Carousel Of Progress Articles

ased on the idea of Edison Street which was to be built between Main Street and Tomorrowland but never was.Passengers riding aboard the PeopleMover visit this area of GE's pavilion for an exciting view of Progress City during an adventure throughout Tomorrowland

Inside this free attraction cast members ushered guests into a small 240-seat theater on the ground floor. The Carousel of Progress show began with an infectious theme song There's A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow by Richard and Robert Sherman.The theater one of 6 surrounding the stage then rotated to the first audio-animatronics scene featuring a typical family at home the year was approximately 1890 and in the room where parents, two children a cousin, grandparents, a dog named Rover, Buster and Sport throughout the show. All were audio-animatronics and such turn of the century devices as a gramophone and gas lamps. At the conclusion of the brief presentation the theme song began to play as the theater spun and the audience moved ahead in time by 3 decades

Meanwhile the next audience seated in another 240 seat theater in the building's perimeter was wheeled in a position to see the 1890 scene.The audience watched as presumably the same family now updated to the 1920's used electric lights and electric fan and other electric gadgets.

Based on the idea of Edison Street which was to be built between Main Street and Tomorrowland but never was.

The Progress City model that was used in the attraction was located on the second floor. The model was 115 feet wide and 60 feet deep. It had 1,00 street lights, 2,500 moving vehicles, 20,000 trees and 4,500 structures.

Lyrics for There's A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow:

There's a great, big, beautiful tomorrow
Shining at the end of every day
There's a great, big, beautiful tomorrow
And tomorrow's just a dream away


Man has a dream and that's the start
He follows his dream with mind and heart
And when it becomes a reality
It's a dream come true for you and me


So there's a great, big, beautiful tomorrow
Shining at the end of every day
There's a great, big, beautiful tomorrow
Just a dream away


each theater held 240 guests.

From 1967 Tomorrowland Info Packet


THERE'S A GREAT BIG BEAUTIFUL TOMORROW:

As GE guests are seated by Disneyland hostesses, they "see" and hear a light-hearted rendition of the Carousel of Progress theme song. There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow, through the medium of Kaleidophonics.

KALEIDOPHONICS:

A ten-foot-high, transparent Kaleidophonic screen, stretching the entire 40-foot length of the first stage, presents constantly changing constellations of shimmering colors. Stereophonic music and the narrator's voice electronically determine the illuminated colors and light intensities.

MEET FOUR GENERATIONS:

As the Carousel Theatre rotates, it carries seated guests into the homes of four generations of the same family from the days before electricity to the present.

GE guests arc welcomed into living rooms of the families to see how electricity has contributed to better living.

The families represent different periods of time—the late 1800's. 1920's, 1940's and present day.

THE 1890's:

Guests' first visit is with an average family at the turn of the century, represented by a father, mother, son. two daughters. grandmother and, of course, the family dog.

With the help of his clan, Father proudly discusses the many "modern" conveniences available to Americans in the 19th Century — hand-operated washing machines and vacuum cleaners, talking machines, ice boxes and coal-burning kitchen ranges.

Skeptically, he mentions that a fellow named Tom Edison is working on a revolutionary idea: snap-on electric lights.

THE 1920's:

As the Carousel Theatre rotates to the next stage, the audience is greeted by the same family, this time comfortably at home in the 1920's.

Surrounding them arc the latest "electrical servants," including a sewing machine. percolator. toaster, waffle iron, electric clock and refrigerator — all connected to central outlets by dangling cords. Again. Father serves as narrator to relate the noteworthy advances made by electricity since the turn of the century. He concludes with the declaration: "It looks as though we've progressed about as far as we can."

THE 1940's:

Moving on to the next stage, guests enter the home of the 1940's. the beginning of the electronic era.

Electrical progress rides into the living room on horseback as a western movie is viewed on a 10-inch, water-filled television screen. Meanwhile, the teenage daughter, who states her distaste for bouncy jalopies, keeps in shape with a bouncy new reducing machine. Mother, imaginative as always, uses a new food mixer to stir paint.

TODAY:

Bringing things to the present, a beautifully appointed, all-electric home of today is visited next.

