Did you know what Walt Disney’s favorite attraction was? Was it the Jungle Cruise? No. Maybe it was Peter Pan, Snow White, or Mr. Toad? No. Perhaps he enjoyed spinning. Yes. If you think about, you honestly probably aren’t too shocked that Walt Disney’s favorite attraction was none other than the Carousel of Progress. While he never rode Florida’s version, it’s an identical copy of the one he loved so dearly at Disneyland.
Not surprisingly, the Carousel of Progress resides in Tomorrowland for obvious reasons. Despite Walt’s deep love of the attraction, unfortunately most average park goers don’t have his great appreciation of the past and how it sets up the future, leading to lines being non-existent. However the attraction’s low ridership has also caused the attraction to run on what is officially deemed as a seasonal schedule, but it does operate quite frequently despite this.
Once seated in the gigantic theater, riders are treated to a neat little show that shows the innovations of the times, all while playing one of the catchiest and best Disney tunes of all time (There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow). Really the show is divided into four segments- pre-electricity, simple electricity, appliances, and current times. Personally I enjoy the latter best since it’s interesting to see what Imagineers predicted our current time would be like a good ten years ago, and it’s surprisingly accurate, as it features HD TVs, video games, and some voice-activated devises. But my personal favorite feature of the attraction is the rotating theater. While a pretty simple effect, I have always enjoyed this neat feature ever since my childhood.
So how does this lengthy attraction stack up to other, less educational attractions? As much as I hate to admit it, this unfortunately just pales in comparison in the fun category, but the attraction does have a niche and it performs its purpose extremely well in educating about the past and current times, all while being somewhat entertaining. Still, I would much rather spend my time on other attractions while at the park, but it’s a neat attraction to see if you’ve never been on it before and have hit the rest of the park’s major attractions.
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