TOCPE82
Well-Known Member
So is using one of them for a scene even possible? Would it require a lot from OPS?
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News Is Carousel of Progress getting a major refurb?
- Thread starter montyz81
- Start date
prberk
Well-Known Member
You know, at minimum, these minor edits could be dubbed by voice artists easily today. They could do that right away, with minor updates.
prberk
Well-Known Member
I don't think it would be reasonable, if not even possible.
prberk
Well-Known Member
Of course it saddens me that they are losing the Future World focus of Epcot, anyway. Not to mention the fact that CoP and Horizons used to be the glue that held together the story of Epcot's evolution from Walt's vision for WDW to its development.
david10225
Active Member
Having ridden the original in the NYWF when I was 8 yo,, the unload scene was actually a speed ramp as I recall past the city of the future and onto the second level of the carousel building where I distinctly remember some kind of atomic demonstration.. My guess is when they moved the COP to DL the kept the same number of scenes..I never got out to DL until the show was America Sings so no first hand knowledge... course our COP was built one level.. If I have my memories mixed up, blame it on age.
WondersOfLife
Blink, blink. Breathe, breathe. Day in, day out.
My issue with COP is the fact that the animatronics are just so dang bad at this point. We have animatronics like the one in Navi River Journey, the ones for the new BATB overseas, the ones for Star Wars land, figures in American Adventure, the Jack Sparrow figures... Heck. Even freakin Trump bot.
But when an attraction is nothing BUT animatronics. Like the literal purpose of the attraction is to WATCH the animatronics perform for you, that's when it becomes bad when it is of the quality of COP's animatronics. It cant get away with hokeyness like The Country Bears.
Just imagine how awesome it would be if they massively updated the animatronics to be just as impressive as new animatronics are now. It'd bring the awe back to its original glory. I firmly believe that people don't like AA shows anymore because the AA shows are generally seen as corny, dated, and looking cheap these days. Everyone is always pleasantly surprised by American Adventure, that just proves that the concept still has potential.
Freaking upgrade the animatronics. In my opinion, that's the first step.
But when an attraction is nothing BUT animatronics. Like the literal purpose of the attraction is to WATCH the animatronics perform for you, that's when it becomes bad when it is of the quality of COP's animatronics. It cant get away with hokeyness like The Country Bears.
Just imagine how awesome it would be if they massively updated the animatronics to be just as impressive as new animatronics are now. It'd bring the awe back to its original glory. I firmly believe that people don't like AA shows anymore because the AA shows are generally seen as corny, dated, and looking cheap these days. Everyone is always pleasantly surprised by American Adventure, that just proves that the concept still has potential.
Freaking upgrade the animatronics. In my opinion, that's the first step.
This is where the removal of Horizons is felt so significantly. With CoP being such an iconic ride and suggested favorite of Walt Disney. I would be perfectly fine if they just kept this ride clean with current stories intact. Horizons on the other hand could have served as the story continuing past the 2000s. Essentially, the CoP story would be about technological progress in the 20th century and Horizons would be about technological progress in the 21st century. They could simply use the technology built in the 20th century to maintain CoP. For Horizons, they could have used advancements in show design to continuously update each of the scenes while continuously updating the storyline to reflect advancements in technology. I know this sounds expensive because they would have had to do it every 1-2 years, but I feel the incremental costs would have been minimal if they updated continuously. They could have even used IP to help enhance some of the show scenes. I know, this is a dead argument, but man it feels like it would have worked out well and attracted all types of parkgoers. Fanboys, casual fans, net new fans, It would have been a great way to keep moving Walt's legacy forward!
Aries1975
Well-Known Member
I love the attraction. It is a must do every visit. But the big jump at the end just seems off. So, I think they should spread the time frames out further. Instead of every 20 years and then a big jump for the final scene, do every forty years: 1900, 1940, 1980, 2020. They already have most of the props. They would need to re-write the script for the seasons to work with new decades. Just my two cents... 
I would like to have the CoP torn down and rebuilt adding more years. It should have 1900, 1920, 1940, 1960, 1980, 2000 and yes 2020. Walt liked to plus attraction, keeping the same number of years but making them further and further apart doesn't show progress, it loses it and the audience.I love the attraction. It is a must do every visit. But the big jump at the end just seems off. So, I think they should spread the time frames out further. Instead of every 20 years and then a big jump for the final scene, do every forty years: 1900, 1940, 1980, 2020. They already have most of the props. They would need to re-write the script for the seasons to work with new decades. Just my two cents...
lindawdw
Well-Known Member
I agree with you that the seats are absolutely filthy! This attraction is a classic and should always stay at WDW but it really needs a major refurbishment!!!The upholstery on the seats is filthy, that's why people keep standing up.It's clear Disney has given up completely on the basic cleaning of this attraction.
I love the Carousel of Progress. It's such an iconic attraction. At some point it needs to be "frozen in time" just like Walt's head.
