Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress will close July 6, 2026, at Magic Kingdom before reopening in 2027 with new show scenes and a Walt Disney Audio-Animatronic figure.
The new version starts with Walt Disney in a scene inspired by the 1964 television special "Disneyland Goes to the World's Fair." Imagineers are recreating props from that special, including a prototype Tiki bird, a Tower of the Four Winds model, and an "it's a small world" doll.
New Carousel of Progress Scenes
The show scenes will move into new decades. The family begins in the 1960s during the moon landing, then shifts to Halloween night in 1985, New Year's Eve 1999, and a possible future with a home robot and space travel.
Sarah takes center stage in the 1980s scene, while John hands out candy on the porch and Uncle Orville keeps his bathroom gag. The Sherman Brothers song "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" will stay in the attraction between scenes.
The update is the clearest public outline yet for the Carousel of Progress refresh Disney announced last year. The attraction last received a major show update in 1994.
Carousel of Progress at Magic Kingdom
Carousel of Progress began at the 1964-1965 New York World's Fair, moved to Disneyland in 1967, and opened at Walt Disney World in 1975. The rotating theater format remains one of the attraction's defining pieces.
Disney has not announced a specific 2027 reopening date. The July 6 closure gives guests a little more than five weeks to see the current version before work begins.
Source and image: Disney Parks Blog.