Chapter 27 - Magic Kingdom - Tomorrowland - Part 3        posted 5/1/19

In the last Chapter 26, we ended our tour with a ride on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover (TTA). In this Chapter we’ll start by heading over to the Astro Orbiter, which is on top of the TTA and the queue elevator right next to the TTA queue. Then our pictorial tour will take a look at:​
Astro Orbiter
  • Star Jets
The Lunching Pad
  • Space Bar
Metrophone
Tomorrowland Kugel
Walt Disney Carousel of Progress
Rockettower Plaza Stage


​For the most recent map: 
http://www.wdwinfo.com/maps/mk.htm
Astro Orbiter
As you may have guessed when the attraction opened in 1974 is wasn’t called the Astro Orbiter, it was called the Star Jets and in fact it also had a slightly different appearance.
​
Star Jets (1974-1994) Now Astro Orbiter
 
In 1974, three years after the park's opening, Tomorrowland underwent a massive expansion, imagineers called it phase II, that included the creation of Space Mountain, a new location for the Disneyland-attraction the Carousel of Progress, the WEDWay PeopleMover and Star Jets. The Star Jets was considered the focal point of Tomorrowland due to its soaring, spinning rockets and central location.
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©Disney Blog
​This version of the Star Jets attraction was based on the Disneyland version, in both locationed on top of the PeopleMover platform.
 
With a sharp focus on space and the future of transportation, the Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland was finally a complete land.

​Star Jets was considered part of the second phase of the Tomorrowland expansion in 1974. (It was invented, developed and is manufactured by the Klaus Company of Memmingen, Bavaria) It was located atop of the WEDWay Peoplemover, and guests would board an elevator to ride up to the "launch platform", like the astronauts did at the Kennedy Space Center. 
 
The people would board their Star Jets which was themed as space shuttle. The ride featured a large rocket based on the Apollo Saturn V in the center, with the jets on spokes around it.
Once the jets took off, guests could control the rocket; by pull back on the stick to climb and push forward to dive. At the end of the flight the shuttles would "land" and then guests would ride the elevator back to the ground.
 
In 1994, the Star Jets closed as part of the major Tomorrowland refurb and re-opened at few months later as the Astro Orbiter. The central rocket was removed and the shuttles replaced with more futuristic individual rockets.
​
Note: The Saturn V rocket that was the focal point of the Star Jets attraction was painted camouflage green and used in the television series "Thunder in Paradise"(1994). The series was produced at the Disney-MGM Studios. After the series ended, the rocket was placed in the Boneyard scene of the Studio Backlot Tour.
Astro Orbiter
​When it re-opened in 1994, as the Astro Orbiter, the attraction featured a new themed tower replaced the Saturn V Rocket and various planets on the outside of the attraction as to appear as if the rockets were weaving between the planets. The color scheme of the attraction was changed, with the ride now being primarily grey and metallic looking. The new ride now featured 3 more rockets. The attraction Rockets themselves were based on the ones in the popular Buck Rogers series.
 
In the narration for the Tomorrowland Transit Authority, the ride was referenced as the "League of Planets Astro Orbiter."
Note: This tied the attraction in with the backstory of Tomorrowland which stated that the land was the headquarters for the fictional League of Planets, which helped make Tomorrowland an intergalactic meeting place.
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2007
Picture
2019
In 2014 the Astro Orbiter had another extensive refurbishment. This time, the attraction was stripped and given a new ride system. During this refurbishment the exterior of the ride structure was given a new paint scheme including the attraction's elevator shaft being painted orange and the rockets themselves were given a new look.
 
Guest feel like they are flying through the planets, while also getting a great view of Tomorrowland and the Castle.
 We’ve returned from our trip around the Planets, it’s time for a break. It just happens after your reentry and you will exit the Astro Orbiter elevator is The Lunching Pad.
 
