Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress (Disneyland Version)

(A jazzy version of "There's a Great Big, Beautiful Tomorrow" plays as guests are ushered into the theatre. The kaliedophonic screens flash in bright colors. 3 colored spotlights at the back of the theatre shine light onto a giant cog sign with the title, "Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress". Simba, Nala, Timon, Pumbaa, Kovu, Kiara, Mufasa, and Sarabi sit looking at James. James sits in a chair in a blue futuristic jumpsuit. They are whispering to each other. The music slows down, and James turns to the audience and begins to speak.)


James: Welcome to Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress. You're in for a real treat.


Timon: What is this Carousel of Progress?


James: Well, it's a show about a family whose lives are improved by progress. And that's what this show is all about. Progress.


Kovu: Where did all these interesting devices come from, James?


James: Well, all these new wonders were invented as the 20th Century went by.


Mufasa: It was?


James: Of course it was.


Sarabi: Where did the show come from?


James: It came from an attraction at the 1964-1965 New York World's Fair. The pavilion was called Progressland. It was presented by General Electric. The centerpiece of Progressland was the Carousel Theatre. And now, let's travel through the 20th Century, and see the family of the Carousel of Progress.


The characters begin to sing as the audience rotates clockwise into Act 1.


Everyone: 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 sits in a chair wearing his dressing gown reading his newspaper and holding his pipe. James sits next to him wearing his futuristic outfit. Simba and the others sit on the floor near the family's dog, Rover. Robins in the window chirp happily.


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


James: 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.


Nala: Yes, we have all the latest things. Gas lamps, a telephone, and the latest design in cast-iron stoves.


Pumbaa: That reservoir keeps five gallons of water hot all day on just three buckets of coal. Sure beats chopping wood.


Sarabi: And isn't our new ice box a beauty? It holds fifty pounds of ice. Milk doesn't sour as quick as it used to.


John: Our dog Rover keeps the water in the drip pan from overflowing.


Mufasa: 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. Of course we keep of bucket of water to prime it with.


James: Yes sir, 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 fove hours to do the wash. Imagine!


James: That's right, folks. Now, Sarah has time for recreations like-


Sarah: Like canning and polishing the stove?


John: (laughs) Ok, Mother. You just iron the wrinkles out of my shirts.


Sarah: Yes, dear.


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


(Thunders and starts raining outside.)


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


(Rover growls.)


James: Rover, mind your manners. You know, our home entertainment is getting better too.


John: Right. With this amazing new stereoscope, my son can now see and learn all about the latest events in the world, such as the World's Fair in St. Louis.


Jim: Wow! Look at that! Thanks for letting me use the stereoscope, Dad.


John: Just be sure to get your homework done.


Sarabi: Oh, we also have one of those new talking machines. It plays music right here in our home.


(The gramophone plays "There's a Great Big, Beautiful Tomorrow" while Grandma and the others listen.)


James: You know, the young folks have their own ideas about entertainment.


John: For instance, Jane our teenage daughter is getting ready to go to a trolley party on one of those new electric street cars. She says hayrides are old-fashioned.


Jane: Thanks for letting me go, Papa.


John: Be home by 9:00, daughter.


Jane: Yes, Papa.


Mufasa: It's hard to imagine how life can get any easier. But there's a new company that's working on bringing the same power that runs the streetcars into folks' homes.


Sarabi: Because that new company is working that out, one thing is certain.


(Everyone begins to sing as the audience rotates into Act 2.)


Everyone: 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 2: Summer


(James wears a blue jumpsuit and sits sits in a chair next to John. John sits in a wooden chair with one hand on the chair head and his other hand on his knee. Simba and the others sit next to Buster.)


James: Whew! Hottest summer we've had in years. Well, we progressed a long way since the turn of the century twenty years ago.


John: But nobody thought that this would be the age of electricity. Everyone's using it. Farmers, factories, whole towns.


(Cars and streetcars roll by outside. Electric lights in the background light up.)


Kiara: With electric streetlights, we don't worry so much about the kids being out after dark. And what a difference in our home. We can run as many wires as we need for our new electrical servants. (Lights dim and the wires glow in bright colors.)


Kiara: Electric sewing machine, coffee percolator, toaster, waffle iron, refrigerator. And they all go to work at the click of a switch.


(All the appliances turn on in a sudden burst of music)


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


(Buster growls)


James: Buster, calm down. Well, the days of lugging heavy irons to cast-iron stoves and ironing boards are gone forever. With an electric iron and electric lights, Mother now has time to fill in her evenings.


John: Now, it's no job at all to iron my shirts. Right, Mother?


Sarah: Yes, dear.


Sarabi: By the way, we have a phonograph now. And there's a new kind of music called jazz that all the youngsters go for.


("There's a Great Big, Beautiful Tomorrow" plays on the phonograph)


Mufasa: With his crystal set, Grandpa can get entertainment from distances up to 100 miles away.


(static)


James: That's amazing news! Too bad we get so much static.


John: I'm also getting static from my daughter.


Jane: I don't see any harm in looking for a job, Dad.


John: It's a man's world out there, Jane.


Jane: Well, it won't always be.


(Buster growls)


Nala: Cut that out, Buster. You supposed to be MAN's best friend. Well, we have indoor plumbing now. It saves a lot walking.


Kovu: In our new bathroom, we have, uh, a houseguest: cousin Orville. As usual, he's taken over the most comfortable spot in the house. He's rigged up something very clever.


Kiara: He calls it air cooling. Not a bad idea. That might be invented to help cool down offices and homes on hot summers like this one. But maybe that's hoping for too much.


Mufasa: Well, considering all the conveniences we have today, it seems like we've made real progress in making our lives better. But when we read about the things those research people are working on, well, we can be sure of one thing.


(Everyone starts singing again as the audience rotates into Act 3.)


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


(John sits behind a table. James sits atop a bar stool. Buster lies on the floor in front of James. Mufasa and Sarabi lie on the floor in front of John's table. Simba and Nala lie on the floor next to Kovu and Kiara in front of the other new electric appliances.


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


James: Here we are in the Frantic 40's and the music is better than ever. And it's amazing how our new kitchen wonders are working to take over the hard work.


Simba: Everything's improved now. Electric range is better, refrigerators are better and hold lots more ice.


Nala: But our personal favorite is the electric dishwasher. Now, Mother spends less time in the kitchen and John doesn't have to dry the dishes anymore.


Mufasa: (laughs) Oh, we spend a lot of time out here. We have to. Now that television's arrived, Grandma and Grandpa have taken over our den.


(television turns on and makes noise)


Kovu: Television has brought a whole world of culture into our home.


(Television channel changes.)


Kiara: Well, to each one his own. Right, Sport?


(Sport barks.)


Sarabi: Without a doubt, television will improve and the kids will learn a lot from it.


John: Right now, my son's interested in models. Airplane models, that is.


(Model airplane motor makes a loud noise)


Jim: Hey, guys! It works! It works!


James: We hear it! Good work!


(Sport barking)


Nala: Sport! Knock it off. Where was I? Oh. Remember back in the 20's when young people got some excercise dancing the Charleston? Well, today John's daughter stays in shape with electricity. (electric weight-reducing machine makes noise) Yep. She's at it again.


Jane: Thanks for letting me use this, guys.


James: Just don't get too shook up.


Jane: Oh, I won't.


Simba: (laughs) Well, you can never underestimate the power of a woman. And speaking of women doing things, Mother is caught up in the new do-it-yourself craze. She's remodeling our basement into something called a rumpus room.