Walt Disney World Resort has officially announced the cancellation of a planned overhaul for one of Magic Kingdom Park’s most historic attractions: Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress. The ride was originally slated to undergo a special celebration for Mickey Mouse’s 60th birthday, including a cake-themed exterior overlay.
On August 31, 2025, during the Destination D23 event at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, Disney Imagineers shared a never-before-seen concept for the Carousel of Progress overhaul. The plan included transforming the attraction into a bright, pink birthday cake to celebrate Mickey Mouse’s milestone birthday in 1988. This idea preceded the infamous birthday cake overlay on Cinderella Castle in 1996, celebrating Walt Disney World Resort’s 25th anniversary.
During the Disney Castles panel, concept art was shared of a plan to add a cake overlay to the Carousel of Progress for Mickey’s 60th birthday. The plan was scrapped. #DestinationD23
The news came during the “Beyond the Spires: An Insider Look at Disney Castles” panel, where Imagineers also shared details about other ongoing projects at the “Castle parks.” Among the updates was the confirmation that Cinderella Castle would finally be repainted in its original color scheme after the controversial 50th anniversary redesign in 2021.
During the panel, Walt Disney Imagineers reflected on past Cinderella Castle overlays, including the 25th anniversary cake. (The Carousel of Progress cake overlay would probably have been as divisive, if not more, than what followed in 1996.)
Cinderella Castle’s 25th look got a big applause at #DestinationD23. 😂
While the 1988 cake overlay was canceled, changes are coming to Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress. At Destination D23 2025, Walt Disney Imagineers announced plans to update the Tomorrowland attraction with a Walt Disney audio-animatronic like the one in “Walt Disney – A Magical Life” at Disneyland Park. They also promised that Magic Kingdom Park guests would get a look at what the Progress family has been up to in the years since the ride’s last refresh.
Are you excited about the upcoming changes to Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress? Let Disney Dining know in the comments!
