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Walt Disney Imagineering Shares Vintage Concept Art for Carousel of Progress Finale
Walt Disney Imagineering just gave fans a cozy little blast from the past by sharing vintage concept art for the final scene of Carousel of Progress, and it is pure Tomorrowland nostalgia. Posted to Instagram, the artwork was created in 1993 by Greg Wilzbach, former Executive Creative Director at Walt Disney Imagineering, and it helped inspire the current fourth scene of the beloved Magic Kingdom attraction. The scene, affectionately known as “Christmas in the House of 2000,” debuted when the attraction reopened in November 1994 following a major refresh tied to the “New Tomorrowland: The Future that Never Was” era.
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The concept art shows a warm, futuristic family living room decked out for the holidays, complete with Imagineering notes scribbled right onto the artwork. Many of Wilzbach’s design ideas made it straight into the final animatronic scene, but a closer look reveals some fun differences. In the concept art, Patricia appears to receive an acoustic guitar for Christmas, while in the finished attraction she ends up with winter boots instead. The dining room table, TV, and media center also look noticeably larger in the early artwork than what guests see today inside the rotating theater.
Carousel of Progress has come a long way since its debut at the 1964 New York World’s Fair, evolving through versions at Disneyland and Magic Kingdom while still holding tight to that “great big beautiful tomorrow” energy. Even now, the attraction continues to inch forward, with Disney previously confirming that it will receive an update featuring the new Walt Disney animatronic that debuted at Disneyland earlier this year.
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If you love spotting tiny Imagineering details, this concept art is a real treat and might just inspire your next ride-through to hunt for differences. Disney even invited fans to share what changes they notice most, so the comments section is already buzzing with theories, nostalgia, and a few boot versus guitar debates.
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