The Lunching Pad
Space Bar (1974–1994)
Now to confuse things, the current location of The Lunching Pad was originally called the Space Bar. The Space Bar offered specialty sandwiches, punch, desserts, and snacks.  At one time it was sponsored by Wise Foods.  In 1994 it was renamed The Lunching Pad at Rockettower Plaza.  
Source:
  • https://waltdatedworld.com/id84.htm
​
The Lunching Pad (1971–1994)
The Lunching Pad has been at Magic Kingdom since opening day in 1971, though it wasn't originally at Rockettower Plaza under the TTA PeopleMover and Astro Orbiter. It was located where currently Auntie Gravity's Galactic Goodies resides.
​In the 1970’s, The Lunching Pad sold futuristic healthy foods like yogurt, tofu ice cream and its most popular item was a natural tuna fish sandwich with alfalfa sprouts on organic wheat bread (later changed to pita bread.)  It also featured Disney Handwiches, fresh fruit and salad.
Note: The Handwich was introduced circa 1988 and lasted into the mid 1990’s. Disney’s Handwiches was basically a large soft bread ice cream cone stuffed with cold cuts, salad, or veggies. It made a brief comeback at the 2017 Epcot Food & Wine Festival.
As part of the major refurbishment in 1994, The Lunching Pad moved to the base of the Rockettower Plaza replacing the Space Bar and in its location Auntie Gravity's Galactic Goodies introduced (more on Auntie later).  But The Lunching Pad in its new location now has a different menu.  
 
For current Menu:
 
References:
The Metrophone
​
​ Located just outside the “Lunching Pad” guests will find an actual Metrophone booth from the Galactic Communications Network (GCN). It allows guest as it states on the phone: “Bringing the World Closer Together. Toll Free From Anywhere in the Galaxy.” (Note: It had been removed in 2018)
 
The Metrophone was added in Tomorrowland during the area's 1994 refurbishment and was originally part of a pair. The other Metrophone was located where the Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin stroller parking is. Guests standing in one booth could see and speak to Guests standing in the other booth across the plaza. In 1999, the other booth was removed to open up a crowded area of the park.
 
In 1999, an interactive aspect was added to the one Metrophone to support and enhance the backstory of Tomorrowland.
Now by punching several numbers at random it would bring up one of nine possible conversations from Rocket Realty, Sonny Eclipse’s agent Johnny Jupiter, Earth Crust Pizza (delivering anywhere in the Solar System in less than two light years or your order is free), Intergalactic Movie Line (with information on the movie “Attack of the 50 Foot Earthling”), Psychic Robots Network and more.
The following is the full script for the Metrophone show:
 
  • Hello, and thank you for calling the Intergalactic Movie Line, Tomorrowland's direct link to worlds of entertainment. Now playing at the Solar System Cineplex – Attack of the 50-foot Earthling, presented in CosmoScope.
  • You have reached the Psychic Robots Network. We knew you'd be calling. Please deposit 25 quarks for the first minute, 15 quarks for each additional minute. They're in your left pocket. Thank you.
  • Hello, dear. Thanks for calling. (Distracted by noises in background) Hayley Comet! Be quiet. Can't you see I'm on the phone? (Back to conversational tone) Kids these days, they think the worlds revolve around them. You were saying…?
  • You've reached the Star Command Crime Watch Hotline. Be on the lookout for Rusty Rip-off, the robot robber. He was last seen at Rockettower Plaza South, wearing a hat. That is all.
  • Hiya, babe! It's your agent, Johnny Jupiter. You called? Anyway, I have to call you right back. I'm in a meeting with my #1 client – er, I mean #2 client, Sonny Eclipse. You're always #1 in my book, baby. You know that. Let's do launch! (CLICK)
  • ​​You've reached Omega-5277. I'm either not home or just screening my calls. And if this is that spacey creep, Zigorx – STOP CALLING ME! I told you, I don't date Martians who are 300 years older than me – at least, not slimy ones like you! Anyone else, leave me a message and I'll call you right back. Love ya. Bye!
  • Earth Crust Pizza. We deliver anywhere in the Solar System in less than two light years or your order is free. Can you hold, please? (Hold Music: "Now is the Time" – instrumental version) Thanks for holding. I had to take that incoming call from Saturn. They hardly ever give us a ring!
  • Hi! This is Colleena Lunar, your friendly Rocket Realty representative. If you want space, Rocket Realty's the place! And do I have a space for you! It's a lovely two-bedroom sky-rise in the Hoverburbs, a short commute from downtown Tomorrowland. Remember, in the Hoverburbs, real estate is always looking up!
  • This is Tomorrowland News Network's Corona Borealis with your local time and weather. As always, it's going to be a great big beautiful tomorrow, and at the tone, the time will be – now! (BEEP)


"Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" and "Now Is the Time" are references to songs from the Carousel of Progress. Other bits make reference to Sonny Eclipse, who’s playing Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe, as well as features found in graphics and details throughout Tomorrowland.

