There’s a great big beautiful tomorrow starting at the end of every day and for more than forty years, one family has been singing about it. They started singing at the World’s Fair in New York, then they sang about it for a while in Disneyland, before settling in to their final home in the Walt Disney Magic Kingdom in Florida. The Carousel of Progress has followed one families journey towards the future all that time, and I’ve got to admit that just like seeing Mickey Mouse standing on Main Street, it never gets old.
To be fair, the first time I can remember going on the Carousel was in 1998, but it has been a staple of any trip to Disneyworld ever since. Starting at the turn of the century, this rotating theater tells the story of one family as they progress from the dawn of electricity all the way to the future of electricity. It has some memorable characters and, of course, a humdinger of a great Sherman Brothers song to keep the show bouncing along.
Allegedly, the Sherman Brothers wrote the song as an homage to their boss, Mr. Disney – who certainly lived with just the philosophy expressed by the song. Other things to note about this show is the voice of Mel Blanc (of Looney Tunes fame) – most particularly as the cantankerous uncle in the bathtub.
This is one of my nostalgic favorites and a must see. There are so few older rides left that patrons should definitely take the time to check out the true classics before they are all gone.
Oh, and the theater moves… which is kind of cool.
And now for some links:
WDWIG
Laughing Place
MiceAge
DisneyShawn
Youtube
Disney(Official)
Surprise
When I was at Disney Land I noticed that the old ride, which has been converted into an Innoventions pavilion, still turns. I didn't go in the pavilion to see if something turns on the inside.
ReplyDeleteYou mention the COP is a must see. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on the other must sees. What would you go to every time no matter how often you go? Perhaps a subject for a whole posting or a series if you went park by park. For me, one of those is Pirates.
You know, Ranger, that's a good idea. Though I think it might be easier for me to delineate which attractions aren't must see's at this point in my life since I don't get out to the parks as often as I used to. Maybe I should put together a guide for first time travelers to help make sure they see the very best that Disney has to offer.
ReplyDelete