~NM
That would be a very long ride. I suspect that in today's world of instant gratification (in theme park speak that means more thrills), that would never work.
BrerJon
Well-Known Member
The whole idea is to show the progress within a lifetime, so I really hope that instead of updating it they restore the final scene to its original form, with historical context, and maybe an aftershow exhibit of progress since the time of the show. Yes it's far more appropriate for Epcot than Tomorrowland, but it is where it is.
Or, have a new final scene set in the 1960s or 1970s, where they hint at the dawn of computers, and who knows what the future will hold, with some nods to the oncoming technological revolution. That way you keep the time gaps consistent, don't need to update it regularly, but still works in the context of the modern digital age.
Or, have a new final scene set in the 1960s or 1970s, where they hint at the dawn of computers, and who knows what the future will hold, with some nods to the oncoming technological revolution. That way you keep the time gaps consistent, don't need to update it regularly, but still works in the context of the modern digital age.
Rich Brownn
Well-Known Member
In the original version, unload actually exited onto a ramp where the stage would be, that took you to the second floor (At the World's Fair it led to a dome show and an atom splitter; at Disneyland an EPCOT model now at WDW's PeopleMover). There actually isn't much space in unload behind the curtain due to the way the show was laid out. (Also for capacity reasons - loading one theater and unloading another meant everyone could be in and out quickly. When you're dealing with 51 million people in a year coming to the Fair, capacity was everything)
JoeCamel
Well-Known Member
Thats why there was a 2 hour wait for the AT&T video phones. No capacity at all.
MattFrees71
Well-Known Member
I enjoyed reading your all's thoughts on this. Having gone on it in the last month, I too noticed the horrible condition of the seats- just terrible! Besides that, they are actually very comfortable though. I still enjoy it. It's something good to do after you've done a few thrill rides and you need to wind down for a little bit. When I went on it last- the other people in the theater seemed to enjoy it- attentively watching the whole time (not looking at their phones), and even laughing at some of the funny moments. I really like the voice performances- it has that classic Disney feel. Its presence in Tomorrowland is necessary to keep a sense of originality with Walt's presence in the park and his spirit of futurism.
And harping upon some of your thoughts in previous comments:
-I think it would be Awesome to have a Walt Disney animatronic at the beginning! They could simply use real audio from one of his talks on the CoP. Or, even just one of the videos of him explaining the CoP- either would add a personal factor to it that would make it much more engaging and give greater understanding of its significance and purpose.
-I almost wonder if this will get the "Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room Treatment" where they would forego any flashy modern update and return it to the original 1964 version as a tribute to Walt Disney. Yes, it would change to a solely retro view of the future from that era and through the eyes of Walt Disney, but it would be an authentic tribute that they wouldn't have worry about updating. And in this case they could remake Horizons in Epcot to cover the present day and future portions!!!
-But probably the best thing would be to update it and make it relevant to today, with a properly updated modern scene- I like the idea of what mikejs78 suggested of having the years spaced out such as 1900, 1940, 1980, and 2020.
-Also, regarding the animatronics- I don't think the current ones are bad enough to detract to the performance or anything. Sure, making them much more realistic would enhance the show, but to me, they fulfill their function just fine and aren't a glaring issue.
And harping upon some of your thoughts in previous comments:
-I think it would be Awesome to have a Walt Disney animatronic at the beginning! They could simply use real audio from one of his talks on the CoP. Or, even just one of the videos of him explaining the CoP- either would add a personal factor to it that would make it much more engaging and give greater understanding of its significance and purpose.
-I almost wonder if this will get the "Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room Treatment" where they would forego any flashy modern update and return it to the original 1964 version as a tribute to Walt Disney. Yes, it would change to a solely retro view of the future from that era and through the eyes of Walt Disney, but it would be an authentic tribute that they wouldn't have worry about updating. And in this case they could remake Horizons in Epcot to cover the present day and future portions!!!
-But probably the best thing would be to update it and make it relevant to today, with a properly updated modern scene- I like the idea of what mikejs78 suggested of having the years spaced out such as 1900, 1940, 1980, and 2020.
-Also, regarding the animatronics- I don't think the current ones are bad enough to detract to the performance or anything. Sure, making them much more realistic would enhance the show, but to me, they fulfill their function just fine and aren't a glaring issue.
Rich Brownn
Well-Known Member
The capacity of the rides at the fair boggles the mind. CoP was 2,400 people per hour. The GM pavilion set a record of nearly 144,000 people riding in one day. If you want more info www.nywf64.com is very extensive
The video phone was the thing I remember the best. That may explain why I had a 32 year career in utility regulation. The second ride I remember the best was the Ford self driving cars. Of course today my favorite rides at the MK and must do rides are IaSW and CoP.
SilentWindODoom
Well-Known Member
Their ages don't make sense now! No one ages, except seemingly the boy, who ages less than a decade.