Tomorrowland Kugel Ball
​As guests are sitting at The Lunching Pad or walked pass the Merchant of Venus Shop, they may have noticed the giant black kugel ball.  But they probably don’t know is exactly what it is or how it works.
 
Kugel Ball fountains are engineering wonders. They consist of a large granite or marble sphere floating on a very thin plane of water in a perfectly fitted socket. The water, pumped from below, lubricates the stone and creates a pressure such that the solid, heavy stone is easily rotated! (The Kugel in Tomorrowland weight over 13,000 lbs.)
 
The magic of physics takes over and makes it possible for even a child to get a ball that weighs several tons to start moving.
 
If guests look carefully at the Kugel they’ll note that what like a map is etched on to the surface. The Kugel Ball at Walt Disney World is carved with a sky map. If they look closely there is a gold “You Are Here” star that marks the location of Rockettower Plaza.
 
This Kugel Ball fountain is not unique to Disney, Kugel Ball fountains exist all over the world, and some with images of maps or globes. Click on this link to see where around the world other Kugel Ball fountains exist:  
The sophisticated fountain construction technology developed by Kusser Aicha Granitwerke, a leading European fountain company. The term kugel is from the German word meaning ball or sphere.
After a quick break at The Lunching Pad, a spin of the Kugel Ball, and our Intergalactic phone call on the Metrophone, it’s on to the Carousal of Progress.
Carousel of Progress
​Walt Disney believed in innovation and progress, in the idea that with a little ingenuity and hard work the world could be made better. This vision inspired the creation of the Tomorrowland, and his early visions for Epcot. It was also the driving conception behind the Carousel of Progress Attraction.
 
If you’ve been to the Carousel of Progress, just the mention of the attraction will bring the great Sherman Brothers tune “There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow” to mind. Even for those guests who are seeing it for the first time, they will be humming or singing the tune by the time the show is over.
​The premise of this attraction is to follow a typical American family through the introduction of electricity and other technological advances during the 20th century. This iconic attraction had been Walt Disney’s favorite attraction. 
History
​ It was created by Walt Disney and WED Enterprises as the prime feature at the General Electric Pavilion at the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair and was an overwhelming hit.  Of all the attractions Walt presented at the 1964–1965 New York World's Fair, Disney seemed especially devoted to the Carousel of Progress.
 
It was moved to Disneyland from 1967-1973, it was replaced by America Sings in 1974, and the Carousal of Progress moved to Walt Disney World’s Tomorrowland in 1975, where it still is today. 
 
The Carousel of Progress holds the record as the longest-running stage show, with the most performances, in the history of American Theater. It is one of the oldest attractions at Walt Disney World. It is also the oldest attraction at Walt Disney World to have been touched by Walt Disney himself.
 
General Electric approached Walt Disney to develop a show for the company's pavilion at the 1964–1965 New York World's Fair. Walt Disney presented the idea of an electrical progress show to General Electric and they loved it.
 
The technology used in Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room and Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln (see Chapter 16 – Hall of Presidents), which showcased at the State of Illinois Pavilion, at the 1964–1965 New York World's Fair, made the Carousel of Progress possible.
Besides the Autoanimatronics for the attraction, the Imagineers (led by Disney engineers Roger E. Broggie (see Chapter 3 and 20) and Bob Gurr (see Chapters 18, 20 and 22)) developed the concept of a rotating theater stage, so that the audience could stay seated and ride around a stationary set of stages, instead of having to walk from stage to stage.

As show depicted the advancement of electricity and other technological developments from the later 1800’s through the 1900’s, to keep it up with the times, the attraction has been updated five times (in 1967, 1975, 1981, 1985, and 1993) and has had two different theme songs, both written by the Sherman Brothers.

