The clock is ticking on the current version of Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress at Magic Kingdom Park, and two newly filed construction permits confirm that the teams building its replacement are already locked in place.
Two Companies, Two Permits, One Major Project
On June 24, Walt Disney World Resort filed two separate Notices of Commencement for work at 1205 Monorail Way — the address of Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress — both describing plans to “install set elements” at the Tomorrowland attraction. Both permits carry a one-year expiration date, consistent with the 2027 completion window Walt Disney World Resort has already announced for the reimagined attraction.
The first permit contracts Icarus Exhibits, a company with deep Disney roots whose recent credits include TRON Lightcycle / Run, Toy Story Land, and Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. The second brings in ThemeWorks, an artistic engineering firm that has worked across multiple major theme park companies. For Walt Disney World Resort specifically, ThemeWorks contributed to Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser.
An earlier Notice of Commencement filed this month covered steel work at the same address, indicating the project is already moving into its active preparation phase.
What's Coming to the Carousel of Progress
Walt Disney World Resort announced earlier this year that Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress would receive its first significant overhaul in decades. The reimagined version will introduce four all-new scenes set across four distinct eras — the 1960s, the 1980s, the New Millennium, and the future — along with a new introduction hosted by an audio-animatronic of Walt Disney.
The Tomorrowland attraction closes on July 6, 2026, making Sunday, July 5, the final day to experience the current version of the show that has been a Magic Kingdom staple since the park opened in 1971. The overhaul is expected to be complete sometime in 2027.
Are you planning one final trip to see Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress before its reimagining? Let Disney Fanatic know in the comments!
