A Revamped Hall of Presidents Opens
July 4th!

07.02.09 - When Imagineer and show writer/director Pam Fisher was given the project of updating The Hall of Presidents at the Walt Disney World Resort, she faced a daunting task. The attraction, conceived by Walt Disney himself, has been a vital thread in the fabric of Magic Kingdom since its launch in 1971. Generations had grown up with the Audio-Animatronics® figures of American Presidents telling the story of our nation's development. But changing times — like the election of a new President and a historic one in Barack Obama — require that even a classic attraction like this one gets an update, both in terms of focus and presentation. So on July 4, a new-and-improved Hall of Presidents will ignite some fireworks of its own when it re-opens with exciting new technology and a streamlined message that movingly underscores the connection between the Commander in Chief and the American people — a bond at the heart of the country itself.

The Obama White House granted 45 minutes to a WDI team to record the President's body movements.

The voting public also played a part. "We did a lot of research into guest comments to see how they felt about the show — we wanted to build on the things about the show that they loved," Pam says. The Presidents themselves proved to be the attraction's key element. And as a team of Imagineers began the process of getting the 42 figures in the Hall ready again for their close-ups — adding new costumes, beards and wigs ("Every single figure has been touched up," Pam notes) — preparations were also underway to introduce the Audio-Animatronics® figure of the 44th President into that celebrated group.

The Obama White House granted 45 minutes to a WDI team to record the President's audio and video renditions so that show programmers could capture his physical movements accurately. "His staff was very helpful in getting measurements for the figure as well as suggesting clothing," Pam notes. As for Obama himself, he was fascinated by the technological aspect of the attraction, as well as by the handmade book that details the story of the Hall of Presidents.

Valerie Edwards, shown here at work on the Hall of Presidents, follows in the considerable shadow of Disney Legend Blaine Gibson.

When the Obama figure, created by Director of Sculpture Valerie Edwards (who takes over for Disney Legend Blaine Gibson) joins his fellow Presidents in the Hall, he'll be part of a show that incorporates the latest technology into a story that focuses squarely on the Presidents themselves and their relationship to their constituents. "The new show goes far beyond the original show," Pam says. Pulitzer Prize®-winning author Doris Kearns Goodwin collaborated with Pam to provide this new direction. "She helped us to see that the story of the President is a story about the people," she explains. "More importantly, she said that all of the greatest presidents were the ones that created the greatest bond with the people — a bond that helped us through trying times in our history."

The new film portion of the attraction looks at the lives of the Presidents who had the deepest connections with the American people, from George Washington and Theodore Roosevelt to Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush. New digital high-definition projection, sound and lighting systems bring the legendary panorama paintings from the original show (all restored and digitized) into vivid detail, as do 130 new images culled from museums and Presidential libraries.

Imagineers studied video footage of President Obama to help capture his physical essence.

The Audio-Animatronics® figures have also taken on a "new life" in the updated show. Abraham Lincoln's speeches, a central point of the show, now feature the digitally restored original recordings of actor Royal Dano as Lincoln directed by Walt Disney himself. And after the roll call of all 43 Presidents, for the first time in Hall of Presidents history, George Washington stands and delivers a speech inspired by the occasion of his second inauguration. Obama is then introduced, and his figure speaks on the significance of the American dream. The show then concludes with a choir singing "America the Beautiful."

Pam envisions the new Hall of Presidents resonating with a wide demographic of guests. "We hope that the new show is fascinating for younger viewers," she says. "And some employees who are new U.S. citizens and have seen it have come to the verge of tears — it's very inspirational." But most importantly, she hopes that it will highlight the importance of the bond between the President and the American people. "We want them to see that bond and get inspired to become a part of the process. It might even serve as a reminder to future Presidents that they are in office because of us."