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

[ohioguy]

They should have put their Cars land in the space behind Carousel, and left the Rivers of America alone; then got rid of the Speedway

 

[Mark Dunne]

If there going to create a walt animatronic, why not add it in here, i still enjoy this attraction, and when my wife appears in the same room as i around our house, i sometimes say ''there's no privacy around here '', good ole uncle Orval

 

[Andrew25]

I'm a huge fan of the Carousel of Progress... but it's a massive chunk of capacity that is rather underutilized. For me, the biggest wow factor about it has always been the unique show system/animatronics... so wouldn't be against the removal of the existing story/concept.

I think some sort of "Carousel of Progress: Walt - The Visionary" show here discussing man's history in tech and showcasing the future could work here and be far more popular. Could still retain the CoP name & song, it's pretty vague.

Would be so cool to get 4 different versions of Walt (pending the success of Disneyland's animatronic).

 

[Goofyernmost]

If there going to create a walt animatronic, why not add it in here, i still enjoy this attraction, and when my wife appears in the same room as i around our house, i sometimes say ''there's no privacy around here '', good ole uncle Orval

Gee, I'm sorry that you don't see the significance of the Carousel of Progress and I understand that you are probably one of the generation(s) that are basically new to Disney and, of course, it's history.

There is an old saying that goes... "How do you know how far you have come, if you don't know where you have been". I first saw that show in 1983 at WDW and I was amazed how much happened even before I was born and I was 35 years old at the time. Young people today don't know about anything society had to offer before cell phones, flat TV's, the Internet and the transportation that came before. They tried to update CoP at the beginning of the century, but the gap between the scene before and the present was wide even then. With losing the turn of the 19th century a whole lot of important information is missed. There is nothing that can be taken out that would cause an every more glaring gap in the story. It fits anywhere in WDW except Fantasyland and we need to save that amazing bit of Disney's past. We need to appreciate the past and the best they can do is do a scene about the present and we know what the present is because we live in it. We don't need to know what exists now. So no matter what the last scene is it will always seem outdated, but as a history attraction, like Hall of Presidents, and one of the last big things that Walt himself had a hand in creating, it is important in order to trace the path of our existence.

However, there is no reason why we can't still have a historic show that not only represents the beginning of audio-animatics but also provides a contrast to todays world so the it is possible to imagine what vast possibilities that the future brings. Plus it preserves an important part of Disney history and how the success of the 1964 Worlds Fair, Disneyland and WDW was connected to CoP and Walt Disney directly. To me if one doesn't see that contribution than a lot of what a Disney Park embodies just goes over their head. There is plenty of room at WDW for MK to have a strong grip on that history and it's meaning. Also it saves parents from trying to explain how their grand parents and great grandparents lived without them thinking that you are just making that all up so they will eat their broccoli.

 

[Kirby86]

I originally thought that they would have the Walt Hologram from the Disney 100 expo be the new introduction to it since Walt loved the attraction. I love Carousel of Progress and hope it stays for the long haul. However I don't think the company considers it an untouchable even if it's the only attraction Walt himself worked on in the resort.

 

[Ghost93]

Gee, I'm sorry that you don't see the significance of the Carousel of Progress and I understand that you are probably one of the generation(s) that are basically new to Disney and, of course, it's history.

There is an old saying that goes... "How do you know how far you have come, if you don't know where you have been". I first saw that show in 1983 at WDW and I was amazed how much happened even before I was born and I was 35 years old at the time. Young people today don't know about anything society had to offer before cell phones, flat TV's, the Internet and the transportation that came before. They tried to update CoP at the beginning of the century, but the gap between the scene before and the present was wide even then. With losing the turn of the 19th century a whole lot of important information is missed. There is nothing that can be taken out that would cause an every more glaring gap in the story. It fits anywhere in WDW except Fantasyland and we need to save that amazing bit of Disney's past. We need to appreciate the past and the best they can do is do a scene about the present and we know what the present is because we live in it. We don't need to know what exists now. So no matter what the last scene is it will always seem outdated, but as a history attraction, like Hall of Presidents, and one of the last big things that Walt himself had a hand in creating, it is important in order to trace the path of our existence.

However, there is no reason why we can't still have a historic show that not only represents the beginning of audio-animatics but also provides a contrast to todays world so the it is possible to imagine what vast possibilities that the future brings. Plus it preserves an important part of Disney history and how the success of the 1964 Worlds Fair, Disneyland and WDW was connected to CoP and Walt Disney directly. To me if one doesn't see that contribution than a lot of what a Disney Park embodies just goes over their head. There is plenty of room at WDW for MK to have a strong grip on that history and it's meaning. Also it saves parents from trying to explain how their grand parents and great grandparents lived without them thinking that you are just making that all up so they will eat their broccoli.

