Disney World Just Made a Game-Changing Announcement — Enjoy it While it Lasts

There’s a “Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow” coming to the Magic Kingdom…

Carousel of Progress

At the 2025 Destination D23 event, Disney shocked the fanbase with a somewhat out-of-nowhere announcement that one of the Magic Kingdom’s most legendary shows – and one of my all-time favorites over 30 years of visiting Disney theme parks – the Carousel of Progress is getting a massive refurbishment.

The Carousel of Progress first debuted at the 1964 New York World’s Fair. The animatronic show used a revolutionary rotating theater to show audiences a family’s evolution through the technological evolution of the first half of the 20th century.

The show was a critical and audience hit, as well as being a personal favorite of Walt Disney’s, all of which makes it unsurprising that it was moved to Disneyland (along with Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln and “it’s a small world”) following the fair’s collusion. The show remained at Disneyland until 1973, before it closed on the West Coast. The show was moved to Walt Disney World, opening in the Magic Kingdom 50 years ago in 1975.

Carousel of Progress

The current version of the show debuted 30 years ago in 1994. While the first three acts remain mostly unchanged, if updated slightly for the times, the finale was greatly altered, depicting the then-upcoming future of the year 2000 through the lens of 1994.

John Progress

Suffice to say, that 1994 ending was feeling a bit out of date circa 2025, but it seemed like Disney would never change it… until Destination D23. During a panel dedicated to Disneyland, it was announced that the Carousel of Progress was about to undergo a massive modernization that will introduce the show to an entirely new generation of fans, showing them that a great big, beautiful tomorrow is just a dream away. “

The most noteworthy addition will be a new opening scene featuring an animatronic of Walt Disney, similar to the show that currently runs in Disneyland. However, the Carousel of Progress version will be swapping Walt’s office set and suit for a costume and background more akin to Walt’s trips through the “Imagineering workshop” during episodes of the 1960s Disneyland television series.

©Disney

According to Kirsten Komoroske, Executive Director of the Walt Disney Family Museum, who worked with Disney on the addition, “The introduction of a new Audio-Animatronics figure of Walt Disney in ‘Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress’ marks an exciting milestone in our shared mission to celebrate the story of the man behind the magic and inspire new generations with his innovations and vision for the future. We appreciate the continued efforts and meticulous care that Imagineering has taken to keep Walt’s legacy alive.”

The addition of the Walt sequence won’t be the only new addition, as Disney said we’ll also find out what “John, Sarah, and the rest of the family are up to,” leading many to theorize that the newly reworked show will have a brand new, more up-to-date finale.

The 1994 Carousel of Progress finale

Of course, those new additions that time is running out for those guests who have an affinity for the dated, but admittedly still charming in it’s way 1994 finale. So, if you’re a fan of the “Flaying Ace Grandma” animatronic, John’s voice-activated oven burning the roast, and the visage of the original E.P.C.O.T. concept art out the family room window, you probably want to get to the Magic Kingdom ASAP.

The “Resident Flying Ace” is about to be grounded.

Disney is refurbishing the classic Carousel of Progress, making major additions that should keep the show newly relevant for decades to come. Stay tuned to DFB for more on this project.

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