Carousel of Progress

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Carousel of Progress

Locations, openings and status
1964 New York World's Fair 1964
General Electric Closed - 1965
Disneyland July 2, 1967
General Electric Moved - September 9, 1973
Magic Kingdom January 15, 1975
Open

The Carousel of Progress is an attraction currently located in Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom, a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA. It currently operates under the name Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress. Created by both Walt Disney and the Imagineers of WED Enterprises as the prime feature of the General Electric Pavilion for the 1964 New York World's Fair, the attraction was moved to Tomorrowland at Disneyland Park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, USA. It remained there from 1967 until 1973. It reopened in its present home in 1975 and has remained there since.

Various sources say Walt Disney himself proclaimed that the Carousel of Progress was his favorite attraction and that it should never cease operation. This can be somewhat supported by Imagineers, family and friends, who knew of his constant work on the attraction. Of all the attractions he presented at the 1964-1965 New York World's Fair, Disney seemed especially devoted to the Carousel of Progress. The attraction was supposed to be a permanent fixture at Disneyland Park, but because the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World needed attractions to better complement its developing Tomorrowland, officials from General Electric and Disneyland Park agreed that the Carousel of Progress would do far better on the East Coast once again. Their decision to relocate the ride was likely influenced by the fact that 80% of the people who visited the attraction every day at Disneyland Park were Californians, and some complained that they were seeing the same show over and over again.

The Carousel of Progress is the longest running stage show in the history of theater in the United States. The attraction has been updated six times (in 1964, 1967, 1975, 1981, 1985, and 1994, respectively), and has had two different theme songs both written by the Sherman Brothers (Disney's Academy Award winning songwriting team), but the attraction still retains its principle premise: to explore the joy of living through the advent of electricity and other technological advances via a "typical" American family, and to explore the humor that is present in the relationships the family has with various electrical products throughout the 20th century. The Sherman Brothers write in their joint autobiography regarding the history of the pavilion:

Three years after Walt Disney World opened, the Carousel of Progress moved east from Disneyland to Florida, and we were invited to write a brand new theme song: "The Best Time Of Your Life". In 1996, as a special tribute to the dreams of Walt Disney the Carousel of Progress was "updated" back to its original show, featuring our original theme song, "There's A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow".^[1]

1 History
2 The show (current 1994 version)
3 Precursors
4 Attraction facts
- 4.1 Disneyland
- 4.2 Magic Kingdom
5 Spin-offs and related attractions
6 Soundtrack
7 Links
8 References

[edit] History

[edit] The Edison Square concept

In the late 1950s, after Disneyland Park's initial success, Walt Disney planned to expand the Main Street, U.S.A. area with two districts: "International Street" and "Edison Square". In Edison Square, guests would be treated to a show hosted by an "electro-mechanical" man named "Wilbur K. Watt". The show would chronicle the evolution of electricity in the home, from the late 1800s to the present and beyond. Unlike the present incarnation, after each "act" was over, the audience would get up and walk to the next one.

Unfortunately, the Main Street expansion idea fell by the wayside. One of the reasons for this was that the technology necessary to put on the show just was not up to par with what Walt Disney wanted. The idea, however, stayed in Walt's mind for the next few years. He just needed an outlet for it.

[edit] The 1964-1965 New York World's Fair

General Electric approached Walt Disney to develop a show for the company's pavilion at the 1964-1965 New York World's Fair. Disney leaped at the chance to work with a corporate sponsor (who would fund the project) and to develop new technology. Disney pitched what would eventually become the Carousel of Progress to General Electric executives and they loved it.

During the planning phase, Disney's Imagineers perfected the Audio-Animatronics technology necessary to operate the "performers" in the show. They were not the most advanced, but it was enough to get the show running. The technology used in Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room and another attraction designed by Disney at the 1964-1965 New York World's Fair, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, made the Carousel of Progress possible.

Walt Disney asked Disney songwriters Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman to create a song that could serve as a bridge between the "acts" in the show. Walt explained to the brothers what the show was about, and they wrote a song with his enthusiasm in mind. The song was titled "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow". The Shermans later stated that they believe that the song was Walt's "theme song," because he was so optimistic and excited about the future and technology itself.

