Ask anyone who visits Walt Disney World regularly, and ask them about the hidden gems of Magic Kingdom. Many of them will tell you that the Hall of Presidents is one of those little gems. A show that features more AAs then most rides and still happens to draw in the crowds. Yet how did this show come to be?
When the Hall of Presidents opened in October 1971, Richard Nixon was in office. Since that time, a number of elections have brought a few changes to this attraction. Since opening, Audio-Animatronics figures of Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush have been added to this distinguished cast. And on July 4, 2009, Barack Obama took his place among these other men.
When Walt Disney was planning Disneyland he wanted things that had never been seen by the public. One of these things was mechanical figures that could act out the emotions and actions of a human being. This was something never seen before. On a trip to New Orleans (His inspiration for New Orleans Square) he found this little show with a robotic bird. The little bird could move its beak and wings as well as make audio noises. Walt Disney loved the bird and bought it from the man to take back with him. He then had his men take apart the bird to make it work.
Shortly after this event Walt was ready to continue with his work for AAs. Walt had his friend Buddy Ebsen dance in front of a large grid. Walt then recorded and filmed his movements. Walt then had his men sit and study the movements and measurements were taken. They then took the information they gathered and made a small model of Buddy. The model was perfectly able to reproduce the dance sequence.
Walt now had a way to make figures that could move, but how would he use them. Well when Disneyland opened many movable figures could be seen in rides like Alice in Wonderland, but he needed something where he could truly show off men performing actions. In 1958 Walt Disney planned a new land to the side of Main Street called Liberty Street. Not much is known in detail about the land except that it was to include a version of Hall of Presidents. The plans were shortly cancelled due to budget reasons.
As Audio-Animatronics (AA) continued to improve, Walt's ideas continued to grow. Next he wanted to build a Chinese restaurant with a life-sized figure of Confucius who would be seated in the center of the room. As diners enjoyed their meals, this ancient philosopher would dispense gems of wisdom. The Imagineers were able to create an AA figure that worked, but not well enough. The restaurant idea was not abandoned, though, just its human host. It was decided that the Imagineers could create AA birds and flowers easier than people. In addition, audiences would be less critical of their stilted and limited movement. Instead of a Chinese eatery, a Polynesian restaurant was conceived where diners would be serenaded by birds while they enjoyed their food. But since the average meal would take between 45 and 60 minutes, it was realized that only a limited number of people would be able to see this new wonder and the restaurant concept was dropped. Eventually, the Enchanted Tiki Room was created and opened on June 23, 1963. However, Walt never gave up on his idea of creating a human AA figure and continued to have his Imagineers work on this project.
As a side note, Disney has created a couple of restaurants with AA entertainment. When Disneyland Paris opened, a restaurant called the Explorer's Club could be found in Adventureland. This was an elegant, table service restaurant that featured AA birds and flowers perched throughout the room. Here, diners could enjoy a meal while being entertained by tropical flora and fauna. Eventually this restaurant was converted to a counter service eatery, but the birds still remain overhead in a large tree. And back at the Magic Kingdom in Florida, Sonny Eclipse entertains guests at Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe in Tomorrowland. As Disney often says, no good idea goes unused.
When the 1964-65 New York World's Fair was in the planning stages, developer Robert Moses was in search of attractions that would "wow" his audiences. Seeing the success of Disneyland, Moses arranged for a tour of the park and to meet Walt at his studio in Burbank. For the most part, Moses wasn't impressed with what he saw at the Studio until Walt asked him if he'd like to meet Mr. Lincoln. When Moses agreed, Walt led him into one of his "off limits" areas where Mr. Lincoln stood up and extended his hand for Moses to shake. Moses was blown away and said that he must have Mr. Lincoln for the fair. Walt was hesitant. Even though what he had just shown Moses was impressive, he knew a lot of work still lay ahead before the 16th president would be ready. But Moses was insistent and in very short order, Walt agreed. Soon after, the State of Illinois was brought onboard to sponsor the attraction.
Walt still wanted to create all of the presidents for the fair, but there wasn't time. With just 13 months until opening, it would be all the Imagineers could do to get Lincoln ready, let alone 34 other figures.
Shortly before the attraction opened, Walt previewed the show for the pavilion's sponsors. During the performance, a hydraulic valve broke and red fluid started to visibly stain Lincoln's shirt. One of the guests jokingly commented that Disney was recreating the assassination. Walt was not amused and had the Imagineers substitute clear hydraulic fluid for the red.
