Carousel of Progress refurb?

[mickey2008.1]

Refurb? This thing is so old and outdated. It's a sleeper. I'm 40 and don't care for it. My kids 6-13 laugh at it. Whats the fascination with COP? Four scenes with the same song:brick: At least SSE has knowledge and background to it. I understand it's an original, but it's outlived its time, just like the skyway.

 

[mickey2008.1]

And I thought the skyway was better!!!

 

[JustInTime]

I think Load and Unload theaters could have a brief scene each.

Load - 1901 (Valentine's Day)
Scene 1 - May 1927 (Mother's Day)
Scene 2 - July 1955 (4th of July)
Scene 3 - October 1976 (Halloween)
Scene 4 - December 1999 (New Year's Eve)
Unload - 2020 (Not Specific/No Holiday)

I'd like to see the 1900 and 1920s scenes remain the same, but update the 1940s scene to be 1955 so Father could exclaim how he heard that Walt Disney wants to create a theme park and how it would never work. I think 1976 would be a great way to see how much we advanced with electronics and computers from 1955 through the 60s. The 70s were so iconic anyways for a lot of reasons. I think the scene could look similar to the set of "All in the Family". 1999 with the dawn of the new millennium is perfect to set up the future and end the 20th century. The 90s scene could be redone to look similar to the "Home Improvement" set. The final future scene could look similar to the Nova City scene in Horizons except updated to reflect more of a current futuristic look rather than 80s future.

I think the load and unload scenes are the same room, right??

 

[wm49rs]

My wife and 4 children (all teenagers now) love the COP. To me, it's like the Hall of Presidents, an attraction I'd do only if I when I'm spending multiple days at WDW. I don't mind doing it but there are so many other things I'd rather be enjoying. With that said, I hope they keep it. It's a classic and feels like "old time" MK.

I agree with this as well, although I try to visit CoP every time I'm there. Some rides may be old, or snoozers, but to some that "classic" feel is what makes them appealing.

That being said, I'm not sure we're going to see any major refurbs to CoP any time soon.

 

[jayhawkmickey]

currently:

load theater, 1890s or 1900s, 1920s, 1940s, the year 2000 (created in 1994), unload theater

what could happen:

dual load and unload theater, 1890s or 1900s, 1920s, 1940s, 1970s, 2020

yes, if they use the stage for the unload theater they could do it

Thats my vote. Return the original 60's version of scene 4 and add one more scene depicting a changing "today" that could be imagineered to be easily updated each decade or so into the load or unload area.

 

[Clever Name]

Refurb? This thing is so old and outdated. It's a sleeper. I'm 40 and don't care for it. My kids 6-13 laugh at it. Whats the fascination with COP? Four scenes with the same song:brick: At least SSE has knowledge and background to it. I understand it's an original, but it's outlived its time, just like the skyway.

See, that's why zombies are so important. Your children won't be laughing when a zombie shuffles off the stage and into the audience searching for brains! :wave:

 

[GenerationX]

I like the zombie approach the best. That would add a thrill element to the show that is sorely lacking now. Good thinking, Clever Name.

Alternatively, the final scene could be the not-too-distant future where the family members are robots (G.E. robots!). And here's the kicker: they would be played by live actors! Talk about irony and coming around full circle. It would truly be the Carousel of Progress then.

 

[Clever Name]

2011 CDC warning about the forthcoming zombie apocalypse:

http://www.bt.cdc.gov/socialmedia/zombies_blog.asp[ :wave:

 

[BalooChicago]

I think the load and unload scenes are the same room, right??

Nope, separate rooms.

 

[JustInTime]

Nope, separate rooms.

Really? I don't know why they would make 2 separate load and unload rooms with the exact same signage and set up. Heck "both" rooms even have the same typo on each sigh. No apostrophe in "Walt Disney's". So I find this so surprising! It's kind of wasteful in a way!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKz6qdexetY

See what I mean? Both identical. Then the curtain drops at the end just like it would be waiting on the next show to start. But I do seem to remember unloading on one end while the line was going in on a different side. Weird. Never hit me until I really thought about it.

 

[MarkTwain]

here's the old ending by the way....

How cool. Isn't that Walt's vision of E.P.C.O.T in the background?

Sure is. Are you all familiar with the original ending of Carousel of Progress?

The original finale scene, back when the show was still playing at Disneyland, had the Progress City backdrop as pictured above. But the scene after that, in what today we know as the unload room, featured a large speedramp (like the one leading to the TTA PeopleMover today) leading from the ceiling to the audience floor level where the stage would have been. Instead of leaving out the back door, the audience would ascend the speedramp and see a display the massive model of EPCOT/Progress City that today can be seen (albeit very much trimmed down) from the TTA Peoplemover.

At the time, of course, the model was just years away from reality, so the premise of the finale scene was that the family really was living the life that Walt had planned for them in his utopia. But supposedly it was a very amazing finale, to ascend the second floor and see Walt's "proof," complete with audio narration, that the future depicted in the prior scene was just years away.