If preserving Carousel of Progress is so important, they need to do massive work to extend the attraction to add 2 or more scenes so that the transition from the past to the future is less jarring.

Because the attraction can't remain unaltered forever when the entire point of Tomorrowland is looking forward.

 

[Goofyernmost]

They should have put their Cars land in the space behind Carousel, and left the Rivers of America alone; then got rid of the Speedway

Again, we are forgetting that WDW or Disney Parks, in general, are for whole families. Those families include children. It's not a necessity, of course, but it does make it sound less weird to say, I'm taking the kids instead of I want to go. (Honeymoons were acceptable too) My children are now circling 50 years old and I asked them when this topic came up before what they remember most about WDW when we visited in 1983. Their answers both reflect the same top three. Those were Pirates, The submarines and the Speedway.

Even I can remember back to when I was a child the one thing that I would have killed for was to drive. When I was a kid the object of my frustration was that Disneyland had an attraction** where kids could actually believe that they were able to drive. My family couldn't afford to go to Disneyland mostly because my Father refused to get into an airplane. When thinking about what should stay and what should go please keep in mind that taking kids there is the primary excuse we use to go the the park. We certainly can't make anyone believe that a grownup would spend that kind of money can we?

Just as a side note their top four favorites change at the forth. The older one voted for Haunted Mansion, the younger, even though she never mentioned it before, said she couldn't remember what other one she liked at number four, but in 1983 when we rode HM she said she had her eyes closed from beginning to end. A year later she had matured a bit and did keep her eyes open when we went there.

[SPOILER="[**]
I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I also was a 10 year old that was madly in love with Annette and as a dedicated watcher of the Mickey Mouse Club I noticed that she was constantly there in Disneyland. I also have to say that if I had to choose between driving and her, I would have been behind the wheel. I was young enough to be able to believe that both could happen and she might even decide to ride with me in spite of the risk of catching girl cooties.[/SPOILER]

 

[Goofyernmost]

If preserving Carousel of Progress is so important, they need to do massive work to extend the attraction to add 2 or more scenes so that the transition from the past to the future is less jarring.

Because the attraction can't remain unaltered forever when the entire point of Tomorrowland is looking forward.

It can't hold more scenes because of how load and unload works. It is important to many people that are progressive but also like to look into the past. There is room for it, without any change, where it is. It is something that if one cannot see the value they can just walk on by. It is still popular and important enough that they have redone the seats just this year.

 

[Ghost93]

It can't hold more scenes because of how load and unload works. It is important to many people that are progressive but also like to look into the past. There is room for it, without any change, where it is. It is something that if one cannot see the value they can just walk on by. It is still popular and important enough that they have redone the seats just this year.

I mean the entire building needs to be knocked down and restructured so it can fit in more scenes. If that's impossible, I don't expect this ride to last 10 more years, even though I'm quite fond of it.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I mean the entire building needs to be knocked down and restructured so it can fit in more scenes. If that's impossible, I don't expect this ride to last 10 more years, even though I'm quite fond of it.

Then it wouldn't be as historic. That building is an Icon and since they repainted it, with care and design, just a few years ago, they seem to intend to keep it.

 

[Mr. Sullivan]

I actually think this one is more likely to be updated (the final scene) than closed. They pretty routinely refurb it and just did a big refresh of the building itself. Not to mention it’s not really taking up enough space to put in the sort of attraction they’d probably want to follow an iconic attraction so its low on the list of replacement options.

 

[wdwfan4ver]

I think something will happen 10 to 15 years from now for Carousel of Progress. My reasoning is I feel Disney is going to update Tomorrowland at some point. If Monsters Inc. Laughing Floor leaving Tomorrow land for Monsters Inc. land in DHS, that is 2 attractions gone at Tomorrowland. I'm figuring Disney would be working on Carousel of Progress when they have to do other part of the lands.

Right now, I think Disney's priority for Magic Kingdom is Frontierland, Liberty Square and than Tomorrowland.

 

[DW Aficionado]

At least in the last scene they finally stopped referring to modern technology as 'Laser Discs'

 

[Goofyernmost]

At least in the last scene they finally stopped referring to modern technology as 'Laser Discs'

Well, at the time of that update that was the thing that was lauded as the most modern invention that was going to take over the country. It was an existing thing back then. It is also why Disney no longer attempts to predict the future. When Uncle Walt first envisioned his theme park the idea of advancement in technology was there but was moving slowly. It was possible back then to make predictions that seemed out of reach, but there was such an revolution in technological advances that it became impossible to predict future things without most of the time looking like a fool. Realistically what happened was even if the future was predictable by the time they were able to include it in any attraction it was already obsolete.

