Tomorrowland Might Feature Walt Disney’s Carousel Of Progress
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Now that Tomorrowland is part of the giant summer movie slate of 2015, there is more and more pressure for the science fiction family film to perform well at the box office. Considering that the Brad Bird-directed movie isn’t based on an existing property or comic book, and it’s not part of a popular film franchise or sequel, it could be tough to convince general audiences to show up for this one. Disney hopes that Bird, writer Damon Lindelof, and star George Clooney are enough of a draw. Bird recently tweeted a picture of himself in front of a clue that might be the key to unlocking the mysteries of Tomorrowland’s.
Brad Bird took a picture in front of the Carousel of Progress poster at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. The Carousel was part of Disney’s World’s Fair presentation in New York City in 1964, and is also a current attraction at Disney World’s Tomorrowland theme park.
The Carousel of Progress features a “typical” American family experiencing the joys of living through the advent of electricity with a home full of advanced technology. Believe it or not, while the attraction was updated several times since it was introduced in 1967, it hasn’t been touched since 1993. So, if you go to Disney World now and experience The Carousel of Progress, it would be exactly the same as it was in 1993. Part of the reason why it hasn’t changed, even though there has been 20 years of technological progress, is because the attraction is steeped in both nostalgia and futurism. It took a look at the future from the point-of-view of the 1960s. It was also believed that the Carousel of Progress was Walt Disney’s favorite ride at Disneyland.
Considering that the Carousel of Progress is part of the Tomorrowland theme park, and it was showcased at the World’s Fair, many believe that the attraction will play a heavy role in the film’s mythology. The ‘64 World’s Fair was also part of Bird and Lindelof’s “1952” mystery box that was teased months before the film’s title changed to Tomorrowland.
Lindelof described the family friendly project as a movie that will do for the Tomorrowland what the Pirates of the Caribbean movies did for that ride. Based on everything we’ve seen so far, it feels like Tomorrowland’s narrative will feature a fantastical version of how the theme park came to life.
Tomorrowland follows a bright, optimistic, curious teen named Casey Newton. When she meets a former boy-genius inventor named Frank Walker, the unlikely pair “embarks on a danger-filled mission to unearth the secrets of an enigmatic place somewhere in time and space.” They travel to a place that only exists in their collective memory as Tomorrowland.
Tomorrowland stars Clooney, Britt Robertson, Hugh Laurie, Thomas Robinson, Judy Greer, Kathryn Hahn, Tim McGraw, and Raffey Cassidy, and hits theaters everywhere on May 22, 2015.
If you’ve ever been to Disney World, then I’m sure you must have sat through the Carousel of Progress at one point or another. The attraction was even featured in Iron Man 2 as part of the “Stark Expo 2010.” Check out a video of the attraction below:
