How long do you think Carousel of Progress has left until its either updated or removed?

[Tom Morrow]

I love the last scene precisely because it’s such a fun time capsule of what people in the recent past thought the future would be.

To be fair, although the scene got a facelift a few years ago, all of the dialogue in it and everything else are things that seemed futuristic in 1994 and we have literally all of it now. The scene is like an alternate universe version of today.

 

[WondersOfLife]

Once you have to ask this question, it starts to become inevitable.

ie, dinosaur, tough to be a bug, spaceship earth, country bear jamboree..

 

[Goofyernmost]

Relevancy and relatability. As you astutely pointed out there are lots of people who have never been to a world's fair so they lack any knowledge of the ride systems developed for 1964 and then relocated to Disneyland. It predates their existence.

Part of the problem with society today is that they cannot see the relevance or respect about things that happened in the past. Things that completely shaped what we are experiencing today. No one is interested in reading about things that happen in the past, I can't change that, but I can think it is important for people to care. Sitting in a theater that circles the show should be at least interesting unless they are afraid of learning something this is probably more relevant to them then they realize.

 

[Goofyernmost]

To be fair, although the scene got a facelift a few years ago, all of the dialogue in it and everything else are things that seemed futuristic in 1994 and we have literally all of it now. The scene is like an alternate universe version of today.

No, it is an actual version of how different and forward looking things were in the past. As a historical display that showed the creation of animatronics, the very thing that made Disney the force it became and truly made it different from all other parks. It showed a more hopeful time in history as far as theme park entertainment was concerned. Hell, if nothing else the place is Air Conditioned, the seats are comfortable and the music is upbeat and hopeful for the future.

 

[Ayla]

The last World Fair in the US was in 984 and a financial bloodbath. The organizers were stuck with over 100 million in debt when it closed.

Sounds like the Olympics.

 

[Mireille]

Arguably, technology has been making things worse for a while, so maybe leave the last scene as is as a testament to when technological innovation was still useful, when a new tech announcement inspired optimism and not dread, when it appealed to the masses and not weird tech and VC bros. Updating it to today, you'd see modern John worrying about losing his job because GPT 5 combined with new holographic technology is making the jobs of hard-working audio animatronics obsolete and he lost his nest egg buying into crypto after the peak and all his NFTs are worthless.

 

[Tom Morrow]

No, it is an actual version of how different and forward looking things were in the past. As a historical display that showed the creation of animatronics, the very thing that made Disney the force it became and truly made it different from all other parks. It showed a more hopeful time in history as far as theme park entertainment was concerned. Hell, if nothing else the place is Air Conditioned, the seats are comfortable and the music is upbeat and hopeful for the future.

I'm talking about specifically the final scene, which was redone in 1994 and given a facelift a few years ago. All of the tech presented in that scene was originally "not too distant future" and today we actually have some form of all of it.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I'm talking about specifically the final scene, which was redone in 1994 and given a facelift a few years ago. All of the tech presented in that scene was originally "not too distant future" and today we actually have some form of all of it.

There is no sense in trying to update that scene, it really wouldn't work well, but as a historic show it would work. In fact it would work better if they put the 1994 version back other wise it would make no sense at all.

They haven't changed the final scene of Gone with the Wind or Casablanca or It's a Wonderful Life or the Wizard of Oz and many people still enjoy seeing it. All they have to do is promote it as a view of the Progress through the 20th century. We already know what we have now in the first quarter of the 21st Century and they sure as hell aren't going to try and guess the future in any show. It just isn't possible anymore.

They are not going to try and predict the future when they would have to redo the scene every time something new happens technologically, It's either find a way to use what exists or risk losing it completely and replace it with a bunch of screens. Would that be better?

 

[networkpro]

There is no sense in trying to update that scene, it really wouldn't work well, but as a historic show it would work. In fact it would work better if they put the 1994 version back other wise it would make no sense at all.
Would that be better?

Would it also be "progress" ? Progress is a relative term that cant be judged at the moment but only in retrospective. It also implies that there is a defined goal. Change is normal it happens every day, but its impacts are cumulative.

 

[el_super]

There is no sense in trying to update that scene, it really wouldn't work well, but as a historic show it would work. In fact it would work better if they put the 1994 version back other wise it would make no sense at all.

