Debi Derryberry Steps Into New Role as Grandmother for Carousel of Progress Update

Walt Disney Imagineering has announced that voice actress Debi Derryberry is returning to Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress at Magic Kingdom in a brand-new role.

Derryberry previously provided the voice for Patricia, the family daughter, in the previous version of the show that debuted in the 1990s. For the upcoming reimagined version of the attraction, she will take on the role of Grandmother. Walt Disney Imagineering shared photos of Derryberry back in the recording booth working on her lines for the update.

This casting choice brings a familiar voice back to the attraction as it shifts generations. Derryberry joins an already announced star-studded voice cast for the reimagining, which includes Emmy-winning actor Bryan Cranston as Father and Disney Legend Jamie Lee Curtis as Mother.

The Carousel of Progress closed at Magic Kingdom for its current major overhaul. The reimagined attraction is scheduled to reopen in late spring 2027.

When the updated show debuts, guests will experience a completely refreshed timeline across all four main acts alongside a brand-new opening scene. The new experience will feature a prelude introduction by an advanced Audio-Animatronic figure of Walt Disney, taking inspiration from the 1964 television special Disneyland Goes to the World’s Fair.

The updated show scenes will take guests through four distinct eras of innovation. Act I is set in the summer of 1969 as the family watches the Apollo 11 moon landing. Act II takes place on Halloween night in 1985. Act III moves to New Year’s Eve 1999 as the family prepares to ring in the millennium. Act IV leaps forward into a distant future featuring smart-home technology and space travel. The classic Sherman Brothers anthem, “There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow,” will remain part of the experience.

While construction continues inside Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom, guests can view a preview exhibition inside Walt Disney Presents at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The display features concept art, character sculpts, dioramas, and costume pieces designed for the updated scenes.