Carousel of Progress

Originally Posted By HokieSkipper

^^^If Future World didn't exist, then sure. But WDW's Tomorrowland hasn't been about that approach towards the future for at least 17 years.

 

Originally Posted By HokieSkipper

MK's Tomorrowland is incredibly fictional/sci-fi slanted. COP just doesn't fit in with that.

 

Originally Posted By Goofyernmost

Well that was due to poor planning 40 years ago. Seems they couldn't see into the future anywhere near as well as they thought they could.

Fit in...smitt in! It still is a viable attraction wherever it is located, but not important enough for Disney to spend thousands to move it. There is no one currently attending that is savvy enough to know the difference anyway, unless it is those of us that have spent way to much time thinking about it. It has been practically continuously running multiple shows a day since 1964 (with time out for relocation and a brief seasonal status) just that statistic alone is note worthy. (I wonder if they are still keeping track of how many shows it has been?) It certainly deserves more respect then many are willing to give it.

 

Originally Posted By Bellella

Reason I asked is because the need-to-be-updated website says that Carousel of Progress is open seasonally.

I definitely feel that the original incarnation was something really special. (I only have the audio for it.) But the modern act of the show should be about the present day, and about the future.

 

Originally Posted By HokieSkipper

^^^Never trust anything the official website tells you. It's run and maintained by morons.

 

Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom

<<Since that time, they've continued to expand the final scene to 'present day' and it just gets more and more weird.>>

I have to agree! But in defense of all things weirdly, some of us like "weird".

 

Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA

<<Hokie, your brainstorming techniques leave much to be desired. >>

Not really. I'm just realistic. Aside from spending a crap load of money on an attraction with a dated premise and constant need for updating that also brings in basically zero income, something like that just isn't going to happen.>

Now I know why I don't invite you people to my Christmas party.

 

Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom

I also like CoP. I agree it would be better suited elsewhere on Property ( even perhaps Pop Century). But, I do like it where it is. And it has to be better than the empty amphiheater next door, or the abandonded "noodle stand" on the approach to Tomorrowland. It is not the fans or CoP fault Tomorrowland has morphed into Stitch/ Buzz Lightyear cartoonland. CoP use to fit very well till Tomorrowland turned into SciFi cartoonland.

I go on CoP every visit when it is open. My only concern isn't so much the dated technology, it is that the final scene reflects Christmas. To me it is like groundhog day where the thing is stuck in Christmas mode.

 

Originally Posted By HokieSkipper

<<CoP use to fit very well till Tomorrowland turned into SciFi cartoonland.>>

COP hasn't fit Tomorrowland since Tomorrowland '94.

 

Originally Posted By Mickeymouseclub

Doesn't each scene depict a holiday? I know Valentine's Day and Fourth of July, Halloween? and Christmas but drawing a blank for the others. Perhaps the concept could be updated beginning with electricity improving life and all the options we are currently exploring. Maybe Disney doesn't want to go there...everything has controversy nowadays. So the ending remains almost cartoony.

 

Originally Posted By jkayjs

It's the four seasons of the yr set around the most recognized holiday for each.

Not only should they not take it out they should spruce it up & advertise the heck out of it. This is Disney in my eyes it's pure nostalgia.

Now I know that's a dirty word anymore but not for me. We need to remember where we came from & how we got to where we are.

Those were time frames when great innovations occurred, innovations that made places like Disney Parks possible. It's not for everyone granted but if it were presented like it should be it would be busy much of the time.

I have no problem with change but change for change sake is pointless & all to often the way of things any more.

If you want something removed & or changed how about that 'Stitch' thing...yes I know what it's called but you get where I'm coming from.

So unless you missed it I respectfully give a big NO vote for removing or changing any part of the CoP except the last sceen periodically.

To the OP Hokie's right it's open when the MK is.

 

Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan

>>it's pure nostalgia<<

Sometimes the best way to honor an attraction of the past is to leave it in Yesterland. Everything has a shelf life, a point at which the original concept no longer works or requires a total overhaul.

I don't see Disney investing in attractions like Carousel of Progress much anymore. The era of the animatronic show was cutting edge and unique in its day, and was an amazing feat. But to let an attraction become dated and passe is no tribute.

GE's Carousel of Progress was one of those wide-eyed wonders of my youth, and it's message of a great big beautiful tomorrow was filled with hope and optimism. I am sure that given a decent budget and a blank slate, a new attraction that celebrates innovation could be developed by Imagineers.

Nostalgia, in Tomorrowland, is kind of missing the whole point of that land's theme.

