BAY LAKE, Fla. – Walt Disney World’s Hall of Presidents will close on Monday for refurbishment.
The over-50-year-old attraction at Magic Kingdom’s Liberty Square will close on Jan. 20, the day of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.
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Any time a new president takes office, Disney closes the attraction to update the lineup of presidential figures to where the incumbent president of the U.S. recites the oath of office.
It is unknown how long the closure will last, but the park’s website states that it will reopen sometime this year.
Meanwhile, the temporary closure is a unique situation, as this is the first time since the attraction opened in 1971 when a president was elected in non-consecutive terms.
The Trump figure was added in December 2017, 11 months after his inauguration, as previously reported.
UCF history professor Jim Clark said he wonders if it will be the same animatronic already in the show but with some upgrades.
“Does he get a new suit? Does he get a new tie? ... Will he look, you know, older?” Clark said.
Meanwhile, the 25-minute show was an idea by Walt Disney, Clark said. Before it was Hall of Presidents, Disney debuted “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln,” at the 1964 New York World’s Fair.
Clark said this show which had the first audio-animatronic human figure was kind of the foundation for Disneyland and the current attraction at Walt Disney World today.
It was cutting-edge technology at the time.
All in all, even if Hall of Presidents is a staple of the Disney empire, it is archaic in some ways. Clark mentioned how it is not a rollercoaster; it doesn’t scare people; it is just a show with figures.
“Given all the rides at Disney and all the parks at Disney, the Hall of Presidents has been kind of pushed to the back. The only time you hear about it is when there’s a new president or they’re updating it. Nobody has ever said to you, ‘Mom, I want to go to the Hall of Presidents,’” Clark said.
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