Difference between revisions of "The Hall of Presidents"

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The Hall of Presidents is an attraction located in Liberty Square

The Hall of Presidents
The exterior of the Hall of Presidents.
Magic Kingdom
Land	Liberty Square
Opening date	October 1, 1971
Ride duration	23:00 minutes
Audio-Animatronics	43

Attraction History

Like many of the Magic Kingdom's opening day attractions, the Hall of Presidents started out as an idea for Disneyland. In the late 1950s Walt Disney wanted to create an attraction called “One Nation Under God”, which was to be about American greatness, and the Constitution. The grand finale of the attraction was going to be life size Audio Animatronics of all the United States Presidents joining together on stage, concluding with Abraham Lincoln giving a speech. Technological limitations however, made the show unrealistic at that time, and the idea was eventually scrapped.

Although the Audio Animatronic technology was still under development, Walt agreed to create a show for the Illinois Pavilion at the 1964 World’s Fair. The show that Disney came up with was titled, “Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln”. The new attraction was essentially a scaled own version of the “One Nation Under God” show, however instead of focusing on all American Presidents, the new show focused solely on Abraham Lincoln. Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln consisted of two separate parts. The first half of the show was a film that gave Lincoln’s biography, and like its predecessor, the show concluded with the Audio Animatronic Lincoln giving a speech. Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln was such a success at the World's Fair, that Disney decided to move the attraction to his Disneyland park. One year after the World’s Fair, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln opened on Main Street USA. The show was free for guests, and once again proved to be quite popular.

Due to its popularity, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln was one of the attractions considered for inclusion in (yet unopened) Walt Disney World. Instead of recreating the attraction however, Imagineers decided to revisit the One Nation Under God concept. In the time between Walt’s original idea, and the creation of Disney World, technology had improved to the point that creating Audio Animatronic figures for every President was possible. Furthermore, the Magic Kingdom also had the space available for such a large stage to be created. Renaming the attraction the Hall of Presidents, the show opened with the rest of the Magic Kingdom on October 1, 1971. The Hall, along with the Country Bear Jamboree and the Mickey Mouse Revue, was one of the three unique (not from Disneyland) attractions that opened with the Magic Kingdom.

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 the Philadelphia and Boston colonial meeting halls, during the time of the American Revolution. 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 a large carpet featuring the "Great Seal of the United States" can be found in the center of the lobby. 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 Animatronics. The first part of the attraction is a film shown on a 180 degree screen. This is followed by the climax of the attraction, when all of the Presidents appear on stage together.

Original Incarnation (1971-1993)

In the first Incarnation of the Hall of Presidents began with guests entering the theater, and hearing various Americans speaking lines from the Declaration of Independence. The attraction’s narrator would then begin to tell guests the story of America, as the curtains opened and the film started.

The Hall of President’s film began with the Constitutional Convention in 1787. George Washington (the president of the Convention) and Benjamin Franklin were 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 the states agree to ratify it.

Leaving the Constitutional Convention, the story moved forward to the Whiskey Rebellion in 1789. Here, newly elected President George Washington faced one of his first challenges as President, as Pennsylvanian farmers had begun to riot over federal taxes. Washington and Pennsylvania Governor Thomas Mifflin could then be heard arguing over whether or not Washington had the power to use armed forces to stop the rebels. Washington then said that the Supreme Court affirms his authority, and he was then shown on horseback, leading federal troops towards to Pennsylvania. Fortunately, the narrator informed guests that the riots ended without bloodshed, and Washington was able to show Americans that the President would use force in order "ensure domestic tranquility".

Following the Whiskey Rebellion, the scene once again shifted. Guests now found themselves in South Carolina some 40 years later. The Nullification Crisis was featured, and an angry crowd was being addressed by a speaker. The speaker informed the mob that, "The Federal Government's Tariff Acts are hereby declared null, void, and no law in the State of South Carolina." The speaker then went on to warn that any use of force by the government would lead to the secession of South Carolina. Following his speech, an image of President Andrew Jackson was shown on the screen, and he declared that he was determined to keep the union together. The narrator then informed guests that with the support of Congress, Jackson was able to end the Nullification Crisis without any bloodshed. It was apparent however that the “union of the states” was in danger.

