This is a different version of Carousel of Progress whose theme song was Now is the Time. See this and other Disneyworld videos at www.magicalthemeparks.com
When I watched this video, mainly out of curiosity to see what the second version of Carousel of Progress was like (as opposed to the one at the 1964-1965 World's Fair), something totally surprised me. The song in this version was "Now is the Time"! Ever since I was a kid, my mom, one of the original "Disney Babies", would sing this to my brother and I. Because of that, I always wondered where this song came from. Now I know!
This is the song that I remember from WDW in the 70s and 80s. It's much catchier and memorable than the original song. For years after my visits, I could sing it from memory, LOL.
again, it is worth repeating, the original theme song for the attraction was Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow when the Sherman Brothers wrote the music for the attraction for the 64 NY worlds Fair. The soundtrack was more like a commercial for GE. After the fair closed, they moved the attraction to Disneyland, then Disneyworld. While at Disneyworld, they rehabbed the attraction and changed the theme music to Now is the Time. They updated and rehabbed the attraction again.......
FYI when COP opened at Walt Disney World it opened with Now Is The Time. I know, cause I moved to Orlando in 1970 and grew up with WDW and worked there for about 25 years. You are correct that in 1996 they changed it back to the original theme.
the history of carosel of progress is this. Great big beautful tomorrow is the version that they had at the 63-64 worlds fair in ny. GBBT is the version that Walt Disney worked on. Now is the Time is a version that they used after a rehab when they moved it to Disneyworld
this is one of 3 of my fav rides at disney, yes this was it back in the days. "now is the time" was actually the song g.e. was using back in the 80s untill they stopped sponsorship i think in 88 or so. actually the newer song was the orignial theme back from walt disney himself. and changed when ge sponsered it. and when g.e. quit it went back to walts theme that he apporved of right before he died in 1970. "now is the time"
THIS is the version I grew up with-I like the other song "Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" but I like "Now is the Time" better.....I thought it was focused correctly on the message that TODAY is whats most important as no matter how great "tomorrow" might be its till in the future. Today is "right now" where we live! Tomorrow is always in flux and NEVER where we live. So make TODAY the best that it can be.....
The Father and narrator in this, the best version of Carousel is Andrew Duggan who played the original John Walton in the tv movie that led to the long running Waltons series
I saw the original version at Disneyland in the sixties with the Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow song and the last scene of a home in the sixties. As a kid it was so fascinating to see the singing robots and the seats moving and the progress... I sure wish someone had a video of that version..a modern 60's house. Also the model of Progress City upstairs after the show was fascinating...A glimpse of the future. No one at Disneyworld got that experience. Too bad Walt died before it could happen.
It was changed to this version when GE dropped sponsorship of the show in 1985. This one is much closer to the original version then the current show, installed in 1994. Much of the original script remains in this one.
The Sherman brothers actually wrote both songs. When GE asked that the Carousel be moved to FL WDW, GE wanted a song that sowed the seed in peoples' heads that "now is the time" for great GE products. WDW changed it back in '94 in homage to Walt himself as "Big Beautiful Tomorrow" was his fave song.
This version was a great narrator, but just for Trivia's sake - the current narrator is actually Jean Shepherd - author of that famous "A Christmas Story" movie they show for 24 hrs straight every Christmas. He died in '99 so if they update, it will be a new narrator once again.
the history of cop is when built for the 63 worlds fair in ny, the theme was gbbt. After the fair it was moved to disneyland. When disneyworld was opened, it was moved there too. Somewhere pre 96 and after it was moved to wdw, they rethemed it to now is the time version. Back in 95 or 96, the put the orginal fair park theme song back
i went to disney WORLD back in the 70s when it first opened... it had this song way back then... i like it better than the new one personally..... brings back great memories... this was one of my favorite attractions...!!!!
Great Big Beautiful tomorrow was also on the Horizon ride. I unfortunately do not remember this song in the carousel of progress. I've been going to Disney since 1991 and went frequently since.
