.....a "new" 1984 Carousel of Progress

[DC-88 Spaceliner]

I've posted about this before, but back in the mid 1980's there were plans for a completely re-vamped Carousel of Progress show.........The proposal was done by WDI guy Tom Fitzgerald....(our beach boy Tom 2 from Horizons!!) ..Anyway.....this was done to again keep the COP fresh and new........AND included a NEW rotation theme song:

"Here Comes Tomorrow"

here comes tomorrow
we're on our way
bringing our dreams together


here comes tomorrow
there goes the past
but the memories will last forever

Yesterday has come and gone
the challenge starts today
tomorrow holds the promise of
a future that keeps showing us
a better way


Here comes tomorrow
there goes the past
were moving fast together

here comes the future
holding the dreams we all share
so bring on tomorrow
and soon we'll be there



THE CENTURY OF PROGRESS
proposal June 22, 1984


presented by the Edison Electric Institute





"From all of us at the Edison Electric Institue, thanks for joining us tru this Centrury of Progress And remember, when it comes to electricity, we've all got the power.....the power of choice!"



DC-88 SPACELINER

 

[X-S Tech]

Can someone clear up for me exactly how many versions of the show WDW has had? I thought it was just 2 but now I've heard that there were some minor changes when GE dropped sponsorship, but before the 94 revamp? So would that make the the version released on WDW Forever the 2nd (the non GE) version?

 

[DC-88 Spaceliner]

Walt Disney World's "Carousel of Progress" incarnations :

1975-1984
(original 70's finale with daughter singing "best time of your life" as if she was composing it......"dad" is also
preparing his New Years Eve spectatular........Chile.
grandfather speaks quite a bit.and the emphsis is about "people..and the human value progress has".......and the mother is quite the female activist.and boast a leter from the mayor regarding the new water bond she got passed.

1984
rehab(and act 4 is updated to the 1980's........WDW forever version)..dad fixes his new years eve spectular
"omlette supurb avec Jambon (eggs and ham)

1985
General Electric ends sposorship (GE is deleated from
narration)

1993
major rehab, return of original song "Great Big Beautiful
tomorrow"..new show format done with famed writter
Gene Sheppard.of Christmas Story fame (did anyone notice the Red-Rider bb gun under the tree in the last act!!??) Also Rex Allen, the former narrator of the 64/65 version and the Disneyland 67 version returns to do the voice of the grandfather.......BTW Rex Allen also narrated the Richard F. Irvine Steamboat in the mid 1980's........


So there ya go..........so WDW basicaly has had 4 versions of "The Carousel of Progress"

another note: Eastern Seaboard guests were not happy with the removal of "Best Time of Your life"

The song was published in 5 printings.each with new cover art, and was even part of the WDW's Kid's of the Kingdom reputare and even apperead on the cast album of 1976.


"Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" ran a total of 9 years

"Best Time of Your Life" ran 18 years



I like them both, and either version sent guest huming and whistling the tunes as they left ..........

So lets at least get ONE attraction into Disneyland's Tomorrowland (LOL!!) and start a campaign to:......

"BRING COP HOME!!!!!!" .....to Disneyland!!!

"DISNEYLAND DEMANDS PROGRESS!!"

"DISNEYLAND NEEDS PROGRESS NOT INOVENTION!!!"

"DISNEYLAND WANTS A GREAT BIG BEAUTIFUL TOMORROW!!!!

"Disneyland's Tomorrowland needs PROGRESS!!!"

"Cynithia Harris: please gather your belongings, and exit thru the doors in which came; and don't stand in the way of progress!!"


ok folks: start making those buttons!!! (wink!)


DC-88 SPACELINER

 

[X-S Tech]

Thanks Spaceliner,

Glad I asked. I didn't realize that the differences were that extensive between the first 2 versions.

I would love to see Carousel of Progress roll into DL again. Lately I'm quite cynical about Disney doing anything that cool, but recently this has seemed like a distinct possibility. What with all the talk about how thin Tomorrowland is and specifically how poorly Innoventions performs, combined with the indifference that WDW management seems to hold CoP in. Perhaps for the 50th we can expect to get this classic back, or even a brand new Progress show. I think we should write to Disneyland.

 

[Eric Paddon]

After the 1985 upgrade that dropped the references to GE, there was one more bit of editing around 1990 when some of Grandpa's lines about "the 80s" were trimmed as well.

 

[DC-88 Spaceliner]

Bill:

the published items i'm reffering to is sheet music........all had variations of cover art or images......the Kids of the Kingdom cast album was relesed in 1976 by Disneyland /WDW enetrtain,ment and was not sold to the public.........


DC-88 SPACELINER

 

[ex-wdi]

Mike - when are you gonna put all this Tomorrowland knowledge into a book?

Chris

 

[s8ntmark]

You know with all the restorations they are doing to various Walt Disney Attractions, Id actually like to see them remaster the original Rex Allan narration and use it again...except, what to do with the end scene; a sound alike? Maybe a whole new take on the final scene, like the model of Progress city instead of the final chapter in the family's life?

Or maybe the much talked about Post apocalyptic ending where the misuse of Nuclear energy is finally played out on the citizens of Progress city...

Eh, who knows...