A wall panel in the first room of Carousel of Progress in Magic Kingdom has come loose and fallen, turning that part of the wall into a window.

Wall Panel Falls on Carousel of Progress

The wall panel fell behind the table next to John, the father of the Carousel of Progress family. The panel got stuck on the table without falling completely to the ground. The felled paneling reveals the matte painting background of the scene which is usually obscured by lace curtains. There’s a white picket fence, grass, trees, and a creek.

On the right side of this photo, you can see that the wall usually looks like dark panels of wood.

Carousel of Progress has had more obvious problems than a broken wall before. In August, John’s hand in the second scene became disconnected and dangled from his wrist. In 2020, a hand of the 1900s John fell off completely. We’ve also caught squirrel invaders.

Watch our 2012 POV video of Carousel of Progress at Magic Kingdom:

History of Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress

This classic Disney attraction premiered at the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair at the General Electric (GE) Pavilion. The fair was notable for also featuring the debut of “it’s a small world.” After the fair, both attractions moved to Disneyland. The Carousel of Progress operated at Disneyland from 1967 until 1973, after which it was replaced by America Sings (which itself later closed and replaced by Innoventions and Star Wars Launch Bay).

But Carousel of Progress lived on at Magic Kingdom, where it opened in 1975 and remains today. The attraction sees guests seated in a round, rotating theater, that takes them through four different scenes featuring the same American family in different eras of history. The first scene is Valentine’s Day at the “turn of the century,” the second is the 4th of July in the 1920s, the third is Halloween in the 1940s, and the fourth is Christmas in the 21st century.

The ride focuses on technology, as well as other elements of American family life, and how things have changed over the course of (now well over) a century. As the opening narration states, “Although our Carousel family has experienced a few changes over the years, our show still revolves around the same theme — and that’s progress.”

There have been multiple iterations of the finale scene in particular, but it has been mostly unchanged since the 1990s. In 2022, the family received new outfits and hair, but the set and dialogue remained the same. Halloween decorations were updated later that same year.

Carousel of Progress is known for its theme song, composed by the Sherman Brothers, “There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow.” Many also remember “The Best Time of Your Life,” which was the theme song from 1974 to 1994.

Jamie Lee Curtis said during a “Haunted Mansion” movie interview that she would like to make a Carousel of Progress movie.

For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.