If we're keeping it under the historical pretense of being Walt's attraction, why not just bring back the original 1964 ending?

 

[Goofyernmost]

If we're keeping it under the historical pretense of being Walt's attraction, why not just bring back the original 1964 ending?

Works for me, but then there would be a greater gap and it wouldn't cover all of the 20th century. There would still be almost forty years left of the 20th century. The show can be the same but with just an entertainment purpose and not an attempt to forge ahead with predictions. Like I said most all of us know what happened so far in the 21st century. I still think that if spun correctly showing the distance we came in just 100 years should be interesting just in itself for anyone that doesn't have any first hand knowledge of how far we have come in one century of technology.

 

[SteveAZee]

Relevancy and relatability. As you astutely pointed out there are lots of people who have never been to a world's fair so they lack any knowledge of the ride systems developed for 1964 and then relocated to Disneyland. It predates their existence.

FWIW, I was at the NY Worlds Fair as a child and going to CoP is the only thing I remember. I see it each visit, and I 'rode' it again just two months ago. I am a sentimental guy by nature, but I would like to see the scenes completely replaced and re-imagined.

 

[graphite1326]

I hate agreeing with you, but outside some fan service... the majority of park guests wouldn't care if CoP left.

I can't see how they justify a major renovation without having a sponsor attached to it. CoP takes a huge chunk of space that could easily house something far more popular.

They have a huge chunk of space they don't use now in MK. Where Stitch was. CoP is one of my favorite take a break attractions.

 

[ppete1975]

I can see it getting relocated to Epcot or back to Disneyland to make way form something else but I don’t think it will ever go away.

This isnt theme park tycoon on a pc, where things can just be moved around. The cost of moving this or small world would be astronomical for the ROI. It will never be moved.

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

This isnt theme park tycoon on a pc, where things can just be moved around. The cost of moving this or small world would be astronomical for the ROI. It will never be moved.

While you're right, and this won't be moved, I do think that this is probably the ONLY attraction I actually could see moving anywhere...because it already has...twice! While the ROI issue makes it basically impossible to even imagine, if there were any attraction they would move, it would be this one.

 

[ppete1975]

While you're right, and this won't be moved, I do think that this is probably the ONLY attraction I actually could see moving anywhere...because it already has...twice! While the ROI issue makes it basically impossible to even imagine, if there were any attraction they would move, it would be this one.

Worlds fair move, it was cutting technology and disney land NEEDED attractions. And it was basically free and paid for.
Disneyland to MK, there was only 1 park in florida at the time and once again it was going to be very popular in Florida and Florida needed attractions.

In this scenario, no added guests, no longer cutting edge technology. It would be nothing but cost with no return. Do people think it would become a hit because its now in Epcot.
This isnt aimed at you, but the whole move from this park to another park that many talk about.. makes no sense from an ROI pov. Would you rather move small world or COP or get an entire new attraction or ride... virtually the same cost.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

The final scene should be brought back to Walt's era. Then it is Walt Disney's century of progress, his personal history intertwined with larger history. A road leading up to his dreams of Progress City, of EPCOT, where American industry can then showcase Pixar Pals and superhero coasters for their offspring.

As I write this, I realise I'm maybe too cynical. Perhaps the very idea of toiling away in a sweaty, stinky mid-century factory was precisely your dream that this way your grandkids get to spend their time, in turn, playing with a big flashy coaster.

 

[THEMEPARKPIONEER]

While you're right, and this won't be moved, I do think that this is probably the ONLY attraction I actually could see moving anywhere...because it already has...twice! While the ROI issue makes it basically impossible to even imagine, if there were any attraction they would move, it would be this one.

I know it wouldn’t happen but cost? Don’t worry they have money they moved MSEP from Disneyland to NEW York City to Disneyland during that time from what I have heard stored Spectromagic in a facility in the mid west just to bring it back to WDW in 2001 then sent MSEP to WDW again then back to Disneyland

 

[Ghost93]

I love how corny and retro Carousel of Progress is. However, it seems most people who love the ride like it for the nostalgia, which is kind of the opposite of what Tomorrowland is supposed to represent (looking toward the future). I could see Disney merely updating the last scene, but I think it would be more likely that they just overhaul the entire attraction/area and replace it with something else.

 

[Eric Graham]

They just updated all of the seats. I doubt they're going to close it anytime soon...