BLAINE GIBSON
The creative genius behind the life-like representations of the presidents is Imagineer Blaine Gibson. Gibson spent approximately forty-five years with the Disney company before retiring in 1983. His résumé includes creating the Partners statue, a life-size bronze statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse holding hands in the hub of the Magic Kingdom. He later crated the Sharing the Magic statue, a life-size bronze statue of Walt’s brother Roy O. Disney and Minnie Mouse sitting together in Main Street’s Town Square. Gibson also sculpted the pirates in Pirates of the Caribbean, the bears in Country Bear Jamboree, and numerous figures in the Haunted Mansion.
For the Hall of Presidents, Gibson directed the creation of every U.S. president up to George W. Bush in 2001. He spent two years sculpting the first thirty-seven presidents prior to the attraction’s opening in 1971. When Barack Obama was added to the attraction, Gibson’s protégé Valerie Edwards performed the sculpting work (Gibson was 90 years old at the time). Gibson died in 2015 at the age of 97.
A NEW ADDITION
Like the United States itself, the Hall of Presidents is always evolving. When each new president is elected, the attraction is temporarily closed so that a new audio-animatronic figure can be constructed and incorporated into the show. Most recently, the Hall of Presidents closed in January of 2017 so that a new audio-animatronic figure for President Donald J. Trump could be prepared.
The Liberty Square Riverboat
One of the more visually striking elements of Liberty Square is the Liberty Square Riverboat, a convincing reproduction of the riverboats that once carried passengers up and down the mighty Mississippi River. Known as the Liberty Belle, this stunning watercraft takes guests on a half-mile journey on the Rivers of America past scenes of both Liberty Square and Frontierland. The vessel includes an actual working steam engine whose boiler converts water from the Rivers of America into steam that, in turn, powers the large paddlewheel that propels the riverboat.
The four-hundred-and-fifty-passenger Liberty Belle is forty-seven feet tall and includes four separate decks:
The Pilothouse. The top deck includes the wheelhouse and captain’s quarters.
The Promenade Deck. This deck includes a salon and a collection of vintage photographs and maps.
The Sun Deck. Not surprisingly based on the name, this deck is the ideal place to enjoy the sun and see the sights.
The Main Deck. This deck includes much of the machinery for the riverboat, including the boiler and pistons that power its massive paddlewheel.
The Liberty Belle is a beautiful vessel, with intricate woodwork and antique brass furnishings that help to convey the theme of a grand riverboat. During their journey, guests are treated to a charming narration by Horace Bixby and Sam Clemens. Bixby was a famed real-life riverboat pilot, and Clemens is perhaps better known by his pen name, Mark Twain. During the journey along the Rivers of America, Clemens entertains guests with a variety of humorous remarks:
“Well, now, I always figure it is better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid, then to open it and remove all doubt.”
“It seems to me that when I was younger, I could remember everything whether it happened or not. But as I grow older I seem to remember only the things that never happened at all.”
“All my life it seems I could never tell a lie that anybody could doubt, nor a truth that anybody could believe.”
“I was born humble, captain, but mostly it’s worn off.”
“I believe we ought never to do wrong, captain, especially when others are looking.”
During the seventeen-minute journey, the riverboat passes by Harper’s Mill and Fort Langhorn on Tom Sawyer Island and numerous wildlife and Native American scenes. One of the most underrated aspects of the attraction is that it provides some of the best photo opportunities in the Magic Kingdom, especially for those who want good pictures of Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and Splash Mountain.
The Liberty Belle, like so many other attractions in Walt Disney World, traces its roots back to Disneyland, where the Mark Twain riverboat opened for guests on July 17, 1955. Walt Disney felt so strongly about the idea of having a working riverboat in the park that he used his own personal funds to complete the vessel’s construction when the corporate budget fell short. When Disney executives and Imagineers were developing plans for Disney World, and specifically the Magic Kingdom, they wanted to strike a balance between including attractions that were familiar to guests from Disneyland while also incorporating many concepts that were unique to the Florida development. Fortunately, the riverboat concept did make it into plans for the Magic Kingdom.
