An often overlooked attraction in Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom, is the Carousel of Progress. Filled with nostalgic and futuristic inventions, it is a stage show presented in six sections, depicting the progress of an American family from the beginning of the 20th century to the future.
The history of Carousel of Progress is an interesting one. General Electric approached Walt Disney to create a show for their company’s pavilion at the 1964 New York World’s Fair. Carousel of Progress was so successful that it ended up being one of the most visited pavilions at the fair! After the Fair was over, it was moved to Disneyland and reopened in 1967. General Electric decided to continue sponsoring the Carousel of Progress because of it’s huge success as a prime feature at the World’s Fair. It was meant to be a permanent fixture in Disneyland. By 1973 however, General Electric did not think their advertising dollars were being spent in the best way possible and asked Disney to move the attraction to their new Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.
It was reopened at it’s current location in 1975. When General Electric’s contract expired in 1985, the attraction was closed for a short time to remove the GE references although some still exist. Since then the Carousel of Progress has been majorly updated five times, along with some additional refurbishments made to keep the final scene futuristic – or at least not out dated.
Along with this interesting history, there are some “fun facts” to know as well. The Carousel of Progress is known to be Walt Disney’s favorite attraction. It is one of the oldest attractions located in Walt Disney World. Since Walt passed away prior to Walt Disney World’s opening, it is one of the only attractions at Walt Disney World that Walt actually touched himself.
In my opinion there are a few more reasons that make this a great attraction. It is a great place to sit down and rest your feet. If it is a hot Florida day, it is an air conditioned attraction where you can cool off. During those occasional rain storms it can be a place to stay dry as well.
Hopefully during your next trip to Magic Kingdom you will have the Carousel of Progress on your to do list. Never forget, “There is a great big beautiful tomorrow shining at the end of every day. There is a great big beautiful tomorrow and tomorrow is just a dream away.”
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Denise has loved Disney as far back as she can remember. She has two teenage girls who were raised with Disney. Their rooms were decorated, and their closets were filled with Disney articles. Denise’s house now has Disney on every wall. Her wardrobe is made up mostly of Disney clothes. She feels that being surrounded by Disney keeps the memories and magic alive! Her friends affectionately call her “the crazy Disney lady”. Denise was born and raised in Oregon. Currently she lives in both Oregon and Florida splitting her time between both parts of the country. She lives with her youngest daughter (15) and her roommate. Her daughter goes to high school In Oregon. Denise and her roommate sneak away to Florida several times a year, as often as possible. Her daughter tags along when she can, without missing too much school. Her oldest daughter (20) doesn’t make it to Florida much anymore, but hopes to again very soon. Denise’s first trip to Walt Disney World was for her birthday in 2009. She fell more in love with the magic of Disney that day! Ever since then, Denise and her kids have been annual passholders. Last spring she upgraded to a premier pass to include Disneyland. Over spring break her youngest daughter had the pleasure of her first visit to Disneyland. With Denise helping them plan, her brother and his family enjoyed their first family trip to Disneyland at that same time.
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