Horizons was considered Carousel of Progress, part 2. So they used the original song in that attraction while the Now is the time version played at COP in MK
@shulman2 There is a CD box set based on Walt Disney's attractions at the 64 NY Worlds Fair. It has the original soundtrack for this ride, which is a different version of Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow. While there are rumors about the rides demise, its still just rumor.
@tamisweetie When the attraction moved from Disneyland to Disneyworld, I understand they redid the attraction and its theme song. Back in the early 90's (guess) they redid the attraction using the orginal song by the Sherman Bros created for the Worlds Fair.
:'( i wish it would be this song, and yesterday we went on a feild trip here and my civics teacher came (for an orchestra trip) and she wouldnt shut up saying she wanted this song
Walt Disney comissioned the current song "Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" and Walt Disney was more of a futurist than "here-in-the-now" person. The original song was restored.
@magicalthemeparks This CD Box set is WELL worth the price if you can get it, if only for the bonus disc, which has a grand total of -one- track...but it's the only track it needs...; a complete rendition of the Carousel of Progress had been recorded and scored in it's early stages, but for whatever reason, was never actually used, and it's existence was basically unknown...until it's inclusion in this set! :D
The show now still celebrates progress. Even though that they haven't updated it (Which is pretty much impossible because of how fast progress is going now) the characters still wonder about what's ahead, and progress is still celebrated, all in tribute to Walt. I'm always going to believe that There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow. And hey, one thing we can all be happy about is that the show is
Dang this is old! There are some things in the old one that I don't see in the new version of The Carousel of Progress. And I wish that they will show the old one now or at least try to make a different one in an other Disney Park.
and reused the original Sherman Brothers theme song from the fair, Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow. They did update the script too. Its different from the one used in the fair. To hate GBBT is to hate the one Walt Disney himself enjoyed, as seen on a video display outside the attraction of him singing along with the Sherman Brothers for a film promo presented to GE before the fair opened.
actually there is a soundtrack from this ride that disney used to sell to their enployees. now and then you can find a record soundtrack or really rare are cds on ebay. my freind works on the haunted mansion ride and has that whole rides soundtrack. ive also been "underground" where the computers are. they dont do that anymore. they wouldnt hire me cause of my tatoos. :>(. they only hire clean cut people. no tattoos or long hair men or beards.
The people who keep praising the current version of Carousel Of Progress over this one, simply because it's the "original song" are not aware that while the song in the current version may be the original one, this version is closer to the SPIRIT of the original program. The current one, instead of being a celebration of progress is just a self-indulgent exercise in nostalgia in which the only thing it has in common with Walt's version from the 60s is the song and nothing else.
Aw! This is the version I grew up with. The music, the actors, the dialog was awesome, it had real heart, even if it was just a GE commercial. Who cares! it's robots. SINGING ROBOTS! When you're a kid, you can't top that! But it was singing robots in an awesome show. This crowd might be dead, but usually there was LOTS of laughter after the jokes. I saw the new version for the first time today and it's dry and heartless compared to this. That's not progress, that's just apathy.
I guess I like the 70's version with Now is The Time..but probably only because it is the one that was installed when I worked on the attraction... It was still sponsored by GE back then, and I kind of miss the "not so subtle" GE plugs in Act 1, Act 2 and Act 4. I always thought the Carousel Theater was an innovative concept.
Did you hear the GREAT and various renditions of "Now is the Best Time"? In the first quadrant the gramophone had a turn-of-the-century version. In the 20's section there was a Jazz instrumental of the fantastic song. Within the 40's, part a Big Band/Swing interpretation was a keypoint. The heads of Disney are a pile of uber-dorks for ever removing this song. HEY DISNEY!! I'LL PAY YOU FOR A CD CONTAINING ALL THE VERSIONS OF "NOW," AND I'M NOT ALONE! RIGHT PEOPLE!!!
Great Video!! When did they add " Now is the tim" and when did they take it out? I went on vacation a week ago and it was " Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow". And, his voice sounds so different. Why?
