This last weekend, Disney hosted thousands of its most dedicated fans at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event. Throughout the weekend, fans could enjoy panels, presentations, experiences, shopping opportunities, and a whole lot more. Some fans could also experience showcases at the Honda Center throughout the weekend. This included Horizons: A Carousel of Progress. This Disney Experiences Showcase gave a look at what is going on with the past, present, and future of the segment at The Walt Disney Company.
During Horizons, Imagineer Chris Beatty provided a look at what is coming for the updated Carousel of Progress at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. While the scenes will change, the theme will remain the same. It will be grounded in Walt Disney’s original vision for the attraction. As work continues on this new version of the attraction, it will continue to carry forward the messages of optimism, innovation, and family over time.
New Voices
Beatty joined Horizons: A Carousel of Progress host Neil Patrick Harris on the stage to reveal some specific updates about the attraction. First off, the actors who will bring the voices of Father and Mother to life were revealed. This will be Disney Legend Jamie Lee Curtis and Emmy-winning actor Bryan Cranston. The iconic actors will be the voices that a new generation of fans will associate with “a great big beautiful tomorrow.” This seems very fitting after Jamie Lee Curtis led the singing of the song when she was inducted as a Disney Legend in 2024. This can be seen/heard here:
A video was released by Disney when the announcement was made at D23. This was later followed up with a post of the same video on social media:
A New Scene
Artwork of a new scene was also shown during Horizons: A Carousel of Progress. It showed the second act of the show, which takes place in the 1980s on Halloween. For those who lived through the 80s, it felt very nostalgic to look at it and recognize fashion styles, decorating, and vibes. This era will join three other new eras in this show that include the moon landing in 1969, the new millennium on New Year’s Eve going into 2000, and a future date on a faraway planet.
Daps Magic was on hand for this special update. It can be seen here:
On Sunday, another look at the Carousel of Progress was presented at the Imagineer Horizons Pavilion on the show floor. The Daps Magic team also captured this panel. This panel shows how Imagineers are honoring the legacy of this classic attraction while crafting an exciting new chapter for this most-performed stage show in the history of American theater. It can be seen here:
What do you think about the future for the Carousel of Progress? Is there a great big beautiful tomorrow? Are you excited to see what comes next? What are you most looking forward to in this new version of the attraction? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
