Difference between revisions of "The Hall of Presidents"

Revision as of 22:07, 2 February 2012

The Hall of Presidents is an attraction located in Liberty Square

Attraction History

Like many of the Magic Kingdom's opening day attractions, the Hall of Presidents started out as an idea for Disneyland. Walt Disney wanted to create an attraction called "One Nation Under God".The attraction would have been a film about American greatness and the Constitution. The grand finale of the attraction was going to be life size Audio Anamatronics of all the United States Presidents joining together on stage, and Abraham Lincoln giving a speech. Technological limitations however, made the show unrealistic and the idea was eventually scrapped.

Although the technology was still underdevelopment, Walt agreed to create a show around an Audio Anamatronic Abraham Lincoln for the 1964 World's Fair. The show Disney created was called "Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln", and was essentially a scaled down version of the "One Nation Under God" show. Instead of focusing on all of the American presidents, Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln narrowed in on only Abraham Lincoln. The film portion of the attraction told his biography and the show concluded with the Audio Anamatronic Lincoln giving a speech. Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln was a huge success at the World's Fair, and soon after a copy of the show was made for Disneyland. One year after the Worlds Fair, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln opened in Disneyland on Main Street USA. The show was free for guests, and was quite popular.

When planning Walt Disney World, instead of just creating a copy of Great Moments for Mr. Lincoln, Imagineers revisited the idea of the One Nation Under God show, now calling it the "Hall of Presidents". Technology had improved to the point that creating Audio Anamatronic figures for every President was possible, and the Magic Kingdom also had the space available for such a large stage to be created.

When the Magic Kingdom opened in 1971 the Hall of Presidents opened with it. The Hall, along with the Country Bear Jamboree and the MIckey Mouse Revue was one of the three unique (not from Disneyland) attractions on the Magic Kingdom's opening day.

Building Exterior and Waiting Area

The Hall of Presidents is located in Liberty Square and is housed in a colonial hall. The hall's architecture takes its inspiration from Philadelphia and Boston meeting halls. The building itself is red brick, with a peaked tower serving as its highest point. Above the entrance to the hall, the date 1787 can be read (an obvious reference to the year the Constitution was signed).

After entering the building, guests find themselves in a large lobby. Various portraits of United States Presidents line the walls, and in the middle of the room a large carpet featuring the "Great Seal of the United States" can be found. Other artifacts that can be found in the waiting room include personal property of former Presidents and even some dresses which were worn by First Ladies on Inauguration Day.

Attraction Plot

The Hall of Presidents presents the story of America through images, music and Audio Anamatronics. The first part of the attraction is a film shown on a 180 degree screen. Following and sometimes during the film, Audio Anamatronics presidents give speeches. The climax of attraction comes when Audio Anamatronics of every United States President appear on stage at the end.

First Incarnation of the Hall of Presidents (1971-1993)

In the first Incarnation of the Hall of Presidents, after entering the theater, guests would hear various Americans speaking lines from the Declaration of Independence. The Narrator would then begin to tell guests the story of America as the curtains opened.

The film began with the Constitutional Convention in 1787. George Washington, the president of the convention and Benjamin Franklin are heard trying to persuade their fellow delegates to sign the Constitution. Although the founders admit that the Constitution is not perfect, all but three eventually sign the document and it is eventually ratified.

The scene then changes to the Whiskey Rebellion 1789, where farmers are up in arms over taxes. President George Washington and Pennsylvania Governor Thomas Mifflin are heard arguing over whether or not Washington has the power to use force on the rebels. Washington says that the Supreme Court says he has the authority, and is shown on horseback leading federal troops. The narrator then says that fortunately the riots ended without bloodshed, and that Washington was able to show Americans that the President would use force in order "ensure domestic tranquility".

The scene once again shifted, now to South Carolina some 40 years later. A picture of an angry crowd. A speaker addresses the crowd, informing them that, "The Federal Government's Tariff Acts are hereby declared null, void, and no law in the State of South Carolina." The Speaker then says that any use of force by the government will lead to the succession of South Carolina. President Andrew Jackson, with the support of Congress puts an end to the Succession Crisis, but its apparent that the Union is in danger.

The the next image on the screen shows a debate in 1958 rural Illinois. Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas. During the debate, Lincoln says that he knows slavery is wrong, and "this government cannot endure permanently half-slave and half-free. A house divided against itself cannot stand". Although he is being heckled, he continues on saying that if the people do not believe in the words of the Deceleration of Independence, then they should go and destroy it. The crowd admits that he is right, and although the narrator tells us he looses the election, his words are not forgotten.

The scene then cuts to the now President Abraham Lincoln in the White House. He is alone, but says that he knows he needs to protect the Union. He continues on saying that he knows there is a God, and that that God hates slavery. He says that with Gods help he will end slavery and win the war.

The narrator then says:

"After four weary and wounding years, the conflict ended. The Union was saved. The Constitution had survived the fiery ordeal. America was one nation, finally and forevermore."

As whimsical music plays, images from the century following the the Civil War appear on screen. Images Thomas Edison, the Wright Brothers, auto racing and nickelodeon movies appear on the screen. The montage of American progress ends with the Saturn V launching from Cape Canaveral to the moon.

