Did Disney Think We Would Forget About This MAJOR Magic Kingdom Ride Change?

There are SO many changes going on in Magic Kingdom. A popular ride is reopening after a year-long closure, 2 new lands are under development, and limited-time events are starting soon.

The park is getting a major overhaul right now, but there’s one project that Disney announced… and they haven’t mentioned it since. We just want to know why Disney has been so quiet about this Magic Kingdom change!

In case you forgot, Disney announced that a classic attraction would be getting a BIG update for the first time since 1994. The Carousel of Progress in Tomorrowland is a beloved Disney attraction that was dreamt up by Walt Disney himself. The classic ride debuted at the 1964 World’s Fair, but it has called Disney World home since 1975.

At D23 in August 2025, Disney announced that the classic show would receive a MAJOR update. The big update will be a new introduction to the show, which will feature Walt Disney himself. The Walt Disney animatronic will be similar to the one that debuted in Disneyland last year. Now, nearly a year later, Disney has remained pretty quiet about this change.

At the time, Disney also teased that John, Sarah, and the rest of their family would be getting some updates, too. They didn’t give details, but they did say we would see what the family is up to when more details were revealed. They said, “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.” This sounds SO EXCITING!

Disney fans online seemed to be pretty excited about these changes, so what happened? Did Disney think we would forget about these updates? Because we haven’t! During the initial announcement, they even confirmed that the company was working with The Walt Disney Family Museum for the Walt Disney Animatronic. Kirsten Komoroske, Executive Director of the Walt Disney Family Museum, said, “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.”

With all of the excitement, we were pretty disappointed that Disney hasn’t mentioned this project again! That being said, this isn’t a huge surprise. Disney has a lot in the works right now, specifically in Magic Kingdom. Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin recently received some pretty big updates, and Big Thunder Mountain is about to reopen after being closed since January 2025.

They’re also developing two brand new, first-of-their-kind lands in the Magic Kingdom. Piston Peak, a Cars-inspired land, is going in Frontierland and will feature 2 brand new attractions. Disney has given us quite a few details on this land, including the addition of a new character.  They haven’t given us an opening timeline, but they are busy at work on this new area already.

Magic Kingdom is also getting a new Villains Land! Disney has remained pretty tight-lipped about this project, but they have already started clearing the land behind Big Thunder Mountain for the project. There have been reports online that Disney is thinking of bigger and bolder ideas for this land, which is seriously exciting.

All of that being said, we can see why maybe Disney is moving a bit more slowly on the Carousel of Progress changes. We are REALLY hopeful this doesn’t mean they’ve scrapped the project altogether. Disney’s next big event is the D23 Expo in California in August 2026, and we might hear something about these changes during the parks panel.

This Expo is a huge event for Disney and Disney fans. In 2024, this is where they announced Piston Peak, Villains Land, Monsters Inc. Land, and more. We can’t wait to hear more about the Carousel of Progress updates whenever Disney finally decides to reveal them. As always, be sure to keep following AllEars for more Disney news, updates, and more.

8 HUGE Announcements from Disney World This Month

 

Do you want to see this change happen? Tell us in the comments!