The show opened as the theme and entitled exhibit, Progressland. It was one of the most visited pavilions at the Fair. One of the unique features that made the attraction so popular was that a circle of six theaters (all connected by divider walls) revolved clockwise around six fixed stages every four minutes. There were identical load and unload theaters, and the "performers" appeared in the 1890s, 1920s, 1940s, and 1960s—literally a "Carousel of Progress"! Though more than 200 people entered and exited the attraction every four minutes, it was not uncommon to wait over an hour in line. For the 1965 season of the Fair, a massive covered queue was constructed next to the General Electric Pavilion on an empty lot to protect visitors from New York's hot summer sun.

[edit] Disneyland

Due to the success of the attractions Disney created for the Fair, General Electric agreed to sponsor the Carousel of Progress at Disneyland. However, the Carousel of Progress was to be a permanent fixture at Disneyland, and it is unknown how many years General Electric would have sponsored the ride had it stayed there (presumably, 10-12 years, as many other sponsors throughout Disneyland Park have historically done).

Because the Carousel of Progress would no longer be with other General Electric exhibits in one large pavilion, a new pavilion needed to be constructed for the Carousel of Progress in the developing New Tomorrowland. A two-story pavilion was designed. The actual attraction was located on ground level, and a new (but nearly identical) theater system was constructed. The sets and "performers" all came right from the Fair itself and remained nearly original. There were some slight changes: a new voice was recorded for "Mother," and "Christmas in the Home of the 1960s" was slightly updated in set design. A reference to General Electric's "Medallion" campaign was taken out of the Christmas scene. "Father" from the "The Home of the 1940s" now sat on a (previously unoccupied) bar stool, rather than on the kitchen nook bench. The unload theater set was redesigned, so that guests could board a speedramp that would take them to the second level of the building. On the upper level, a 4-minute post show, narrated by "Mother" and "Father," coincided with guests gazing at an enormous model of Progress City, or EPCOT. It was to be the centerpiece of Walt Disney World, a community where people could live, work, and play. It never became a 100% reality.

The Carousel of Progress opened at Disneyland Park on July 2, 1967 and closed on September 9, 1973.

[edit] The Magic Kingdom of Walt Disney World

Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress at the Magic Kingdom.

General Electric signed a 10-year contract to sponsor the attraction at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. Unlike the small changes that had occurred when the Carousel of Progress moved from the 1964-1965 New York World's Fair to Disneyland Park, extensive changes were made when the attraction moved to Walt Disney World.

A new pavilion was designed to house the attraction: a one-story pavilion, with a loft above. The loft was created so that the WEDway PeopleMover (now the Tomorrowland Transit Authority) could pass through it. A new theater system was designed, to change the capacity of the two former theater systems. The interior and exterior of the building received new color schemes. Also, the theaters now rotated counterclockwise, rather than clockwise like the two former theater systems.

There was to be no post show at the Magic Kingdom of Walt Disney World for the Carousel of Progress, and the Progress City/EPCOT model was significantly sized down so it could fit in a window display that could be seen from the WEDway PeopleMover. The load and unload theaters no longer featured the stunning "Kaleidophonic Screens" that had dazzled guests as they boarded and exited their respective theater. The old screens had stretched from one wall to the other, with the GE logo in the center. They lit up in various colors and patterns as the orchestral version of "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" played. Various problems plagued the screens after 1973, so silver curtains with the GE logo in the center took their place in both the load and unload theaters.

A new cast of voices and "performers" were showcased in the 1975 version. The first three "acts" had some cosmetic and set design changes. The finale was changed to "Christmas in the Home of the 1970s," and the dog also changed breed.

A new theme song, written by the Sherman Brothers, was created for the Carousel of Progress. "Now is the Time," also known as "The Best Time of Your Life," was created to coincide with General Electric's new campaign slogan: "We Bring Good Things to Life." The attraction opened on July 15, 1975 and remained successful in attendance figures and reviews for years to come.

In 1981, the finale was updated to showcase "Christmas in the Home of the 1980s." A new script was written for this scene change, but the rest of the show remained the same. The attraction closed briefly so that the changes could be implemented.

On March 10, 1985, General Electric's contract expired, and they chose not to renew. The attraction closed shortly thereafter so that all General Electric references could be excluded from the attraction. The GE logo was replaced with a logo that showed a blueprint of the six carousel theaters surrounding the six fixed stages.