Originally, two riverboats were used to transport guests around the Rivers of America: the Admiral Joe Fowler and the Richard F. Irvine, both named for Disney executives who made substantial contributions to the Disney parks. Fowler spent thirty-five years in the United States Navy before Walt hired him to oversee construction of Disneyland and, later, Disney World. Irvine was the former vice president and director of design for WED Enterprises, the predecessor organization to Walt Disney Imagineering. During the construction of Disneyland, he served as a critical bridge between Disney Imagineers and outside construction consultants. He later supervised construction for Walt Disney World.
The Admiral Joe Fowler opened on October 2, 1971, one day after the Magic Kingdom. Unfortunately, the vessel was critically damaged in dry-dock during repairs in 1980. The Richard F. Irvine, which began operation in 1973, was renamed the Liberty Belle in 1996 so as to provide a closer connection with Liberty Square. Both riverboats were identical save for one small detail: the Fowler had two smokestacks, while the Irvine only had one. Disney continues to honor both Fowler and Irvine, as two of the three ferries that transport guests from the Ticket and Transportation Center to the Magic Kingdom were renamed from Magic Kingdon-1 and Magic Kingdom-2 to the Admiral Joe Fowler and the Richard F. Irvine, respectively.
Although the Liberty Belle includes a working steam engine, it travels through the nine-foot-deep waters of the Rivers of America on a guided rail. The river is dyed brown to hide both the track and the shallow depth of the water.
During the voyage, you will see an old wood cabin just behind Fort Langhorn on Tom Sawyer Island. For many years, the cabin appeared to be on fire, and a settler could be seen lying in front of the cabin with an arrow pierced through his chest. The backstory was that the settler was the victim of an Indian attack. Not surprisingly, this story was later changed to say that the settler passed out after consuming too much moonshine. Today, the fire effect is no longer present and the story is no longer told.
You will also see an old gentlemen sitting on a deck in a rocking chair and smoking a pipe. A rudimentary cabin labeled “Alligator Swamp” sits in the background. This famous character is known as “Beacon Joe,” who tracks the river’s course and conditions. Beacon Joe’s dog sits in a nearby canoe. The dog’s head moves from side to side as fish jump in front of him.
During the latter half of the voyage, the riverboat passes by “Cut Throat Corner” and “Wilson’s Cave Inn.” The cave includes a small boat that is supposedly used by river pirates to attack riverboats. A clothes line includes numerous shirts, pants, and other clothing items of the pirates that have been hung out to dry. Fortunately for those on board, the Liberty Belle passes by this treacherous area unscathed. A bit farther on, observant guests will notice floating water marks labeled “Devil’s Elbow” and “Tree Snag Reef.”
The Liberty Belle is the only attraction in the Magic Kingdom that allows you to stand and walk around while it is in progress.
Weather Vanes: Going Where the Wind Takes You in Liberty Square
Disney’s Imagineers use a wide variety of tools to tell the stories represented throughout the Magic Kingdom, including intricately detailed architecture, exotic smells, lush landscaping, music, and cutting-edge special effects. However, some of my favorite story-telling techniques used by Imagineers are
those small details that often go unnoticed by the average guest (especially those who don’t take the time to look up). Perched high atop many Magic Kingdom structures are some of my favorite examples of these wonderful Imagineering details: weathervanes. Perhaps more so than any other themed land in the Magic Kingdom, Liberty Square is replete with numerous weather vanes, some of which have been in place since the park first opened on October 1, 1971.
While no one can pass by the Haunted Mansion without taking notice of its impressive Dutch Gothic façade, many do not see the weather vane that sits high atop this mysterious manor house. Located on the central tower of the exterior façade is a two-tiered weather vane. The first level is a classic iron weathervane with four points for north, south, east, and west. A few feet above these directional indicators is a black bat sitting on the edge of a black arrow. The bat is very simple in its design, but still effectively conveys the grim, menacing theme portrayed by the exterior façade of the Haunted Mansion as a whole.
