Hall of Presidents

LivinTheDream · Post by **LivinTheDream** » Jan Sun 25, 2009 11:23 am

Are they going to let Obama speak? I heard that they were not going to have the sitting president speak (due to Bush's unpopularity) but that since Obama won (and not McCain) they were going to have him speak.

MansionButler · Post by **MansionButler** » Jan Sun 25, 2009 6:24 pm

LivinTheDream wrote:Are they going to let Obama speak? I heard that they were not going to have the sitting president speak (due to Bush's unpopularity) but that since Obama won (and not McCain) they were going to have him speak.

I find this a little hard to believe. They have apparently approached Obama, though. As I'm sure they would have McCain.

Mr.ToadWildRider · Post by **Mr.ToadWildRider** » Jan Mon 26, 2009 1:10 pm

Jacca5660 wrote:
Mr.ToadWildRider wrote:All I know is this Obamania is getting a little old. I think he's going to be a great president and I'm happy I voted for him (*shudder* giving away my Constitutionally protected secrets?) but it's a little rediculous the spectacal this is all becoming. Let the guy do ...well SOMETHING before he is annointed the savior of the country.

This isn't aimed at any posters I guess it's just a general observation. Sorry!
MY POST WAS ASKING IF HE WAS IN THE HALL OF PRESIDENTS YET. WHAT ARE YOU GOING ON ABOUT? PLEASE DO IT SOMEPLACE ELSE!!

I reiterate that this was not directed at any of the posts. I'm sorry if you felt it was. I was just pointing out that there's a great hype about everything about the man. It is a historic event in America, even more so than what one may consider the inauguration of just any new president given that he marks a new chapter in not just Americans lives, but also in the African-American experience. I suppose I shouldn't have posted my thoughts, it's just I've heard so much talk about his "celebrity" recently and I think it distracts from the true meaning of his, or any president's, election that I felt the compulsion to post. It had nothing to do with your question if he had been added yet, I assure you.

LivinTheDream wrote:Are they going to let Obama speak? I heard that they were not going to have the sitting president speak (due to Bush's unpopularity) but that since Obama won (and not McCain) they were going to have him speak.

I don't believe they would do this based on party lines or who Disney perceives as being more popular. To my knowledge they did not remove George W. Bush's voiceover as his popularity hit rock bottom. If they were truly afraid of this happening again they just would nix that whole component and not make judgment calls as to whether a president may be unpopular. It also seems unlikely that one can make that kind of assessment as generally after an election the common belief is that the elected president is favorable as he (or she) was just voted into the office based on the vote of the people (well technically the vote of the Electoral College, which is based on the vote of the people). To say that, for instance, 63% of the population that voted for a president made a poor decision is probably a poor decision in and of itself if you were Disney.

jenhen27 · Post by **jenhen27** » Jan Mon 26, 2009 1:22 pm

I wonder if they'll change the film? We've done a few more things since they produced that film. Hmmm, maybe not noteworthy though.

LivinTheDream · Post by **LivinTheDream** » Jan Mon 26, 2009 4:54 pm

I wasn't saying they would have taken Bush out, I meant that they were going to rework it so that they did the roll call and then just Lincoln (or maybe Lincoln and Washington or something) was going to speak I heard. I may have been misinformed - I was just relaying what I thought I knew...

agingerbugg · Post by **agingerbugg** » Jan Tue 27, 2009 1:42 pm

The rumor as it stands is that Lincoln will continue to speak, Washington will not do a little spiel and the Disney folks are/were still in talks with President Obama as to whether or not he would speak....We really just need to wait and see what happens.

rmorton50 · Post by **rmorton50** » Jan Wed 28, 2009 12:22 am

I think it is altogether fitting for the sitting president to make a few comments prior to Mr. Lincoln's speach. Our president, or rather the Office of the President of the United States, is worthy of honor and respect regardless of who happens to be in the office. The comments previous presidents have made are generally of a patriotic nature and are meant to encourage and be uplifting to the American people. I think we can never have enough of that. We get plenty of disparaging remarks in the print and on TV. Since we have access to the actual voices of the recent presidents, it's a nice present to posterity to be able to hear what our presidents actually sounded like. Wouldn't it be great to have a recording of Washington's voice today?

