Disney Upgrades Classic Ride With New Scenes and Celebrity Voices

The Walt Disney Company is revamping its classic Carousel of Progress ride at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. The refurbishment, which began in July 2026, aims to modernize every scene and add an Audio-Animatronic figure of Walt Disney.

The original ride was a 20-minute stage production featuring a cast of Audio-Animatronics characters that shared innovations in household technology across the decades. The auditorium would physically move into each 4-minute scene, like a carousel.

In its updated form, the Carousel of Progress will start in the 1960s and continue through to the 1980s, 1999, and the distant future. A new introduction will showcase Walt Disney as he appeared in 1964, preparing the first iteration of the ride for its World's Fair debut.

The updated ride features new voice actors, including Bryan Cranston as John and Jamie Lee Curtis as Sarah, as well as new costumes for the main couple in Act I, the 1960s. The family dog, Rover, will continue to be part of the ride.