Overview
- Disney confirmed the Magic Kingdom staple will close July 6, 2026, with the last performances on July 5, and the refreshed show is expected to reopen sometime in 2027.
- The attraction’s eras will shift forward roughly 60 years so the four acts now visit 1969, 1985, 1999 and a distant possible future rather than the current turn-of-the-century timeline.
- Disney will add a Walt Disney Audio-Animatronic in a new introductory scene inspired by the 1964 television special that first introduced Carousel of Progress.
- Imagineering said every scene will be replaced or refreshed and reporting on permits and planned work points to substantial infrastructure and production upgrades, including new animatronics and replacements of aging hydraulic systems with modern actuators and power/cooling improvements.
- Disney says it will preserve the show's core — the rotating theater, the same family and the theme song 'There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow' — in an effort to keep the attraction relevant for new audiences while honoring its history, and fans have until July 5 to see the current version.