Reimagineering the Carousel of Progress

Look, we’re not saying we should; we’re just saying if the Carousel of Progress were to be updated, we have some ideas for the Imagineers. So put on your Imagineering hard hat and let’s become honorary Imagineers!

Facelift

Chris: If we are staying within a budget and just giving CoP a facelift, I would shift time periods from 1900 to the 1960s to starting in the 1960s to the 1980s to the 2000s to the 2020s. So we keep the same time jumps but shift it to more modern time periods.

Bradley: Let’s keep the old scenes and just update the last one, but bring in a sponsor. Someone like Amazon, Google, or Apple would make a great partnership to show how home automation is going to continue to progress.

Disney IP

Chris: If I’m bringing in some existing Disney intellectual property to the CoP, I’m bringing in Wall-E. I would use Wall-E and EVE to educate us on how we can use technology and innovation to be more human, be more connected, take care of the Earth, and positively impact the future.

Bradley: If I am in charge and bringing in some existing characters into the CoP, I’m going with the characters from Big Hero 6 to show the progression of modern medicine. It keeps the spirit of progression and innovation through time, but it shifts the focus to medical advancements.

Completely New Story

Chris: The Carousel of Progress has always done a great job of taking me back through time. In the spirit of advancement and technology, I’d make this a trip into the future. Start with today’s technology and go further and further into the future so you end 50 years in the future. We don’t know what life will look like in 50 years, but Walt and the Imagineers didn’t know what life would be like 20 years in the future when they designed the original ride.

Bradley: Let’s tell the story of Imagineering in each of the Walt Disney parks. The scene on the Magic Kingdom can show how the park went from conception to new trackless ride systems. EPCOT can talk about how they created a way to go around the world not in 80 days but in one. Hollywood Studios can show how Galaxy’s Edge was designed. Finally Animal Kingdom can talk about how the Kilimanjaro Safari was designed so that the animals are in separated areas without us being able to see the fences and dividers.

Again, we aren’t saying Carousel of Progress should be updated. We’re just getting our creative juices flowing and being creative.

If you were in charge, how would you update the Carousel of Progress? Should it be updated at all?