Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress

Everyone has been talking about the announcement regarding the proposed changes to the Magic Kingdom’s Carousel of Progress. This announcement certainly divided fans into the “yay! It needs to change” group and the “how dare they mess with the iconic Carousel of Progress” group! Not to sound like a politician, but I see both sides. Let’s discuss!

Even though I grew up in the New York area, I was just a babe when the Carousel debuted at the World’s Fair in Flushing, NY in 1964. The Carousel (called Progressland during its World Fair run) was one of four attractions created for the Fair by Walt Disney and his Imagineers (the others were It’s a Small World, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, and Magic Skyway). Walt was highly involved in the planning and development of these attractions, including the Carousel. This attraction included the first rotating theatre in the U.S. (apparently there were several already in operation in Europe) where the seated guests moved from scene to scene (allowing more people to enjoy the show). After running for both seasons of the fair, the Carousel was re-located in 1967 to a new home at Disneyland, inside a two-story building. This new Disneyland attraction was similar to the one at the World’s Fair; however, at the end of the show, guests were transported up to a second level where they could view Walt Disney’s “Progress City” (an early model of Walt’s EPCOT).

Because GE funded the Carousel, they were influential in the decision to then move it from Disneyland to Walt Disney World in 1975 (GE was looking for greater visibility for its brand). So, the audio-animatronics and sets were packed up and shipped to Florida where a brand-new building awaited them.

It was in 1975 that I first saw the ground-breaking show where the theater operated as a carousel, moving me from decade to decade to hear about the progress our nation had experienced over the century (through the eyes of GE, of course). The mechanics of this theatre attraction were unlike anything else I had ever seen. I also loved watching history unfold before me (in the same vein, I’m also a fan of Spaceship Earth). I happily sang along to the attraction’s theme song, “The Best Time of Your Life,” both during the show and for weeks after returning back home.

What I was unaware of was that “The Best Time of Your Life” was NOT the original theme song, and that it was changed when the Carousel moved from California to Florida. The original song is the classic “There’s A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow.” During the 1993 WDW refurbishment, this original song (written by Disney legends, the Sherman brothers) was brought back to the attraction, and I was livid. For nearly 20 years I had been singing and clapping to “The Best Time of Your Life,” which I thought was iconic and perfect for the attraction. I had first heard this song when I was a child and, when it changed, I was a married adult. The song had become sentimental to me.

But then I learned that “There’s A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow” was the original attraction song that first played at the World’s Fair and was the song signed off by Walt, himself. My perspective immediately changed. This “new” song that I had never heard before, immediately connected me to Walt. I became more interested in the history of the Carousel and thanks to the availability of information on the internet, I was able to read about its long history in New York, California, and now Florida. This led to further readings about Walt Disney and his fascination with history and nostalgia and, equally, with progress and innovation. I no longer missed that old song. Once enlightened, I welcomed "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow"and have now been singing it for 30 years!

Unfortunately, the Carousel aged and while Disney tried various refurbishments, the average park-goer probably didn’t find it as amazing as I did. There were never lines outside the circular theatre and it soon became merely an air-conditioned rest-stop for many. And I remember when, many years ago, Disney Cast Members in Tomorrowland were handing out free paper fast passes (remember those?) for the Carousel of Progress. We took them but joked that the influx of fast pass riders actually slowed us down since there was no one in the standby lane!

Despite the obvious decline in popularity, my family and I continued to love and cherish the Carousel. We always paid it a visit during our yearly trips. It sparked interesting conversations about nostalgia and progress, as well as Disney history. At each visit, we clapped, we sang along, and we laughed. We also remembered. We remembered where we’ve been; we remembered grandparents; and we remembered Walt Disney. In fact, I never feel closer to Walt than when spinning, in slow motion, from room to room, on the Carousel of Progress.

The Carousel is now 62 years old. In just 38 years, it will be considered a bona fide antique! It represents history, in several ways. First, it creatively and entertainingly shows us (or reminds us) of the progress made through the 1900’s. This remains as important now as it did when it was first created. As Martin Luther King, Jr. noted, "We are not makers of history. We are made by history." And Confucius said, “reviewing the old as a means of realizing the new.” History is important.

The Carousel is also part of Walt Disney’s history! What other current attraction has had as much input, hands-on input, by Walt Disney himself? What other attraction represents Walt’s personality and what was important to him--small town Americana nostalgia combined with progress/innovation?

However, I understand where the Disney company of today is coming from. The attraction is no longer a major draw and it has to compete with the likes of TRON. So, a major refurbishment may give the attraction new life and meaning to a younger generation. In fact, since the Carousel is no longer funded by GE, might we see progress over and above that involving appliances and technology? I hear that Sarah’s character will be taking on a more prominent (and perhaps equal) role. Yay for women! I hope that the Imagineers can create something special, something that speaks to us in our current world.

So, what is to become the original Carousel scenes? My daughter wants to see a two-story Carousel with the old scenes staying put and the new scenes presented up a motorized ramp! I'm not sure how that would be built, but then again I'm not an Imagineer! I feel strongly that the old scenes should not be discarded. They are history and history should be preserved. These scenes need to be in a museum—perhaps the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco? Maybe in an exhibit in Disneyland (a park that many already consider a living museum)? How about the Walt Disney Hometown Museum in Marceline, Missouri? Or maybe somewhere in Disney World? What about a museum that features GE appliances (such as the Museum of Innovation and Science in Schenectady, NY). I’m not sure what would be feasible, but I do hope that someone recognizes that this history should not be thrown out.

So, yeah, I think we need both new scenes and to preserve the old. I'm in the Walt camp—respecting both nostalgia and progress.