Memento Mori is a gift shop that opened in Liberty Square in 2014. It specializes in Haunted Mansion-themed gifts. If you look up, you will see a weather vane that is actually more ominous than its Haunted Mansion counterpart. Memento Mori’s weather vane consists of a dark, ominous axe in lieu of a traditional four-point directional weathervane. As we will discuss in chapter 5, an axe is a nice symbolic detail that helps to support the theme and backstory of the Haunted Mansion, and in particular the attic scene with Constance Hatchaway the bride.
Directly across the walkway from Memento Mori is a carriage house that does not get much attention from Disney guests. However, sitting high atop this carriage house is a gorgeous two-tiered weather vane. The base level consists of a traditional four-point directional design, above which is a large stallion racing full stride atop an arrow. The weather vane is surprisingly detailed, with intricate striations indicating the musculature of the galloping steed.
Another stunning weather vane sits high atop the central tower of the Liberty Square riverboat loading area. This is yet another example of a two-tiered weather vane, with a magnificent sailing ship perched atop traditional north, south, east, and west directional indicators.
If you look above the stroller parking area directly beside Liberty Tree Tavern, you will notice perhaps the best example of a classic weather vane in the Magic Kingdom. On the roof of the stroller parking area sits a beautiful iron rooster standing on an arrow, which is also perched atop a four-point directional weather vane.
One final weather vane worth mentioning in Liberty Square is located on the clock / bell tower of the Hall of Presidents. Very simple in its design, this weather vane consists merely of a black arrow aimed in the direction that the wind is blowing.
More Liberty Square Magical Secrets
Several crates of tea are stacked beside the brick columns at the entrance to Liberty Square from the central hub, a not-so subtle nod to the Boston Tea Party protests that occurred in 1773. A guard shack near these columns includes a rifle, indicating that the town is on high alert.
Pay close attention to the walkways in Liberty Square. The center portion of the primary walkway includes a distinctive brown swath of pavement. This interesting thematic detail symbolizes sewage systems utilized in eighteenth-century towns, where townspeople would literally throw trash from their balconies into the streets. For this reason, many colonial streets were sloped inward so that trash and sewage would flow down the center of streets, as opposed to the sides of the street where people walked.
If you examine the exterior façades of the Liberty Square buildings, you will notice that many shutters hang at an angle and are asymmetrical. This is not an accident, as during this time period, metal was a valuable material used to make bullets, swords, and other wartime necessities. Because of this, leather ties were often used in lieu of metal for shutter hinges. Over time, the leather would deteriorate and stretch, resulting in windows hanging downward. Although no leather was used in the hinges on Liberty Square shutters, the look itself was replicated.
If you need a restroom in Liberty Square…good luck! Indoor plumbing did not become commonplace until much later in the nineteenth century. As there would not be indoor toilets in Colonial America, Liberty Square does not have them either (with a few exceptions due to health regulations for restaurants).
Liberty Square is home to one of the best photo opportunities in all of Walt Disney World: a pair of wooden stocks that are located directly in front of the Liberty Square riverboat dock. A smaller set of stocks for children sits close by.
Some building entrances in Liberty Square include boot scrapers that would have allowed townspeople to clean the mud off of their boots before entering the premises.
The background music played throughout Liberty Square contributes to the theme and story of a nation on the verge of revolution. The music is specific to the time period represented throughout Liberty Square, featuring numerous Colonial-era songs. Impressively, this background music was orchestrated using only instruments that would have been available during that time period, in particular instruments used in fife and drum corps.
Real History
Disneyland, Liberty Street, and Liberty Square
Walt Disney loved America. He was a fan of United States history generally and the presidents of the United States specifically. Long before either Liberty Square or Walt Disney World was even on the drawing board, Walt and his Imagineers developed plans for “a typical American street in the Revolutionary War era” known as Liberty Street. This addition would have been “a walk through Colonial America, reflecting the love of freedom so ingrained in its people,” and would have been located off of Center Street on Disneyland’s Main Street, U.S.A.