After the film ended, a curtain behind the screens would rise to reveal all of the Presidents of the United States. A roll call would be taken a spotlight shown on each indvidual president. Finally, Abraham Lincoln would rise and give a finals speech.

This government must be preserved in spite of the acts of any man or set of men. Nowhere in the world is presented a government of so much liberty and equality. To the humblest and poorest among us are held the highest privileges and positions. What constitutes the bulwark of our liberty and independence? It is not the frowning battlements, or bristling seacoast, our army and navy. These are not our reliance against tyranny. Our reliance is in the love of liberty which God has planted in us. Our defense is in the spirit which prizes liberty as the heritage of all men, in all lands everywhere.Destroy this spirit and you have planted the seeds of despotism at your own doors. At what point shall we expect the approach of danger? By what means shall we fortify against it? Shall we expect some transatlantic giant to step the ocean and crush us at a blow? Never. All the armies of Europe, Asia, and Africa combined could not, by force, take a drink from the Ohio or make a track on the Blue Ridge. At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up among us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we ourselves, must be its author and its finisher. As a nation of free men, we must live through all time, or die by suicide. Surely God would not have created such a being as man, with an ability to grasp the infinite to exist only for a day. No. No. Man was made for immortality.

From 1971 until 1993, the only changes to the Hall of Presidents were the additions of newly elected presidents beginning with Gerald Ford in 1974.

Second Incarnation (1993-2009)

In 1993 the Hall of Presidents was overhauled and given a new script. Columbia professor Eric Forner convinced Disney executives including Michael Eisner, that the show did not pay enough attention to slavery and race.

When the Hall of Presidents reopened in October of 1993, the attraction had a completely new tone. The film was now narrated by poet Maya Angelo, and once again began with the Constitutional Convention. Now however, instead of arguing about whether or not to ratify the Constitution, delegates could be heard arguing about slavery and whether or not to include it in the new country.

The Whiskey Rebellion scene that had once followed the Constitutional Convention was removed from the new film. Instead next came the Nullification Crisis, where once again the issue of slavery was interjected. Now the crowd who supported nullification also voiced their approval of slavery.

Like in the previous incarnation of the Hall of Presidents, the next scene featured the Lincoln Douglas debate, during which Lincoln gives his famous "House Divided" speech. The Civil War portion of the show also remained mostly the same.

Another change however was done to the post Civil War scene. Instead of focusing on American technological achievements after the Civil War, the film instead focused on the civil rights struggles of women, immigrants and African Americans. The film concludes with the narrator saying "We the people should mean all the people". The film ended just as its predecessor did with the launch of the Saturn 5.

In this version of the attraction, Bill Clinton (the President in 1993) was given a speech at the end of the show. This tradition would continue for Clinton's successor George W. Bush and the current President Barrack Obama.

Third Incarnation (2009-Present)

With the Inauguration of Barrack Obama, the Hall of Presidents went under another major change. The tone was once again shifted, and it now focused on the Presidents relationship with "we the people".

Like the previous incarnations of the Hall of Presidents, the current version once gain starts with the shadows of Americans repeating the Deceleration of Independence. Morgan Freeman, who is the new narrator of the film, then shifts the scene back to American Revolution. Scenes of Valley Forge, and America winning Independence are shown. The narrator then says, that from the beginning the dream of "We the people" was already facing a threat. Images then depict the colonies as bankrupt, and soldiers as unpaid. Some American veterans can be heard calling for an end to Democracy and for George Washington to be crowned king. Washington then speaks, saying that he believes in the Democracy that he fought for, and the unrest amongest the solders is quelled.

The scene then changes to the Constitutional Convention, where the Founding Fathers agree that George Washington should be America's first President. Washington once again speaks saying:

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The Nullification Crisis scene has been altered in the new version of the Hall of Presidents. Instead of focusing on nullification the scene know talks about President Andrew Jackson. The narrator says that Jackson was not an aristocrat as previous presidents had been, instead he was one of the people. A new image shows 20,000 Americans descending on Jackson's inauguration. A women staff member of the White House comments that if they had not put free punch on the lawn, commoners would still be in the White House.

The narrator then begins to discuss how slavery has begun to tear the country apart and a new President is needed to rise to the challenge. The Lincoln Douglas debates are once again shown, and Lincoln gives his "House Divided" speech. An image of Lincoln being elected in 1860 follows, while Lincoln remarks that:

"I am nothing, but truth is everything."

The next scene shows the beginning of the Civil War and Fort Sumter. The Civil War is depicted through images of Union and Confederate soldiers, while cannons boom in the background. The narrator then tells guests that after 500,000 Americans had died, America needed meaning to come from all the tragedy. At this point, the film screen rises to show and Audio Anamatronic Abraham Lincoln giving the Gettysburg Addresses.

The narrator says that with the Civil War over, America was united at last. Images of the Continental Railroad, and the Western Frontier are shown as America grows and moves West. Teddy Roosevelt then appears on the screen, as the narrator comments that although he was born an aristocrat, Roosevelt fought for the working class. He was the one who refused to call the Executive Mansion by its name, instead calling it a "White House". The next president mentioned is Franklin Delenor Roosevelt, who is called upon to the lead the nation through its darkest hours since the Civil War.