A Beloved Magic Kingdom Attraction Is CLOSING Today

Today is a massive day in Disney World, and if you’re in Magic Kingdom, don’t be surprised if you see a few tears in Tomorrowland.

Today is the final day to experience the current version of Carousel of Progress before it closes for an extensive refurbishment. Not only does that mean we won’t get to experience the attraction again until 2027, but when we step back into the theater, it’ll be ENTIRELY different.

Today, July 5th, is the final day to experience this long-running theatre show the way it currently is. This isn’t the first time the ride has gone under refurbishment — far from it, in fact, but this one will be pretty significant.

Since today is the final chance to experience this beloved attraction in its current form, we headed over to Magic Kingdom to see what was up. When we rope-dropped this morning, we noticed that a small group of people headed right over to Carousel of Progress, which is not a normal rope drop option.

However, the crowd was not extremely large, and no one was waiting for more than the next show to enter. As of 10:30 AM, the wait time has been 5 minutes all morning. The crowds may get higher throughout the day, especially in the evening.

If we look at past ride and show closures, there is usually a big crowd there at night to say goodbye and maybe even get the chance to watch the final show. We are interested to see if this pattern continues over at Carousel of Progress!

Carousel of Progress was originally made for the 1964–1965 New York World’s Fair, and then opened in Disneyland in 1967 with an upgrade to the final scene. The attraction then made its way to Disney World in 1975, where it’s undergone several changes, including using “The Best Time of Your Life,” instead of “There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow” as the attraction’s theme song for its first two decades in Florida. The attraction’s last major update was back in 1994, which included another update to the finale scene and the return of the original Sherman Brothers’ song.

So yes, it has been awhile since the last refurbishment, 32 years, to be exact (that’s wild to think about), and this refurbishment will be more significant than others, but at the end of the day, it’s not entirely new territory. We do know that when the show reopens, it’ll start with a brand-new Walt Disney animatronic welcoming you to the show in a scene inspired by the 1964 special “Disneyland Goes to the World’s Fair,” where Disney introduced the idea of the attraction.

The new scenes will begin in the 1960s, and will continue to take you through how technology has changed the world since then. Act 1 will take place in the 1960s, Act 2 will take place in the 1980s, Act 3 will be The New Millennium, and Act 4 will be The Possible Future.

FULL BREAKDOWN: NEW Timeline and Massive Changes Coming to Carousel of Progress in Magic Kingdom

We’ll be sure to keep you updated all throughout the day on what we’re seeing and experiencing on this final day, so be sure to stay tuned to AllEars!

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How do you feel about these changes? Tell us in the comments!

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