NEWS: Carousel of Progress Is CHANGING at Magic Kingdom
Disney just shared a BIG announcement -- we have ALL the details!
www.disneyfoodblog.comHere’s the latest as of May 2026:
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There is a broad refurbishment underway for Walt Disney World’s Carousel of Progress, including plans to update the opening scene with a Walt Disney Audio-Animatronic and to refresh multiple decades depicted in the ride. This is part of a long-anticipated update that Disney has discussed for several years.
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Public reporting in spring 2026 indicated a formal closure window for the current version of the ride, with plans to reopen in 2027 after the overhaul. The timeline has been repeated across multiple Disney-news channels and fan outlets.
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In 2025, Disney publicly announced the intention to introduce a Walt Disney figure into the opening portion of the show as part of the update, signaling a shift to emphasize Walt’s legacy within the attraction.
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Several outlets and fan channels in 2025–2026 described the overhaul as the most significant refresh since the ride’s inception, with reports of new scenes, updated decades, and the addition of a Walt Disney animatronic. Expect the ride to remain closed through most of 2026, with reopening targeted for 2027 in many reports.
Illustration (conceptual example of changes)
- A new opening scene featuring Walt Disney introduces the decades, followed by all-new scenes representing subsequent decades, replacing the existing sequence.
Notes and caveats
- Exact reopening dates can shift due to permitting, construction progress, and operational planning. Disney has not publicly committed to a precise reopening date beyond 2027 in most reports.
If you’d like, I can pull concise, line-by-line updates from specific outlets (e.g., Parade, DSNY Newscast, WDW News Today) and compile a compact timeline with dates and what’s changing in each scene.