Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress

(Fanfare variation of "There's A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" plays)


(curtain rises revealing animals and John)


All: Man has a dream, and that's the start. He follows his dream with mind and heart. And when it becomes a reality, it's a dream come true for you and me.


(humming in background)


John: Welcome to Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress. Ah, you're in for a real treat. The Carousel of Progress was Walt's own idea from beginning to end. He enjoyed working on it. He introduced the show at the World's Fair in '64 and it was a smash hit. Millions of people have come to see it in New York, Disneyland, and here at Walt Disney World. Walt loved the idea of progress and he loved the American family. He himself was proudly as American as anyone could possibly be. He decided to create a show about a family going through the 20th Century, experiencing all the new wonders as they came. And he created a show called the Carousel of Progress, which you are all about to see. Although the family has experienced changes in location, dialogue, and even in its philosophy, the show always revolved around one theme: Progress. May the century begin.


All: There's a great big beautiful tomorrow, shining at the end of every day. There's a great big beautiful tomorrow, and tomorrow's just a dream away. Man has a dream, and that's the start. He follows his dream with mind and heart. And when it becomes a reality, it's a dream come true for you and me. So there's a great big beautiful tomorrow, shining at the end of every day. There's a great big beautiful tomorrow, just a dream away!


Act 1: Spring


John: Well, the robins are back. That's a sure sign of spring.


Simba: What year is it? Oh, just before the turn of the century. And believe me, things can't be any better than they are today.


Balto: Yes, we have all the latest things. Gas lamps, a telephone, and the latest design in cast-iron ranges. That reservoir keeps 5 gallons of water hot on just 3 buckets of coal. Sure beats chopping wood.


Aleu: And isn't our new ice box a beauty? Holds 50 pounds of ice. Milk doesn't sour as quick as it used to. The dogs and I keep the water in the drip pan from overflowing.


John: You know, it wasn't too long ago we had to carry water from a well. But thanks to progress, we have a pump right here in the kitchen.


Jenna: Of course, we keep a bucket of water handy to prime it with.


Aniu: Well, we have everything to make life easier.


John: Mother, I was reading about a fella named Tom Edison who's working on an idea for snap-on electric lights.


Sarah: I'll believe that when I see it.


John: That's my wife, Sarah.


Sarah: But with my new wash day marvel, it takes only 5 hours to do the wash. Imagine!


Nala: That's right. Now Sarah has time for other things like-


Sarah: Like canning and polishing the stove?


John: Okay, Sarah. You just iron the wrinkles out of my shirts.


Sarah: Yes, dear.


James: But no one can improve on nature for drying clothes.


(thunders and starts raining)


John: Oh, well. The cistern was low on rainwater anyway.


Kodan: You know, spring cleaning is a lot easier than it used to be. Our new air-suction vaccum cleaner operates on one-boy power.


Kodi: Sure an improvement over the old carpet beater.


John: Now, we don't have an opera house in our town, but right here, we have the next best thing: A gramophone.


(gramophone plays "There's A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow")


Jenna: Well, you've met everyone but Jane, our teenager. She's been prepping for the past 2 hours. She's all excited about going to a trolley party on one of those new electric streetcars. She says hayrides are old-fashioned.


Jane: Thanks for letting me go, Papa.


John: Be home by 9:00, daughter.


Jane: Yes, Papa.


Kovu: Well, it's hard to imagine how life can get any better. But a lot of folks seem to think that the same electricity that runs the streetcars can be brought right into our homes. But if those folks work that out, one thing is certain.


All: There's a great big beautiful tomorrow, shinimg at the end of every day. There's a great big beautiful tomorrow, and tomorrow's just a dream away. Man has a dream, and that's the start. He follows his dream with mind and heart. And when it becomes a reality, it's a dream come true, for you and me. So there's a great big beautiful tomorrow, shining at the end of every day. There's a great big beautiful tomorrow, just a dream away!


Act 2: Summer


All: Whew!


