Today at Destination D23, Disney announced that a Walt Disney animatronic is coming to Magic Kingdom’s Carousel of Progress. This news also seems to share that the classic attraction will be updated. In this post, we’ll fill you in on the details before adding in our own commentary!

Following a dream with mind and heart against all odds, Walt Disney revealed Disneyland to the world on July 17, 1955, changing the future of entertainment as we know it and cementing a transformative legacy that continues to inspire millions around the world today. 

That same vision continues to push for ongoing innovation across Disney Parks in the present and future, just as it has over the past 70 years. In an exciting announcement on stage during the “Creating the Happiest Place on Earth” panel at Destination D23, Walt Disney Imagineer Chris Beatty revealed that you will soon be able to see Walt Disney through the magic of Audio-Animatronics technology in “Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress” at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World Resort. 

“We are grateful to The Walt Disney Company and Walt Disney Imagineering for their continued collaboration and ongoing partnership with The Walt Disney Family Museum. 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,” Kirsten Komoroske, Executive Director of the Walt Disney Family Museum said. 

Walt’s Ongoing Impact on the Carousel of Progress

Walt’s own idea from beginning to end, the Carousel of Progress made its debut at the New York World’s Fair in 1964, where it was an immediate smash hit for millions of people visiting from around the world. Since then, the show has had more performances than any other stage show in the history of American theater and has found a comfortable home as a tribute to the original version of the show inside Magic Kingdom since 1975. 

Progress and innovation were two of Walt’s cornerstone passions, which is as evident in the show today as it was when it first debuted. Before you follow an American family (and Rover!) over four generations of progress as technology transforms their lives and paves the way for once-unimaginable innovations, you’ll be able to catch a brand-new introductory scene and hear from the legendary man who never stood in the way of progress — Walt Disney. 

There are still plenty of additional details to be revealed, including what John, Sarah, and the rest of the family are up to. Disney Imagineers love this attraction and the heart of it will stay the same while introducing the Carousel of Progress to an entirely new generation of fans, showing them that a great big, beautiful tomorrow is just a dream away.  

Commentary

The wording of this announcement is a little confusing. It appears that a brand new scene is being added to the classic Carousel of Progress attraction at Walt Disney World. This will feature a Walt Disney animatronic, who appears to be in his office showing Florida plans, and will be the opening scene. Other tidbits in this news release, as well as the presentation at Destination D23, show that Carousel of Progress will be getting a major facelift.

In July, Walt Disney – A Magical Life debuted at Disneyland featuring a groundbreaking animatronic that brought Walt Disney to life. It appears that this technology will now be replicated in Florida, bringing the founder to life on both coasts. That’s very exciting and we are very pro celebrating Walt and his hopeful demeanor in the parks.

Adding this scene to Carousel of Progress is the more controversial part of the news. Without more details, we don’t really know how this will fit in or if the rest of the story is dramatically changing. Again, the wording would lead us to believe that at least some of it is changing.

To be frank, I’d be okay with some changes to Carousel of Progress. I love the history of the attraction and much of the story. That said, there are a few moments that haven’t aged especially well and others that just look downright dated. I’m not suggesting that they do a complete overhaul but an update to the retro future fit could be a nice addition.

More than anything, I’m glad to see that Carousel of Progress is getting some attention. My biggest concern with any of these older, classic attractions is that they just keep running with minimal updates and maintenance. Then one day they stop running and that’s that. This has happened to a couple of rides in the past and, with the current higher ups preferring IP based attractions, feels like a sneaky way to retire older, historic rides.

Seeing the company turn to honoring Walt’s legacy in the past year has been a nice change. This move is another step in that direction and one we look forward to. Even better, it should come with an update to a classic attraction that needs some freshening up. We’ll be sharing new details on this project as they’re announced over time.

What are your thoughts on the Carousel of Progress update and addition of the Walt Disney animatronic? Let us know, along with any questions you might have, in the comments below! Planning a trip to Walt Disney World? Check out our Disney World Trip Planning Guide to help you out. Looking for discount tickets? Check out this site! If you enjoy what you are reading here on Wandering in Disney please share this post with your friends, as well as like our social media pages. You can also subscribe to the blog via WordPress or email. All of those links are on the right side of this page. Thank you for reading, we really appreciate it