The conceptual plans for Liberty Street contemplated a quaint cobblestone street lined with a variety of shops that would be expected in a Colonial thoroughfare, including a glassmaker, an apothecary, and a cabinet-maker. These buildings would have taken architectural inspiration from various regions in Colonial America, including Williamsburg, Virginia, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At the end of Liberty Street, guests would have encountered Liberty Square, with a grand Liberty Tree serving as the area’s visual centerpiece. Later iterations of the concept called for an area known as Edison Square that would have focused on technological development and innovation that was closely tied to the advent of electricity.
The true star of Liberty Street would have been Liberty Hall (also sometimes referred to as Independence Hall), which would have been home to not one, but two patriotic shows. The first would have been known as “The Hall of the Declaration of Independence,” and would have featured life-size figures of three of our founding fathers—Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, and John Adams—discussing various aspects of the birth of the United States and the Declaration of Independence. Famous Revolutionary War dioramas would be displayed for guests during the show, which would have culminated in an actual signing of the Declaration of Independence.
“One Nation Under God” was the second show contemplated for Liberty Street. It would have taken place in “The Hall of Presidents.” The show would have been a “mighty cavalcade of American History,” as seen from the perspective of the presidents of the United States. President George Washington and his immediate successors (thirty-three at the time) would stand in succession on a large stage, as a stirring narrative described the development of our nation’s heritage. The attraction would climax with a dramatic view of all thirty-four Presidents.
Walt’s vision for these experiences demanded life-like representations of the presidents and other early Colonial leaders, and would have required them to speak. During the late 1950s, audio-animatronics technology was rudimentary and nowhere near the level that you see in the parks today. This lack of technological capabilities and the substantial funds needed to address that problem were both substantial roadblocks that Walt and his team of Imagineers needed to overcome.
The answer to these roadblock
s came in the form of the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair, which provided Walt with the opportunity to utilize corporate sponsorships to fund his needed technological advancements. However, major sponsors such as Coca-Cola and Union Carbide balked at the costs needed for sponsorship of a presidential attraction. Walt realized that he needed something big to draw in sponsors: an actual life-like audio-animatronic representation of one of the U.S. presidents that could talk and move. As Walt always had great admiration for Abraham Lincoln, it was an easy decision to focus his Imagineers’ efforts on the sixteenth president.
Noted Disney Imagineers Blaine Gibson, Roger Broggie, and Bob Gurr worked diligently on the Lincoln audio-animatronic. However, as the fair was fast approaching, Walt and his Imagineers were forced to greatly reduce the attraction in scope, and focus solely upon the Lincoln performance. Fortunately for Walt, the State of Illinois agreed to sponsor the shortened attraction, which was famously rebranded as Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. When it premiered in the summer of 1964 as part of the State of Illinois pavilion, it became one of the most popular attractions at the fair. During Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, an audio-animatronic Lincoln would stand and address the amazed audience, who in many cases would sit in stunned silence during the performance.
Although Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln was a tremendous success, the original version of “Honest Abe” displayed at the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair did not always work to perfection. When an electrical current spike occurred, the audio-animatronic Lincoln would flail its arms wildly and slam itself down in a chair. This obviously left onlookers confused, concerned, and in some cases, frightened.
Notwithstanding these issues, the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair was a tremendous step forward in audio-animatronics technology. Following the World’s Fair, a revised version of Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln was installed in Disneyland in 1965. Although audio-animatronic technology had advanced to the point where the ideas contemplated for Disneyland’s Liberty Street expansion were possible, other pressing needs for Disneyland took precedence, including a much needed update to Tomorrowland. As such, Disney’s plans for Liberty Street were temporarily shelved. Fortunately for us, no good idea at Disney Imagineering ever truly dies.
The Backstories and Magical Secrets of Walt Disney World Page 9