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Credit: Inside the MagicThe Walt Disney World Resort is home to several classic theme park attractions that have been present since its opening day, and they still remain icons of the industry even after decades of operation. However, times change, and so do the parks.
After Disney World’s Country Bear Jamboree announced its closure for a much-needed update after over 50 years of singing and dancing animatronic bears, some Disney guests wonder which one of the original attractions might be the next on the chopping block. As technology and culture evolve, signs point to Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress.
Related: Disney Makes Changes to Genie+, Lightning lane at Classic Attraction
A recent post on r/WaltDisneyWorld asked, “How long do you think Carousel of Progress has left until it’s either updated or removed?” And given some of the recent events surrounding the ride, like the father’s hand flying off, our favorite time-traveling family might be slowing down quicker than we think.
Disney World and the Truth About Progress
Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress, as pointed out in the opening narration, “has had more performances than any other stage show in the history of American theatre.” Having existed since the 1964 World’s Fair, the Magic Kingdom attraction is definitely a product of its time, but it remains an icon due to its classically-dated aesthetic.
That said, the world is simply evolving too fast for the Imagineers to keep up with keeping the experience up to date. Many fans recently expressed their concerns about the carousel’s future.
u/Intrepid00 points out just how quickly the family of tomorrow has quickly become the family of today, or even just a few years prior. The user writes,
“The last room got updated before and turned into the family of the future and is now the family of today cause today caught up lol. Just like before eventually the family of today is going to become very yesterday (it already starting) and they will change it up again.”
“I rode it back in August and the final scene is pretty good again. WiFi ovens are now a thing and VR is finally taking off. I’m surprised one of the tech companies hasn’t paid a bundle to add their smart speaker to the final scene.”
Sadly, [you’re] probably right. Disney’s current mission is get rid of all aging animatronics, but supposedly the reason they haven’t touched the carousel is because they would have to spend a lot of money to bring it up to modern safety standards.
“Two problems with removing it or retheming it. One it has Walt’s fingerprints all over it, he literally worked on it but also when you think Walt Disney you think everything that ride is. Two what can you replace it with? It would still have to rotate, it’s got same problem as alien encounter and stitch, you have to put something in same footprint. At best I can see an update Ala country bears. Redo the animatronics so they don’t cost so much to fix as all those old parts are hard to find and harder to find people to work on old tech. Update ride and update story and let it run as long as possible. It’s not a huge people gobbler but it’s essential Disney.”
It should be understood that Disney has made no formal announcement regarding the attraction, but it does seem to fit into a certain pattern. When rides like Splash Mountain, Country Bears, and so on become too dated to maintain, steps have to be taken.
Fortunately, Disney also has a history of updating their fixtures and animatronics with new outfits and even new pieces of tech. While the vintage figures might still require an extra dose of elbow grease, it’s safe to say that the fandom and Walt’s legacy will keep it alive for years to come.
Do you think Carousel of Progress needs to get with the times? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!