Greetings fellow Rope Droppers,
Funny how a ride you've taken for granted becomes must-do the week it closes. That was Walt's Carousel of Progress this week. I'll admit it: I've fallen asleep in that theater a time or two, the slow spin makes for a perfect AC nap on a hectic park day. But the second I heard the current rendition was leaving for good, I wanted one more turn.
So did a lot of you. The final show ran July 5, and we're now saying "see you in 2027" to the version that's welcomed Magic Kingdom guests for fifty years.
Also this week: a wave of fall closures worth planning around, a new person about to run all of Walt Disney World, and a Fourth of July moment over the castle that gave us chills. Let's ride.
| 1 | Carousel of Progress is gone (for now), and what's next has some fans unsure. |
| 2 | Disney Cruise Line is planting a bigger flag in St. Maarten. |
| 3 | A beloved Animal Kingdom voice is retiring after 20 years. |
| 01 | This Week's E-Ticket A Fifty-Year Goodbye to Carousel of Progress |
After fifty years in Tomorrowland, Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress ran its final show on Sunday, July 5, and closed the next morning to begin a multi-year reimagining. Construction walls went up July 6, and the overhaul Disney announced back in May is officially underway. There's already one small heartbreak for the eagle-eyed: the PeopleMover's narration has been re-recorded, and the Carousel callout is simply gone, muted with nothing in its place. (WDWNT)
Here's a twist. Big final-day crowds have become a tradition at Disney closures lately, the way Splash Mountain and MuppetVision 3D drew hours-long lines for one last ride. This time the sendoff was quieter. Disney Food Blog was on the ground and reported rope-drop crowds no heavier than usual, with theaters that weren't even filling for each show. Not everyone saw the same day, though: some fan Facebook groups reported waits building at points throughout the day.
For your planning: the reopening is slated for 2027, but Disney has not named a firm date or even a season, so treat any "back by spring" talk as a guess (but you know Disney). If you've got a trip before then, that Tomorrowland slot is dark.
Disney Parks Blog
| The version we said goodbye to | Coming in 2027 |
|---|---|
| Opens around 1900, turn of the century | New opening scene with a Walt Disney animatronic, inspired by the 1964 'Disneyland Goes to the World's Fair' special |
| Act 1: the 1920s | Act 1: 1969, the family gathers for the moon landing |
| Act 2: the 1940s | Act 2: 1985, Halloween night, Sarah center stage for the first time |
| Act 3: 21st-century Christmas | Act 3: 1999, ringing in the millennium as the internet arrives |
| Finale: a near-future home | Finale: a far-off future in a home off the planet entirely |
The bones stay: same family, same rotating theater, and yes, "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" survives.
The new Carousel of Progress: where do you land?
| 02 | In the Queue Disney Cruise Line Puts St. Maarten on the Map |
If your Disney cruise planning leans Caribbean, this one's for you. Following the Disney Destiny's inaugural call to St. Maarten on July 1, Disney Cruise Line and the island's government announced a real expansion of the relationship. St. Maarten gets three Disney calls in 2026, jumps to roughly 14 in 2027, and Disney and the port are already talking about more in 2028. (WDWNT, and the Government of Sint Maarten's own release)
Why it matters for planners: St. Maarten has been a relatively uncommon DCL port these days, especially next to its neighbor St. Thomas, which shows up on Eastern Caribbean itineraries constantly. So this reads as a genuine broadening of the Eastern Caribbean map, and a nice bit of variety if you've already done the St. Thomas loop a few times. It also means you can experience St. Maarten as its own port of call, rather than only as a day-trip excursion from St. Thomas next door.
I've got a soft spot here: I actually sailed to St. Maarten with DCL on a 10-night Southern Caribbean out of Port Canaveral back in 2006, and a lot of those Southern Caribbean ports have gotten rare on Disney itineraries since. Seeing this kind of variety come back is a treat.
| 03 | Ears to That A Lion King Legend Takes His Bow |
Grab a tissue for this one. After more than 20 years, Veryl E. Jones is retiring from Festival of the Lion King at Disney's Animal Kingdom. Jones played Kiume, the leader of the elephant section, and was the voice belting out Scar's "Be Prepared" in that Harambe Theater you've probably sung along to a hundred times. His castmate Monica Quinn shared a video of the cast and crew celebrating him at the theater. (WDWNT)
Cast members like him are the reason a show you've seen a dozen times still gives you goosebumps on visit thirteen. Well done, and enjoy the encore, Veryl.
The Wild World of the Van Gogh Truthers
A small but vocal crew of amateur sleuths are intent on exposing what they describe as “the art world’s biggest cover-up”: the murder of Vincent van Gogh. Read the article for free today.
| 04 | From Around the Kingdom Five Things Worth a Beat |
Sweet Detour: Ghirardelli's original Disney Springs Marketplace shop has closed for a refurb through Spring 2027, but your hot fudge is safe. A temporary location is already open in Town Center, sundaes and chocolate squares included. (Disney Food Blog)
New Boss at the Kingdom: Walt Disney World is getting a new president. Joe Schott takes over August 3, succeeding Jeff Vahle, who's retiring after 36 years. Schott is a 40-year Disney vet who started as a Jungle Cruise skipper and most recently ran Disney Signature Experiences, launching the Destiny and Adventure. A cruise-and-international guy now steering WDW is worth watching. (WDWNT)
New Way Home: Staying at the Polynesian? The Seven Seas Drive and Floridian Way intersection closes permanently on July 13, so your arrival route changes. Disney is emailing guests to route the main resort via North World Drive and Island Tower via Floridian Way. Build in a few extra minutes. (WDWNT)
ADR Alert: EPCOT's Coral Reef Restaurant temporarily closes September 8, reopening later in 2026. It's been dinner-only since January, so read this as the next step in whatever's changing there. If you had those aquarium-window views on your fall dining list, rebook now. (Disney Food Blog)
ICYMI: some Fourth of July moments hit different. Around 10:30 a.m. on July 4, the Air Force Reserve's 920th Rescue Wing flew an HC-130J and two HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopters over Magic Kingdom and EPCOT for America's 250th, refueling lines trailing between them as they crossed over Spaceship Earth. It was EPCOT's first flyover since the Thunderbirds in 2023, and word is Buzz, Woody, and Jessie rode along. Chills. (WDWMagic)
| 05 | That's A Wrap See Ya Real Soon |
That's a wrap on this one. A fifty-year attraction went dark, the fall closure list is filling up, and we still can't stop replaying that flyover. Change is the whole point of the Carousel, after all, and we'll keep spinning through it with you.
See ya real soon,
Gabe