Father and Mother—mostly Mother —tell the story of electrical progress of the present with reference to the latest in television receivers. stereo, lighting and a host of other new conveniences. Through a large window at the back of this living room setting is seen the panorama of Progress City, where this family lives.

AUDIO ANIMATRONICS:

All 32 "stars" of the show are Audio-Animatronic creations that represent a new high in the state of the art of animating three-dimensional figures.

PROGRESS CITY:

As Act IV comes to an end, GE guests are invited to begin a second journey. Stepping onto a "speedramp" that carries them to the pavilion's second level, guests enter three, wide, terraced rows and move forward along the railing at the front of each row.

Spreading before them like a glistening jewel is the horizon-filling spectacle of Progress City, completing GE's story of electricity and its contributions to more comfortable and enjoyable living.

ELECTRIC COMMUNITY OF TODAY:

Captured in amazing realism, the scale model (1/14 inch 1 foot), fully-animated city is an all-electric community that can be built today through applications of the most advanced technologies.

Totaling 6,900 square feet (115 feet by 60 feet). Progress City's 20,000 trees and shrubs, 4,500 buildings, and 1,400 street lights are authentic to the smallest detail. Many structures feature interior lighting, and furniture inside can be seen in some windows.

MOVING TRANSIT SYSTEMS:

Progress City is complete with 7 types of transportation, including rapid transit monorails, electric trains, the WEDway People-Mover, automotive, transporters (electric carts), moving side-walks, and today's jets. Throughout Progress City, 2,450 of the vehicles are actually moving.

There is a climate-controlled "center city" and a wide variety of night-lighted amusement areas, sports stadiums, an airport, atomic power facility and other necessities. Its full-length cyclorama evening sky background measures 160 feet long by 23 feet high.

BASED ON EPCOT CONCEPT:

The overall design of General Electric's Progress City model in Disneyland is based on a concept developed by Walt Disney for the Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow (EPCOT) he had planned for Disney World in Florida.

PREVIEW FROM PEOPLEMOVER:

Passengers riding aboard the PeopleMover visit this area of GE's pavilion for an exciting view of Progress City during an adventure throughout Tomorrowland and many of its major pavilions.

From WED Disneyland Dictionary 1968
Features four warm and humorous "Audio-Animatronics" "families" from different generations who welcome guests into their homes of the 1890's, 1920's, 1940's and today, to hear how progress through electricity has contributed to better living. Added to the completely re-developed New York World's Fair hit is "Progress City," an entire community captured in capsulized realism and featuring moving transportation systems and thousands of buildings.

From First Draft 1957:
"PROGRESS CITY"

The audience has arrived at the top of the ramp. The hostess -- at her microphone station -- has welcomed guests and now begins to lead the theatre-load into the viewing area for the city model.

As the audience enters, it is DUSK - a partial SUNSET on the cyclorama backing. For about the first 30 seconds as the hostess leads the audience across in front of the model, we hear MUSIC ONLY - no narration. At approximately the time the hostess stops (and stops the first-row audience with her), narration begins. The second and third rows of people are still moving in as narration starts.

NARRATOR

NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL REAL PROGRESS. YOU CAN SEE WHY WE CALI. IT - MOTHER
(interrupting)

PROGRESS CITY! AND IF YOU'LL ALL KEEP MOVING TO THE LEFT, THERE'LL BE LOTS OF ROOM FOR EVERYONE TO SEE.... DON'T STAND IN THE WAY OF PROGRESS!

Lights begin to come on, in various patterns, around the city -- slowly at first, and finally in rapid succession as the narrator finishes his introduction.

NARRATOR

YES SIR, EVERY TIME IT SEEMS AS THOUGH WE'VE GONE ABOUT AS FAR AS WE CAN, THERE'S A NEW "SPRINGTIME OF PROGRESS". NOW OUR WHOLE COMMUNITY GOES TO WORK AT THE CLICK OF A SWITCH!

As the lights come on full around Progress City, this transition to full (but bright) nighttime is accompanied Sy a MUSICAL SEQUENCE -- an upbeat version of the "Beautiful Tomorrow" theme song that includes sounds of the city and its activities (traffic, etc.). About 10-15 seconds.

