Hall of Presidents
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The Hall Of Presidents is an attraction in the Magic Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort. Located in Liberty Square, the attraction is a film and stage show featuring Audio-Animatronic figures of all forty-three U.S. Presidents. It opened on October 1, 1971 with the rest of the Magic Kingdom.
History
One Nation Under God
Walt Disney originally wanted an attraction similar to this, called One Nation Under God at Disneyland. After the Park had become a huge success, Disney proposed an extension of Main Street, U.S.A. called Liberty Street. Walt originally wanted wax figures of all the Presidents, then got the idea to make them move.Unfortunately, the technology that Walt wanted for this project did not exist to his desire. Knowing he could not make all of them until the technology could be perfected, Walt then concentrated on recreating one President: Abraham Lincoln.
After its run at the 1964 New York World's Fair, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln came to Disneyland to great acclaim. Mr. Lincoln was the first human Audio-Animatronic figure ever attempted by the Imagineers at WED Enterprises. It was praised for being dignified, accurate, and inspiring.
Walt Disney used Mr. Lincoln as a springboard for other Audio-Animatronic-based attractions, such as Pirates of the Caribbean. But, he never forgot the fact that people were moved and inspired by a robot. He felt that the One Nation Under God idea still had merit.
After Walt Disney's death in 1966, plans were moving ahead for the Walt Disney World Resort. There was going to be another Disneyland-style Magic Kingdom, but it had to be different from its California counterpart. The Imagineers inferred that since Florida was in close proximity to the real New Orleans in Louisiana, having a New Orleans Square in the new park was a bit superfluous.
The old designs for Disneyland's Liberty Street were picked up again. Liberty Square was designed based on those preliminary sketches. The Imagineers also thought that, as a follow-up to Mr. Lincoln, they could finally put together Walt Disney's idea. The Hall of Presidents was born.
The Attraction
The Original Show
Like Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, the show begins with a film presentation of the history of the United States of America. It shows that the American way was forged through conflicted and many long years of struggle. The main idea of the film is that the United States is not free from improvements, changes that prove necessary over the years.With the help of paintings from the era, the Constitutional Convention is reenacted. George Washington (voiced by Disney veteran Paul Frees) and Benjamin Franklin make speeches to the Convention. They assured all that this government was going to be different. After the formation of the Constitution, the first test of the new republic was the Whiskey Rebellion, which proved that the government would use force to "ensure domestic tranquility".
Years later, President Andrew Jackson was the first to deal with secession by the Southern states. Luckily, the talk was quelled and Jackson escaped the threat. The film then segues to the time of Abraham Lincoln, when secession was a real threat. These paintings and vocal performances are similar, if not identical, to the same episode in the Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln presentation.
The American Civil War portion of the presentation is based on the Mr. Lincoln version, including the same narration script. Although, to fit the much bigger screen of the Liberty Square Theater, new paintings were required to fill the screen. The Consitution survived the conflict, making America a real unified nation.
A huge era of progress occurred after the war. All the while, the Constitution remained the tentpole of the country. The film then turns toward the future, saying that the leaders of tomorrow have to be committed to the Constitution and its principles, if the country is to survive. The screens then lift up, and the presidents take center stage.
After the curtain lifts, all 43 presidents are called, in chronological order. Each one responds to their name with a nod, wave, or other sign of acknowledgment. During the presentation, the presidents fidgit, talk to each other look around, making the illusion all the more real. Abraham Lincoln then stands and takes center stage. His speech is remarkably similar to the Lincoln speech at Disneyland. After, as in the Disneyland show, "The Battle Hymn of the Republic", is performed by a choir.
The Presidents Change
The original program remained unchanged for 22 years until 1993, when Columbia history professor Eric Foner persuaded Disney that a new one was needed. He completely rewrote the script to focus more on slavery in America and race relations. He also rewrote Lincoln's speech and added an additional one featuring a speech by President Bill Clinton. After George W. Bush was elected in 2000, he was given the speech time.
Attraction Trivia
- The film used in the show was shot in 70mm format using a special process created by Disney Legend Ub Iwerks. It was made to take up the audience's natural field of vision.
- All the Presidents were sculpted by Disney Legend Blaine Gibson. All the faces were based on paintings and photographs of each President.
- Royal Dano was the original voice of Mr. Lincoln, as in the Disneyland version. When the show was redone in 1993, Dano had passed away, and Lincoln was voiced by Pete Renaday.
- President Bill Clinton was the very first presidential figure to speak to the audience, other than Lincoln. Clinton recorded his speech at the White House specifically for the attraction, as did President George W. Bush when he was elected.
- President Bush's speech was recorded in the White House Library in May of 2001. The Imagineers said that President Bush only took six minutes to record the speech.
- Each one of the Presidents has their own wardrobe. The Imagineers went for total accuracy, picking out clothes that were close to what the men actually wore, and keeping with the style of their respective eras.
- President George W. Bush's suit is based on his preferences, complete with his red tie and flag lapel pin. It had to be specially made to accommodate the mechanics of the figure.
- The figure of George W. Bush has a replica of the wristwatch that the real President Bush wears. It is a Timex Indiglo, enscribed with "George W. Bush - President - January 20, 2001".
- Both Presidents Lincoln and Bush are A-100 model Audio-Animatronic figures, a line of the most advanced, lifelike, and expressive human figures WDI has ever built.
- The narrator for the original show was Lawrence Dobkin. African-American actor J.D. Hall took over the narration in 2002, with the addition of President Bush. Hall can also be heard as Frederick Douglass in the "Journey to Gettysburg" version of Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln at Disneyland.
President Bush's Speech
This is the speech that President George W. Bush recites in the finale of the Hall of Presidents."My Fellow Americans, when we look back on the history of this country, we see a record of almost unbelievable energy, sacrifice, hard work - of impossible dreams that our ancestors dreamed and made real. We see injustice, too, that weighs on our hearts even today. But for every injustice there has always been a voice crying out to right it. And America has always listened to those voices.
"We're listening today. And perhaps it falls to us, to this first generation of 21st century Americans to say, once and for all, that no child, no race, no creed, no ethnic community will ever again be left out of the American dream. Through education, through the opportunity to work and to enjoy the fruits of that work, we can open every closed door. We expand the horizons of every American.
"Again and again we return to the same simple principles - freedom, equality; the freedom to create, to prosper, to dream; Equality before the law, in the workplace, and the chance for a better life. And each time in the process America grows stronger. The beacon of democracy grows brighter. The world looks with new astonishment at what free people can do. We the people are just getting started."
Sources
- Walt Disney World Press Release for George W. Bush Addition, 2002.
- Birnbaum's Walt Disney World, 2006 Edition.
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