John: It's the hottest summer we've had in years. Well, we've progressed a long way since the turn of the century 20 yeara ago. But no one knew then that this would become the age of electricity. Everyone's using it. Farmers, factories, whole towns!


(streetcars and cars make noise outside)


Mufasa: With electric streetlights, we don't worry so much about the youngsters being out after dark. And what a difference in our home.


(lights dim and wires glow in different colors)


Sarabi: We can run as many wires as we need in any direction for our new electrical servants: electric sewing machine, coffee percolator, toaster, waffle iron, and refrigerator. And they all go to work at the click of a switch.


(music plays as appliances make noise and move)


James: Take it easy! You'll blow a fuse!


(dogs bark)


John: Fellas, leave 'em alone!


Aniu: Well, the days of cast-iron stoves and lugging heavy irons are gone forever. With electric irons and electric lights, now Sarah can do something to fill in her evenings. Now, it's no problem at all to iron shirts. Am I right?


Sarah: Yes, dear.


Kiara: By the way, we've got a phonograph now. And there's new type of music called jazz that all the youngsters go for.


(jazz music plays)


Balto: With his crystal radio set, Grandpa can get entertainment from distances up to 100 miles away!


(radio makes noise, then static)


John: Now that's called static. Well, there's something progress can't improve on. It's called romance.


Sarah: Jane, it's after 9:30.


Jane: Yes, Mother.


Simba: (laughs) Sarah said the time signals long before radio ever got the idea.


Nala: Well, we have indoor plumbing now. Saves a lot of walking. In our new bathroom, we have, uh, a houseguest: Cousin Orville. He's taken over the most comfortable spot in the house. One thing that he did is that he rigged up something called air conditioning.


Aleu: Not a bad idea at all. Some dreamer may build something like that-only even better-for offices and homes.


Kodan: Well, maybe that's hoping for too much. But considering all the innovations of the Roarin' 20's, it looks like we've gone very far.


Aniu: But as long as we can still look to a brighter future, we can be sure of one thing.


All: There's a great big beautiful tomorrow, shining at the end of every day. There's a great big beautiful tomorrow, and tomorrow's just a dream away. Man has a dream, and that's the start. He follows his dream with mind and heart. And when it becomes a reality, it's a dream come true for you and me. So there's a great, big, beautiful tomorrow, shining at the end of every day. There's a great, big, beautiful tomorrow, just a dream away!


Act 3: Autumn


James: Well, it's autumn again and the kids are back in school. Thank goodness!


John: Well, that was tiring. But here we are in the Fabulous 40's, the Electronic Age!


Kodi: That's right, John. We have a whole lot of new kitchen applianes, like our new electric washing machine. It does about everything but dry the clothes.


Aniu: In the 20's we thought that those small electric ranges were the last word in ranges, but now, it's bigger and there's an overhead fan to remove cooking odors and heat. Our refrigerator is bigger and better than ever. It keeps vegetables garden-fresh for days.


Kodan: There's a meat compartment, and it can contain a lot more ice cubes. Dishwashing is also electric now. Now, the kitchen is a place to relax in. We usually spend a lot of time out here. Have to. Grandma and Grandpa have taken over our den.


(swing music plays)


Mufasa: Grandpa and Grandma's entertainment now comes from one unit. Radio or records, either one.


Kopa: They can listen to several records without getting out of their chairs to change them.


Kovu: They can't seem to get enough of this new kind of music called swing. It's kinda like jazz, only slower in tempo.


John: Sarah is now remodeling my basement into something called a rumpus room.


James: That woman's pretty ingenious, like using her food mixer for stirring paint.


Kiara: Jane, our teenager is keeping in shape with electricity.


(reducing machine makes noise)


We're having another phone put in next week.


James: Well, to take the little ones off our hands, or paws, we have a new electronic babysitter.


(television makes sounds of a western shootout and shows a western movie)


Balto: Television is here, and no doubt there may be bigger screens, better visibility, and even some color. But I'll bet that the good guys will still be shooting it out with the bad guys.


