...but I like it!

Actually, I know how I got there. I was looking at the site devoted to A Christmas Story and found a post in the forums about a fact I didn't know: apparently when they restored the original "Carousel of Progress" theme song to the ride at Walt Disney World in 1994, they also redid the voices and Jean Shepherd was the new voice of the father. (GE was still sponsoring the show in the 1970s-1980s and had the song changed to another catchy Sherman brothers tune, "Now Is the Time," but it wasn't quite the same.)

I've written about my fondness for "General Electric's Progressland" (as it was originally called) at the 1964 World's Fair in New York in my essay "Fair Day for Adventure." The two things I still remember most about that trip was Mom's flap about the sneakers I wore (check the entry) and the Carousel of Progress—although we also saw Disney's other attractions at the Fair: "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln," which was at the Illinois State Pavilion, and this other ride nobody remembers anymore, with this totally forgettable song...I think it was called "It's a Small World. " LOL. My dad, of all people, fell in love with "It's a Small World." He even bought the souvenir booklet, which cost a whopping $1.00 back then.

Well, I knew about this entry: Carousel of Progress at Yesterland. I've written about it before.

So I started following links, including one for a Yahoo Group called "Progress City," which led me to the blog Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow, chiefly the October Entries (primarily October 11-23).

Oh, and I found this 1964 World's Fair Site.

And then I hit the jackpot:

Carousel of Progress.com

Now I know there are other people out there as potty about this wonderful ride as I am.

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.
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.

Labels: memories

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. . . . . noted and logged by Linda at 12:22:00 PM

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