Once again moving forward in history, guests next found themselves listening in on the 1858 debate between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas. During the debate, Lincoln declared that he knew slavery was wrong, and that "this government cannot endure permanently half-slave and half-free. A house divided against itself cannot stand". Although he was being heckled by the crowd, Lincoln continued on, saying that if the people did not believe in the words of the Deceleration of Independence, then they should go and destroy it. Reluctantly, the crowd admitted that he was right, and although the narrator told guests that Lincoln lost (that) election, his words were not forgotten.

Following Lincoln’s speech, the scene once again cut. Guests then saw (the now) President Abraham Lincoln in the White House. He was alone, contemplating his responsibility to protect the union. Lincoln claimed that he knew there was a God, and that that God hated slavery. He then resolved that with God’s help, he would end slavery and win the war. At this point, images of the American Civil War flashed on the screen, and the narrator said:

"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."

Following the summary, triumphant music would begin to play and images from the century following the Civil War appeared on the screen. Images of Thomas Edison, the Wright Brothers, auto racing and nickelodeon movies, all flashed before guest’s eyes. The montage of American progress finally ended with the Saturn V launching from Cape Canaveral to the moon, ending the film portion of the attraction.

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 then be taken, and a spotlight would shine on each individual President as they were introduced. Finally, Abraham Lincoln would rise and give a final speech.

Abraham Lincoln as he appeared at the end of the Hall of Presidents prior to 1993.

This government must be preserved in spite of the acts of any man or set of men. Nowhere in the world has 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.

Following Lincoln’s speech, the Battle Hymn of the Republic played, as the curtain closed and guests left the theater. From 1971 until 1993, the only major change to the Hall of Presidents were the additions of newly elected Presidents: Gerald R. Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and George H.W. Bush.

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, but 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 the film jumped straight to the Nullification Crisis, where once again the issue of slavery was interjected. Now the South Carolina 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 concluded 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 once again went under a major renovation. The tone was shifted away from American inequality, and it now focused on the Presidents relationship with "we the people".

Like the previous incarnations of the Hall of Presidents, the current version 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 a government by "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 after hearing his words, 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:

"I fear my country will expect too much from me. I walk on untrotted ground, there is scarcely any part of my conduct which may hereafter be drawn into precedent."

The narrator informs guests, that Washington set an amazing precedent. "The man who could have been king, stepped down after two terms".

Like the previous incarnation of the Hall of Presidents, the Whiskey Rebellion scene has been omitted from the film. Instead The Nullification Crisis scene has been altered. Instead of focusing on nullification, the scene now talks about President Andrew Jackson. The narrator says that Jackson was not an aristocrat as previous presidents had been, instead he was "one of us". A new image shows 20,000 Americans descending on Jackson's inauguration. As 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 new scene focuses on the President Jackson's relationship with the people , and his role as the first "everyman" President as opposed to the Nullification Crisis.

Moving forward through history, the narrator then begins to discuss how, in the mid 19th century, slavery had begun to tear the country apart. He states that a new President was 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, as the narrator talks about how we needed a leader who could hold the country together even as it was seemingly falling apart.

The next image to appear on screen shows Abraham Lincoln alone, and talking to himself. He says:

"I know that there is a God, and that he hates injustice and slavery. And I see the storm coming, I know his hand is in it. If he has a place of work for me, and I think he has, I believe I am ready. I am nothing, but truth is everything. And with God's help I shall not fail. "

The beginning of the Civil War at Fort Sumter is then shown. 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 an Audio Animatronic Abraham Lincoln giving the Gettysburg Addresses.

After his speech, 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, and 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. The Depression and the Stock Market Crash of 1929 are depicted, followed by WWII. The narrator says that when America's confidence was shaken, FDR was their to reassure us. A fireside chat is then heard with FDR saying:

"Let us unite in banishing fear, together we cannot fail"

Various Americans are then heard writing letters to FDR thanking him and explains their situations.

The next President who is shown is John F. Kennedy 16 years later. A video clip of Kennedy giving a speech is shown:

"Let the word go forth, from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans."

The film says that Kennedy inspired Americans inspired into new civic activism, as an images of Martin Luther King Jr. appear on the screen. The images then change a large picture of the Lincoln Monument as the narrator gives a short speech.

