Magic Kingdom’s Carousel of Progress closed on Jul7 6th for what will be the ride’s biggest update since it opened in 1975. The new version of the ride will include a Walt Disney animatronic, as well as all new scenes, meaning that most of the classic ride is set to change.

Carousel of Progress is closed

Disney is currently hard at work on making those updates, and we just got a sign that things are going forward as expected because Disney just filed a new permit for the ride.

Disney recently filed a permit for “Electrical Work” for the Carousel of Progress with the contractor listed as Solotech Sales and Integration U.S.A., Inc. According to the Solotech website, the company is “a global leader in audiovisual technologies,” which suggests that the work it will be doing on Carousel of Progress won’t be just minor electrical work, but audiovisual work.

Sneak Peek at Carousel of Progress at D23 2026

The company’s work includes video projections, LED walls, media servers, lighting, and more. So this isn’t just basic electrical wiring, but something that will probably end up being seen by guests when the new version of the ride opens. We previously saw a permit filed for set design, so the changes to the ride are either well underway or will be well underway soon.

Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress

Each scene of the ride is being completely updated to represent new decades. The first act will be set in the 1960s, starting with the moon landing in 1969. The second act will be in the 1980s, with Sarah showing off her latest kitchen gadgets and appliances. The third act will take us to 1999 on New Year’s Eve (cue Prince song here). A fourth act will show a possible future.

New concept art for Carousel of Progress changes

We recently got a sneak peek at the ride updates at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, including some of the costumes the animatronics will be wearing in the 1960s scene of the ride.

Act 1 Costume Sneak Peek at D23 2026

We also saw designs that showed the stage and how it will change between acts.

Different designs!

Disney has not yet revealed an opening timeline for the new Carousel of Progress, but we’ll be keeping an eye out for more updates, so stay tuned to DFB for more.

Disney Releases SNEAK PEEK at Carousel of Progress Makeover!

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