The Carousel of Progress at Magic Kingdom will be closing temporarily for a complete overhaul beginning July 6, 2026. The updated version will debut in 2027.

In addition to the Walt Disney Audio-Animatronic figure that will be added to the show’s intro, which was announced previously, we now know that every scene of the attraction will be refreshed with new decades.

The long-running attraction will see its story shifted 60 years into the future, with all new scenes and upgraded animatronics.

See which decades will be replacing the current ones, as well as more official details below, or check out our in-park update video for even more information.

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The upcoming Carousel of Progress update comes after recent successes at the Magic Kingdom, including the praised new color scheme for Cinderella Castle.

The park recently upgraded its Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin ride, with new modernized blasters, targeting, and scoring systems, vastly improving guest satisfaction scores. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad also recently reopened after an intense refresh that saw its track replaced and new effects added.

Set to reopen some time in 2027, the Carousel of Progress will also receive a massive overhaul of the entire attraction after it closes next month.

After running for around 60 years, the Carousel of Progress has seen a number of changes since it first debuted at the 1964-1965 World’s Fair. One of the last biggest changes saw the finale upgraded in 1994, moving it several decades later to incorporate the upcoming turn of the new millennium.

Today, Walt Disney World has announced that all of the current scenes will be shifting their timelines to later decades, including the finale.

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Intro Scene – Walt Disney Animatronic

As had been previously announced, the show’s new introduction will feature an Audio-Animatronic figure of Walt Disney.

Disney says “Walt is in a scene inspired by the 1964 special ‘Disneyland Goes to the World’s Fair,’ which is where he first introduced the idea of Carousel of Progress and shared his enduring belief in the power of progress to shape a better tomorrow.”

Many of the props and artifacts for the scene, like the ones seen in the official concept above, are being sourced or recreated by the team working on the attraction’s update. This includes the prototype Tiki bird, the Tower of the Four Winds model, a doll from “it’s a small world,” and more.

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ACT 1 – 1969 Summer

In the first scene, which previously took place at the turn of the last century, the 1900s, at Valentine’s Day, we now find ourselves six decades later in 1969.

Now set during the same decade as the World’s Fair where the attraction first debuted, the new version will act nearly as a sequel, picking up right where it (originally) left off.

The family, along with millions of people around the world, will be tuning into the historic moon landing in the new version of the scene, a moment that “captures the spirit of innovation and possibility that has always been—and always will be—at the heart of Carousel of Progress.”

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ACT 2 – 1985 Halloween

Replacing the 1920’s July 4th scene, the family now moves into the 1980s on Halloween, with John handing candy out to trick-or-treaters. Since he’ll be busy with that, Sarah will take the reins for the first time in the attraction’s history.

Sarah is showing off all of her new appliances and gadgets that make her life easier.

Uncle Orville will still be found in the bathroom for this scene, as there’s still no privacy around here.

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ACT 3 – 1999 New Year’s Eve

The family is ringing in the new year, and the new millennium, in the scene that used to be 1940’s Halloween.

Being the end of the 1990s, the scene will talk about how this new thing called the internet is bringing people around the world together.

Reusing existing figures and settings, but updating them for the new time period, Grandma is now using the TV to switch over to wrestling instead of boxing.

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ACT 4 – The Possible Future

Replacing the current finale of Christmas at the end of the 1990s, the story is now moving the family into the distant future—and even off the planet.

With a helpful robot assisting in everyday tasks, as seen in the official concept art for the scene above, and the incorporation of space travel, “the scene imagines a future where extraordinary innovation has become part of life and proves that a beautiful tomorrow is just a dream away.”

Disney says that to create this new finale Imagineers looked back at original concept sketches by Disney Legend John Hench, drawing inspiration from his earlier vision of the future.

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Attraction Closure

We only have a little over a month to enjoy the current version of the Carousel of Progress. The last day to experience it will be July 5, 2026. The show will close starting July 6th, and is not expected to reopen until some time in 2027.

Disney says they will release additional details in the coming months. The new version of the show is meant to introduce the show “to an entirely new generation of fans while honoring its history and heart.”

See our in-park video update for more details on changes coming to the attraction, as well as a quick look at construction happening around the park and more.

Stay tuned to Park Stop as we follow this project and more happening around Walt Disney World. Enter your email below or subscribe to the news feed to never miss an update!

Subscribe to the news feed or enter your email address below to never miss an update. Official Art: Disney | Original Photos: Alicia Stella

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