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It’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow

Note: I’m moving some of the best posts from the now shuttered ‘Kid’s World’ blog to the main Disney Blog.

One of my favorite Disney songs is a piece written for the Carousel of Progress, which debuted at the 1964 World’s Fair in New York. Walt Disney Partnered with General Electric to create an attraction about how technology has influenced our lives in the past and some of the changes we can expect in the future.

Disney expected this to be a showcase attraction and he wanted a themesong that would really drive home the point that the future was going to be great. So Walt asked his best song men, The Sherman Brothers, to come up with the song. The song they came up with is "It’s A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" and it was a perfect fit for the show. Here are the lyrics:

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
And 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

It was a wonderful attraction that drew huge crowds. The show and song were so succesful that G.E. took the song and used it in their advertising.

Trivia Time Out: The Sherman Brothers wrote the music for one other attraction at the 1964 World’s Fair… "it’s a small world, after all".

After creating these great songs from the 1964 World’s Fair, the Sherman Brothers began work on what they affectionately
refer to as their “magnum opus,” Walt Disney’s musical film
fantasy Mary Poppins.

You can still ride The Carousel of Progress today at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World, Orlando FL. Or if you’re at Disneyland you can hear the song at the Innoventions building or ask Rod, the Main Street Piano Player, to play it for you.

CarouselofProgress.com is a fan site dedicated to the ride. Also see the Yesterland entry on the attraction.

If you want to hear "It’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" online, you can listen to a MIDI of the song here.

Finally, read this interview LaughingPlace.com did with the Sherman Brothers.

7 thoughts on “It’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow”

  1. Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow

    The Disney Blog has a recent post about the Sherman Brothers and the song they did for the Carousel of Progress attraction entitled “There’s a great, big, beautiful tomorrow.” This is a awesome toon that I just experience for the first time recently wh…

  2. Thanks for that great Tomorrowland memory! Many years ago I worked as a ticket seller at Disneyland…back in the days when there were things called “ticket books” and central booths for selling additional tickets when the book ran low–especially with those E and D tickets. One day when I was working a booth in front of the carousel building, which then housed America Sings, a guest came up and asked my booth partner how that song went from the show about tomorrow. Unable to resist, I broke into song and somehow recalled all the lyrics. Thanks for reminding me of them again. What a GREAT song!

  3. Rod Miller has retired. You’ll have to ask Alan Thompson instead. He’s Rod’s protege and has taken Rod’s place at Disneyland. What a talented guy!

  4. I love that ride it is one of my favorite attraction in Tomorrowland along with “The People Mover” and other attraction of that sort.

  5. Just wanted to add and update. They Might be Giants recorded a cover of “Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow” for the Meet the Robinsons Soundtrack. It Rocks!!!!!

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