 

[JMcMahonEsq]

Then it wouldn't be as historic. That building is an Icon and since they repainted it, with care and design, just a few years ago, they seem to intend to keep it.

There is something historic about the building. But think that works both for, and against the ride. I actual love the ride, and the concept, and do try to get to it at least every other trip. However think about how it is set up structurally. You have the same basic scenes, and same number of scenes, that has existed since the ride was first created back in 64 for the worlds fair. 60 years have gone by since the ride was first built, over 50 since it’s been in the parks. How do you have a ride that is supposed to highlight the progress of technology in our lives, and basically stop updating the expanding on it?

 

[Goofyernmost]

There is something historic about the building. But think that works both for, and against the ride. I actual love the ride, and the concept, and do try to get to it at least every other trip. However think about how it is set up structurally. You have the same basic scenes, and same number of scenes, that has existed since the ride was first created back in 64 for the worlds fair. 60 years have gone by since the ride was first built, over 50 since it’s been in the parks. How do you have a ride that is supposed to highlight the progress of technology in our lives, and basically stop updating the expanding on it?

I don't know if I can explain it properly, but I will try. The reason for it's existence originally was indeed set up for the early 1960's and was totally relevant at the time to show the past to what might be a few years in the future. (not many). That was it's intent and how we defined it in our minds. It took the 60 years to morph from that image to today's mission which has, by default, into a completely historical attraction. Like myself, I have been on limited display for 76 years now. Have times changed? Yup, drastically! However, I am still who I am and hopefully people don't want to bulldoze me because I might still have a reason to be seen and liked even if I no longer reflect the feelings and purpose that I once did.

Horizons was that extension of CoP that forecast the future, some of which still hasn't arrived. But, we bulldozed Horizons for something that only tries to duplicate what what happening at the time of its arrival. How many posts on this board alone have spent so many words and so much time lamenting the loss of that. That doesn't mean that the mind-boggling creation of our history which now covers close to the last century, a century that millions of human being never experienced and really know nothing about, should no longer exist because it isn't modern. Every scene, except the last was history and now by the reality of age is completely history, why wouldn't that make it still viable.

All of us (ok, most of us) still enjoy history. One of the real flaws with our society, but also the reason for it's rapid growth, is that we are willing to get rid of the past as we forge to the future. In many ways that is sad. We only live for today and attempt to adapt to the constant changes that is all around us. Even if one cannot see the value of the message the show is showing now, when was the last time you walked into a theater, sat down, the show started and after a few minutes your theater and 4 others started to move. You got to see four different segments of our history told by "ROBOTS" and never had to get our lazy butts out of our seats. That alone makes if worthy of as long a life that is possible.

Many people, like myself have seen that show 40 plus times. I don't go to see it because it will give me a new ending. I go to see it for what it is and it is almost exactly how it was 60 years ago. A true depiction of what life was like before and during my lifetime. When I leave the theater(s) I am in the present and none of us, including Disney knows what the future has in store. I can, however, see what was past and measure exactly how much progress we have made. Unfortunately, I also points out some of the things we have lost because history means nothing to so many.

 

[Disstevefan1]

With the destruction of ROA, TSI, the riverboat and Muppets and I think it was stated as fact that nothing is sacred in WDW, it’s just a matter of time before this is destroyed too.

I would not be surprised if it was closed and nothing done with the space.

Don’t let the seats being updated fool you into thinking they wouldn’t close it because reasons.

 

[Goofyernmost]

With the destruction of ROA, TSI, the riverboat and Muppets and I think it was stated as fact that nothing is sacred in WDW, it’s just a matter of time before this is destroyed too.

I would not be surprised if it was closed and nothing done with the space.

Don’t let the seats being updated fool you into thinking they wouldn’t close it because reasons.

I never said they wouldn't do it. What I did say is that just a few weeks ago they spent a lot of money to replace the seats. That doesn't mean that they won't change it all it means is that just a few weeks ago they obviously weren't planning to do it.

For those of you that haven't been around long, Disney did indeed try to close it around the year 2000. The uproar was quite loud objecting to the closure so fate intervened and some other things needed to change so that Tomorrowland looked like it was going to be a ghost town and kept it open temporarily. It was at that point that it started to be a popular attraction again and I think will remain popular and a people eater for a while at least. It should be forever, but, management is trying it's best to help Universal be the new destination in Orlando.

 

[Disstevefan1]

all it means is that just a few weeks ago they obviously weren't planning to do it.

As an outsider looking in, it feels like they dont know what they are doing week to week.