Walt Disney asked songwriters Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman to create a song that could link the acts in the show. The song was "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow". The Sherman Brothers later stated that the song was Walt's "theme song," because Walt was so optimistic and interested in the future and technology developments.
At the New York World’s Fair the show was called Progressland. It was one of the most-visited pavilions at the Fair. The years portrayed in the GE Pavilion were the 1890s, 1920s, 1940s, and 1960s, it was literally a "Carousel of Progress". At the end of the Carousel show, fairgoers were invited to walk up to the second floor of the pavilion and see the General Electric "Skydome Spectacular". The Skydome Spectacular projected images of nature and energy into the domed roof of the GE pavilion, similar to a planetarium. The show demonstrated the many ways that GE was harnessing electricity and the power of the sun for the benefit of its customers.
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GE Pavilion "Progressland" at the 1964-65 New York World's Fair
At the end of the Spectacular there were demonstrations of the technologies, as:
  1. Controlled thermonuclear fusion to be witnessed by a large general audience,
  2. A magnetic field squeezed a plasma of deuterium gas for a few millionths of a second at a temperature of 20 million degrees Fahrenheit.
  3. a model of an electric city

​Source:
Picture
Carousel of Progress in Disneyland 1967 - 1973
​After the World’s Fair, the Carousel of Progress was taken to Disneyland and re-opened in July 1967.
There were had only little differences from the original World’s Fair version. General Electric again agreed to sponsor the Carousel of Progress at Disneyland.
 
The slight changes were:
  • a new voice was recorded for Mother,
  • "Christmas in the Home of the 1960s" was slightly updated in set design and technology,
  • all references to General Electric's passé "Medallion Home" campaign were dropped, and
  • Father from "The Home of the 1940s" now sat on a bar stool, rather than on the kitchen nook bench.
After the show, guests boarded a speedramp to the second level where guests were able to see the entire model of Progress City. Progress City was based on Walt Disney's original concept for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow (EPCOT) and the Walt Disney World property (see Chapter 26).

In the early 1970s GE asked Disney to move the show to Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in order to capture a new audience. The Disneyland show closed in September 1973 and was packed up for Florida. The Progress City model was disassembled, but only portions of the center of it were re-assembled in Florida.
​Carousel of Progress and Space Mountain were the two attractions that opened in the Magic Kingdom's Tomorrowland in January 1975. General Electric continued as the sponsor for Carousel of Progress at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World.

There were major changes were made to the Carousel of Progress as it was move into Disney World.
  • An entirely new theater building was designed for the attraction to a one-story pavilion, with an upper outside galley for the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover track, wrapping around one side of the building.
  • New color schemes with blue and white stripes on the interior and exterior of the building that appeared to grow smaller and larger as the building turned.
  • And the theaters now rotated counterclockwise, the original theaters, at the World’s Fair and Disneyland, turner clockwise.
  • The load and unload theaters no longer featured the stunning "Kaleidophonic Screens".
 
The Progress City/EPCOT model was significantly sized down so it could fit in a window display that could be seen from the Tomorrowland Transit Authority. (See Chapter 26)

GE asked the Sherman Brothers to write a new song, so a song titled "The Best Time Of Your Life" was created. Although the song was still very peppy and positive, the Sherman Brothers still felt that "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" was a better fit.
A new cast of voices and "performers" were showcased in the 1975 Disneyland version, including actor Andrew Duggan as Father.
The first three "acts" had some cosmetic and set design changes.
The finale was changed to "New Year's Eve in the Home of the 1970s," and the dog also changed breed.
In 1981, the finale was updated to showcase "New Year's Eve in the Home of the 1980s." A new script was written for this scene change, but the rest of the show remained the same.
In March 1985, General Electric's contract expired, and it chose not to renew. The attraction closed shortly thereafter so that all General Electric references could be excluded from the attraction.
In August 1993, the attraction closed. With the major refurbishment of Tomorrowland it was decided to update the Carousel of Progress, to better reflect the theme of the New Tomorrowland.
 