You can read more about the original finale here.

Really? I don't know why they would make 2 separate load and unload rooms with the exact same signage and set up. Heck "both" rooms even have the same typo on each sigh. No apostrophe in "Walt Disney's". So I find this so surprising! It's kind of wasteful in a way!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKz6qdexetY

See what I mean? Both identical. Then the curtain drops at the end just like it would be waiting on the next show to start. But I do seem to remember unloading on one end while the line was going in on a different side. Weird. Never hit me until I really thought about it.

I suspect it has to do with operational and timing reasons. It might be too demanding on cast members to try and get everyone in and out of the theater in the same 5-minute scene, especially if they try to do like now where the boarding guests arrive to an already-empty theater. That said, if they were to immediately send in the new guests as soon as it was time for the departing guests to leave, it might just be possible.

 

[patricia27]

I do wonder if the mechanism breaks,whether they will find it too expensive to mend!!

 

[Expo_Seeker40]

I think they could get people in and out of there in 5 minutes. Just use sticks or something to poke people in the back and get them out of there.

The Carousel of Progress originally rotated clockwise (to the left) at both the world's fair and at disneyland. It can rotate in any direction. There are wheels and motors under each theatre. When the show left Disneyland, the theater was reprogrammed to go to anti clockwise when America Sings debuted, but it's always been counter clockwise in Florida. I have been on the ride where the carousel spins too much and the theater does move clockwise to readjust itself to the stage though.

The original load theater had wall to wall screens of colorful GE lights that "pulsed" and synced to music. They were called the Kaleidophonic screens.

At walt disney parks and resorts "carousel of projects", they created a digital version of the kaleidophonic screens that synced to the original world's fair soundtrack that played in the load theater seen here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxgCDTa22ys


These are from the world's fair, but this is the unload theater with the speedramp. As said previously, there was a similar speedramp at Disneyland for the carousel of progress.

 

[scottnj1966]

I would love the original WDw GE version to be put back in place.
The voice actors and script was so much better then the version they are playing now.
I miss the dog barking and growling at the right times during certain lines the actors were saying.
The version now seems to be a rushed script.

 

[MrMorrowTom]

Really? I don't know why they would make 2 separate load and unload rooms with the exact same signage and set up. Heck "both" rooms even have the same typo on each sigh. No apostrophe in "Walt Disney's". So I find this so surprising! It's kind of wasteful in a way!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKz6qdexetY

See what I mean? Both identical. Then the curtain drops at the end just like it would be waiting on the next show to start. But I do seem to remember unloading on one end while the line was going in on a different side. Weird. Never hit me until I really thought about it.

Two different theaters, I used to work CoP. Just think during the busy times when each theater are full, that is 240 people to get out of the theater and 240 new people to get in within 5 minutes. Plus there is the introduction speech and conclusion speech to add to it. And have mercy on the CM that has to load wheelchairs too. It just can't be done.

Just update the last scene and i will be happy.

 

[siu-85]

demo money allocated

I had a nice conversation with a WDW worker who had a wealth of info about all the goings on at MK. One thing he said was money has been budgeted to tear down COP at Disney World. (The COP at Disneyland was gutted.) Seems the maintenance cost is fairly high, etc. However, having something budgeted and actually going ahead with it is two different things. Personally, I hope they keep COP forever. It's a great look into Walt's vision.

 

[Expo_Seeker40]

I can assure everyone Disney has no plans to tear down the CoP anytime soon. :wave:




































and my sources aren't bus drivers :lookaroun

 

[BK31]

Is there any room built into the structure above the MK CoP like there was in DL? I think it would be great to restore the original ending scene and then have unload go up speedramps to exhibit space above, or if not possible, unload directly into a new addition before going back outside that has exhibit type space that would act as the 'catch up' to today and be designed to be more easily updated for the future. I'm not thinking static exhibit space, but something better than that. What exactly I'm not sure, but it would bring the ride back to its original core to appease the traditionalists and then could allow Disney to be less constrained with how they catch up to today and the future. Basically it would be adding scenes AFTER the classic ride is complete, extending the experience.

My assumption is there probably isn't enough space above and getting back down poses another issue. Going down the addition route they do have that space of the former theater area between CoP and Space Ranger Spin, but if I remember correctly its on the wrong side from the existing CoP exit. It'd just be nice to have the ride portion exit into another structure located backstage somehow and eventually exit back out onto the plaza. Perhaps they could even design it that when the time comes to update the post show that the classic portion of the ride stays fully operational.
Just my Blue Sky thoughts on what could be done.

 

[cheezbat]

As a kid I didn't really care for this attraction, but as I've gotten older it has become one I often check out. I have really learned to appreciate it. I too would love to see the final scene redone though. It's so tacky and un-futuristic.

COP needs to stay around...they can build a new ride AROUND it instead of tearing it down.

 

[iceman22]

long live cop!!!!!