I'm a Gen Z Disney Adult and You'll Be Shocked By My Favorite Disney World Attraction

Hi everyone! Riker here. I hope you’re ready to talk about Disney World attractions…well because that’s what I’m chatting about today!

Before you keep reading, I’m going to tell you a few things about myself and I want you to guess my favorite Disney World ride. Ready? I’m Gen Z, I love a good thrill, and I have a huge appreciation for classic Disney attractions. Go on, take your guess now…but I’m 99% sure you’re wrong!

Okay, here it is. My favorite Disney World attraction of all time is…*drum roll please*…Carousel of Progress in Magic Kingdom. If you look just as confused as I think you do, allow me to explain!

First of all, if you are unfamiliar with Carousel of Progress, grab a seat because it’s story time!

Walt Disney worked on this attraction himself which debuted at the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair. The 20-minute show is in a rotating theater and you’ll follow a family throughout the 20th century. Instead of the stage moving, the theater itself rotates from one scene to the next — it’s basically a show-and-ride hybrid.

If you’re more of a video person, I highly recommend watching this AllEars video from the vault all about the attraction’s history. It’s a great watch! Readers should check out our page here

It’s seen some refurbishments, changes, and mishaps over the years — have you ever seen the animatronic hand that fell off? Thank you to DFB and @Mlecuyer28 for sharing with us back in 2020, by the way. But yes, that really did happen!

Many aspects, including the final scene, have changed on several occasions to “keep up with the times”, but at the heart of it, the attraction is still the same.

So how is this attraction a Gen Z Disney fan’s favorite even though most people walk right by it or take a nap in it?

As I mentioned, I love thrills in any capacity (Halloween Horror Nights at Universal is my JAM) so growing up Tower of Terror and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad were always my favorites. Let’s be honest, they are still in my top five!

Then in my teenage years, I became a major Disney history nerd, which I can thank my dad for. Thinking about where things came from and the people who created them fills my soul. The next time I visited and decided to do Carousel of Progress and I was fascinated! Again, just thinking of the history and the people who worked on the attraction gets me every time.

The icing on the cake is the theme song — “There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow.” Yes, it’s been my alarm song for years now — there’s something about it! This song was written by the Sherman Brothers who also wrote the music for movies like Mary Poppins and attractions like “it’s a small world”. So basically they excel at writing earworms and for that I am grateful.

This spot — with the air conditioning, seats, and darkness — is a common place to take an afternoon nap. And while I get it, I am also a little offended. I can’t NOT be engaged when watching this even though I’ve seen it countless times now, but I understand it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. However, I always drag my friends and family (sometimes against their will) on it every time we visit Magic Kingdom.

Not only do I love classics like Carousel of Progress, but I’m also the pickiest eater on the AllEars team! Take a look at my nine favorite meals in Disney World below and let me know what you think.