  • Gears and other mechanical symbols were being prominently featured in the other pavilions in Tomorrowland
  • The attraction and show were renamed Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress. A giant cog sign in the load and unload theaters that says "Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress" replaced the blueprint sign.
  • The final scene was updated to "Christmas in the House of 2000" (as envisioned in 1993).
  • A new cast was hired for the narration recordings, with American writer, raconteur, and radio personality Jean Shepherd as the voice of the father (Shepherd also does a pre-show narration about the history behind the attraction).
  • Additionally, Rex Allen, the voice of the father at the original Disneyland attraction, plays the Grandfather in Act 4 of the show
  • In the queue, a 4-minute pre-show about the creation of the attraction was played on.
  • "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" returned as the attraction's theme song.
The Sherman Brothers wrote in their joint autobiography regarding the history of the pavilion:
“Three years after Walt Disney World opened, the Carousel of Progress moved east from Disneyland to Florida, and we were invited to write a brand new theme song: "The Best Time Of Your Life". In 1996, as a special tribute to the dreams of Walt Disney the Carousel of Progress was "updated" back to its original show, featuring our original theme song, "There's A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow".”
 
  • Robert B. Sherman, Richard M. Sherman, Walt’s Time: From Before to Beyond, (Santa Clarita, California Camphor Tree Publishers, 1998)
In 2016, the gears-and-cogs paint scheme was replaced by a more futuristic strips of various different colors. The attraction's name is now painted on the rotating part of the building.
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2016
Picture
2019
​From 1983, until 1999, an attraction known as Horizons existed at Epcot. It could be considered almost a sequel to the Carousel of Progress, it depicted a host family living and working in technologically enhanced environments in the near future.
During the first portion of its run, the show was also sponsored by General Electric (1983–1994). In the attraction, there was a scene where a robot was "working" in the kitchen. In the background, the song "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" could be heard.
In 2009, Space Mountain featured several tributes to Horizons in its post-show. (More to come in future Chapters)
​
Show
Preshow and Intro
In the queue there is a preshow video about the history and development of the attraction, which includes clips of Walt explaining the attraction on his television show and discussing the theme song with the Sherman Brothers.
The theater has 6 stages, the first is the loading stage. There is a 4 minute introduction to the show. The next 4 stages are the performance stages, with the last stage being the unloading or exit stage.
​  After the guests enter the theater. On the stage in the loading room is a large Carousel of Progress logo, framed by green curtains and illuminated by color-changing lights.
 The attraction’s narrator (who also voices John in the rest of the show) tells guests more history about the attraction. He focuses in on the fact that the attraction was Walt's idea, and that Walt loved the show.
After the introduction, the attraction's theme song, "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" begins playing as the theater rotates guests on to the first scene.
Act 1 – 1890’s
The first scene takes place on Valentine’s Day at the turn in the 1890’s. It’s a spring scene, with robins chirp in the background.
 
