Did Disney Dis Trump In Hall Of Presidents Placement?
Phil Hall , Benzinga Staff Writer
August 06, 2021 10:55am
Walt Disney World Resort's Hall of Presidents attraction reopened on Aug. 4 with President Joe Biden added to the audio-animatronic depiction of the nation’s leaders. However, Walt Disney Co DIS 1.03% appears to be conspicuously downplaying Biden’s predecessor, with audio-animatronic figure of Donald Trump relegated to a historically unpopular spot in the exhibit and citation of Trump omitted from a film presentation of presidential history.
A Coincidental Placement? The Hall of Presidents attraction opened 50 years ago and features three rows of audio-animatrons — a front row with seated figures and a middle and rear row of standing figures. The incumbent president is front and center on the stage next to the audio-animatron for Abraham Lincoln, and every president since the attraction’s debut has recorded a message delivered via his robotic counterpart.
Most former presidents of the past half-century were delegated to either the middle or rear rows — only Ronald Reagan was afforded front row status — and all of them have been grouped together on the right half of the attraction’s stage.
But the placement of Trump audio-animatron is breaking that tradition and, perhaps, sending a political message. Trump is far removed from his predecessors of the last half-century and placed on the left half of the stage occupied primarily by early 19th century leaders.
Trump flanked by Andrew Jackson, whose prominence has been questioned in recent years by historians citing his harsh policies against American Indian nations, and by James Buchanan, who is widely considered by historians as being among the least effective presidents in U.S. history. Also, the presentation shows Trump being considerably shorter than Jackson when, in fact, Trump stands 6-foot-3 and Jackson was 6-foot-1.
Republicans Not Wanted? The Hall of Presidents also includes a film presentation with footage of how the presidents addressed existential challenges to the nation. This segment of the film begins with Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1960 and concludes with Barack Obama in 2015. Trump, who took office in January 2017, is absent from the film.
In addition to Trump, three of the five Republican presidents who served in the years between the Eisenhower and Trump administration are omitted: Richard M. Nixon, Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush. From a historic standpoint, the omissions might be considered arbitrary — for example, Jimmy Carter’s brokering of the Israeli-Egyptian peace accord is presented, but Nixon’s groundbreaking foreign policy with China and the Soviet Union and Trump’s coordination of the Abraham Accords were ignored.
Disney has uploaded a video of the entire Hall of Presidents presentation online:
Photo: The Hall of Presidents audio-animatron of Donald Trump, placed next to Andrew Jackson and amid early 19th century presidents. Photo courtesy of TekoOtter's Twitter page.