NARRATOR

ITS ABOUT TIME TO CHANGE THE WORDS TO THAT SONG ... "THERE'S A GREAT BIG BEAUTIFUL -- TOMORROW' ??/?" (chuckling) SURE LOOKS LIKE TOMORROW IS ALREADY HERE!

MOTHER

EVERYTHING YOU SEE HERE IN PROGRESS CITY IS POSSIBLE TODAY IN ANY CITY -- EVEN WHERE YOU LIVE!

NARRATOR

MOTHER, LET'S TAKE OUR GUESTS ON A TOUR OF PROGRESS CITY.

MOTHER

YOU GO RIGHT AHEAD, DEAR. IF YOU FORGET SOMETHING IMPORTANT, I'LL INTERRUPT!

Throughout the city, lights begin to dim -- everything but the street lighting and the transportation systems. When the narrator begins to pinpoint the transportation systems, lighting HIGHLIGHTS ALL TRANSPORTATION on the model.

NARRATOR (chuckling)

SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE ... BUT HERE IN PROGRESS CITY, THINGS ARE ALWAYS CHANGING FOR THE BETTER. WE'VE GOT ALL THE LATEST ALL-ELECTRIC IDEAS TO HELP CITIES LOOK BETTER -- AND TO MAKE THEM BETTER PLACES TO LIVE IN....

In the background musical theme, we hear Transportation sounds, as all the systems are highlighted on the model.

NARRATOR

... INCLUDING ALL KINDS Or ELECTRIC POWERED TRANSPORTATION... MONORAIL ... PEOPLE MOVERS ... ELECTRIC TRANSPORTERS ..AND OUR HIGH SPEED RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM.

MOTHER

ITS JUST LIKE THE ONE GENERAL ELECTRIC IS HELPING TO BUILD IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA RIGHT NOW

NARRATOR

I GET TO WORK IN HALF THE TIME ON A HIGH SPEED ELECTRIC TRAIN -- SURE BEATS TRAFFIC JAMS!

SOUND. The DOG GROWLS.

NARRATOR

TAKE IT EASY, SPORT! (chuckles) HE'S COMPLAININ' BECAUSE ELECTRIC VEHICLES ARE SO QUIET!

Lighting begins to dim on the transportation systems. Gradually, lighting focuses on the DOWNTOWN CITY area.

MOTHER

WITH ALL OUR ELECTRIC TRANSPORTATION, GOING SHOPPING IS SIMPLY A BREEZE NOW TOO -- AND GETTING THERE IS ONLY HALF THE FUN.TODAY OUR WHOLE DOWNTOWN IS COMPLETELY ENCLOSED -- WHATEVER THE WEATHER IS OUTSIDE, ITS ALWAYS DRY AND COMFORTABLE INSIDE!

NARRATOR

GENERAL ELECTRIC CALLS IT A "CLIMATE CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT", BUT MOTHER SAYS ITS A --

MOTHER (interrupting)

-- A SPARKLING JEWEL! ... DEAR, SPEAKING OF JEWELS ..

NARRATOR

STICK TO THE SCRIPT, MOTHER!. YES SIR, OUR ALL-ELECTRIC ENVIRONMENT HAS BROUGHT NEW LIFE TO THE BUSINESS AREAS OF OUR CITY, BECAUSE --

MOTHER (interrupting)

-- BECAUSE ITS NOT A CHORE TO GO DOWNTOWN ANYMORE!

NARRATOR (resignedly)

YOU TOOK THE WORDS RIGHT OUT OF MY MOUTH, DEAR.

As Mother continues, lighting dims an the central city, and highlights the NUCLEAR POWER PLANT at the far right side of the model.

MOTHER

WE HAVE A NEW NEIGHBOR IN TOWN -- A WELCOME ONE TOO, BECAUSE IT CONTRIBUTES SO MUCH TO MAKING PROGRESS CITY A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE IN.

