Tag Archives: Carousel of Progress

WDW Things I’m Most Looking Forward to…

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You, my Disney-loving friend, will recognize the feeling: It seems like forever since we last visited our favorite vacation destination. Our dining plans were made months ago, our FastPasses have been booked, our Magic Bands should arrive any time and the wait is nearly over! Now that I can finally say, “Next month I’m going to Walt Disney World!”, here are 30 completely random things I’m looking forward to…

Would any of these be on your list?

  • Dinner at Morimoto Asia
  • The scent of Bay Lake Tower’s lobby
  • Every detail in Animal Kingdom (like how the sounds in Pandora change throughout the day)
  • Pre-race people-watching in our runDisney corrals
  • Dawa Bar beer
  • Looking out over Animal Kingdom from the tea train on Expedition Everest
  • Yellow Monorail / Walt Disney World
  • Singing with the Dwarfs in the mine…Heigh-HO!
  • Crossing finish lines!
  • Monorail announcements!
  • Our 2019 Strategy - Epcot's International Food & Wine Festival
  • Crispy Pork Belly
  • 19.3 miles of one-on-one time with Joseph at Disney World
  • Yak & Yeti eggroll
  • Every second on the PeopleMover (gotta rest those feet!)
  • That first glimpse of Cinderella Castle
  • Balloon vendors on Main Street U.S.A.
  • Soaking up my favorite Spaceship Earth scenes (for a little while longer)
  • Watching for Raymond on the race courses (and trying not to run by him accidentally)
  • The Backside of WATER!
  • “There’s a great big beautiful tomorrow….”
  • Everything in Mitsukoshi
  • Random character meetings
  • A maintenance service elevator waiting just for me
  • The wildest ride in the wilderness!

That was only 30 things and there are about a million more! I can’t remember when I’ve been more excited about vacation…time to start packing! Are you headed to Walt Disney World this fall? What are you most excited about?

Thoughts on Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress

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In the same way I’ve developed a peculiar mental routine on Space Ship Earth, my enjoyment of The Carousel of Progress has now also become based on certain habits I’ve developed over the years.  Raymond is included as part of my amusement on this attraction.  Here’s how it goes.RM-Carousel-of-Progress-Selfie

Thoughts on Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress

We’ll be in Tomorrowland and will have either just gotten off of Space Mountain or the PeopleMover and I’ll look longingly towards Carousel of Progress then make eye contact with Raymond.  No words necessary, he will either heave a sigh of resignation or raise an eyebrow while motioning me with one hand to lead the way.  As we enter the theater, I’ll look back to be sure he’s still with me and, grinning madly, beeline for the front row.  Raymond and I both know why I’m doing this – so there’s nobody in front of me that will be subjected to my enthusiastic singing along with the show.RM-Carousel-of-Progress-Exterior

Promptly after the Cast Member spiel, I will sneak my phone out of my pocket so I can take pictures even though I’ve got dozens already and there’s nothing new to see.  Raymond will nudge me, I will show him that the flash is off and we’ll settle in to watch.  (And sing.)

Valentines Day!  I love this scene and I this is Dad’s best outfit.  Hey…when this show was first shown at the 1964 World’s Fair, my mom was THERE!  Aaaaand expecting me!  So, the Carousel and I are totally connected!  carousel-of-progress-dadOh, LOOK!  Rover is so cute!  (Awww…I wonder what Junior’s doing now.)  Wait!  I totally get the theme of this show, but now I remember how the mysterious automatic appliance demonstrations are scary!  Singing along with this show is the BEST!

The 4th of July!  Ohhhh, no, I don’t like this part…the appliances become possessed and the neighbors unfriendly after the fuse-blowing part.  Patricia’s going to dress up as the Statue of Liberty and be whiny before Dad makes THE best pun about carrying a torch.  carousel-of-progress-dad2Uncle Orville!  Yes!  Voiced by Mel Blanc (do I detect a hint of Bugs Bunny in there somewhere?)  Can we please just go back to singing the song now!

Halloween!  This would be awesome if only the terms “rat race” and “commuting” weren’t mentioned.  Those two words alone have the ability to pierce the Disney Bubble!  Cool! We had a cuckoo clock just like that one when I was a kid!carousel-of-progress-dad3Focus, Lisa, Patricia and Babs, dating Wilfred (the slug) and Howard (the clodhopper),  are going to the Halloween party.  Yep, got it.  Patricia’s trying to lose inches with that ancient exercise machine!  Some things never change.  Dad, you need to get up off your patootie and help Sarah with the wallpapering.  Singing!!!!carousel-of-progress-christmas-scene

Christmas!  Memo to me: the grandma and her virtual reality game acumen are going to freak me out, so I should focus on cool details like the Christmas tree and how adorable the dog looks in this scene.carousel-of-progress-rover-at-christmasStop with the voice-activated oven before you burn the turkey! Never mind.  Quick!  Check for Mickey Mouse under the tree.  YES!  Still there. carousel-of-progress-christmas-tree

Y’all sing along with me now!

