Walt Disney Imagineering is increasingly reinvesting in older theme park attractions, bringing these classics up to speed with modern technology and sometimes introducing major changes. This is the case for a fan favorite at Walt Disney World that’s currently closed for a large-scale refurbishment. New details were just revealed.
Disney World is refreshing a classic ride by changing every scene and adding an Audio-Animatronic figure of Walt Disney. Imagineers revealed a sneak peek at how this work is going behind the scenes. Mickey Visit brings you the latest Disney news and planning resources, including 13 new ride reveals for Disney’s biggest theme park projects and 14 huge Disney movie and TV show announcements.
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Reimagining Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress
In July 2026, Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World closed for a major refurbishment.
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The 20-minute stage production features a cast entirely of Audio-Animatronics characters, sharing innovations in household technology across the decades. The auditorium physically moves into each 4-minute scene, like a carousel.
Imagineers are currently transforming the Carousel of Progress into an updated experience with more modern decades. The new version will start in the 1960s, then continue into the 1980s, 1999, and the distant future. See our scene-by-scene breakdown of what Disney previously shared.
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Before the decades begin, though, a new introduction to the ride will showcase an Audio-Animatronics figure of Walt Disney. He’ll appear as he did in 1964, preparing the first iteration of the Carousel of Progress for its World’s Fair debut.
As part of 2026’s D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, Disney revealed new information about the future of its theme parks. This included new artwork, pictured above, for the new 1980s Halloween scene in the updated Carousel of Progress.
Disney also revealed the voice actors for John and Sarah in the new update: Bryan Cranston and Jamie Lee Curtis!
Disney also shared a look at new costumes for John and Sarah, the main couple in the ride, as they’ll appear in Act I, the 1960s.
Rover, the family dog, will continue to be part of the ride. His appearance doesn’t seem to have changed.
The Carousel of Progress news is one of many Disney theme park announcements just revealed. Click here to see all the news revealed at D23 with our ongoing coverage!
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