carousel of progress closed

[Ed T]

A report in the Orlando Sentinel says the ride that Walt designed is closing.

What will take it's place?

Ed
DVC 1994

 

[toefungus]

I haven't heard anything to reaplce it at the moment. I'll probably just sit there and gather cobwebs like 20k leagues under the sea is still doing......

 

[johare]

Probably a gift shop selling plush Winnie the Pooh dressed in little space suits, but more than likely the same thing which took the place of the Skyway, 20K Leagues and the keel boats...NOTHING.

 

[MerryPoppins]

So sad. We noticed in March that it needed some repair. DH said he didn't think they would fix it up, but just close it. Not enough people wanting to ride. We loved it and it wouldn't have cost much to fix the things that were wrong. A couple of torn scrims, something wrong with the son in the last scene and a shaky daughter in one scene. Definitely one of our all-time favorite memories. Wish we had a tape of it.

 

[dizneeluvr]

When is it closing? How sad, especially now. I can't even begin to tell you how much that song, ``It's a great big beautiful tomorrow'' as picked me up over the past 7 weeks since 9-11. It seems especially poignant now to have hope for a ``better tomorrow''. What a shame that they are giving up on something that the wizard himself opened. Progress? I think not!

laura

 

[ErikdaRed]

Well they do now have a large piece of "fallow" real estate from the old skyride to the tomorrow land stage. Would a new E-ticket overbalance tomorrowland?

 

[WorknFires]

I arrived 10-19 and they closed the ride 10-21. had I known that it wouldn't be open when I went to MK on 10-23, I'd have made the point of going earlier. CoP is (was) my most favorite ride. The closing really breaks my heart

Cheryl

 

[MikePezz]

I love the COP too, and I will truly miss it. I can completely understand many people being disheartened by the closing of this attraction.

HOWEVER, there is one argument for keeping it open I just don't understand. Many on this board have stated that closing an attraction Walt himself opened should never occur. I think Walt himself would disagree with this. The COP has had a very good run, but its heyday has passed. It is no longer considered a technological marvel, and the crowds have died down. Progress is taking the good old COP theater and finding a new venue for guests (NOT an innoventions, but I digress). Of course, one might say that since the building will sit vacant for years on end, there is no progress in the top management's current plans either. Oh well.....Now is the Time...to remember long lost attractions, and always remember that there is a great big beautiful tomorrow....where a new attraction will soon hold a special place in our hearts.


Disney should do what I have been saying for years: SELL IT TO THE SMITHSONIAN. It is a part of American History afterall.....

 

[johare]

Now is the Time...to remember long lost attractions, and always remember that there is a great big beautiful tomorrow....where a new attraction will soon hold a special place in our hearts.

Like the special place that Aladdin's Magic Carpet's is holding in everyone's hearts? Or how about Journey into your Imagination? Or that wonderful character greeting area which replaced 20K Leagues Under the Sea?

 

[MerryPoppins]

I wouldn't be as upset if I thought they would preserve it. I hate to see it destroyed since it is a part of history.

I also wonder if they will put something "better" in it's place. Somehow, I can't see Disney putting much money into a new e-ticket attraction right now. More likely to be an off-the-rack type ride. Who needs that? We can get that at 6-flags or any other theme park. That isn't Disney. CoP is!

 

[Annie&Hallie'sMom]

Originally posted by MikePezz
Disney should do what I have been saying for years: SELL IT TO THE SMITHSONIAN. It is a part of American History afterall.....

Amen to that. Disney has many bits of American history. And if they must replace things, they really should "preserve" the old somewhere. There are lots of us with fond memories of attractions from the past. I'd love to visit these pieces of history.

 

[JeffJewell]

I'd love to visit these pieces of history.

...I'll bet you'll be able to buy a piece for yourself: it's far more likely you'll find pieces of CoP on eBay than in the Smithsonian. Display it with the Mr. Toad vehicle and SkyWay bucket they've already unloaded through that medium.

Jeff

 

[BobH]

I saw the Carousel of Progress when it ws first displayed at the !964 World's Fair in New York. I thought it ws designed by General Electric. Did Walt Disney have any influence on it, or did he just incorporate into his WDW plans? As I recall the Wings of Man by Eastern Airlines was also an exhibit at the 64 World's Fair and was a fixture at Disney for many years. Disney seems to have made alliances in the beginning with several corporations whenFuture World was laid out. I am really dating myself on this thread.

