Carousel of Progress-not progressing?!!?

[perfectpluto10]

I haven't heard any rumors about it but dad keeps saying that they are getting rid of the Carousel of Progress!! Does anyone know if this is true or not? I hope not because i love that ride!! - There's a great big beautiful tommorrow.....

 

[I Love Pluto]

I, too, love the Carousel of Progress. I hope it's around for a VERY LONG TIME!

 

[dbm20th]

It's hard to say with CoP. It already seems to be on the chopping block. It's only open seasonally and probably belongs in DL more than MK. I think sometime in the not too distant future it will be an extinct attraction

 

[Tink's Tormentor]

May be sooner than we all think.... I have heard, of course, take these with a grain of salt, but.. I have heard that the entire area from the Galaxy Theater to COP up to the old Skyway station is footprinted for one huge knock out of a ride based on the Incredibles... Don't take this as official, as this is strictly a rumor that is out there.. In fact, I haven't been able to get anyone to even say this was something that was being talked about with Imagineering or if this was just a fanboy internet rumor.... But, if Imagineering has its way, COP will be gone within the next year...

Here is to hoping COP stays around for a long time to come... Somehow, though, I think Walt's creation is going to go the way of Mr. Toad... and that is to become extinct...

 

[lovemickeyshouse]

they should just update the timeline and make it where they talk about the future like 2020 but just my opinion

 

[raidermatt]

Who am I to say what Walt would think, but I'm going to do it anyway.

I think he would be disgusted that CoP was still around in its current form. If he kept it around, it would have gone through much more updating, either through added scenes, or a reworking of all scenes, not just the final one. Its rather jarring the way it jumps from the 1940's to the present, after only skipping 20 years in each of the prior scenes.

Don't get me wrong, I personally like having it around, and most certainly hate the way its only opened seasonally. But to truly do it right, it needs to be completely reworked.

I wouldn't be against a decision to replace it with something else, if I had confidence the new attraction would be done right.

 

[Demosthenes]

I wouldn't be against a decision to replace it with something else, if I had confidence the new attraction would be done right.

I couldn't agree more. I am all for the classics, but this one needs updating (as in a total overhaul) or replacement. I hope that they do something with it. My memories of it are much fonder than its current reality. I think a better attraction would be one that starts today, and moves on into tomorrow and beyond. It could use each of the 4 theaters to project as far as 100 years into the future. It would be lik an innoventions attraction that could be sponsored by multiple companies, and who doesn't like to look at the future that might be? Right now, the current "modern" scene is so dated, it is a little embarassing. Walt, IMO, would be sick at the state of this attraction.

 

[MJMcBride]

I have to agree with raidermatt. This seems to be an attraction whose time has passed. The fact that its open only seasonally is a clue. Wonders of Life was like that and isn't it gone now.

 

[dbm20th]

I have to agree with raidermatt. This seems to be an attraction whose time has passed. The fact that its open only seasonally is a clue.

OK, I don't want to be the fundamentalist here, but COP should not be just scrapped for an e-ticket. Take it away, put it in EPCOT or DL, or even Tokyo if you want. But this ride's historical impact is too important to just throw away.

 

[raidermatt]

Don't get me wrong, ideally, it would not be scrapped. It could be reworked. I don't agree that it still shouldn't show the past, because that would defeat the whole purpose of showing progress. But it could show the 1900's, 1940's, 1980's, then 20-30 years into the future, and be a great attraction for quite some time.

The chances of that happening, however, are pretty much non-existent.

Note also that I said I would have no problem replacing it if I had confidence that the new attraction would be done right.

I don't.

 

[OnceUponAStar*]

I don't think that Carousel of Progress will ever close, do to the fact that Walt wanted it to stay open.

 

[dsnyfamily]

I love this ride but IMHO I think CoP should either be reworked or closed. In it's current state it is missing the "Walt" perspective of tomorrow.

 

[exDS vet]

Carousel of Progress opened at Disneyland shortly after it's run at the '64 World's Fair in N.Y. The attraction was moved to WDW in 1973 to make room for America Sings, which ran from 1974 to 1988. Many of the characters from America Sings found a new home at Splash Mountain, primarily on the riverboat scene at the finale.

There have been no updates to CoP at WDW since G.E. stopped sponsoring the attraction. While I agree that a complete update would be nice, I also am of the opinion that it probably won't happen. Just like World of Motion at Epcot, Disney needs a hipper, more exciting attraction. And the real estate in that area of Tomorrowland is too valuable for just something new. It has to be an e-ticket.

Unfortunately I am not convinced that Imagineering will come up with a truly great attraction for this area either. Only time will tell, but perhaps when POTC #12 "Space Pirates" opens up in 2010, we'll see Jack Sparrow in Tomorrowland.

