Carousel of Progress

[gerryu21220]

Are you sure? Same narrator, everyone ages, same characters. Seems pretty clear they're following a family through the decades to me... And they just suspend disbelief for that last scene.

I didn't see anyone aging - not more than a couple of years, anyhow. They didn't age at all in the original show. Did notice a child that vanished after scene one, and still does. Anywho, this same discussion came up previously, and the consensus was that they are just the same family shown in different decades.

I think it wound up on the Peoplemover thread, when they got to discussing the mistake in the narration stating it was four families.

 

[sublimesting]

I think for the ending Imagineering should think a bit farther into the future than flat screens. I would like to see a vacationing grandma and grandpa in a giant life-sized 3-D hologram sipping Mai Tai's from a beach in Waikiki wishing the family a Merry Christmas.

That would be great. The Dad could sadly say "I miss grandma so much. This is our first year without her at the holidays." Then the holo-screen turns on and it's grandma at the beach with her hispanic poolboy.

 

[T-1MILLION]

That would be great. The Dad could sadly say "I miss grandma so much. This is our first year without her at the holidays." Then the holo-screen turns on and it's grandma at the beach with her hispanic poolboy.

Nice writing! Haha. Love the humor left turn there.

 

[zengoth]

how to fix the carousel of progress:


get acts 1-3 as close as they were to 1964.....turn act 4 back to christmas ithe 1960s...have a new cast of voices to read off a script as close as possible to the original 1964 script

take what was formerly the unload theater and turn that into a bonus ending where the tomorrowland metro retro historical society goes beyond what walt disney predicted at the world's fair, and now shows us an up to date vision of the future

i was just blogging about this - i found a pdf of the program from the 1964 world's fair, and this is how it describes the "today" scene:

"The glories of today glitter in a living room at Christmastime, a glass-enclosed, electrically heated patio, a kitchen that all but runs itself."

not a huge difference nearly 50 years later

 

[Pepper's Ghost]

have the load theater be both the load and unload theater....audiences are heading through the left doors while audience are filing through the right doors

Isn't this how it already is? Aren't the load and unload theater the same already? I don't know this for a fact, and it's been 14 months since I've been on the ride, so I'm struggling to remember, but I somehow remember being one of the last to leave the theater and people were entering from the other door as I left. Am I crazy? :hammer:

 

[StageFrenzy]

i think they can only update the last scene because u really can't update history

Not true, every time historians or archeologists learn something new they update history. As far as recent history goes every time the government declassifies a document history is updated. The most important thing however is how we view history, each generation has a different outlook and set of problems that people use like a lens to look at history. The classic example of this in historical classes is the book, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Much of that book is used today for colloquial information on the Roman Empire, however everyone does not realize that gibbon was using Rome as a way to talk about the (perceived and real) decline of the British empire.

Now what this has to do with Disney world I don't know, but you can update history.

 

[ewensell3]

Hopefully never! And if history prevails they would just update the last scene. Maybe they will give John a cooking lesson and he wont burn the turkey, and a nice flat panel TV.

John cooks fine. Someone needs to teach mom the correct way to program the voice control system. It really needs a prefix before commands rather than just picking up random statements from everyone.

Although then we lose the lesson about being careful with how we use technology...

 

[David Roberts]

Of all the rides at WDW this is the one I would LEAST like them to update. As someone said earlier this was "Walt's baby" and it's one of my favorite attraction because I know Walt worked on this show before it was unveiled at the 1964 World's Fair. Besides refurbs to keep the show running smooth leave it as is. So much get's changed and it's normally for the better but this is one thing that should remain the same cause you can really feel that this was Walt's show when you watch it.

 

[Expo_Seeker40]

I think theres a misunderstanding in the Disney Fan community as to how original the CoP is.

The only thing original from the 1964 show, is the majority of the sets and costumes found in Acts 1 through 3 and the floor plan from Act 4. That's it.

The original carousel building and theater from the 64 fair were demolished on site in Flushing, NY.

The animatronics we see today are not from the fair. There faces are not the original faces from the fair nor do they look like the way the characters did during the fair.

All that is left from the original ending, is the floor plan that includes an elevated platform that used to be a dining room and is currently a kitchen.

Other thing bringing back "There's a great big beautiful tomorrow", the show has very little to tribute to walt disney. The script from the 1994 show is terrible in my opinion compared to the 1964 show. There's no background music of chorus and orchestra when we turn from the load theater into act 1. The kaleidophonic screens never came to wdw in 1975, leaving us with a curtain and logo to look at.

With the exception of cinderella's carousel, which was an antique carousel bought by the disney company to be used for the MK in 1971, the carousel of progress is the oldest disney created attraction in all of walt disney world resort. It's construction goes back to 1962/63, years before the MK attractions were even being worked out. It is the only attraction with a direct physical tie to walt disney, who looked at, and walked around on those remaining three act 1-3 sets. It is the longest stage show in the history of American theatre, and the only rotating carousel theater left in the world.

There are many nostalgic and historic reasons why the carousel of progress should be saved, but the current show....it's script, and it's ending...have to go in my opinion. The late jean sheaphard was NOT the original voice of father. Two other men had that position before him. It's really time to say goodbye to the 1994 version of the show, and move on with a show that can be both nostalgic, but also offer us a fresh glimpse into the future.

