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Liberty Square

6 bytes added, 01:39, 3 September 2020
/* Changes Since Opening Day */
===Changes Since Opening Day===
[[Image:LibertyHall.jpg|400px|thumb| The Hall of Presidents in Liberty Square. Photo by tcwmatt.]]
Liberty Square opened with the rest of the Magic Kingdom in 1971. Besides the aforementioned [[Hall of Presidents]], Liberty Square also opened with the [[Haunted Mansion]], the [[Admiral Joe Fowler Riverboat]] (which actually opened one day later than the rest of the land) and the Mike Fink Keel Boats <ref> http://thisdayindisneyhistory.homestead.com/disneyworldgrandopening.html </ref>.
Unlike the many of the lands in the Magic Kingdom, Liberty Square has only had a few major changes since opening day. The first of these was the addition of the [[Richard F Irvine Riverboat]] in 1973 <ref name="dated"> http://waltdatedworld.com/id141.htm </ref>. Unfortunately, the Joe Fowler was damaged in 1980 and never returned to active duty <ref name= "dated"/>. In 1996, the Richard F. Irvine Riverboat was renamed the [[Liberty Belle ]] <ref> https://www.mouseplanet.com/guide/761/Walt-Disney-World/Magic-Kingdom/Liberty-Square/Liberty-Square-Riverboat </ref>.
The next change in Liberty Square came with the closure of the [[Mike Fink Keel Boats]]. The Mike Fink Keel Boats were free floating boats based on the popular Disney television show Davy Crockett. The Keel Boats allowed guests to take off from Liberty Square and circle around [[Tom Sawyer Island]]. In 1997, one of the Disneyland Mike Fink Keel Boats capsized with guests on board. After the accident, both the Disneyland and the Walt Disney World versions of the attraction were permanently eventually closed <ref> http://waltdatedworld.com/id184.htm </ref>.
The only other changes to occur in Liberty Square have happened in The Hall of Presidents. In 1993 President Bill Clinton was added to the attraction and the show received a new narration which focused more on slavery and other issues of race relations then it had in the past <ref> http://waltdatedworld.com/id223.htm </ref>. The attraction was once again changed in 2009 with the election of Barack Obama. At this time the attraction was once more given a new narration. Another addition during the refurbishment was the inclusion of Abraham Lincoln delivering the Gettysburg Address and a montage of Presidential speeches <ref> http://www.wdwmagic.com/attractions/hall-of-presidents/news/27jun2009-hall-of-presidents-offically-reopens-july-4.htm </ref>.