Disney’s Trump Feud May End the Hall of Presidents

Disney finds itself in an awkward position. After Donald Trump’s election, Disney found itself on the outs with the incoming administration, and unlike some of its competitors, Disney CEO Bob Iger has not tried to make nice with the new president.

Trump will be prominently featured in their parks, making things more difficult for Disney. Like other current presidents, Disney will have to move Trump front and center at the Hall of Presidents.

However, this is also the first time in the attraction’s history that Disney has not had to build a new animatronic for an incoming president. Grover Cleveland is the only other president to win non-consecutive terms, but he still has only one animatronic in the attraction.

Despite the ease of moving Trump from the back row to the front, Disney still has not announced when the Hall of Presidents will undergo the change. In fact, the attraction will remain open until at least February, meaning that President Joe Biden will remain front and center until well after the inauguration. But why?

We know that part of Liberty Square is about to undergo a massive change. Disney announced that Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island will close to make way for the new Cars Land. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will also close in early 2025 to clear the way for a major upgrade and the expansion of Magic Kingdom.

But what does that mean for the rest of Liberty Square? There has been speculation that, given the heated political climate in the country, Disney is considering closing the attraction forever. However, given that the attraction in the Magic Kingdom is based on Moments with Mr. Lincoln, an attraction that Walt Disney worked on, it would mean closing yet another opening-day attraction.

There is also speculation that Disney could use that space for a new Muppets attraction. Last month, Disney announced that Muppet Vision 3D would be shutting down at Disney’s Hollywood Studios to be replaced by Monsters, Inc. Land. However, the Muppets are taking over the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster.

The Muppets were already a fixture in Liberty Square with Great Moments in American History with the Muppets. The Muppets’ show closed during the pandemic and never reopened.

Whatever the reason, Disney does not seem too eager to open its Hall of Presidents to the incoming administration and may even close down the attraction rather than let Trump speak again.