June 2026 Issue
When Disney announced that the Carousel of Progress would close on July 6 for a major overhaul, my heart sank.
Of all the attractions at Walt Disney World, the Carousel of Progress isn't the most exciting. There are no thrills, drops, or virtual queues to battle for. It's essentially a rotating theater featuring an animatronic family, a catchy tune, and a look at how technology has changed over the decades.
Yep, unless you're a Disney adult, it's boring AF and most often used as a place to take an air-conditioned nap. Admittedly, I’m a sentimental sucker for the “ride.” It's familiar and comforting. A little quirky and a lotta dated.
It's nostalgia in its purest form!
Judging by the reaction online, I'm not the only one who feels attached to it. Some are devastated by the news, “It’s a classic!” Others insist, “It’s dusty, and guest expectations have changed.”
I had to laugh at the irony. Here was a ride called the Carousel of Progress, inspiring a heated debate about whether it should change. The more I thought about it, the more familiar it all felt.
Over the years, I've worked with countless creative businesses that have settled for "well enough." The look-alike website template and generic messaging are still bringing in inquiries, just not the ones they want. Nothing is necessarily broken, but it no longer reflects the quality of their work or where they want to go.
When something is broken, change feels obvious. When something is "good enough," it's much harder to accept it's time to progress.
Which is why the Carousel of Progress debate stuck with me. The attraction isn't being closed because people stopped going. It's being updated because the very thing it celebrates is progress!
As for the current version of the show, I won’t get one last ride before it closes, which makes me even more sentimental about it…
But I also accept that progress means stepping back and asking whether what was "good enough" yesterday is still working for the great, big, beautiful tomorrow you're headed for.
PS: We are back! Did you miss the June edition of THE EDIT by Editor’s Edge?
