Today I had the good fortune of being able to attend a passholder and Disney Vacation Club preview of the newly refurbished Hall of Presidents at the Magic Kingdom. The attraction, scheduled to open to the public this Saturday, July 4, had been closed since November 1, 2008 for extended refurbishments, including the addition of an audio-animatronic Barack Obama.
The first change that jumped out at me was a formal marquee above the entrance to the attraction. Prior to the refurbishment, the attraction’s only signage was in a nearby planter and there were decorative red, white and blue drapes above the entrance.
Hall of Presidents - Exterior Featuring New Marquee
Once inside, there are a number of changes in the pre-show lobby. First, is a new sign reading “Welcome to the Hall of Presidents, a Celebration of Liberty’s Leaders.” Also new is a display featuring dresses from three First Ladies: Edith Roosevelt (wife of Theodore Roosevelt), Elizabeth Monroe and Nancy Reagan. The dresses of Roosevelt and Monroe are reproductions, while Mrs. Reagan provided Disney with six of her own dresses (each dress will be displayed for six months before being rotated out for the next one).
Hall of Presidents - New Interior Signage
The attraction, now narrated by Academy Award-winner Morgan Freeman, features a shortened film (now in crystal-clear high-definition video!), focusing on the history of the United States as viewed through the presidency. The remainder (and majority) of the attraction focuses on the audio-animatronics. Three major changes are included here: a re-programmed Abraham Lincoln who delivers the Gettysburg Address; a re-programmed George Washington who rises from his chair and delivers a speech; and the newly created Barack Obama.
Hall of Presidents - Presidential Seal on Curtain
Prior to being led into the theater and before the film began, Cast Members made it very clear that photographs and videos were not to be taken, as the attraction wasn’t yet open to the public. I was very disappointed to hear that, as my plan was to film the attraction and include the video in this blog post. Instead, I recorded the audio to the entire attraction using the Voice Recorder software on my iPhone. If you want to hear the audio to this attraction, click on the player below. I’ll warn you up front that this may spoil the attraction for you, so proceed at your own risk.
Overall, I was very pleased with the refurbishments. The Imagineers were wise to change the film, as I know that some guests often confused the story with the one played in Epcot’s American Adventure. Also, the changes of the audio animatronics were spectacular; WDI has refined their audio-animatronics so much that they’ve been able to include facial expressions and subtle movements into President Obama.
If you have an opportunity to see the new show, I highly recommend it; if you can see it twice like I did, even better! The first time I saw it I was seated in the back row, which provides an excellent view of the entire theater. The second time I sat in the front row so I could be closer to the new and improved audio-animatronics, especially the detailed President Obama.
Related posts:
{ 1 trackback }
{ 0 comments… add one now }