Carousel of Progress

The Carousel of Progress is a rotating stage show located in Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom. The show traces 100 years of progress as an "Audio- Animatronics" family demonstrates the many conveniences made possible in American life by a century of innovations in electricity.

Details

FASTPASS: No
Height/Age Requirement: No

Facts and Figures

• Capacity: 3,600 per hour, 226 per theater
• Show Time: 20:45 minutes
• Speed: 2 fps
• Ride System: Sit-down revolving theater
• Theaters: 6 theaters, giving 6 stages
• Weight of Carousel: Approx 375 tons
• Number of Animatronics: 4 scenes each having 8 figures, giving a total of 32

Carousel of Progress History

• 1964 - Created for the 1964-65 New York World's Fair, as General Electric's "Progressland".
• July 1967-1973 - Relocated to Disneyland and named "Carousel of Progress".
• January 15 1975 - Opens at the Magic Kingdom, with new final scene and new song, "The Best Time of Your Life".
• March 10 1985 - General Electric's last day as corporate sponsor of the attraction.
• 1994 - The attraction was refurbished to its original state and renamed "Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress."At this time, it was redone as a tribute to the original attraction. The theme song was changed back to "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow,"and the story recreated as a tribute to the nostalgia of the past.

Show Scenes

1. Introduction
2. Act I: Turn of the Century - Valentine's Day
3. Act II: Twenties - Fourth of July
4. Act III: Fabulous Forties - Halloween
5. Act IV: Nineties - Christmas Day
6. Finale

Voice Credits

• Opening and closing - Jean Shepherd
• Father - Jean Shepherd
• Mother - B.J. Ward
• Daughter - Debbi Deryberry (also has done voice work for Toy Story 2 and Tarzan)
• Young son - Peter Nelson
• Teenage son - Paul Osterhout
• Grandfather - Rex Allen (was also the original voice of Father in the 1964 World's Fair version)
• Grandmother - Mary Cervantes
• Grandmother (Act IV) - Janet Waldo (also voiced Judy Jetson in The Jetsons) 
• Cousin Orville - Mel Blanc (also voiced Warner Brothers' Bugs Bunny)
• Radio Personalities - Noel Blanc