It has always been the role of Presidents to remind us of our roots, to call us to our future. At their best moments they speak words that are already there in our hearts, especially in times of tragedy.

A montage of Presidential speeches is then shown which includes:

• Lyndon Johnson after John F. Kennedy was assassinated- "All I have, I would have given gladley, not to be standing here today."

• Ronald Reagan after the Challenger explosion- "We mourn seven heroes, we mourn their loss as a nation together."

• Bill Clinton after the Oklahoma City Bombings- "You have lost too much, but you have certainly not lost America. For we will stand with you."

• George W. Bush at Ground Zero after the September 11, 2001 attacks- "I can hear you! I can hear you, the rest of the world hears you!"

Finally, the narrator gives one final speech as the Space Shuttle Columbia is shown launching for the fist time.

"And as our journeys continue, what once seemed revolutionary, now seems profoundly simple. That we should choose our own leaders. That our hopes should be their hopes, our fears their fears, and our dreams their dreams. Ladies and gentlemen the Presidents of the United States."

All of the Presidents of the United States together on stage.

As the narrator is finishing, the video screen on the main stage rises, revealing Audio Animatronics of every United States President. A Presidential roll call is then taken, where each President is introduced and spotlighted. After the roll call George Washington begins to speak:

"My fellow citizens, no event could have filled me with greater anxiety then that notification on the 14th day of April 1789, that you had selected me to head our nation. But it is with the confidence of my fellow citizens that I took an oath, 35 simple words that have been repeated by every American President throughout history. As long as that oath is taken, and solemnly fulfilled, the American Dream will endure."

After Washington is finished, Barrack Obama begins to recite the Oath of the President.

"I Barrack Hussein Obama do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of the President of the United States. And will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. So help me God."

Barrack Obama is then introduced by the narrator and he then gives the final speech of the attraction:

A close up of the Barrack Obama Audio Animatronic

" The American dream is as old as our founding, but as timeless as our hopes. It is born everyday in the heart of every child, who wakes p in a land of limitless possibilities in a country where "We the people" means all the people. We may come from different places and believe in different things, but what makes us Americans is a shared spirit. A spirit of courage and determination, of honor and generosity. It is a spirit grounded in the generations that have gone before us, but open to the the unimaginable discoveries and possibilities on the horizon that lies ahead. Let us enjoy it, cherish it, defend it, and pass it on to our children as the bright and beautiful blessing it is. This enduring American Dream"

As the curtains close, and guests exit the attraction, the Battle Hymn of the Republic plays.

Cast

1971-1993

Narrator- Lawrence Dobkin

Abraham Lincoln- Royal Dano

George Washington- Paul Frees

Stephen Douglas- Paul Frees

Governor Mifflen- Paul Frees

Andrew Jackson- Dallas Mckennon

Benjamin Franklin- Lawrence Dobkin

1993-2001

Narrator- Maya Angelo

Abraham Lincoln- Pete Reneday

Bill Clinton-Himself

2001-2009

Narrator- JD Hall

Abraham Lincoln- Pete Reneday

George W. Bush- Himself

2001-Present

Narrator- Morgan Freeman

Abraham Lincoln- Royal Dano

George Washington- David Morse

Barrack Obama- Himself

Watch the Show!

To watch the Hall of Presidents click below. The picture gets much clearer about 40 seconds in.

Fun Facts and Trivia

• Disney Legend Blaine Gibson sculpted every President in the Hall of Presidents except for Barrack Obama.

• President Obama was sculpted by Gibson's protegee Valerie Edwards with oversight by Gibson.

• Other than the White House, the Hall of Presidents in Walt Disney World is the only other place where the Presidential Seal can be used. In fact, it took an act of Congress to allow Disney to use the seal.

• Bill Clinton's speech was written by lyricist Tim Rice.

• First Lady Hillary Clinton got the final say about how her husband should look.

• The Presidential roll call must be re-recorded every time a new President is added.

• The Audio Animatronics of Presidents Lincoln, Washington and Obama are some of the most technologically advanced Animatronics in Disney World.

References

http://www.yesterland.com/presidents.html

http://waltdatedworld.bravepages.com/id223.htm

http://www.wdwradio.com/2007/09/hall-of-presidents/