Keeping track of what’s closed at Disney World is practically a full-time job. There are so many attractions across the four theme parks that there’s always something that needs to be updated or refurbished. Usually, there’s little rhyme or reason to it all, but sometimes there is. We could have all guessed that Magic Kingdom’s Hall of Presidents would be closing in January, because, after all, there will be a new President.
Just as the Hall of Presidents closed four years ago to replace the Donald Trump animatronic with one of Joe Biden, it has now been confirmed that on January 20, 2025 (aka Inauguration Day) the Hall will close again to swap the two characters back. But while in the case of most attractions, fans get upset when classics get rethemed or updated, many are actually asking for that to happen here.
Fans Want To See The Hall Of Presidents Go Muppet
The Hall of Presidents has been around since the opening day of Magic Kingdom back in 1971. The show contains animatronic versions of every former U.S. President, as well as the current President of the United States. Since 1993, the show has also included the voice of the current President, in a recording usually done specifically for the show.
However, while the Hall of Presidents may have been popular decades ago, it seems far less so now, leading many Disney World fans to suggest the show should be retired. In fact, there’s a particularly popular idea that has made the rounds, recreating the Hall of Presidents, in Muppet form.
Hear me out close this show and replace it with a Muppet show https://t.co/ufa1PMBausDecember 18, 2024
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.
There’s no indication that Disney World is planning anything other than its standard refurbishment. While the popular Muppet*Vision 3D attraction has been confirmed to be closing, the Muppets will be taking over the Rock 'N' Roller Coaster, so there will be no lack of Muppet representation at Disney World.
Previously it has taken several months for Hall of Presidents to reopen when a new President takes office. It’s unclear if the refurb here will be faster. If the plan is to simply reuse the existing animatronic and the existing audio, the closure could be very short.
Disney World Doesn’t Need The Hall Of Presidents Anymore
Honestly, as a big fan of The Muppets, I wholeheartedly endorse the idea of transforming the Hall of Presidents into a Muppet attraction. It would be a fun way to use the characters and to reinvigorate the Hall of Presidents as an attraction. I don’t think I’ve bothered to see the show since Barack Obama was President.
Honestly, I’ve always found it strange that we had both the Hall of Presidents at Magic Kingdom and the American Adventure at Epcot. Both are theater shows with animatronics that are about telling the American story through history and patriotism. These things are fine, but I’m not sure we need both.
And if Disney World is ever going to close the Hall of Presidents, now is possibly the best time. Nothing will be new if and when the attraction reopens in a few months. With that being the case, finding some way to reinvigorate the attraction would not be out of line. Although considering all the other closures happening at Disney World over the next couple of years, perhaps closing anything that is not necessary is too much.
To be clear, it certainly doesn’t appear that there are any plans to do anything other than replace one animatronic with another. Usually, though not always, when Disney closes an attraction and plans to change things, they announce both the closure and the new idea together. Still, we’ll have to wait and see what, if anything, happens here.
