In 1967, the Carrousel of Progress was installed in Disneyland and happily spun through Tomorrowland until it was moved to WDW. The show didn't move intact, though; it was retrofitted with a new theme and a new song. "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow," the original show's upbeat anthem of progress, was replaced with a new Sherman brothers tune, "Now is the Best Time of Your Life." In 1994, the show was again renovated and with the restoration of the original theme song.
REPORTED: Craig 09 JAN 99
You MUST have binoculars or a telephoto lens on your SLR camera to see this, but if you look at the date on the newspaper the narrator/father is holding in the FIRST scene (which takes place in Feb 1900) you will see the actual date on the newspaper is July 4th, 1927! Obviously at some point they moved that paper from the 2nd scene into the 1st one.
REPORTED: JD Fenstermacher 18 OCT 00
In the 3rd scene (I think that is the Halloween one, right?) In the kid's room on the left when he's showing off his Jack'o'Lantern, on the wall behind him is some sort of "Certificate of Achievement" type thing, made out to Timothy Abrams (or Adams) Odd, as the father/narrator consistently calls him Jimmy.
REPORTED: JD Fenstermacher 18 OCT 00
A friend and I noticed that in one of the first scene-when the father introduces us to his wife-there is a little girl helping with the laundry. What is strange is that this little girl never appears again in the entire show! Who is she? She is the only character the audience is never introduced to
REPORTED: Julie 25 JUL 99
On the right side of the Carrousel of Progress there is a VIP lounge for AAA workers! I have never noticed this before, but saw a sign saying "AAA VIP Lounge" with an arrow pointing towards the rear of the ride on the right side!
REPORTED: Joshua Present 22 JAN 98
The AAA VIP lounge is for people who have booked their travel through AAA, not employees of AAA. I was told yesterday by a AAA travel agent that there is only one such lounge, and that it is in the Magic Kingdom in Tomorrowland. When you book a trip though AAA, you get a coupon admitting you to the lounge. Certain restrictions apply.
UPDATE: David Poole 10 JUN 98
The theme song, "Great, Big Beautiful Tomorrow" used to also be heard being performed on the television in Epcot in the Horizons attraction.
REPORTED: Melanie Emmons 17 SEP 96
CONFIRMED: Abagail 29 NOV 96
CONFIRMED: Brad Fleming 25 MAY 97
I believe both the narrator and the father audio-animatronic are the same in the Carrousel of Progress as in Horizons.
REPORTED: Melanie Emmons 07 NOV 96
CONFIRMED: Joshua L 04 MAR 97
Both Horizons and the Carrousel of Progress were sponsored by GE. That is why the father, mother, the dog and the theme song are all the same.
CONFIRMED: Damon Smith 06 SEP 97
Melanie Emmons reported that both the narrator and father audio-animatronic figure are the same in the Carrousel of Progress and Horizons. The figure is the same, but the voices are different. (June 26,
UPDATE: The Crutchley Family 28 JUN 97
Each scene has a cat somewhere in it. Some obvious, other very difficult to see.
REPORTED: Chris 23 APR 99
The dog in the farm scene of Epcot's The Land boat ride is the same dog as the one in Epcot's Horizons, Magic Kingdom's Carrousel of Progress and the one holding the keys in Magic Kingdom's Pirates of the Caribbean. It was Walt Disney's dog.
REPORTED: Emilie Creede 13 MAR 99
Has anyone noticed that the dog in the Carousel of Progress looks exactly the same as the dog in the Pirates of the Caribbean? Someone please confirm this!
REPORTED: Corey Housman 24 FEB 06
The voice of the father is Jean Shepherd, author, TV and radio performer, who most people know as the writer and narrator of the movie "A Christmas Story" staring Peter Billingsley and Darrin McGavin. A story about a depression era kid who wanted a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas. "You'll shoot your eye out, kid".
REPORTED: Al Elia 28 MAY 97
In one of the scenes, I believe 1940, the daughter has pictures of Clark Gable and other stars on the wall. Lying on her dresser is a picture of Walt himself. Unfortunately, you have to work there to see it...
REPORTED: stuart bowers 13 MAR 95
In the third or fourth scene (depending on how you count) which has the Fourth of July motif, George is wearing two left shoes! There ia a left shoe on his right foot.
REPORTED: Glenn Martell 25 AUG 98
There are several jokes in the last or "Christmas" scene, most of which are only visible to the Cast Members. I haven't been on Carrousel of Progress since May 1995 so I have been trying to remember what it had. But it seems like the main one was during the song, the script came up on the computer with side notes asking if everyone was sick of the song yet and wondering how many will be singing it for the rest of the day, or something to that effect.
REPORTED: Jeremy Carr 15 NOV 95
In the final scene - on bulletin board at right - "E-mail Rover's Vet Appt."
REPORTED: anon 01 MAY 99
In the final scene - on bulletin board at right - "Las Vegas or Bust 2-22-99" Maybe a cast member's note?
REPORTED: anon 01 MAY 99
There's a note stuck on the pinboard (right-hand wall) which says "Marty called - he wants changes!" - almost certainly a poke at Walt Disney Imagineering President Marty Skylar.
REPORTED: Graham Allan 06 JAN 94 The pinboard has been changed a little - the note now reads "Marty called - wants changes!".
REPORTED: Graham Allan 18 MAY 94
CONFIRMED: Kathy Nicklas-Varraso 22 MAY 94
For your information, Marty is president of Imagineering.
REPORTED: Rodney B. Hupalo 01 JUL 95
CONFIRMED: The Crutchley Family 28 JUN 97
CONFIRMED: anon 01 MAY 99
In the final scene - on bulletin board at right is a Mighty Ducks button.
REPORTED: anon 01 MAY 99
The mother's laptop is actually working and is scripted along with the scene.
REPORTED: Jeremy Carr 09 NOV 95
