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Credit: DisneyThe Walt Disney World Resort has been making magic for millions since the 70’s, and many of the original attractions at the Disney parks are still in operation. However, one of Walt Disney’s original works is truly showing its age as a recent breakdown led to an evacuation.
The Disney Resort is currently going through an elaborate transition period as classic attractions like Splash Mountain and the Country Bear Jamboree are getting massive makeovers for a new generation. Both of these attractions are some of the oldest in the Magic Kingdom, and they might soon be joined by Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress.
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A recent post on r/WaltDisneyWorld shared a guest’s experience waiting to be evacuated from the attraction after a malfunction caused it to grind to a halt. The vintage Disney fixture has existed since Walt Disney himself was alive, and multiple guests are reporting similar occurrences, which could lead to the attraction being next on the list for a massive renovation.
Carousel of Progress Loses Its Future at Disney World
This week, u/roochi_77 shared a photo of the stalled attraction on r/WaltDisneyWorld with a caption that read,
“Waiting to be evacuated by a cast member. Been in the same era for 8 goes and counting, nearly know it word for word now.”
Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for some of Disney’s older attractions to stall, malfunction, or break down. However, evacuations are truly a troubling sign, and this incident isn’t the only one reported surrounding the attraction in recent weeks. On the thread, the comments are full of other park-goers sharing similar incidents.
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Further down on the page, u/Tigger1964 shares,
I was on there one time when we got stuck for 2.5x before they finally got it going again. They should have killed the audio before it got to 7 or 8 times. The problem with rides that are over 50 years old is that they will be prone to breaking.
u/Been2daCloudDistrict shares just how common this is and writes,
“Who hasn’t been stuck on that ride before? It’s notoriously bad especially during thunderstorms which happen…oh all the time. I think it’s just part of the rides charm honestly.”
On that note, the carousel’s dated machinery has been a growing subject of discussion among fans in light of some of Disney World’s new updates. After the last performance of the Country Bear Jamboree ended in an animatronic breakdown, it was suspected that the Carousel of Progress would meet the same fate.
Just last week, fans speculated just how much of a future the attraction had left. Like the Country Bears, the attraction was one of the last park projects Walt had a hand in making, but its machinery and structure are in desperate need of a tune-up. But even that comes with risks.
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On the thread, u/Grins111 points out,
“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.”
As fans of the attraction and armchair Imagineers continue to debate, the truth of the matter remains. Updating the ride would take a lot of time, money, and effort, as would constantly repairing the animatronics and machinery. However, removing it completely would arguably do more harm than good.
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On the subject of the Carousel of Progress, Disney is at the crossroads. Repeated breakdowns and evacuations aren’t good for its image, but removing something their founder had a hand in creating is practically sacrilegious. The future is uncertain either way.
Does the Carousel of Progress have a great big beautiful tomorrow? Tell Inside the Magic what you think in the comments below!