John: Well, it seems like these years are great. But as long as we have hope for the future, well, we can look forward to an even brighter future.


All: There's a great big beautiful tomorrow, shining at the end of every day. There's a great, big, beautiful tomorrow, amd tomorrow's just a dream away. Man has a dream, and that's the start. He follows his dream, with mind and heart. And when it becomes a reality, it's a dream come true for you and me. So there's a great big beautiful tomorrow, shining at the end of every day. There's a great big beautiful tomorrow, just a dream away!


Act 4: Present day


(John stands behind counter with egg mixer in hand. Sarah sits near a laptop. Grandpa sits near Jane with a pipe in hand. Jane sits with her new snow boots. Grandma is crouched near a flatscreen television. Son sits on a barstool near James, who has an iPhone in his hand. Simba sits with Mufasa, Sarabi, Nala, Kovu, Kiara, and Kopa. Balto stands with Jenna, Kodiak, Aleu, Kodan, and Aniu, who are sitting)


John: You know, this is the time of day I really enjoy. Would you look at that sunset out there?


Jenna: Wow. That is just as beautiful as Aleu, Aniu and I are.


Mother: It's beautiful, but I must say that having our family and friends together on this New Year's Eve is even more beautiful.


Simba: Well, Sarah, I think you're right.


Nala: Well, of course she is, Simba.


Son: You tell him, Nala.


Grandma: She means it. We're all healthy, and together, and I think we're living in a wonderful time.


Aniu: Do you really feel that way?


Grandma: The 21st century is a wonderful time.


Grandpa: Well, we have a whole lot of new stuff now, like movies on laser discs, high-definition TV. You know, back in the old days, there wasn't much.


Jane: That's true, Grandpa. Back then, there wasn't color on television and movies.


James: Well, we've really come a long way since the old days. The days when life meant a lot of back-breaking drudgery are gone forever. By the way, video games are now virtual reality. That means game enviroments can seem real with special glasses.


John: Our oven is bigger and better than ever. It's also voice-activated.


Sarah: With my new laptop, the personal computer can be carried and used anywhere we go.


Simba: I can't believe all the new innovations we got.


Mufasa: Well, son, there's a whole lot to be thankful for.


Sarabi: In the old days, there was only time for things like listening to music on scratchy gramophones, using gas lamps for light, using hand pumps, and canning and polishing the stove.


Balto: Well, we've watched our dreams come true back in the last century.


Aleu: Now, there's a lot of new stuff. We also have radiant heating. With the touch of a button, it can switch from heating to cooling, as the outside weather suggests.


James: Oh, speaking of innovations, I think we should watch the New Year's Eve celebrations on TV.


Jenna: Well, okay. (presses remote with paw)


Sarah: Here's the New Year as being celebrated in England and France.


Simba: Now, there's the celebration in Walt Disney World in Florida.


Grandma: Oh, my goodness! Look at that!


Nala: That's great. Now, I wonder what's coming next?


Kovu: Who knows? There's a new century of progress ahead.


Kiara: Well, sometime in the new century, we may have a future even brighter than now.


John: And so, to all of you out there, remember this song.


All: There's a great big beautiful tomorrow, shining at the end of every day. There's a great big beautiful tomorrow, and tomorrow's just a dream away.


Sarah, Jenna, Sarabi, and Nala: Man has a dream, and that's the start.


John, James and Simba: He follows his dream with mind and heart.


Jane, Aleu, Kovu, and Kiara: And when it becomes a reality.


Grandpa, Grandma, Mufasa, Kodi, Balto, Aniu, Kodan: It's a dream come true, for you and me.


All: So there's a great big beautiful tomorrow, shining at the end of every day.


John: There's a great big beautiful tomorrow,


All: Just a dream away!


John: Thank you for riding Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress.


We hope that you enjoyed this tribute to General Electric's Progressland, and Disneyland's Carousel of Progress of 1967. Have a great big beautiful tomorrow!