Any Disney parks fan worth their salt has sat through the Hall of Presidents attraction at Magic Kingdom's Liberty Square at least once or twice in their life. It's one of those attractions we do because park culture or the Florida heat dictates it so. However, things are getting ready to change.
Currently, The Hall of Presidents is preparing to close to welcome President-Elect Donald Trump back onto center stage. However, many guests feel that it's time the attraction was officially retired in order to make room for something more entertaining and relatable.
Time for a Change
Per Cinema Blend's Dirk Libbey, the attraction is set to close on January 20, 2025, as Inauguration Day sees President Biden's exit with Trump's entrance. In spiritual succession, the attraction will undergo a similar presidential change, but it will take a significant amount of time until the facility is fully operational again.
While this is certainly a marvelous idea, it also illustrates the fact that, like most politicians, the 45 animatronics have overstayed their welcome. Many of these figures still have parts from the '70s, and (as seen with the Trump-bot) they don't always age with grace.
Although no official closing date has been shared by Disney, there are currently no scheduled performance dates after the inauguration date, meaning that closure is likely imminent to update the attraction and its figures.
Every time the US elects another present, the space has to make room for a new animatronic duplicate. That means the structure has to take on pounds and pounds of machinery and programming to keep the illusion alive.
Although the attraction is still a testament to the absolute wizardry of Disney Imagineering, the House of Mouse has essentially created a project that will never be finished. With 45 animatronics and growing with each new election, it takes a lot of time, money, and effort to keep it afloat. Libbey and others feel that it's time someone else had a turn.
Libbey writes that it might be time for the Muppets to take over the space, especially since they will soon be leaving Hollywood Studios. They've had a show in the building before, and it might be time to expand their repertoire.
The article reads,
"The Muppets could be found just outside of the Hall of Presidents from 2016 to 2020 performing The Muppets Present ... Great Moments in American History from windows on the upper level of Liberty Square. It’s become a popular idea to give the Muppets the Hall of Presidents for something like a more fixed version of the show."
This writer would certainly adore it if Kermit, Miss Piggy, and the rest of Jim Henson's friends of fur and felt called the venue home, but it's ultimately left up to Disney and the Imagineers to make that call. Until then, crowds will just have to grin and bear the elements on their way to the Haunted Mansion.
Disney's Hall of Presidents can still be viewed in its current run in Liberty Square at the Magic Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort.