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“It Was a Shameful Moment”: Fans Bemoan the Loss of This Signature Disney Song

carousel of progress song

The Walt Disney World Resort and the Disneyland Resort both offer a plethora of attractions and experiences for visitors of all ages. At the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, you can explore four different theme parks, including Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park. Each Park features its own unique attractions, from thrilling rides like “Space Mountain” to classic favorites such as “it’s a small world.” Plus, Disney fans can catch incredible live shows like “Harmonious” in EPCOT and “Fantasmic!” in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. And Disney fans are passionate and care deeply about the world of Disney.

Carousel of Progress

Carousel of Progress, Magic Kingdom Park / Credit: Disney

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So, it’s certainly no surprise that Disney fans would notice and have feelings and opinions about the changes they notice in attractions at the Parks.

Recently, Disney fan and Guest u/herequeerandgreat shared a little history of the Carousel of Progress, “when you think of the carousel of progress, you probably think of the iconic song there’s a great big beautiful tomorrow. written by disney legends the sherman brothers, this song is tied with grim grinning ghosts as the most famous original song to come from a disney world ride.”

However, the fan continued on explaining how in the 1980s, General Electrics, the sponsor of the ride, asked Disney to change the song, and the Sherman Brothers came up with “The Best Time of Your Life.”

Magic Kingdom Disney World

Disney characters in Magic Kingdom Park, Walt Disney World/Credit: Disney

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The Guest then further noted how when General Electrics stopped being the sponsor for the attraction, Disney once again updated it and changed the song back to “A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow.” They concluded that “while gone from the attraction, the best time of your life is far from forgotten. occasionally, a techno version of the song is played in Tomorrowland.”

It was a story that caught the attention of many, with some sharing that with the success of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, that theme song was arguably more iconic. Yet others lamented the effect of commerce on art: “It was a shameful moment. GE didn’t like “It’s a great big beautiful tomorrow” because the song suggested the future would be better, and they wanted people to buy GE products right now…It was the triumph of commerce over art. Congratulations and thanks to the imagineers who fought to set things right.”

Beacons of Magic, Tree of Life, Disney's Animal Kingdom

Beacons of Magic, Tree of Life, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, Walt Disney World Resort / Courtesy of Disney

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Another noted that the song changes had confused them, sharing, “This explains why I was confused when I went back as an adult and thought my memory had failed me.”

All in all, Disney is certainly one of those experiences that lives on in our hearts for a long time, and it’s more than understandable why these choices mean so much to fans when their childhood is so strongly associated with them.

About Priyanka Kumar

Priyanka is a writer, artist, avid reader, and travel enthusiast based in Chicago. In her free time, she is probably walking by the lake, catching up on the latest releases on TV, or spending inordinate amounts of time rewatching Moana, Encanto, and her Disney Channel life-long favorites Zack and Cody wreak havoc on the Tipton.

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