Saturday, July 4, 2009

Hall of Presidents Is Up and Running

Happy Independence Day, America! Walt Disney World is celebrating in style with several special events today in its various parks. (Of course, every day is a celebration at WDW!) Of particular interest this July 4 is the re-opening of The Hall of Presidents. As you may know, HOP closed nearly nine months ago for the installation of our newest president. Soft openings began last week, and the new--and improved?--HOP is now open and fully operational!


The Hall of Presidents is one of my favorite attractions, not just because it is a great nap spot for the toddler set (but it is!), but because it gives guests a rare glimpse at life-like figures of each American president. (Where else can you see what John Tyler or Martin Van Buren probably looked like?)

From all reports, the new version is fairly true to the original, with a few positive updates. First, signage offers a new name, The Hall of Presidents: A Celebration of Liberty's Leaders. There are also additions to the memorabilia in the atrium, including a display of gowns worn by First Ladies and a pair of presidential boots worn by Dubya. The show itself follows the same general format as before (movie opening, followed by introduction of all the presidents in order). One pretty big change: George Washington delivers a little speech and introduces our current president. (Washington had no speaking role in the previous version.)

Now, as to President Obama's animatronic figure, I had heard that this was to be the most sophisticated presidential animatronic thus far. Since he's the most familiar to us all at this point in history, Imagineers knew they had to get facial expressions and gestures just right. Reports from those who have seen the show say that Disney is right on the money with this one! (But I must admit, as someone who has only seen photos, I don't think it looks just like BO. Just my opinion; judge for yourself.)
Still, I'm excited to see the 2.0 version of this classic attraction on my next visit to the World.

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