Carousel of Progress being replaced????

[jakeman]

While this ride is not on my must-do list, it's still a classic that should not be going anywhere. Sadly, I'm not sure if it's profitable for Disney to keep it open. I went on it one night during President's Weekend and the park was packed, yet we were in the theater with only two other people . So unless Disney does some advertising or some sort of small refurb (either new AAs or a new last scene which could be publicized), I only see attendance going down over time. I'm sure 50% of park visitors don't even know the ride exists.

This is the crux of the matter. It's not on anyone elses to-do list either. It is a classic, true, but it is also not popular.

Additionally, if you really think, what other attractions could be removed that are less popular than this one right now in MK? I can't think of many.

Unfortunately, WDW is still a business and if there is something that is not working and not drawing even an average number of guest in, then it should be replace. This is regardless of the classicness of the attraction.

I enjoy the attraction occasionally and would like to see it presevered due to its historical value, but if it is not popular and not pulling in the people it should be replaced by something that will.

 

[Lee]

I guess I stand corrected--I seem to remember Lee or Corrus having written that CoP was on the cutting board in the near future. Since Lee says otherwise, that must not be the case.

Oh, yes, I did say that. Sure did.
That's because for a while there it seemed like every concept that came up for MK would have taken over that area. Several were discussed enough to make it seem like a sure thing that CoP's days are numbered.
Right now, they are looking elsewhere in MK for expansion. But, sooner or later, they will turn to TL again and when they do, CoP will be the first thing to go.

 

[dxwwf3]

But, sooner or later, they will turn to TL again and when they do, CoP will be the first thing to go.

Then I would assume the TTA would be next. It appears that any good attraction in the land that doesn't have the word "Space" or "Mountain" in the title is on its last legs :ROFLOL:

All joking aside, as long as the other 3 parks keep on improving, I guess the MK can continue to be a bit of an afterthought. The attendance isn't going to go down and most people are happy with what the park offers currently. It makes sense to keep pumping funds into the other 3, but it sure would be nice to have a major attraction added to that park again.

Although credit must be given to the work done on the classic attractions in the park. The refurbs of POTC, IASW, and the Mansion were top notch all the way. It can be easy to forget about these things after the fact, but all were needed and Disney did deliver on those.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

It seems odd for Disney to replace an attraction that has gotten alot of attention in the last few years. Don't forget the paint job and new TVs added to the exterior. I do find it odd however, that the structure of the theater is getting all this attention but the show itself has not.

My idea would be to change the narration so that the final scene would represent the 90s (which it already does with the car phones and laserdiscs and such), and then the exit would feature a message about "look how far we've come since the beginning of the last century, how far will we go with this one? That's up to all of us to make it a great big beautiful tomorrow" or something like that. The attraction would still show the full development of the 20th century (it's original purpose) and still give an inspiring message about the future which is what it should do, and won't nearly be as dated quickly. Of Course new animatronics in all scenes and scrims would help too.

Still the attraction to me is not in as bad a condition as CBJ. That's just awful to look at.

 

[RSoxNo1]

My understanding was that an Incredibles Robo Coaster was in the works, with varying grades of intensity named after the characters with Mr. Incredible being the most intense version of the ride. However for one reason or another the attraction never got the go ahead, and will probably be shelved for at least 10 years while Universal has exclusive access to the Kuka Arm/Robo Coaster technology.

I've been telling friends for a while that COP is probably going away soon. I'm glad to hear that it may be open for a few more years. It is by know means a must see attraction any more, and a completely agree with Lee's assertion that it is one of the likeliest items to be removed. However, there are multiple places for expansion in the Magic Kingdom besides COP, and I for one would love to see them add something without taking anything else away.

 

[cooleo]

SAVE COP!!!! :fork: :lol: Just a little humor. I love COP & hope it stays put for a very long time.

 

[Fun2BFree]

CoP's been in more dire straits before. It's survived seasonal closure once, and it can dodge the bullet again, regardless of any rumour to the contrary.

 

[Kingdom WDW]

I never had the fortune to go on Horizons, but it has become one of my favorite attractions, through ride-throughs, musical elements, and tribute videos. :animwink:

Thanks for bringing that article up! I've been recently fascinated by Horizons/World's Fair. In the Imagineer section I wrote up an idea for a new Horizons pavilion, and it would include Carousel of Progress should the Tomorrowland Real Estate Authority decide to bulldoze CoP.

Yeah! That would be great! They could put it in Epcot! They could put between Universe of Energy and World of Motion! It would be awesome! :sohappy:

And then they could... bulldoze it.

I really wished I could have ridden it. Who knows, maybe one day they'll bring down WoL and put Horizons there!

If we can dream it, we can do it!

 

[unkadug]

CoP's been in more dire straits before. It's survived seasonal closure once, and it can dodge the bullet again, regardless of any rumour to the contrary.

It's STILL surviving seasonal closures.

It is still officially listed as seasonal on Disney's website.

 

[raven]

If they got rid of CoP, that wouldn't make any sense at all. It's a Walt Disney original.

Actually it's not. Disneyland openned in 1955 and COP was created for the 1964 World's Fair. So COP wasn't an original. But it does reflect Walt and his ideas a lot. I still feel it would get the attention it deserves at EPCOT.

