Carousel of Progress is closing July 6, 2026, for its biggest update in decades. Here’s what to know about the new Walt Disney animatronic, updated scenes, and the attraction’s planned 2027 return.

While we knew a Walt Disney Audio-Animatronics figure was being added to Magic Kingdom’s Carousel of Progress at Walt Disney World, we now know that the beloved attraction will be jumping its timeline forward by decades in 2027. When it reopens, the show will kick off in the 1960s and will end off planet in the far, far future as it shows us the promise of that great big beautiful tomorrow.

Disney shared additional details about these changes during a media event. They revealed that Carousel of Progress will close on July 6, 2026, to make way for these substantial updates that aim to be completed sometime in 2027. 

Carousel of Progress is an important attraction for many reasons, including that it was a passion project from Walt Disney that first debuted during the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair and has since become the most performed stage show in the history of American theater. It’s also not the first time it has been updated since then.

Some of the scenes may be changing once again, but Disney assured us it aims to keep the spirit of the attraction alive, and a big part of that is ensuring that John, Sarah, James, Patricia, and Rover the dog will still be the stars. There will also be plenty of nods to earlier versions of the attraction, and what’s perhaps most interesting is that this story will start 60 years in the past, much like the original did when it first opened.

With all that being said, I think it’s time to dive into what guests will be able to expect when they enter that theater in Tomorrowland when Carousel of Progress reopens its doors.

Carousel of Progress Is Jumping Forward and Will Tell a Story That Starts in the 1960s and Ends in the Far, Far Future

Opening Scene

When you visit Carousel of Progress right now, the opening scene is just the logo of the attraction on a curtain and an intro narration. With this new update, Walt Disney himself will welcome guests and share a bit about the adventure they are about to embark on.

Photo Courtesy of Disney

This will be the second Walt Disney Audio-Animatronics figure, following the one that is part of Walt Disney – A Magical Life at Disneyland, but this time he will be placed in a scene inspired by the 1964 special ‘Disneyland Goes to the World’s Fair.” This is where Walt first introduced the idea of Carousel of Progress, and the scene will be complete with replicas of the props seen in the special, including the prototype Tiki bird, the Tower of the Four Winds model, a doll from “it’s a small world,” and more.

Act 1 – The 1960s

Our first visit to the home of John and Sarah will take place in the summer of 1969, and it will actually be the night we landed on the moon and shortly after the family returned from the New York World’s Fair. We will witness this historic moment with the family as they are watching it live, and it aims to capture “the spirit of innovation and possibility that has always been – and always will be – at the heart of Carousel of Progress.”

Act 2 – The 1980s

Our second visit to the family’s home will be on Halloween night in 1985, and the biggest change here is that Sarah will take center stage for the first time. Previous iterations have always had John on the main stage, but Sarah will be guiding us through the visit this time around. 

John will still be there, of course, and he will be on the porch handing out candy to trick-or-treaters. We’ll also get a glimpse of how new appliances and gadgets have made life easier for all of us and see that good, old Uncle Orville is still in the bathroom and complaining that there is “no privacy around here!” Oh, and we also learn he invested his life savings into this scrappy start-up called Apple, a company John laughs at and says will never work.

Act 3 – The New Millennium / Y2K

Y2K will be the focus of Act 3 as our visit takes place on New Year’s Eve 1999, as the family is ready to ring in the new millennium. We’ll get a look at how the internet is bringing us closer together, how our kitchens were filled with single-use appliances (that will move in the show!) and how Grandpa is already sleeping, and Grandma has wasted no time in switching the New Year’s countdown to wrestling. As you can see, there are many nods to past versions of Carousel of Progress; it’s just now being told with a new lens.

Act 4 – The Possible Future

The final act is purposefully set in the far future, as the team didn’t want this scene to feel outdated for quite some time. We’ll also be leaving our planet behind and will experience what life would be like off planet, complete with a helpful robot assistant, space travel, innovation, and the promise of what could be. 

This scene, and the new attraction poster that was revealed today, were both inspired by the original concept sketches by Disney Legend John Hench that were used for the poster created for Carousel of Progress’ debut at Magic Kingdom in 1975. 

The Carousel of Progress Has Always Been About Looking Forward

As we previously mentioned, Carousel of Progress has seen many changes over the years, and its idea dates back to the 1950s when Walt Disney was planning on expanding Disneyland with an extension of Main Street, U.S.A. called Edison Square.

This square would have had a marquee attraction known as Harnessing the Lightning, and it was planned to be a “walkthrough drama exploring how electricity and technology transformed the lifestyle of the American family.” This square or attraction never came to be, but Carousel of Progress was born from the idea that “technology would continue to evolve, but people would stay the same.”

Photo Courtesy of Disney

The idea began to take on a new life when Disney and his team were planning the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair, as they reworked the concept of Harnessing the Lightning into Carousel of Progress for the fair’s Progressland pavilion. Even at the fair, the show took place in a rotating theater and featured The Sherman Brothers’ ‘There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow’ as its anthem.

Following the fair, it found a new home at Disneyland from 1967 through 1973. The show was changed a bit then, too, as it added a new Act 4 that was set in Progress City and was based on Walt’s original vision for EPCOT, which was a “community of tomorrow.” 

The Move to Magic Kingdom

In 1975, Carousel of Progress was moved to Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom and has since been changed with new scripts, voice actors, time periods, and full scene changes. For its first two decades at Magic Kingdom, there was even a new song called ‘The Best Time of Your Life.’

Photo by Judd Helms

The last major renovation of Carousel of Progress took place back in 1993, which included an updated final scene and the return of ‘There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow.’

The Promise of Tomorrow

This is all very important context, as Carousel of Progress has never been about standing still, but celebrating the promise of tomorrow and what could be. It’s also a wonderful reminder of how far we’ve come and how far we can go if we never stop dreaming and working towards a better future. This change also feels very much in the spirit of Walt, who himself said, “Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world.”

Photo Courtesy of Disney

I’d like to believe there is plenty of that left, and that these new scenes and changes will resonate with a new generation of guests who, like me, may one day sing that famous song to their kids as they fall asleep, so they too can believe that there is a great big beautiful tomorrow waiting for them that’s just a dream away.