When the fair opened, "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln" was an immediate success. Guests were stunned when this lifelike figure actually stood up to deliver his speech (voiced by actor Royal Dano). Some even have memories, although completely inaccurate, that Lincoln walked across the stage. Others remember him delivering the Gettysburg Address, another inaccurate recollection.
During the fair's run, a second Audio-Animatronics figure of Lincoln was being prepared for Disneyland. An identical show opened in California on July 18, 1966. Sponsored by Lincoln Savings and Loan, this was a free attraction in the days of ticket books. In order to encourage children and young adults to see the show, all Child and Junior ticket books had a "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln" coupon included in their packet -- although it wasn't needed for admission to the attraction.
When Florida's Magic Kingdom was in the planning stages, it was decided to omit Disneyland's New Orleans Square due to Orlando's proximity to Louisiana and the real New Orleans. As a replacement, Imagineers dusted off the plans for Liberty Street. Eventually, this tiny "street" grew into a full-fledged land -- a land big enough to stage all of the chief executives in a theater-style presentation similar to Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.
Hall of Presidents is housed in a red-brick colonial hall topped with a peaked tower. This architectural style is designed to recall Philadelphia and Boston meeting houses. Above the front door you'll find the date 1787, the year the United States Constitution was ratified.
The first thing guests encounter upon entering the show's waiting room is the "Great Seal of the United States" crafted out of 100 percent wool carpet. It took an Act of Congress to grant Disney permission to display this seal. Also found in the lobby are a number of presidential portraits. These are reproductions of paintings commissioned by each president during his term in office. The theater holds 700 guests.
Unlike Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln at Disneyland, Walt Disney World's Hall of Presidents did not have a corporate sponsor. In the early years of the Magic Kingdom, when ticket books were still in use, Hall of Presidents required an E-coupon.
Except for the occasional addition of a president, the original show remained virtually unchanged from 1971 through 1993. In 1993, the movie portion of the show was changed to provide a stronger focus on slavery and its effects on the framing of the constitution. Also, up until this time, Lincoln's speech was almost identical to his California counterpart. Now it would be rewritten to coincide with the revised movie. Pete Renaday would replace Royal Dano as the voice of Lincoln, and Maya Angelou was brought onboard as narrator of the show and to read the president's roll call. But the biggest change was the addition of a second, speaking president to the show. Bill Clinton recorded his own speech and his AA figure delivered it prior to Mr. Lincoln's address. When George W. Bush came to office, he too recorded a speech for the attraction. Also at this time, J.D. Hall took over the role of narrator.
The speaking presidents require more sophisticated Audio-Animatronics than their nonspeaking counterparts. This is because the speaking presidents demonstrate more movement and facial expressions. Also, the audience's focus will be directed primarily at them whereas most of us pay very little attention to James Buchanan after the roll call. When George W. Bush was added to the lineup, Clinton's AA frame was given to him. There was no reason to build an elaborate figure of Bush when a less complicated model could be created for Clinton.
With the exception of Obama, all of the Presidents were sculpted by Disney Legend Blaine Gibson and his staff. Paintings, photographs, and video were all used to create each president's likeness. For Lincoln, an actual life-mask taken in 1860 was used. The crafting of all the opening day presidents took two years to complete. Mr. Gibson's one-time apprentice, Valerie Edwards, was responsible for sculpting Obama, as Blaine is in his 90s and has retired.
The clothing that each president wears is accurate to the time period in which he lived. Even the tailoring techniques and fabric types used are correct for the decade in which the president was in office. Small, unseen details include braces on FDR's legs and Bush's Timex Indiglo watch, which has his first inauguration date inscribed on the back. For Obama, Imagineers recreated his wedding ring, complete with its braided design. Another detail involves Washington's chair. It is a copy of the one he used during the 1787 Constitutional Convention.
Each AA figure has at least two sets of clothes so they can occasionally be dry-cleaned. Even though these presidents might not sweat, they do leak oil and get dusty just standing around all day.
One of the goals of Bob Iger, President and CEO of The Walt Disney Company, is to bring many of the attractions we've loved over the years into the 21st century. It's not his desire to drastically change these rides and shows, but only to make sure they don't become tired and dated. Hall of Presidents is a good example of this directive. Not only has Obama been added to the show using the most sophisticated AA ever built by Disney, but the lighting, sound, and video have all been digitized and improved. Now audiences are treated to a crisp show that seems fresh and alive.