 

Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom

The Carousel of Progress holds the record as the longest-running stage show, with the most performances, in the history of American theater. It is the oldest Disney-built attraction not only in the Magic Kingdom, but the entire Walt Disney World Resort. It is the only attraction in Walt Disney World to have a direct physical tie to Walt Disney.

 

Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan

Walt Disney liked changing things, coming up with The Next Big Thing. I think showing that there is still imagination in the world, and giving them a fresh canvas to work with, is the best tribute the Disney Company could make to the founder.

 

Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom

It's got to be a lot far more relevant than the empty amphitheater ( which isn't even on any recent maps ) and the old skyway on either side of it. I refuse to see why it's absence is an absolute "must" for Tomorrowland. And for those of us who never got to see the 1965 World Fair.... it's kinda nice.

As for Stich, in time that will be removed. I don't understand why a "pure" Walt Disney piece of workmanship needs to be removed for Tomorrowland to work now when "trendy" rides like Stitch, Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor and Buzz will eventionally be removed.

 

Originally Posted By RoadTrip

Carousel of Progress is one of my favorite MK attractions... I would hate to see it go. Sure, a large part of my enjoyment is probably nostalgia... I first saw the CoP at the 64-65 NY World's Fair. There IS a place for nostalgia in the MK... it’s called Main Street. By extending one of the side streets off Main Street you could access the CoP from there instead of Tomorrowland. Redo the Amphitheater and facade of the CoP to fit the turn of the century style of Main Street. The extended side street could have shops, again in the turn of the century style, carrying the high-end non-character / non-Disney logo merchandise that WDW USED to carry. Maybe put in a high-end restaurant with a menu inspired by turn of the century fine dining. And Main Street don’t need no damn talking oven… get rid of the final scene in CoP and restore it to the original World’s Fair version.

 

Originally Posted By Bellella

I've got to go on it at least once in my life. It's obvious they'll never bring it back over to California, so I have to travel to Florida to see it. Disneyland has lost so many wonderful attractions that are over in Florida now, for me it'll be like seeing old friends again in a new place.

 

Originally Posted By Goofyernmost

^^^^Because of the present purpose of CoP which is pure entertainment with a dash of education for those that didn't live in the times depicted, I would have to agree with you RoadTrip. Why not go back to the original and make it a real historic, nostalgic attraction massaged by Walt Disney.

To address the concept that Walt would probably gotten rid of it by now. That is correct and if he were doing the closing nobody would be the least bit concerned. Because Walt is dead there is a need to somehow hold onto something that we will never see again. It's a tribute to a person that we feel added to our lives enormously. We don't want to see it go away. Heck, why not tear down the Lincoln Memorial after all he is not longer relevant.

I'll bet if you took a poll of kids between 5 and 16 no more then 2% would know who the person is holding Mickey's hand in front of the castle. They might even know his name but have no idea why he is there or why there is a park named after him.

With that there is an urgency to keep what little we have of his direct work. His concepts, yes...there are many. But his actual work? The collection is getting pretty slim. And whenever the people left behind have tried to improve on one of his originals, they have mostly missed the mark.

So in my mind it really doesn't matter whether or not the topic is current or not...it is something from the past that cannot ever be replaced and probably never duplicated. It goes and it is gone forever. There is enough of that in the world as it is.

 

Originally Posted By jkayjs

The whole concept of CoP is what's coming 'tomorrow'. TL is the perfect place for it. Every sceen was someone's tomorrow regardless if it's ours or not.

We could argue forever if it's in the right place or not but it's where Walt put it for me that's enough.

I'm not so sure he would have pulled the plug on it. He valued lessons learned & paths that were forge & nostalgia too.

There are those of us that can't or won't go on the thrill/high tech attractions. CoP fills a void for those that want to be entertained without all the physical demands that many of the newer rides deliver.

At the end of the day none of us know what Walt would have done or have any control over what current management will do. I for one hope they hold on to this gem a while longer. So I guess @ the end of the day some of us will have to agree to disagree.

I will be 2/3 rows back in the middle the 2nd wk of Dec with a big smile on my face at least one more time!

 

Originally Posted By leobloom

>> The Carousel of Progress holds the record as the longest-running stage show, with the most performances, in the history of American theater. <<

This factoid has always bothered me. There are no live actors in the show, so to act like it's the equivalent of a Broadway show is disingenuous. I doubt the major figures of "American theater" would recognize Carousel of Progress as part of their industry. It certainly never won any Tonys, so what's the point of the factoid? To tell us CoP has been around a while (with several different scripts, at that!).

Great.

Thing is still a perfect example of the staleness of MK.