  • John, the father, begins by tells guests that it is "right around the turn of the century" and also that it is Valentine’s Day. He states that things could not get any better than they are at that time, and then giving a list of the new inventions and technological achievements of the day.
  • These include: buildings being up to 20 stories tall, moving pictures, 8,000 automobiles in the United States, and such technology as gas lamps, telephones, cast-iron stoves, iceboxes, a reservoir which keeps 5 buckets of water warm with three buckets of coal, and a water pump in the kitchen.
  • He then comments that problems such as chopping wood, milk souring, and having to get water from a well are all things of the past.
  • After he is done showing off the new technology, he calls to his wife, Sarah, who is ironing in the room to his left with their young daughter.
  •  ​The two discuss how Thomas Edison is working on an idea for "Snap-On electric lights". Sarah then says that will mean "no more kerosene and no more gas."
  • She shows guests her new "wash-day marvel" and comments that now she can do the laundry in five hours, instead of two days.
  • As John is explaining that Sarah now has time for other things, he is cut off by her response of “Like canning and cleaning the oven?"
  • It begins to rain and James, the son, begins to talk from the room on the right. James is watching Little Egypt dancing the "Hootchie-Cootchie". John comments that she is going to be the star of the upcoming World's Fair, and that James better put the Stereoscope away before his mother finds it. The upcoming World's Fair is a reference to the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis.
  • John tells guests that they also have "one of those new talking machines".
  • The left stage then shows the family’s grandmother, sleeping with the phonograph on. The radio plays "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow", and the grandmother’s parrot exclaims "She keeps that thing going all day long!"
  • John's attention is then drawn to a room on the right. Patricia, his daughter is getting ready to go to a Valentine’s Day dance on the other side of town. John explains that she will be taking one of the new "horseless trolleys", before telling her that she better be home by 9 o'clock.
  • He then tells guests that he is going to take one of the said trolleys downtown to have a root beer (which he explains is just a sarsaparilla with a new name).
  • After he is finished, he begins singing "There's A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" and the Carousel turns, moving guests to the next scene.
Act 2 - 1920s
The next scene is summer and the 4th of July during the 1920s.
  • John is again sitting in his kitchen. Wires and new electric machines are all over the room. John tells guests that things have changed a lot in the last twenty years. He then tells guests of the new accomplishments of the era. These include:
    • Charles Lindbergh, who is about to fly over the Atlantic Ocean by himself (John comments that he will never make it);
    • Sports stadiums that are being built all over the United States. He also says Babe Ruth is the country's best baseball player;
    • Advertisements are out for a film called The Jazz Singer, in which Al Jolson will talk, and even sing!
    • Electric starters are now in cars, eliminating the need to crank them;
    • People can travel by train from New York to California in 3 days.
  • ​John then tells guests that Thomas Edison has brought electricity to his home. At this point all of the electronic machines in the kitchen, including a refrigerator, a toaster oven and other cookware, turn on.
  • John warns the appliances not to blow a fuse, but they do. This not only shuts out the power in the family's house, but the whole neighborhood loses power as well. One of the neighbors can be heard telling her husband that "They did it again!" and that she wants her husband to go over and confront John.
  • John then tells Jimmy, his son, to go put in a new fuse. Jimmy remarks that his father blows a fuse every time he has company over.
  • With the power restored, the scene shifts to Sarah, who is sitting on the front porch. She is sewing a George Washington costume for John to wear. John then tells the guests that Sarah's Ladies Club is in charge of the town’s 4 July celebration and that the whole family will be performing in their presentation (with John and Sarah going as George and Martha Washington).
  • Sarah interrupts him to say how happy she is that they put electric lights on the porch.
  • Sarah then tells John that Jimmy has volunteered to pick the music for the celebration.
  • Jimmy appears with his grandfather on the left side of the stage, dressed in a colonial outfit and standing next to a radio, which is playing patriotic music.
  • John tells guests that they can now get news and entertainment on their radio from all over the country (even Pittsburgh!)
  • John then tells his daughter Patricia that she better hurry up and get ready. Patricia is sitting in a room on the right, wearing a Statue of Liberty costume. She tells her father that she hopes her new boyfriend doesn't see her in it and run away. John makes another joke, saying she can "always carry that torch" for him.​
  • He explains to the guests that the family now has indoor plumbing which is great for cold days, especially for Uncle Orville, their constant house guest.
  • Uncle Orville is then shown sitting in a bathtub on the left side of the stage. John informs guests that he has set up an air cooling system. While Orville sits in the bathtub, a fan sits in front of a block of ice, blowing on him. As John tells guests that Orville has no job, Orville responds by saying "No privacy at all around this place".
  • John concludes the scene by telling guests that with all the conveniences they have, they are really on easy street. He then begins to sing "There's A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow", and the theater moves the guests to the next scene.
Act 3 - 1940s
 
Autumn during the 1940s, the scene takes place on Halloween.
  •  As the music stops, John states to the guests that everything is better than ever in the 1940s.
  • He shows off the new technology that they have in the kitchen, including a refrigerator that holds more food and ice cubes, and an automatic dishwasher.
  • John informs guests that he is now a part of the "rat race," which he then explains means that the highways are now full of people who drive to work in the city, and then turn around and drive home every day.
  • John also says that they now have television (when it works) and that John Cameron Swayze brings them the news every night. (Note: John Cameron Swayze was an American news commentator during the 1940s and 1950s)
  • On the right we see grandmother and grandfather are watching wrestling on TV.
  • Jimmy then calls from his room on the left side and asks what John thinks of his Jack-O-Lantern.  John says it’s scary and Jimmy remarks that he used his sister Patty as a model. Sarah calls out from a room on the left and tells Jimmy that Patty is prettier than either one of them.
  • John continues by tells guests that Patty is using an old exercise machine that was "all the rage in the twenties" but never worked. Patty is then shown using the machine while talking on the phone about her date for that night.
  • After this, John tells the audience that he is caught up in the "do-it-yourself" craze. John and Sarah are redoing their basement and making it into a rumpus room.
  • To the left guests see Sarah putting wallpaper up in the rumpus room. She is using a "paint mixer" that John says he made for her, using a food mixer. As he is admiring his handiwork, the paint mixer goes haywire and shoots paint everywhere.
  • With that John says it's time to move on, but everybody should try and cheer Sarah up by "singing our song". At this cue, "There's A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" begins playing and guests move onto the next scene.
Act 4 - 21st century
 
