Overview
- The Carousel of Progress closed for a major overhaul on July 5, 2026, and Walt Disney Imagineering used its August 14 D23 presentation to show costumes, maquettes, concept art and a new attraction poster.
- Imagineering confirmed a new four‑act sequence — a 1969 Apollo moon‑landing scene, Halloween 1985, New Year’s Eve 1999, and a speculative future finale — preceded by an Audio‑Animatronic Walt introduction.
- The D23 exhibit displayed two finished costumes (a 1960s outfit and a future outfit), two character maquettes, Rover the dog, and a poster carrying the tagline “From the Good Old Days... to the Possible Future.”
- Disney says the work is a rebuild rather than a routine refresh, requiring structural steel and scenic installation and bringing in outside scenic contractors such as Mecca Productions to stage the changing environments.
- Disney has pledged to keep core legacy elements — the Sherman Brothers’ anthem, the rotating theater ride system, and the central family — and public reaction is mixed as fans wait to judge execution when the attraction returns in 2027.