We're all aware why those mouse-lovers changed the song, from "Now is the Best Time" to "Beautiful Tomorrow," right? The carousel of Progress is in the section of D.World badged: "Tomorrow Land." Yet, the animations were singing, "NOW is the best time." That being the case, the dizzies at Disney World swapped the song -- that Walt himself had no problem with -- for the unacceptable discord they now push. I will not return to Disney World until the original song is employed.
btw ...didanyone notice that the Grandmother from the trun of the centruy is in the Haunted Mansion Ballroom ( sorry if someoen already mentioned it ))
Eh. No offense to anyone, or to the Sherman Brothers (though I'm sure they probably weren't happy with changing something that was fine), but I think "Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" is more catchy than "Now Is The Time".
The only thing I like about this one is that it reminds me of a time when political correctness was not an issue You notice the refences to Women's rights and how that progresses in the old version...however it is left out all together in the new one. The "hootchiecootchie show" reference changed a bit. It seems like anything the imagineers touch now has to have a dose of political correctness now
I love this version. It's the one I grew up with when my grandma would take me to Disney as a kid.
great. I was an operator and lead on GE/Eastern during the late 70's...spent many hours rotating around and listening to this song.
....why does this song still run thru my head!!! GREAT MEMORIES!
When I watched this video, mainly out of curiosity to see what the second version of Carousel of Progress was like (as opposed to the one at the 1964-1965 World's Fair), something totally surprised me. The song in this version was "Now is the Time"! Ever since I was a kid, my mom, one of the original "Disney Babies", would sing this to my brother and I. Because of that, I always wondered where this song came from. Now I know!
This is the song that I remember from WDW in the 70s and 80s. It's much catchier and memorable than the original song. For years after my visits, I could sing it from memory, LOL.
again, it is worth repeating, the original theme song for the attraction was Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow when the Sherman Brothers wrote the music for the attraction for the 64 NY worlds Fair. The soundtrack was more like a commercial for GE. After the fair closed, they moved the attraction to Disneyland, then Disneyworld. While at Disneyworld, they rehabbed the attraction and changed the theme music to Now is the Time. They updated and rehabbed the attraction again.......
I went to see this in 1990 and that song is STILL in my head! I heard Walt Disney himself did the motions for the original prototype.
Now is the time...this is the best song...
FYI when COP opened at Walt Disney World it opened with Now Is The Time. I know, cause I moved to Orlando in 1970 and grew up with WDW and worked there for about 25 years. You are correct that in 1996 they changed it back to the original theme.
the history of carosel of progress is this. Great big beautful tomorrow is the version that they had at the 63-64 worlds fair in ny. GBBT is the version that Walt Disney worked on. Now is the Time is a version that they used after a rehab when they moved it to Disneyworld
this is one of 3 of my fav rides at disney, yes this was it back in the days. "now is the time" was actually the song g.e. was using back in the 80s untill they stopped sponsorship i think in 88 or so. actually the newer song was the orignial theme back from walt disney himself. and changed when ge sponsered it. and when g.e. quit it went back to walts theme that he apporved of right before he died in 1970. "now is the time"
THIS is the version I grew up with-I like the other song "Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" but I like "Now is the Time" better.....I thought it was focused correctly on the message that TODAY is whats most important as no matter how great "tomorrow" might be its till in the future. Today is "right now" where we live! Tomorrow is always in flux and NEVER where we live. So make TODAY the best that it can be.....
I remember when I saw this a long "time" ago in 1985 when I was 9 years old. It was interesting & I liked the audio animatronics characters. :)
OMG..this was At Disney WORLD!! My brother and I ... sniff thanks for posting this
The Father and narrator in this, the best version of Carousel is Andrew Duggan who played the original John Walton in the tv movie that led to the long running Waltons series
That's the classic Carousel of Progress and I REALLY want to see it.
