Hall of...

Originally Posted By mrkthompsn

With sky-high ticket prices to the Magic Kingdom, is there tapered-off interest in the Hall of Presidents of Liberty Square? Before work commences for the crafting of Hillary or The Donald animatronics, have we entered an era where the Hall of Presidents has met obsolescence? It is time to replace this wonderful attraction of yesterday with something new? There seems to be plenty of space to work with. Could today's show be relocated to The Smithsonian for continued performances?

What sort of thing might fit in to replace the Hall of Presidents?

 

Originally Posted By FerretAfros

I've stopped in to the Hall of Presidents on each of my recent visits (in January, during relatively quiet periods) and I've been surprised by the number of people in HOP. It wasn't packed by any stretch of the imagination, but it had at least as many guests as the Country Bears or Tiki Room (75-100ish). It's a huge theater that can dwarf a small audience, but we never felt like we were alone

As for what could replace it, I would want them to try to make it into a ride, rather than a theater-based attraction. It's a pretty big space, so they should be able to fit something like a Fantasyland darkride in there. Sleepy Hollow would be an obvious choice considering the location, but it would also be pretty easy to turn Liberty Square into something else, since HM and the Riverboat aren't explicitly tied to the theme (both are set 100+ years after the Colonial era anyway)

That said, I hope that they keep it. Yes, it's somewhat expensive to build a new AA for it every 4 or 8 years and rewrite the show, but I really appreciate that it's something that they have to keep current. It also seems like this is always the classic go-to attraction for school children trying to get an excused absence for their family vacation (even though I think the American Adventure at Epcot would be a better option)

Not everything at WDW needs to be fast paced thrills. Particularly in an always-busy park like MK, it's nice to have a place where you know you can go an escape the crowds for a while; you might accidentally learn something along the way! If not, there's always Andrew Jackson saying "damn" in the Magic Kingdom to laugh at, or the air condition to appreciate on a hot day ; )

 

Originally Posted By darcy-becker

I've never been. My one trip to WDW was while they were installing Obama.

 

Originally Posted By mrkthompsn

It sure does take up quite a bit of space. Drawing a circle from the center of the castle, it seems to be the closest attraction to the castle. Look how much bigger than its neighbor, Peter Pan's Flight.

https://goo.gl/maps/x9xm1CovcjP2

 

Originally Posted By dagobert

We did it once and it was boring, but I'm not American so my interest in the US presidents is not really big.

 

Originally Posted By mrkthompsn

^^ good point. While many Americans are fond of this attraction, it seems like something could be done to provide a larger appeal for the world to enjoy.

 

Originally Posted By RoadTrip

I like the attraction and would really hate to see it go. They may have a hard time handling rude and rowdy crowds after the 2016 election though. Both Hillary and The Donald are so despised by those on the other side that things could get nasty.

 

Originally Posted By mrkthompsn

Let's play "What if?" for changing it.

What if Philharmagic were closed down? What if the front entrance space for HoP were shut off from the theater area and transformed into something else for Liberty Square... maybe a Smithsonian walk-thru space showcasing hand-on technology patent devices of the late 1700's era? What if the front entrance of Philharmagic were shut off from its theater area?

What if the HoP theater space were combined with the Philharmagic theater space to bring in an immersive, long dark ride, utilizing some of the technologies being prepared for Pandora Avatar attraction? There's always been ambition to create a "Disney Villains" attraction. Perhaps this space could be used for that - with ride vehicles on par with Harry Pottery Forbidden Journey, and an immersion "castle entrance" queue area. Maybe that queue could begin next to the castle itself. Maybe the illusion could be created of entering the attraction from the castle and exploring the depths and heights of the castle (from inside the show area). Basically, the attraction could be an "extension" of Cinderella's Castle.

 

Originally Posted By mrkthompsn

^^ or at least competitive with Universal's Gringotts Bank concept. (although I'd want something better than that).

 

Originally Posted By RoadTrip

MY personal opinion is that Forbidden Journey/Gringott's type stuff would be a little too intense for the MK. I like the Smithsonian walk-thru idea but think it probably wouldn't have much appeal for those in younger age groups.

 

Originally Posted By mrkthompsn

^^ inherent to "better than that".

 

Originally Posted By FerretAfros

Hall of Presidents and Philharmagic do have a huge footprint, so it's fun to think about what could replace them (though I think HOP is still a very strong attraction, and guests seem to eat up Philharmagic). A long-time fan favorite rumor is a Sleepy Hollow darkride, which I think would fit the Liberty Square setting very well, and could be a fun compliment to the Haunted Mansion

>>Both Hillary and The Donald are so despised by those on the other side that things could get nasty.<<

If HOP was able to survive George W Bush's second term, I think it could survive either of them just fine. During the 2008 election, Disney announced that the newly-elected president would be included in the show but wouldn't have a speaking role (a decision that was later reversed after Obama won, likely at the urging of WDI's creatives in California rather than WDW's managers in Florida); I'm willing to bet that Disney makes a similar announcement this election cycle

>>I like the Smithsonian walk-thru idea but think it probably wouldn't have much appeal for those in younger age groups.<<

Popularity aside, a walk-through or interactive exhibit wouldn't be able to replace the capacity of HOP and/or Philharmagic (even if they rarely fill the theaters). A high-capacity exhibit is able to process a few hundred guests an hour, less than a spinner like Dumbo. Given that WDW operates so close to maximum capacity yearround that they're afraid to close attractions for refurbishments, I don't see that being viable longterm

I have no problem with a somewhat intense attraction in MK (or any castle park). At one time, something like Space Mountain or Splash Mountain would have been unthinkable, yet now they're classics. Alien Encounter didn't last because it was poorly done; had it hit the mark better, I think the intensity wouldn't have been an issue (especially since the warnings were very clear before entering the attraction)

 

Originally Posted By Wendy Pleakley

Please don't close it until we've had the chance to enjoy a Donald Trump animatronic bellowing at everyone.

 

Originally Posted By CuriousConstance

LOL bite your tongue!

 

Originally Posted By mrkthompsn

How about this: If Hillary wins, keep it open. If The Donald wins, close it. Sound good? (That's coming from me being a Republican!)

 

Seriously. Can HoP be moved to DC quick?? I don't want to see Trump or Hillary in WDW on vacation! 8-O

 

I still think it is a very good attraction and should be kept open. Can't you folks enjoy anything other than "rides"?

 

Food for thought: Hall of Presidents (and all of WDW) opened about 9 months before the Watergate break in. Nixon's infamous "I am not a crook" speech took place in a ballroom of the Contemporary. HOP was MK's big headline attraction when the park opened, as a brand new experience with a huge cast of AA's; it would be the only real headliner in the park until Space Mountain opened, 5 months after Nixon left office. I honestly can't think of another attraction whose opening was so poorly timed in the grand scheme of things

If the then-new attraction could weather that storm, I have no doubt that the now-classic attraction can find a way to tactfully avoid giving a controversial figure too much (any?) emphasis

 

It just occurred to me that they had to update the attraction 3 separate times during those first ten years.(Ford, Carter, Reagan). Since then, I guess they've gotten a little break, with all the subsequent Presidents serving two terms, except for H.W. Bush.
But the prospect of an AA Trump doesn't scare me so much as the idea of him just being President.

 

Maybe the show should be changed to only have certain Presidents? A new show could be created to show the leadership of the office during the Nation's crisis. The founding fathers could talk about the Revolution. Lincoln could talk about the Civil War. Others could talk about World War I and II and the Great Depression. Kennedy could talk about the Cold War. Basically we really don't need an AA of the current President.