make sure we saw CoP one last time while we were there, as it would almost certainly be gone the next time we visited (we go every 2 yrs). We always make a point to see it anyway.
Vague reference, to space being used for thrill ride, was made.

In July, 2007 the CM working the big Kodak camera in Imageworks asked how we liked Imagination. We said it isn't anything compared to what it was version 1. We were told, don't worry about it, this version wouldn't be here much longer. I just rode it again this past January. I guess her definition of short and long term may vary from mine, but reality is, people in the parks don't really know. And, what they do know today quickly becomes rumor tomorrow as plans change.

 

[puntagordabob]

COP needs to remain at WDW...if they move it to another WDW park, I can live with that I suppose.