Debi Derryberry Returns as Grandma in Reimagined Carousel of Progress
Debi Derryberry, the longtime voice actor behind Daughter Patricia in the Carousel of Progress, is returning to the attraction in a new role as Grandma. The announcement came during the Walt Disney World 55th Anniversary event, where Imagineering and the Archives shared updates on the reimagined ride, set to reopen in late spring 2027 after a major refurbishment.
The Carousel of Progress is undergoing a significant overhaul, shifting its timeline forward by 60 years. The new version will feature a brand-new introduction scene with an advanced Audio-Animatronic of Walt Disney, inspired by his 1964 television special. The eras of the 1900s, 1920s, and 1940s are being replaced by the 1960s, 1980s, and 1999, with a retro-futuristic finale that blends elements of the past and future.
Derryberry’s return as Grandma marks a full-circle moment, as she previously voiced the daughter in the 1993 version of the attraction. While the specific decades she will voice the character in have not been revealed, concept art suggests she appears in the finale. Other celebrities, such as Jamie Lee Curtis and Bryan Cranston, have been cast as the family’s matriarch and patriarch.
The refurbishment includes a complete overhaul of the aging turntable mechanism and new show scenes. Despite the extensive work, Disney aims to reopen the attraction by Memorial Day 2027, a timeline that some consider ambitious given the scope of the project.