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Hall of Presidents
Liberty Square Magic Kingdom |
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Introduction | Attraction | Touring Tips | Kids and Characters | Dining | Shopping | Interesting Facts 
Located in Liberty Square in the Magic Kingdom, the Hall of Presidents is an original Disney classic first conceived of by Walt Disney himself. The attraction is derived from "Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln," which premiered at the New York World's Fair in 1964. Hall of Presidents -- The lobby of this beautiful theater is filled with portraits of the presidents. You enter the darkened, 700-seat theater and first view a patriotic film in which specially produced paintings are projected onto a screen that stretches about halfway round the theater (180 degrees). The film covers much United States history, focusing on the origins of the Constitution and the presidency.
The show runs 20-25 minutes, and is shown every half-hour. This is a stirring, patriotic show with impressive Audio-Animatronics, very similar in nature to the American Adventure attraction in Epcot's World Showcase. It's also a great place to get off your feet in air-conditioned comfort for a little while!
This attraction is wheelchair/ECV accessible. Assistive Listening Devices from Guest Services Can Be Used Here. Reflective
Captioning Available.
Very small children may be too young to appreciate the history of this attraction, and they may find it boring. It's probably better suited for children 8 and older. Disney Characters are typically not found around the Hall of Presidents, but there is a character dinner across the way, at the Liberty Tree Tavern. Check your
daily Times Guide for times and locations of other character meet
and greet opportunities in the Magic Kingdom. The Liberty Tree Tavern, located across from the Hall of Presidents, is a sit-down restaurant that serves lunch and a character dinner. Nearby, there's a snack spot, Sleepy Hollow, which is open seasonally. Magic
Kingdom Restaurants At A Glance Next door
to the Hall of Presidents is Heritage House, which sells reproductions
of such Americana as parchment-like documents, campaign buttons and flags.
There are also several vendors and carts nearby, including the open-air
Liberty Square Portrait Gallery, where you can have your portrait
done, the Silhouette Cart, where artists create and frame silhouette
drawings of their subjects, and the Umbrella Cart, a spot to get
personalized parasols.
 The
Hall of Presidents was last updated with the addition of President George
W. Bush in July 2001. Prior to that, the Hall of Presidents was
last refurbished in 1993 with the addition of an Audio-Animatronics figure
of Bill Clinton, which marked the first time the attraction featured words
spoken by a sitting U.S. President.
President Bush recorded his speech for the Hall of Presidents in the White House library. Disney Legend Blaine Gibson (pictured in the photo above), who is primarily responsible for creating the 42-member presidential cast, came out of retirement to sculpt presidents Ronald Reagan, George Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. The figure of President George W. Bush is the same height as the real President Bush, although some of the other dimensions were altered to accommodate the internal workings of the Audio-Animatronics technology. The red tie on President Bush is authentic, made by the same designer who provides most of the Chief Executive's ties. The suit the Audio-Animatronics figure wears is also based on President Bush's preferences -- dark blue with a white shirt -- and had to be specially made. Although George W. Bush is the 43rd president, only 42 individuals have held the office. Grover Cleveland served two separate terms as president, as both the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. The year 1787 over the entrance to the Hall of Presidents refers to the date the United States Constitution was signed. Actor J.D. Hall, the voice of Frederick Douglass in the "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln" show at Disneyland in California, is the narrator of the show, as of July 2001. The narrator just prior to Hall was American poet Maya Angelou. Actor Royal Dano provides the voice of the Animatronic Abraham Lincoln.
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At
the conclusion of the film, the screen parts to reveal a stage filled
with lifelike Audio-Animatronics versions of each and every one
of the US presidents. Each of the figures moves, nodding a head or gesturing
in some way, as their names are called. The program concludes with speeches
given by our current president, George W. Bush, and the 16th president,
Abraham Lincoln, who actually rises from his chair.