The final stage takes place on Christmas in the late 1990s or early 2000s.
  • The Christmas scene has the whole family in one room. They all sing "There's A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" as guests enter the scene.
  • John is standing on the right working on Christmas dinner.
  • Sarah sits nearby working on a computer.
  • Rover is again in the kitchen.
  • Jim and his grandmother are playing a virtual reality game.​
  • Trish and her grandfather sit around the Christmas tree.
  • Sarah tells John that she has programmed the oven to recognize his voice.
  • John then comments that now all of the household items are voice-automated, to which the grandfather replies "Great... tell the refrigerator to bring me a root beer."
  • Sarah responds to the joke, saying that although they can't do that, she can brighten the tree lights.
  • She then tells John to try the voice-activated oven, which he does with no problem. After the oven confirms John’s temperature command, Trish comments that "it (the oven) even talks back!" She and the rest of the family also make fun of John for burning last year’s turkey.
  • At this point, the grandma who has been playing the virtual reality game has her score up to 550 points. John and Jim are both impressed, and they repeat the score in awe. Upon hearing John say 550, the oven increases its temperature, although nobody seems to notice.
  • The grandfather then remarks that he cannot believe the new gadgets that people have today. Trish, cutting him off, begs him not to tell another story about the time before they even had car phones! The grandfather tells her that for a while he didn't even have a house phone. He then gives examples of modern technology including laser discs and high-def TV's, before commenting on how everything is automated today. (Note: Laserdiscs is a discontinued technology from the 1980’s and 1990’s and were superseded by DVDs in 2000’s and now by Blu-ray and Ultra HD Blu-ray)
  • He then comments about automated plumbing (which causes a flushing noise be heard in the background). Where you hear Uncle Orville, who is off-stage, remark again "No privacy at all around this place".
  • The scene then shifts back to the grandmother who has now beat her video game. She finishes with a score of 975, which John once again repeats. After hearing this number, the oven overheats and begins to smoke. The family all laughs at the fact that another Christmas turkey has been ruined.
  • John jokes that maybe in the new century, ovens will learn to read minds. Jim says "Don't worry dad, someday everything will be so automated that you won't ever have to cook another Christmas turkey again." At the prospect of this, Rover barks, leading the family to laugh and sing "There's A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" one final time.
​End
Guests then come to the unloading area, which looks identical to the loading room. After the song, guests are thanked for seeing the show and told to collect their belongings before exiting.
 
Performers and Voices
Do you recognize the father’s voice? It’s none other than Jean Shepherd, the narrator of the movie “A Christmas Story. Uncle Orville is voiced by Mel Blanc, who is also the voice of Bugs Bunny.