There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow

There’s a great, big, beautiful tomorrow
Shining at the end of every day
There’s a great, big, beautiful tomorrow
And tomorrow’s just a dream away

Man has a dream and that’s the start
He follows his dream with mind and heart
And when it becomes a reality
It’s a dream come true for you and me

So there’s a great, big, beautiful tomorrow
Shining at the end of every day
There’s a great, big, beautiful tomorrow
Just a dream away

Songwriters: RICHARD M. SHERMAN, ROBERT B. SHERMAN
Carousel of Progress!  Are you a fan?  What’s your favorite scene?

 

 

Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland – 5 Great Things

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RM-Tomorrowland-WalkwayI love Tomorrowland – yes, yes, I do love ALL the lands, but Tomorrowland holds a special little place in my heart.  Happy memories are involved and plenty of nostalgia – a red flag for my acceptance of any future (I’ll admit, necessary) changes to this side of Magic Kingdom.  Contradictory?  Indeed, but there you have it.  I’d say goodbye Stitch’s Great Escape without batting an eye.  The Speedway, while a wonderful vacation memory for many of my friends, has seen better days and could, at the very least, do with an upgrade to some sort of high tech vehicles.  I don’t visit Sonny Eclipse’s Starlight Café, opting for other Magic Kingdome eateries instead.  Buzz Lightyear’s fun, but not as much as Toy Story Midway Mania over at the Studios.  RM-Buzz-Lightyear-Mural RM-Buzz-Lightyear-Space-Ranger-Spin-InteriorIt’s weird how Tomorrowland mixes the old and the sorta new and still presents itself as Tomorrow-ish.  The mash-up isn’t bad, just strange – The whole being greater than the sum of its parts, to be sure.RM-Stitch's-Great-Escape RM-Sonny-Eclipse

No matter the odd assortment of attractions and details, I’m about to share my favorite bits and pieces in yet another list!  Friends, I give to you…

Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland – 5 Great Things

  1. Carousel of Progress – The rumors about this attraction, one of my most favorite of favorites, are a bit dire.  Said to be either going away forever (at some unspecified future time) or moving to Epcot, the Carousel is OLD like me – in fact, we’re the same age.  I say this makes us cool, hip, retro, and therefore awesome!  What would Tomorrowland be without guests singing, “It’s a great big beautiful tomorrow…”?  I like it best when I’m wearing my Carousel of Progress t-shirt when I see it!RM-Carousel-of-Progress-Exterior
  2. The PeopleMover – What is not to love about this attraction?  If you don’t like it, please don’t tell me…I could never understand your point of view and we couldn’t be friends.  This is the coolest, chill-est, most relaxing tour around Tomorrowland – in the most beautiful omnimover next to a Doom-buggy.  Full belly, tired feet, or just needing to dry off from Splash Mountain – the reasons to hop on the PeopleMover are endless!  The view never gets old.RM-PeopleMover-Outside-Sign RM-PeopleMover-Seat
  3. Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor – I can’t help that I am genetically predisposed to adore puns – the best and most amusing form of humor I know.  I’ve passed this gene onto my children and they’ll agree with me – this show is hilarious!  Every single time.RM-Monsters-Inc-Laugh-Floor RM-Monsters-Inc-Laugh-Floor2
  4. Space Mountain – I try to score a FastPass when possible and the older I get, the harder the Mountain is on my body.  That doesn’t mean I want to change anything!  The queue, while not the most interesting, has a fantastic soundtrack.  I might not jump in and out of the rocket as easily as I once did, but there’s a lot to love about this attraction – the landscape of Magic Kingdom would not be the same without it.RM-Space-Mountain-Sign2
  5. The Details – Metal palm trees, soaring planets, cool colors, eye-catching shapes – the atmosphere in Tomorrowland is incredibly unique.  This is what Disney does best!  Total immersion into this alien land – while the whimsical Fantasyland and the old-fashioned Main Street U.S.A. are right next door.RM-Tomorrowland-Palm-Tree RM-Tomorrowland-Skyline

How do YOU feel about Tomorrowland?  What’s your favorite attraction there?  What would you change tomorrow (LOL!) if you could?