I saw the original version at Disneyland in the sixties with the Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow song and the last scene of a home in the sixties. As a kid it was so fascinating to see the singing robots and the seats moving and the progress... I sure wish someone had a video of that version..a modern 60's house. Also the model of Progress City upstairs after the show was fascinating...A glimpse of the future. No one at Disneyworld got that experience. Too bad Walt died before it could happen.
It was changed to this version when GE dropped sponsorship of the show in 1985. This one is much closer to the original version then the current show, installed in 1994. Much of the original script remains in this one.
The Sherman brothers actually wrote both songs. When GE asked that the Carousel be moved to FL WDW, GE wanted a song that sowed the seed in peoples' heads that "now is the time" for great GE products. WDW changed it back in '94 in homage to Walt himself as "Big Beautiful Tomorrow" was his fave song.
Thank you for posting this!
i hope they never get rid of this!!
This version was a great narrator, but just for Trivia's sake - the current narrator is actually Jean Shepherd - author of that famous "A Christmas Story" movie they show for 24 hrs straight every Christmas. He died in '99 so if they update, it will be a new narrator once again.
the history of cop is when built for the 63 worlds fair in ny, the theme was gbbt. After the fair it was moved to disneyland. When disneyworld was opened, it was moved there too. Somewhere pre 96 and after it was moved to wdw, they rethemed it to now is the time version. Back in 95 or 96, the put the orginal fair park theme song back
i went to disney WORLD back in the 70s when it first opened... it had this song way back then... i like it better than the new one personally..... brings back great memories... this was one of my favorite attractions...!!!!
I agree. It was my favorite as was the original Hall of Presidents.
Both themes are good, and both should be appreciated, its just too bad you cant choose which version you can see.
Great Big Beautiful tomorrow was also on the Horizon ride. I unfortunately do not remember this song in the carousel of progress. I've been going to Disney since 1991 and went frequently since.
Horizons was considered Carousel of Progress, part 2. So they used the original song in that attraction while the Now is the time version played at COP in MK
yeah mean when now is the time was in cop horizons had great day beautiful tomorrow
@shulman2 There is a CD box set based on Walt Disney's attractions at the 64 NY Worlds Fair. It has the original soundtrack for this ride, which is a different version of Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow. While there are rumors about the rides demise, its still just rumor.
Love, love, love this song!!! Where can I find it - any ideas?? This is the way I remember this ride - thanks for sharing!!
Aw, that's awesome :) I love this attraction too!! Who doesns't?!
@tamisweetie When the attraction moved from Disneyland to Disneyworld, I understand they redid the attraction and its theme song. Back in the early 90's (guess) they redid the attraction using the orginal song by the Sherman Bros created for the Worlds Fair.
:'( i wish it would be this song, and yesterday we went on a feild trip here and my civics teacher came (for an orchestra trip) and she wouldnt shut up saying she wanted this song
Thanks...will do!
Walt Disney comissioned the current song "Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" and Walt Disney was more of a futurist than "here-in-the-now" person. The original song was restored.
@magicalthemeparks This CD Box set is WELL worth the price if you can get it, if only for the bonus disc, which has a grand total of -one- track...but it's the only track it needs...; a complete rendition of the Carousel of Progress had been recorded and scored in it's early stages, but for whatever reason, was never actually used, and it's existence was basically unknown...until it's inclusion in this set! :D
Now is the time is by far the better version in my opinion. This was the song back in the 70's when it was first moved to Florida from California.