 

[klj27]

We love COP, but it wasn't working too well when we were there in July. At one point it stopped rotating while we were in line and the college program cm's weren't paying any attention. The guests inside starting banging on the doors to get out.

Another time the music didn't play at all in the 40's and my husband was quite upset that the main character had a big crack in his hand.

At least his complaints got us 4 free dole whip floats and 4 free fast passes.

 

[Jets fan]

I love CoP, but it does need updating badly. I would really miss the 'Great Big Beautiful tomorrow' song though.

I have to admit that I tend to snooze through this ride now. It's a great chance to nap and rest weary feet!

 

[bicker]

I think the fundamental issue here is attendance. Our last two times on CoP attendance was abomitable. Once, we were the only people in the theater, and once there was another couple in the back corner of the theater. (We deliberately didn't turn around during the show, for fear of what we might see them doing.) Guests (in general) simply don't care for this attraction, despite its legacy. It's a shame, but until guests change, Disney is doing us fanatics a good turn (and their investors a bad turn) by keeping the attraction open. No one should be surprised if it is closed (perhaps even permanently) on their next visit, and if that happens, the folks to be upset at are the general public, who are attracted to WDW by attractions that are radically different from CoP.

 

[barreloflaughs]

I think the fundamental issue here is attendance. Our last two times on CoP attendance was abomitable. Once, we were the only people in the theater, and once there was another couple in the back corner of the theater. (We deliberately didn't turn around during the show, for fear of what we might see them doing.) Guests (in general) simply don't care for this attraction, despite its legacy. It's a shame, but until guests change, Disney is doing us fanatics a good turn (and their investors a bad turn) by keeping the attraction open. No one should be surprised if it is closed (perhaps even permanently) on their next visit, and if that happens, the folks to be upset at are the general public, who are attracted to WDW by attractions that are radically different from CoP.

On the one hand you are saying that guests don't care for the attraction while on the other hand you are saying that Disney is doing these same guests a 'good turn' by keeping it open. er....I don't buy it. If the guests are staying away in droves then Disney should do the guests a good turn by closing it and replacing it with something to which the guests will flock. Is Disney doing a similar good turn by keeping 'Sounds Dangerous' around?

This is not an example of altruism on Disney's part. They are simply delaying the cost of replacing COP with a updated version or a completely new attraction. Short sighted shareholders will see this as a positive. Long term investors who see the big picture and bought in because of the 'Disney difference' see it as a negative.

Lagging attendance would indicate that the attraction needs updating at a minimum or a complete overhaul. Personally, I would hope for an update. I first enjoyed COP as a lil' squirt at the NY World's Fair and have a bit of a soft spot for it.

barrel

 

[JeffH]

only open seasonally

I don't know where you've been, but Carousel of Progress has been open non-stop for over a year now. Thanks to Fast-Pass, Carousel of Progress is more popular than ever. We ride it almost every time we go to the Magic Kingdom, which is at least once a month.
In fact I can't remember the last time it was closed...

 

[Another Voice]

I think the fundamental issue here is that Disney management are idiots.

How many movie theaters would stay in business if they played the same exact movie day after day, year after year? On top of that, they let the print of the movie get worn and break frequently, the theater to get dirtier and never clean the carpets.

That’s what WDW has done with CoP. Any show has to be refreshed and updated from time to time – and especially a show that’s “about the future”. The world has moved on yet Disney refused to adjust the show to accommodate the changing audience.

Remember the show opened in the mid sixties. Most of the adults in the audience still remembered many of the “good old day” segments of the show – or had at least heard stories from their parents. The show let those audiences look back on their experiences with nostalgia and laughter.

We’re now more than a century away from the opening scenes of CoP. No one in the audience has either a first, second or even a third hand experience with that life. Even the last historical scene is set almost half a century ago.

So how about UPDATING the ride!? How about something the adults in the audience can relate to. How about something that we can joke about with our children? Like the day we got cable television – with 20 whole channels! Or that fantastic new video game that let you play Pong (in black and white) on your own television set. Think of the quarters we could save! And microwave ovens and machines at the bank that could give you money even after the bank had closed!! How many children these days remember having to cash a check at a grocery store or know how to use a rotary dial telephone or have even seen carbon paper?

We won’t even start on the “future” scene.

Only incompetent businessmen run the same product for fifty years and blame its staleness on the public. It’s not the guests that need to change, it’s Disney’s respect to the guests. Bad management throws something into the market and blames its failures on the customers – when the failure really is the result of their own laziness.

 

[bicker]

Not worth the bother.