In 1993 the attraction closed for refurbishment, to better reflect the theme of the New Tomorrowland: "The Future that Never Was." Gears and other mechanical symbols were being prominently featured in the other pavilions in the New Tomorrowland, so the Carousel of Progress was redesigned to feature them. The attraction and show were re-named "Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress." The finale was updated to "Christmas in the House of 2000" (as envisioned in 1994). A new cast was hired for the narration recordings. For the first time, names of some of the characters in the attraction were revealed. A 4-minute pre-show about the creation of the attraction was played on monitors while guests waited in line. A contemporary version of "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" returned as the attraction's theme song. The attraction reopened in 1994, as the New Tomorrowland was unveiled in phases. Since then, the attraction has undergone slight mechanical and cosmetic changes.

Due to the September 11, 2001 attacks (along with dropping attendance figures), Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress closed in October 2001. It was reopened soon afterwards on a seasonal basis. Concern over the attraction's closure became evident during this time. Although numerous "permanent closure" rumors still plague the attraction, Disney has consistently said that there are no plans for permanent closure or any closure at all. For various reasons, the attraction has had some minor refurbishments in recent years. It has remained open nearly every day of the year and during the Magic Kingdom's regular park hours since 2003.

[edit] The show (current 1994 version)

The actual show for the Carousel of Progress is divided into six scenes. Two of those scenes are identical and involve the loading and unloading of guests. The other 4 scenes, or "acts," are shown in a counterclockwise presentation. Not much is known about the family: we do not know their last name, where they live (aside from being somewhere in the United States), or if they ever change location. The family does not (nor are they meant to) age 100 years. They age 3-5 years as the show progresses, to demonstrate how slightly older individuals can better enjoy new technology. Each of the four scenes is set during a different season of the year, just for variety.

Load
Circa 1900 (spring/Valentine's Day)- (mention of it being the turn of the century)
Circa 1920s (summer/4th of July) - (the Charles Lindbergh reference on the radio makes the most likely year 1927^[2])
Circa 1940s (autumn/Halloween)
Circa 2000 (Created in 1994) (winter/Christmas)
Unload

[edit] Precursors

The show did not spring into being as from a blank slate. It is an elaboration and trivialization of some industrial films that American appliance manufacturers funded, to demonstrate how their products would change the pattern of domestic chores and improve life. The desire to sell during the Great Depression and the rural electrification projects of the New Deal were two of the motivating forces behind these films.

Also, there are the remnants of an exhibition from the 1933 Century of Progress exposition in the Chicago Museum of Science that feature four typical rooms of Chicago houses in various decades prior to the exhibition.

[edit] Attraction facts

[edit] Disneyland

Grand opening: July 2, 1967
Closure date: September 9, 1973
Designer: WED Enterprises
Sponsor: General Electric
Future attractions:
- America Sings (1974-1988)
- Innoventions (1998-Present)
Audio-Animatronics: 32
Show length: 20:45
Required ticket: Free
Ride system: Rotating theater with Audio-Animatronics

[edit] Magic Kingdom

Grand opening: January 15, 1975
Finale Updated and General Electric references dropped: 1985
Major rennovation, "Great, Big Beautiful Tomorrow" added back: 1994
Designer: WED Enterprises
Sponsor: General Electric (Opening-March 10, 1985)
Audio-Animatronics: 32
Seating: 226
Show length: 20:45
Ride system: Rotating theater with Audio-Animatronics

[edit] Spin-offs and related attractions

From October 1, 1983, until January 9, 1999, an attraction known as Horizons, existed at Epcot, a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort. It was more or less a sequel to the Carousel of Progress. It was also presented by General Electric (1983-1994). In that attraction, there is a scene where a robot is "working" in the kitchen, making quite a mess, among other things. In the background, the song "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" can be heard.

Also in 1983, Meet the World, at Tokyo Disneyland, was an attraction that was housed in a rotating theater. It featured both audio-animatronics and video, looking at thousands of years of Japanese history. It closed in 2002.

Innoventions (1998-present), the current occupant of the building formerly used for the Carousel of Progress at Disneyland, depicts a few images from older attraction on its colorful exterior murals, and the Innoventions character Tom Morrow sings an updated version of "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow". Inside, the ASIMO show features a stage set reminiscent of the "contemporary" scene in the Carousel of Progress, including a view of the Community of Tomorrow through the picture window. The ASIMO exit music is the original Rex Allen recording from the Carousel of Progress at Disneyland.