 

[DC7800]

Originally posted by MikePezz
Many on this board have stated that closing an attraction Walt himself opened should never occur. I think Walt himself would disagree with this. It is no longer considered a technological marvel, and the crowds have died down. Progress is taking the good old COP theater and finding a new venue for guests.

Progress should always be balanced with (historic) preservation - and the COP is no doubt part of Disney history. This isn't an easy distinction, for the show which looks dated to one person is traditional to another. Perhaps we can amend the idea of closing no Walt Disney designed attraction to something along the lines of no Walt Disney designed attraction should be destroyed. This calls for preservation in some form, whethor in a museum of some fashion or simply dismantled and sitting in a warehouse for future display. The ideas of progress and even the revolving theater can largely be saved regardless of what happens to COP (and I've read it's still considered a seasonal close; others have suggested mechanical reasons. Hopefully we have not seen the end of COP quite yet).

WDW has had, in my opinon (worth about two cents), too much "out with the old, in with the new" in past years and too little preservation (notably in Future World).

The COP has had a very good run, but its heyday has passed.

I'm not sure this need be true. There are a lot of things Disney could do to bolster attendance at COP, and to keep the show up to date. Those expecting theme park "faster, wetter, wilder" attractions probably don't know quite what to make of COP. However, this type show is what Disney does best - were I not chicken , I could ride those fast coasters anywhere. Carousel of Progress can only be found at Disney.

 

[WDWHound]

BobH: Disney designed the CoP (called Progressland at the Worlds Fair) for GE. While GE had some input on it, the design, story and music were almost all from Disney and the imagineers. It was said to be Walt's favorite attraction that he had created.

I don't recall anything about Eastren Airlines having an exhibit at the fair, but then again, I never got to visit the fair. I do know that If You Had Wings was not a worlds fair exhibit though. It was designed by Disney Imagineers for Walt Disney World.

 

[Captain Crook]

Nice post Mike Pezz.

COP is a classic ride long past its prime. IMO, it's about as exciting as watching paint dry. My kids can't stand it (although they liked Small World & still love Pirates & Jungle Cruise - so don't impunge their young tastes). Further, new rides like Aladdin DO have appeal to children and that is who it is intended for. Even JIYI isn't bad from a kids POV & without the history of Figment - But truth be told Figment was pretty lame too. But we adults must remember that our memories and view of "classic" will be far different than our children when they're our age. My kids will look back at some classics like HM, Pirates & JC to be sure, but add to that ToT, Maelstrom, Test Track, Dinosaur & perhaps even Aladdin, for memories...And attachments come with circumstance and this generation will never have that attachment to COP, but they certainly will to Dinosaur.

Too many people want cutting edge all of the time when in fact cutting edge is lost on the little ones (who Aladdin & JIYI are aiming to please). WDW is far more than attractions. WDW embodies the Disney spirit that isn't easily duplicated...Just look at IOA. It's a great Park that many love, but few find magic in it because of the reason it was developed. IOA was developed as a Park, riding on WDW's coat strings. WDW was created because of "One Man's Dream" and although they certainly could be viewed as straying from that Dream, The fact is it's still alive and well. Don't believe me? Just go read a few trip reports. Even now after the world altering affects of 9/11, many still find WDW to be the end all of destination Resorts.

Mike is right. Walt would never approve of an attraction being kept in homage to himself...Heck, he didn't even want the bronze statue! WDW is about the now & the future IMO. The past, unless being depicted nostalgically, is out of place.

 

[redpants]

The CoP is a really neat "Disney-esque" attraction, but I too think that closing it was not such a bad thing. It was way past it's prime, and had serious maintenance problems. The last time we rode it, we got stuck in the first scene and had to watch it 2 1/2 times because the carousel didn't rotate. (Talk about maddening--seeing the same scene over and over...)We finally got to the second scene (already halfway through) and were able to see about 2 minutes of it, when the all the lights came on and we were ushered out. Unfortunately, that's the last memory I have of the CoP...poor, broken-down, attraction...

 

[lrodk]

COP closed yesterday. As of today however there wasn't a "CLOSED" sign outside of the attraction to indicate a permanant closure. Interesting to note that there's no mention of the ride on current park maps, and the COP slot has been removed from the attractions wait time board.