 

[Fun2BFree]

Actually it's not. Disneyland openned in 1955 and COP was created for the 1964 World's Fair. So COP wasn't an original. But it does reflect Walt and his ideas a lot. I still feel it would get the attention it deserves at EPCOT.

Surely he means that it was an original attraction created by Walt, rather than a chronologically-original attraction for Disneyland's opening day. I do agree however, that CoP would be better suited to Epcot than TL.

 

[Arvorenn]

Surely he means that it was an original attraction created by Walt, rather than a chronologically-original attraction for Disneyland's opening day. I do agree however, that CoP would be better suited to Epcot than TL.

Me too, I think he means that...
but the problem is, to mention it again: WDW is a business...and unfortunately, cop isn't really popular...
and that's why I don't think it will stay there for good...

sure, it's been created by Walt, but he, himself, said: [FONT=century gothic, arial] "Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world."
well...and if there isn't enough space for it to grow...[/FONT]

 

[unkadug]

I think he means that too...
but the problem is, to mention it again: WDW is a business...and unfortunately, cop isn't really popular...

In your opinion.

and that's why I don't think it will stay there for good...

sure, it's been created by Walt, but he, himself, said: [FONT=century gothic, arial] "Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world."
well...and if there isn't enough space for it to grow...[/FONT]

But there is.

 

[Yankeeplex]

I know, for a fact, that CoP was THE baby of Walt Disney...I don't know if there were any provisions, but considering how many people actually go on it on a daily basis, it seems to me that Uncle Walt must be looking out for it from the grave. To me, CoP is one of those rides that I can go on every time I am in MK and it brings me right back to my child hood. My 5 year old daughter absolutely loves the ride. If anything must go, it is the Indy cars, which are severely antiquated, noisy, smelly, and not really relevant anymore. It would be a travesty if CoP were to go by the wayside like 20,000 Leagues, Mr. Toad, Horizons, and the original Imagination. One thing we find out is that once they change the original concept, they are constantly trying to refind the original magic. :shrug:

 

[Arvorenn]

In your opinion.

it's not only my opinion:

I'm sure 50% of park visitors don't even know the ride exists.

well, on my first visit to WDW, I nearly missed it...compared to the other attractions in TL, it's quite inconspicuous...
and when I asked other people who went to WDW, very few mentioned having done CoP.

But there is.

yes, there is, but I don't think there is much space left in the area of TL

 

[unkadug]

yes, there is, but I don't think there is much space left in the area of TL

If you got rid of the Skyway building, there's enough room for a mid sized dark ride.

There are expansion plots in Tomorrowland that haven't been touched.

If you got rid of the un-ecological, noisy, waste of space that is the Indy Speedway, there would be more than enough room for any idea that they may have up their sleeves.

 

[Fun2BFree]

yes, there is, but I don't think there is much space left in the area of TL

Skyway building, Galaxy Palace Theater, wasted space of Indy Speedway.

EDIT: Man, EpcotServo beat me to it. :lol:

 

[Expo_Seeker40]

The reason the CoP isn't popular has alot to do with the fact that the ride sits off in a corner of tomorrowland with no other things to draw people over there. There is no sponsor for the ride to help fix it up and promote it. The building the ride is housed in is plain and bland compared to the other "new tomorrowland" facades. There is a theatre available every 4 minutes that can hold over 200 people, and make little to no line, making people think the ride is closed.

The ride could use a complete refurb and new ending, as well as something new in tomorrowland near it to get people over there.

Also, the CoP Family is not meant to age over 100 years. They age about 3-5 years in each scene, just showing how older people can use new technology. They really are meant to represent the typical american family in a certain era, not so much one family going through 100 years or so of progress. Sort of...what would this family have had they lived during that era.

If they can somehow bill the attraction as a tomorrowland metro retro historical society sponsored thing, or what not, and show a nearly identical world's fair version for act's 1-4 and take the unload theater and make that into a bonus act called "tomorrow", than every generation that rides the ride will always get to see the same world's fair version, but have their own unique ending that does nothing but simply compliment the world's fair version which was much more about progress and had a beautiful band and orchestra and chorus singing the song at the beginning and end. :wave:

 

[tdonald]

I think it would be cool if they integrated a new indoor attraction with the Speedway. You could drive the cars inside and back out, though I haven't thought about a theme.

The Skyway building (in Fantasyland as well) should be torn down, with something worthwhile, not necessarily even a big ride, but that space is so wasted. The Galaxy Palace Theater could go too, though at least they use that for MVMCP and special events.

 

[Expo_Seeker40]

By the way, walt disney did intend to give the Carousel of Progress a PERMANENT home at Disneyland after the fair. (source is from disneyland goes to the world's fair). It would have been a family fun attraction, peaceful, airconditioned, and would have allowed GE or another sponsor to update the ending or post show when need be. It was timeless, but somehow still a pain because of the ending.

GE and Disney execs knew though that the ride would do much better in Florida and certainly get the message across as to what GE and even Disney wanted, and it did. In the 70s and 80s the CoP had descent crowds nearly all the time. Since the new tomorrowland makeover in 1994, and certainly after 9/11 the show has seen fewer crowds, mainly because they don't know its there or what it is, not so much that they don't like it.

I was surprised my younger cousins, who love all things thrilling, enjoyed the CoP!