Carousel of Progress Fans

[lrodk]

Good news for fans of the COP. The Carousel of Progress will re-open June 22nd and stay open for the entire summer.

Luis

 

[grinningghost]

That's great! MK just doesn't feel as magical without COP!

 

[vellamint]

Does the "whole summer" include the 3rd and 4th week of August ya think?

 

[lrodk]

Disney is saying that it will be open the entire summer season, which in their terms takes us through mid August. There are no guarantees beyond that. You'll have to play it by ear I'm afraid.

 

[colleen costello]

Great! Now if they'd just bring back the old song ("Now is the time... now is the best time of your life...")

 

[rwodonnell]

Originally posted by colleen costello
Great! Now if they'd just bring back the old song ("Now is the time... now is the best time of your life...")

They already brought back the "old" song - "It's a great big beautiful tomorrow" is the original. (I'd like to hear "Now is the time" again too though - why not swap them every few years? I guess each time it would mean reworking the animatronic-doohickeys...)

 

[KNWVIKING]

We have an evening flight home on the 22nd but maybe we'll try and sneak a CoP ride in. Other option is to do it over the July 4th week since we're there, but I wasn't certain I was even going to fight the crowds at MK that trip. Never been to WDW during the summer much less july 4th weekend. Planned on camping out at SAB most of the time.

 

[SeaWitch]

Wah! I was hoping it would reopen... but why not leave it open through the end of the year! Sure, I'm happy for those of you going in the summer... but what about us fall people?

 

[colleen costello]

RWodonnell, how old is "Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow?" I remember "Now is the Time" from the 1970's when I was a kid... Was "Great Big..." the original from the World's Fair? Anyone? I swear the first time I heard "Great Big..." was last summer... I thought it was new!

 

[maleficent1959]

"Great Big" is not new. If memory serves, the Sherman Brothers wrote it and Walt loved it.

This thread is making me think I'm the only person that doesn't like COP.

 

[Liv2CdWorld]

Originally posted by maleficent1959

This thread is making me think I'm the only person that doesn't like COP.

nope, your not the only one.

 

[mitros]

Great big beautiful tomorrow was the original song from the worlds fair. It was changed to Now is the time because GE thought they needed a more modern song that went along with new things GE was doing in their business. Once they dropped their sponsorship, WDW reverted back to the original song. I'm not sure of any of the dates that these changes occured. Of course, non of this helps CoP to be open more often up to this point.

 

[rwodonnell]

Originally posted by colleen costello
RWodonnell, how old is "Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow?" I remember "Now is the Time" from the 1970's when I was a kid... Was "Great Big..." the original from the World's Fair? Anyone? I swear the first time I heard "Great Big..." was last summer... I thought it was new!

Yes, "Now is the time" is the only song I ever remembered too, and we went in 1972 when I was a kid. My memory could just be bad, so I am not claiming for sure it was "Now is the time" in 1972. However, the reason I knew that "Great big..." was the original was because they said that during the preshow I believe the last time we were there. Or I read it somewhere. I like both songs, would be nice if they could rotate them every couple of years.

 

[IASW Rider]

"Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" and the current attraction script are those which debuted at the 1964-65 World's Fair in NY. The show was changed in the early 70's when GE was still sponsoring it ("General Electric's Carousel of Progress") - and the "Now is the Time" theme song was added. I have fond memories of that song from my childhood, but I like the original (current) show better, overall.

Figures that CoP would be reopening on 6/22 - we just returned from WDW on Sunday!

 

[meowthew2]

Yes, "Now is the time" is the only song I ever remembered too, and we went in 1972 when I was a kid.

"Now is the Time" didn't debut until 1975, when COP moved to WDW. Did you go to Disneyland in 1972?

 

[rwodonnell]

Originally posted by meowthew2
"Now is the Time" didn't debut until 1975, when COP moved to WDW. Did you go to Disneyland in 1972?

No, but we did go again in the late '70s and I went a few times in the '80s. As I said might be a possibility, my memory of the 1972 trip isn't that great, I was 7 at the time. But I guess I am surprised to know it wasn't "Now is the time". I knew "Great Big" sounded familiar when I heard it at our more recent trips...

 

[colleen costello]

I also went in 1972, but I am a fossil and that was a LONG time ago. I had NO memory of the "original" song when I heard it last summer. For all I know, we may not have gone on the Carousel until 1975! In my mind "Now is the Time" is THE song... I always sing it in the shower when it's almost time for a Mickey trip... and that reminds me... I LEAVE IN 10 days!!!

 

[Mooobooks]

The current script is not the original one, but was rewritten during the last rehab, I believe. I think the new one makes each new scene take place during a different holiday, as opposed to the original which only focused on a change of season.
Also, the voice of the original husband, Rex Allen, is now the voice of the Grandfather in the final scene. (In the original final scene, there the Mother said, "Grandpa and Grandma aren't with us anymore, they're in a special home for senior citizens," or something idiotic like that. Needless to say, they changed that, too.

 

[mitros]

I beleive the voice of the father is now done by humorist jean shepard. {christmas story}

 

[David in Manassas]

I hate to say it cause it makes me ancient but this 8 year old boy in 1964 remembers riding it at the NY Worlds Fair...it made such an impression on me that I can rememember doing it to this date....funny thing..the only things I can definitely remember about the fair were: GE Carousel of Progress, PepsiCola/Unicef It's a Small World, Ford's Magic Skyway, GM Futurama?, the Dupont pavilion and the At&T one.....we didn't see the illinois one with Lincoln...

David