NARRATOR

WHAT MOTHER MEANS. IS, IT TAKES A WHOLE LOT OF ELECTRICITY TO LIGHT AND HEAT AND COOL A WHOLE CITY ... BUT OUR G-E NUCLEAR POWER PLANT DOES THE JOB. AND IT HELPS OUR LOCAL ELECTRIC UTILITY KEEP THE COST OF ELECTRICITY LOW.

MOTHER

THAT'S WHAT I CALL A REALLY GOOD NEIGHBOR!

The lights on the Nuclear Plant are dimmed part way, and the area immediately adjacent to it -- the INDUSTRIAL PARK -- is highlighted.

NARRATOR

YESSIR, TODAY'S NUCLEAR POWER IS SO CLEAN AND SAFE AND RELIABLE THE PLANT CAN BE LOCATED ANYWHERE IN TOWN. HERE IN PROGRESS CITY, ITS CLOSE BY OUR INDUSTRIAL PARK -- WHICH REALLY LOOKS MORE LIKE --

MOTHER (interrupting)

-- LIKE AN ATTRACTIVE CITY PARK, THANKS TO BEAUTIFUL LIGHTING AND LANDSCAPING.

Lights dim in the Industrial Park area. As the Narrator introduces it, we begin to highlight the full scope of the NIGHT-LIGHTED RECREATION AREAS throughout the City.

AND SPEAKING OF PARKS, OUTDOOR LIGHTING HAS ADDED HOURS TO OUR RECREATION TIME.

MOTHER

WOULD YOU BELIEVE IT, I'M LEARNING TO PLAY GOLF!?

NARRATOR (chuckling)

THAT'S REAL PROGRESS! ... YESSIR, WE'RE HAVING THE FUN-TIME OF OUR LIVES, THANKS TO SPORTS LIGHTING FOR --

As the Narrator mentions each facility, it is HIGHLIGHTED.

NARRATOR

... STADIUMS .... TENNIS COURTS .... SWIMMING POOLS .. BALL FIELDS WE EVEN HAVE OUR OWN AMUSEMENT PARK.

HIGHLIGHT the AMUSEMENT PARK.

MOTHER (underplaying it)

ITS NOT EXACTLY DISNEYLAND ... (brightly) BUT IT IS CLEAN AND BRIGHT AND SAFE FOR THE CHILDREN!

For a few seconds, we open for MUSIC, with a 'icarnival" flavor to the theme song.

As the lighting dims on the recreation facilities and the amusement park, we focus attention on the cyclorama backing. The JET PLANES have begun to take off; the XENON FLASHERS are pulsing along the runway.

NARRATOR

MOTHER, ISN'T IT ABOUT TIME FOR GRANDMA AND GRANDPA TO TAKE OFF?

MOTHER

THAT MAY BE THEIR JET PLANE NOW, DEAR.

NARRATOR

ITS SURE A PRETTY BIRD ... AND JUST IMAGINE HOW FAST AIR TRAVEL WILL BE WHEN THE SST's ARRIVE. MAYBE THEN --

MOTHER (interrupting)

-- MAYBE THEN WE'LL DO THE TRAVELLING!

SOUND: The DOG GROWLS again.

NARRATOR

NOW CALM DOWN SPORT. WHY WOULD ANYONE WANT TO LEAVE PROGRESS CITY?

Now all the lighting across the city comes BACK ON.

NARRATOR

WELL FOLKS, IT IS TIME TO GO. GENERAL ELECTRIC THANKS YOU FOR JOINING US AND REMEMBER --

MOTHER

EVERYTHING YOU HAVE SEEN HERE IN OUR ALL-ELECTRIC CITY IS REALLY POSSIBLE TODAY!

NARRATOR

SO IF YOU KNOW ANY CITIES LOOKING FOR A NEW "SPRINGTIME OF PROGRESS", TELL THEM ABOUT GENERAL ELECTRIC'S PROGRESS CITY

MOTHER a NARRATOR (together)

THANKS FOR JOINING US!

LIGHTING DISSOLVES to the original SUNSET SCENE on the Cyclorama backing.

The HOSTESS asks the audience to move toward her, briefly introduces the next part of their visit with G-E in Disneyland, and thanks them for coming to the G-E pavilion.