f wife Sarah is visible in today’s show (until the final act), that’s always been an intentional facet of the show. When the show was first built in the 1960s it featured 20-year jumps from 1900, 1920, 1940, and 1960. In the 1960s, the women’s liberation movement was current and evolving, so the sexism of the father/husband would have had particular resonance in the early scenes, and Sarah’s assertiveness in the original 1960s ending scene felt contemporary.
Like many attractions, the Carousel of Progress has some intentional tributes. Look for the famous pointed sorcerer hat (with stars and moon on it) on a small table next to the daughter when she’s talking on the phone using the “exercise” equipment in the 1940s.
The same stars-and-moon design appears later in the final scene, as a design for dinner plates high up on a shelf in the kitchen (look to the far right).
Mickey’s sorcerer hat isn’t alone in the attraction; Mickey makes an appearance a few times. Look for Mickey three times in the final scene: as a nutcracker above the fireplace, as the traditional three-circles shape in the presents under the tree, and as an abstract painting on the rocky outcropping from Fantasia (directing stars), seen in the wall separating the living room from the dining room in the back of the set.
This same scene at Christmas is home to two other tributes. There’s a somewhat-famous mention of Marty Sklar, longtime head of WDI, on a post-it note on the bulletin board.
On the nearby dry-erase board is a mention of Flight 1401, an homage to the address of Walt Disney Imagineering, 1401 Flower St. in Glendale, CA.
A further Imagineering tribute happens earlier in the attraction. In the 1940s scene, watch the window looking out into the city as the theater rotates. Eventually, you’ll see a sign labeled “Herbert Ryman, Attorney at Law.” Herb Ryman was a longtime Disney animator and the artist who famously drew the first working concept art of Disneyland with Walt over one long weekend.
About Kevin Yee
If you like D-Tales, you’ll love Kevin Yee’s book Walt Disney World Hidden History (second edition, 2014). This softcover book tracks Disney “hidden history” — remnants of former attractions and tributes to Imagineers as well as other Disney officials — hiding in plain sight in the parks. There are over 300 entries in the book!
Whether tribute or remnant, each item discussed starts with something visible in today’s parks; the idea is that this is something you could visit and see with your own eyes, and then appreciate the historical thinking behind it. Since most visitors aren’t local, the book includes a photo of every item discussed so you’ll know what to look for.