​Cast (current 1993 version)
Father: Jean Shepherd 
Mother: B.J. Ward
Daughter: Debbi Deryberry
Young son: Peter Nelson
Teenage son: Paul Osterhout
Grandfather: Rex Allen 
Grandmother: Mary Cervantes
Grandmother (Act IV): Janet Waldo 
Cousin Orville: Mel Blanc 
Radio Personalities: Noel Blanc 
​NOTE:
  • Jean Shepherd, Father’s current voice. Guests may recognize him as the narrator from “A Christmas Story.” Shepherd also provides the opening and closing remarks of the current attraction.
  • Rex Allen, the current voice of Grandpa, was the original voice of Father in the 1964 World’s Fair version. Rex Allen was film and television actor, singer and songwriter, known as "the Arizona Cowboy", appearancing in 40 Disney Westerns.
  • From 1975 - 1993, actor Andrew Duggan was the voice of the father. Duggan appeared in some 70 films and in more than 140 television programs.
  • B.J. Ward "Mother" in the 1993 version of the Carousel of Progress. She also provided the voices for Epcot Center, including the safety narration for Spaceship Earth from 1994 to 2007. Some of the singing voices ("Burrow's Rabbit", opossums and rabbits) in Splash Mountain. The current voice guide for It's a Small World and the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover attraction at Magic Kingdom
  • Janet Waldo, Grandma in Act IV, previously served as the voice of Judy Jetson on the popular 1960s television cartoon, “The Jetsons.”
  • Debi Deryberry, the voice of Patricia, was the voice of Jimmy Neutron on Nickelodeon, Warracchi in Stitch!, Children and Cupid in Timon & Pumbaa, the announcer on intercom in the Pizza Planet in Toy Story as well as several other.
  • Mel Blanc is also known as the voice of Warner Brothers’ cartoon character Bugs Bunny.
  • Noel Blanc is the son of Mel Blanc.  
  • Rover has gone through many changes over the years of the attraction. His color has changed from white (at the World’s Fair) to light brown and dark brown. His name has even changed, and has been Buster, Sport, Queenie, and Rover. When the attraction opened at the Magic Kingdom, his name was different for every scene. In 1993, the dog’s name became Rover throughout the entire show.
​List of inventions mentioned in the show

Act 1 – Turn of the Century (1900s)
  • 20 story skyscraper
  • Automobile
  • Transcontinental railroad
  • Wright Flyer
  • Gas lighting
  • Telephone
  • Cast iron stoves
  • Icebox
  • Electric lights
  • Washing machine
  • Stereoscope
  • Phonograph
  • Cinema
Act 2 – 1920s
  • Transatlantic flight
  • Sports Stadium
  • Radio
  • Indoor plumbing
  • Electric fan
Act 3 – 1940s
  • Dishwasher
  • Television
  • Food mixer
Act 4 – 21st century
  • Virtual reality video games
  • Voice activated oven and lights
  • High-definition television
  • Flat panel display
  • Laserdisc
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For a transcript of the show’s script, visit A Tribute to Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress:
  • http://www.disneyparkscripts.com/carousel-of-progress-magic-kingdom-1994-version/​
 ​
Rockettower Plaza Stage
To fill the entertainment need left by Galaxy Palace Theater (see Chapter 26​), it was replaced in the middle of Tomorrowland’s Plaza with the on-theme Rockettower Plaza Stage
The Rockettower Plaza Stage is used for special events, and holiday shows, like Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas, and dance parties where guests can party with the Incredibles, Stitch, and other characters.
Source:
We've reached the end of Chapter 27, but not the end of our tour of Tomorrowland. In the next Chapter we will finalize our pictorial tour with a walk through Space Mountain, see what else Rockettower Plaza has to offer, than a race around the Tomorrowland Speedway, and end with a visit with Tomorrowland's famous entertainer, Sonny Eclipse at the Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café.
Afterword:
WDWMousing.com is designed to be a tour of Walt Disney World through photos. We have been to Walt Disney World countless times over the past 25 years and accumulated a magnitude of photos in that time. This website is an intention to combine two of our favorite pastimes, Walt Disney World and photography, and provide an insightful pictorial tour.
While doing so, we've done an extensive research of the internet and literary sources for background information on each area and atrraction. The information is available, but most bits and pieces are scattered all over. WDWMousing doesn't intend to rewrite the stories, legends or data, but to try and collect it into one location with reference and links to the original articles and authors. And giving rightful credit. We've stumbled through quite a bit of mis-information, most of which came to life by fans because the origins were lost, forgotten or no one seems to remember. Over the past 25 years we've also lost most of the great Imagineers that helped develop, design and build the original concepts of Walt Disney World. So we believe it's extremely important to make sure that their efforts, intentions, details and creativity in making this Happiest Place on Earth isn't lost.
So we ask for feedback, insights, and suggestions.

Thank you
WDWMousing

    We would definitely like to hear from you.
    Let us know what your thoughts, suggestions, ideas, and absolutely, if we've missed anything.