Ode to Disney World’s Carousel of Progress

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CoP-CurtainAs we know, a lot of great things (and people!) came out of 1964.  Walt Disney’s imaginative and innovative contributions to the World’s Fair in New York that year were not just the technological beginnings for many of the modern rides and attractions we enjoy today, but also the debut of a few of the most beloved and enduring attractions that remain near and dear to our hearts.  One of those is Walt Disney World’s Carousel of Progress.

After the World’s Fair, the Carousel, originally named Progressland and sponsored by General Electric, moved to Disneyland and was renamed Carousel of Progress.  Guests (up to 3600 per hour) at Disneyland enjoyed the attraction until 1975 when it moved to Disney World and opened with a new song, “The Best Time of Your Life“.  GE’s corporate sponsorship officially ended in 1985.  A 1994 refurb returned the attraction’s original music, the song we all know and love, “There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow“.CoP-Dad2

The Carousel of Progress gets a bad rap.  Kids think it’s boring, thrill seekers think it’s simply a cool spot for a nap.  I’ve heard “boring”, “old-fashioned”, “antique” (that one really hit a nerve!) and “never seen it” when I asked some folks about one of my favorite Tomorrowland attractions.  A few of you, though, are firmly in my camp – we, the lovers of Dad, voiced by Jean Shepherd of “A Christmas Story” fame, Mom, Son and Daughter, Grandmother, Grandfather, Rover, and Cousin Orville, think Carousel of Progress is wonderful.  How can you not adore the dialog and carefully crafted scenes that illustrate how inventions over the past century changed the daily lives of a single family?

CoP-Dad-With-FanI asked and you were more than up to the task!  A call across social media for haikus paying tribute to the Carousel of Progress was answered with enthusiasm!  While not every entry was necessarily from a Carousel fan, all the poems were heartfelt and creative!  Way to go, Disney friends!!!  Prepare to be amazed…

Ode to Disney World’s Carousel of Progress

Rotate through the years
Uncle orville in the tub
Feel Walt’s touch throughout. – Dean (@CT_Mickey_Man) of the WDWNE Podcast

Nineteen Sixty Four
An innovative display
In New York City – Andrew Carrieri (@AndrewCfran) of The Mouse for Less blog

“Walt Disney presents”…
Those words mean so much to me CoP-Dad3
This was Walt’s project

Quickly time passes
Everything getting better
Don’t burn the turkey.

Do people still ride
The carousel of Progress?
I wish they all would – TRIPLE entry by poetic genius Wesley Snyder (@365DaysOfDisney)

Dad is in a chair
He celebrates holidays
Grandma Shoots Spaceships – M. Parrish (@Schmadvertising)

CoP-Christmas1So the seats rotate.
It’s the Christmas Story guy!
I am so sleepy. – Chad Reno (@Chad_Reno13)

Electric servants
Improving family life
Progress with each turn – HowBowers/LiquidLuau (@GoawayGreen) 

Now is the best time
So the new old song proclaimed
Shining at the end – Paulie (@YoPaulieNJ) of the WDWNE Podcast

On this New Years Eve
Virtual Reality
Is still The Future – Trish (@Babbletrish)CoP-Grandma

So what, the stage turns.
Wait, the theater can turn?
My mind has been blown – March Dizwireness (@Dizwire)

“Are you awake, dear?”
“Give ‘im a left, ya big lug!”
Grandma is on fleek – The Redhead (@TheWickedWench)

Lonely in the back
Tommorowland’s old relic
Smells like a barnyard – Jerusha (@OrangeBirdSwirl)

Beautiful refrain,
running endless through my brain,
just a dream away…. – Heather Brainerd via Facebook

O, moving circle!
Rest and breathe nostalgia.
Comfort me, again – Lyn Maszk via Facebook

CoP-MomSpecial shout-out to my buddy Sean (@1MinDisneyDream) from the Enchanted Tiki Talk Podcast who could not contain his enthusiasm for Carousel of Progress into a haiku and submitted this poem instead:

Carousel oh Carousel ur always progressing.
Let it be known ur lines are short but ur message is long and clear
it’s a great bit beautiful tomorrow.
The end.

Thanks to everyone who joined in the fun!  Sing with me now….

“…Man has a dream and that’s the start
He follows his dream with mind and heart
And when it becomes a realityCoP-Rover
It’s a dream come true for you and me

So there’s a great big beautiful tomorrow
Shining at the end of every day
There’s a great big beautiful tomorrow
Just a dream away…”

Watch for more opportunities to join the fun on Facebook and Twitter.

Which attraction do you think needs to be featured on our next “Ode to” article?