CLOSING DATE Announced for Carousel of Progress in Disney World

It’s the moment Disney fans have been waiting for: Carousel of Progress has set a closing date in Magic Kingdom at Disney World.

The classic attraction, which Walt Disney himself had a hand in creating, is getting a major overhaul. We’ve only heard crickets since this change was first announced, but now we have a ton of new details!

Carousel of Progress will officially close on July 5th, 2026, so you have just over a month to get your final rides in of the current version. In 2027, the show will reopen with a complete timeline shift!

The scenes are changing to:

Act 1: The 1960s
Act 2: The 1980s
Act 3: The New Millennium
Act 4: The Possible Future

As a huge Carousel of Progress fan myself, I know there is a lot of anxiety around these changes since it is such a beloved attraction. Luckily, Disney confirmed that “There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow” will remain. Oh, and we’ll be following the same family, so we can say “see you later” to John, Sarah, Rover, and the rest of the crew.

Disney previously revealed that a Walt Disney animatronic would be added to the very first scene of the show. The first of its kind animatronic debuted at Disneyland for the new “Walt Disney – A Magical Life” show last year, but this will be the first one at Walt Disney World. He will be in a scene inspired by the 1964 special “Disneyland Goes to the World’s Fair,” which is where he first revealed the idea for Carousel of Progress.

Carousel of Progress was first introduced to the world at the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair. After its enormous success there, the rotating theater show made its way to Disneyland, opening in 1967 with several changes. Then, by 1975, the attraction had opened in Magic Kingdom.

This is just one of the many changes coming to Magic Kingdom. Piston Peak, a new Cars-themed land, is currently under construction. You can even see construction from the newly reopened Big Thunder Mountain Railroad! On top of that, Villains Land is currently in the works, and we can’t wait to hear more.