LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — For decades, the song has promised there’s a “great big beautiful tomorrow” shining at the end of every day. Now, Walt Disney World is taking that message seriously.
Disney has announced one of the biggest updates ever for the beloved Carousel of Progress at Magic Kingdom, the first major overhaul to the attraction since 1994.
Carousel of Progress was never meant to stay frozen in one era. The entire point of the attraction is progress itself, looking back at where we’ve been while imagining where we’re going next. For 60 years, the rotating theater show has celebrated how technology changes the lives of everyday families, while reminding guests that optimism about the future never goes out of style.
Now, Disney Imagineers are preparing to bring the classic into a whole new generation.
A ride built to change
Disney said to understand why this update matters, you have to go all the way back to Walt Disney himself.
The attraction originally debuted at the 1964–1965 New York World’s Fair as part of the Progressland pavilion. Walt and his Imagineers transformed an earlier concept called “Harnessing the Lightning” into what became Carousel of Progress, a rotating stage show about how electricity and technology transformed American life over time.
It introduced two things that would become legendary: the rotating theater system and the Sherman Brothers anthem, “There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow.”
After the World’s Fair, the attraction moved to Disneyland before eventually arriving at Walt Disney World in 1975, where it has remained a Tomorrowland staple ever since.
And despite what many fans may think, the attraction has always evolved.
The show received new scripts, updated scenes, different voice actors, and even a temporary replacement theme song, “The Best Time of Your Life,” during its early Florida years. The last major refresh came in 1994, more than 30 years ago.
Now, Disney says the next evolution is finally here.
Walt Disney is joining the show
One of the biggest additions coming to Carousel of Progress is Walt Disney himself.
Imagineers revealed guests will soon see Walt recreated through Audio-Animatronics technology in a new opening sequence inspired by the 1964 television special “Disneyland Goes to the World’s Fair.”
Disney says the scene will feature recreated props from that special, including:
- A prototype Tiki bird
- A model of the Tower of the Four Winds
- An “it’s a small world” doll
- Other pieces tied directly to Walt’s original vision
The moment is designed to connect the attraction’s future directly back to its creator.
Every scene is changing
The biggest change, though, is the timeline itself.
Disney Imagineers are updating every act of the attraction to feature entirely new decades and time periods while still following John, Sarah, Uncle Orville, Grandma, Grandpa, Jimmy, Patty and the family dog.
The goal, Disney says, is to make the attraction feel more relatable to today’s audiences by focusing on eras modern guests personally remember.
And yes, “There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow” is staying.
Act 1 – The 1960s
The new version of Carousel of Progress will begin in the summer of 1969.
The family gathers around the television to watch the Apollo 11 moon landing.
Disney says the scene is meant to capture the same optimism and wonder that originally inspired the attraction at the World’s Fair.
Act 2 – The 1980s
Next comes Halloween night in 1985.
This time, Sarah takes center stage as she explains how new household technology and appliances are changing everyday life.
Meanwhile:
- John hands out candy on the porch
- Trick-or-treaters roam outside
- Uncle Orville still can’t get privacy in the bathroom, because some traditions never change.
Act 3 – The New Millennium
The family then jumps to New Year’s Eve 1999 as they prepare for the arrival of the year 2000.
The Internet is beginning to reshape the world, bringing families closer together in entirely new ways.
Disney says the scene will also feature some familiar family chaos:
- Grandpa falling asleep before midnight
- Grandma secretly switching the TV to wrestling
Act 4 – The Future
The final act heads back into the future, but this time with a fresh vision inspired by original concept sketches from Disney Legend John Hench.
Disney said the scene is designed to once again ask the attraction’s core question: What could tomorrow look like?
When will Carousel of Progress close?
Disney says Carousel of Progress will temporarily close beginning July 6 to begin the transformation.
The attraction is expected to reopen sometime in 2027.
For longtime Disney fans, the update may feel bittersweet. Carousel of Progress is one of the last attractions personally connected to Walt Disney himself. It’s nostalgic, comforting, and deeply tied to Magic Kingdom history.
But at the same time, change is exactly what the attraction was built around.
Carousel of Progress was never supposed to become a time capsule. It was supposed to keep moving forward.
And finally, after three decades, it is.
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