The show now still celebrates progress. Even though that they haven't updated it (Which is pretty much impossible because of how fast progress is going now) the characters still wonder about what's ahead, and progress is still celebrated, all in tribute to Walt. I'm always going to believe that There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow. And hey, one thing we can all be happy about is that the show is
Dang this is old! There are some things in the old one that I don't see in the new version of The Carousel of Progress. And I wish that they will show the old one now or at least try to make a different one in an other Disney Park.
and reused the original Sherman Brothers theme song from the fair, Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow. They did update the script too. Its different from the one used in the fair. To hate GBBT is to hate the one Walt Disney himself enjoyed, as seen on a video display outside the attraction of him singing along with the Sherman Brothers for a film promo presented to GE before the fair opened.
actually there is a soundtrack from this ride that disney used to sell to their enployees. now and then you can find a record soundtrack or really rare are cds on ebay. my freind works on the haunted mansion ride and has that whole rides soundtrack. ive also been "underground" where the computers are. they dont do that anymore. they wouldnt hire me cause of my tatoos. :>(. they only hire clean cut people. no tattoos or long hair men or beards.
The people who keep praising the current version of Carousel Of Progress over this one, simply because it's the "original song" are not aware that while the song in the current version may be the original one, this version is closer to the SPIRIT of the original program. The current one, instead of being a celebration of progress is just a self-indulgent exercise in nostalgia in which the only thing it has in common with Walt's version from the 60s is the song and nothing else.
Aw! This is the version I grew up with. The music, the actors, the dialog was awesome, it had real heart, even if it was just a GE commercial. Who cares! it's robots. SINGING ROBOTS! When you're a kid, you can't top that! But it was singing robots in an awesome show. This crowd might be dead, but usually there was LOTS of laughter after the jokes.
I saw the new version for the first time today and it's dry and heartless compared to this. That's not progress, that's just apathy.
This is the version i remember.
I remember this version soooo well. I think we have it on video somewhere too.
I guess I like the 70's version with Now is The Time..but probably only because it is the one that was installed when I worked on the attraction... It was still sponsored by GE back then, and I kind of miss the "not so subtle" GE plugs in Act 1, Act 2 and Act 4.
I always thought the Carousel Theater was an innovative concept.
Did you hear the GREAT and various renditions of "Now is the Best Time"?
In the first quadrant the gramophone had a turn-of-the-century version. In the 20's section there was a Jazz instrumental of the fantastic song. Within the 40's, part a Big Band/Swing interpretation was a keypoint.
The heads of Disney are a pile of uber-dorks for ever removing this song.
HEY DISNEY!!
I'LL PAY YOU FOR A CD CONTAINING ALL THE VERSIONS OF "NOW," AND I'M NOT ALONE!
RIGHT PEOPLE!!!
i actually like this one a little better than the one now
Great Video!! When did they add " Now is the tim" and when did they take it out? I went on vacation a week ago and it was " Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow". And, his voice sounds so different. Why?
@shulman2 thank you!I knew that it was sponsored by someone!and yes!rex allen...his narration was always great!
drawn together brought me here....
I grew up with the current version, but I believe the intro speech in this version is better, fills me with hope you know?
We're all aware why those mouse-lovers changed the song, from "Now is the Best Time" to "Beautiful Tomorrow," right?
The carousel of Progress is in the section of D.World badged: "Tomorrow Land." Yet, the animations were singing, "NOW is the best time." That being the case, the dizzies at Disney World swapped the song -- that Walt himself had no problem with -- for the unacceptable discord they now push.
I will not return to Disney World until the original song is employed.
which version did you like the best?
I still laugh when I see Rover wag his tail.
still running and hasn't been canned. I hope it stays that way.
btw ...didanyone notice that the Grandmother from the trun of the centruy is in the Haunted Mansion Ballroom ( sorry if someoen already mentioned it ))
I would be curious to know when this attraction changed to the new format?
Ever wish Walt was still alive?
Eh. No offense to anyone, or to the Sherman Brothers (though I'm sure they probably weren't happy with changing something that was fine), but I think "Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" is more catchy than "Now Is The Time".
I like this theme song better :)
The only thing I like about this one is that it reminds me of a time when political correctness was not an issue
You notice the refences to Women's rights and how that progresses in the old version...however it is left out all together in the new one. The "hootchiecootchie show" reference changed a bit. It seems like anything the imagineers touch now has to have a dose of political correctness now
I disagree but I grew up on Now is the time so that may expain my htinking
i was born 1995