 

[MichRX7]

We did. We were hoping if we went on Carousel and came out with that tune in our heads, if we then went straight to Small World, then the two tunes would mentally cancel each other out.

It doesn't work.

So what are you singing at that point, "It's a great big beautiful small world after all"?

What if you ride Splash after that... :ROFLOL:

 

[MichRX7]

There are many nostalgic and historic reasons why the carousel of progress should be saved, but the current show....it's script, and it's ending...have to go in my opinion. The late jean sheaphard was NOT the original voice of father. Two other men had that position before him. It's really time to say goodbye to the 1994 version of the show, and move on with a show that can be both nostalgic, but also offer us a fresh glimpse into the future.

So I have always wondered, why not take the carousel back as close to original as possible. But don't stop there...

On the outside of the carousel place a circular courtyard with plaques or signs or something more creative than I can think of with reflections back to the original work on the original CoP. Then out from that put an outer circular ring theater that rotates opposite the way CoP does and give it scenes from the 70's through present. If this outer ring were large enough there could be empty show buildings where the imagineers could be building the next great set for the current decade to put in place once the decade has gone by (as in we would get a new show scene next year in 2011)...

Hopefully you can visualize this, sure it would take a lot of room, but then it is a great homage back to the original while keeping it current through the years. Of course by the time the year 2200 rolls around it will need another ring and take an hour to ride, but that'll just help ride times in other areas of the park for my great great great grandkids...

I call this my stanley cup cop blueprint... Just keep adding rings!

 

[Expo_Seeker40]

"there's a great big beautiful laughing place of a small world where its a pirate's life for me in the tiki tiki tiki tiki tiki room"

the CoP can't go beyond a half hour show. While some attractions enter 15 minute territory, the ADHD that guests go through now while on their walkie talkies, texting, and taking over 1,000 photos of the same thing on their memory card, could not handle a 45 minute to an hour show about the entire history of electricity in America :lookaroun

 

[Graham9]

So what are you singing at that point, "It's a great big beautiful small world after all"?

What if you ride Splash after that... :ROFLOL:

We did think about that, but wasn't sure if you could buy strait jackets in Mouse Gear.

 

[gerryu21220]

I think theres a misunderstanding in the Disney Fan community as to how original the CoP is.

Indeed. It was quite different in 1964. Only a small amount of the original dialog came right from the original script. Just a few lines, really.

The only thing original from the 1964 show, is the majority of the sets and costumes found in Acts 1 through 3 and the floor plan from Act 4. That's it.

Yes, and no. The floor plan of the last act was opposite of what it is now. It had the kitchen set where the fireplace/living room is now. The sofa was just right of where the TV is. The original EPCOT is shown through the windows. I *think* there was a fireplace on the right.

There are many nostalgic and historic reasons why the carousel of progress should be saved, but the current show....it's script, and it's ending...have to go in my opinion. The late jean sheaphard was NOT the original voice of father. Two other men had that position before him. It's really time to say goodbye to the 1994 version of the show, and move on with a show that can be both nostalgic, but also offer us a fresh glimpse into the future.

Bring back the original Rex Allen version! THAT was Walt's version, and the best.

 

[wolf359]

With Carousel of Progress approaching it's 50th anniversary it would be the perfect time to make a return to the 1964 version.

With some careful editing the original soundtrack could be used, and since the last scene is the only one needing rebuilding it would be a relatively easy and inexpensive rehab that would make an already incredibly nostalgic show even more so.

I also think playing up the retro charm of the original version of the Carousel of Progress would work well with the "retro future" theme that seems to be gaining strength in Tomorrowland.

Of course, another option would be to go a little less deep into the past and bring back the 1975 "Now Is The Time" version...

 

[mp2bill]

Well it's been nearly 20 years since the last update so if ever, now is the time ♪ ♫.

This show is an absolute favorite but I skip it nearly every time. It's a downer to see it so let go and outdated. This show was Walts baby.

I sometimes wonder if MK management keeps it open just to "finesse" park occupancy quotas?

I don't know if it can be a favorite if you skip it every time. Maybe it used to be a favorite...

 

[C&D]

From the World's Fair edition to present time the attraction has never lost its 'essence' and isn't that what it is all about.

Just found this on U-Tube (I had never seen this one before) As presented by Walt himself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zn1y0cCmJVE

 

[ohhector]

Unlike Country Bear Jamboree, which is just horribly dated and unentertaining, COP does not really need a massive overhaul/replacement.

(I did have a terrible experience on it last year though, the ride got stuck while changing in between scenes...we heard the same one 6 times! The doors were locked too, which I cannot think of any good reason for...yea, obviously maybe they weren't in control of the motion of the ride and it could start moving while someone was trying to leave the door and get hurt...but at the same time, locking in guests? Baaaad!)

 

[gerryu21220]

Of course, another option would be to go a little less deep into the past and bring back the 1975 "Now Is The Time" version...

Bite your tongue! That was the worst version ever!

 

[SMRT-1]

Now is the time.
Now is the best time.
Now is the best time of your life.