figmentaholic · Post by **figmentaholic** » Jan Wed 28, 2009 8:49 am

rmorton50 wrote:I think it is altogether fitting for the sitting president to make a few comments prior to Mr. Lincoln's speach. Our president, or rather the Office of the President of the United States, is worthy of honor and respect regardless of who happens to be in the office. The comments previous presidents have made are generally of a patriotic nature and are meant to encourage and be uplifting to the American people. I think we can never have enough of that. We get plenty of disparaging remarks in the print and on TV. Since we have access to the actual voices of the recent presidents, it's a nice present to posterity to be able to hear what our presidents actually sounded like. Wouldn't it be great to have a recording of Washington's voice today?

I think you hit the nail on the head here, about having a current president make a few comments. It seems only fair, since he is the leader of our country to let him have a few words.

boilerbabe · Post by **boilerbabe** » Jan Wed 28, 2009 11:09 am

I say, let the man speak!!!

jenhen27 · Post by **jenhen27** » Jan Wed 28, 2009 3:55 pm

figmentaholic wrote: I think you hit the nail on the head here, about having a current president make a few comments. It seems only fair, since he is the leader of our country to let him have a few words.

OK, I think "fair" isn't quite the right word. The president is the leader of our country and he gets to speak all the time. That is recorded and put on about 20 different network and cable channels all the time. It's not like a failure to let him speak in the Hall of Presidents is an effort to silent his office. That being said, a PP made it sound like Disney was negotiating with the administration. Almost like he wasn't interested in having a speaking role or that he would have to think about it. Maybe I misread the PP.

ETA: Here it is:

agingerbugg wrote:The rumor as it stands is that Lincoln will continue to speak, Washington will not do a little spiel and the Disney folks are/were still in talks with President Obama as to whether or not he would speak....We really just need to wait and see what happens.

So whether he should be allowed to speak or whether it would be fair is irrelevant if he isn't interested.

jenhen27 · Post by **jenhen27** » Jan Wed 28, 2009 4:45 pm

I proudly did but that wasn't my point in my previous post. I just thought fair was an odd choice of words. We are talking about a small speaking roll in a Disney attraction. It would be fair to allow the president to address the American people in a press conference. It would be fair to ensure that he is given respect. It's not a matter of fairness to let him speak in a themepark based on the premise that he is the leader of our country. I look at that as more of a tradition or privilege. That being said, should or fair is irrelevant if he isn't interested. But maybe I misread what agingerbugg wrote. All I meant is that if he isn't interested this discussion is moot. If he does want to speak then by all means let him speak, the last few presidents did. Once his animatronic has been added I'll be waiting for the first idiot to try to climb up there to get a picture with it. (Idiot for climbing over the attraction, not for wanting the picture. I want a picture with Thomas Jefferson but I'm not planning on climbing on stage for it. Just wanted to clarify that before the yelling started.)

ETA: This tradition only dates back to Clinton and according to this article http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business ... 1688.story as of October 2008 Disney was desperately hopeful that the next president would be interested in making a speech. So it does indeed seem that if there is no speech it would be due to the president's choice and not Disney or popular opinion, at least as of last October. If President Obama doesn't want to speak in the Hall of Presidents that doesn't make him a bad president that probably makes him a busy president. We'll have plenty of video and audio recordings to pass down to future generations with or without an HOP speech.

Jacca5660 · Post by **Jacca5660** » Jan Wed 28, 2009 4:55 pm

I think everybody is Hypersensitive right now.

figmentaholic · Post by **figmentaholic** » Jan Wed 28, 2009 8:09 pm

jenhen27 wrote:
figmentaholic wrote: I think you hit the nail on the head here, about having a current president make a few comments. It seems only fair, since he is the leader of our country to let him have a few words.
OK, I think "fair" isn't quite the right word. The president is the leader of our country and he gets to speak all the time. That is recorded and put on about 20 different network and cable channels all the time. It's not like a failure to let him speak in the Hall of Presidents is an effort to silent his office. That being said, a PP made it sound like Disney was negotiating with the administration. Almost like he wasn't interested in having a speaking role or that he would have to think about it. Maybe I misread the PP.

So whether he should be allowed to speak or whether it would be fair is irrelevant if he isn't interested.

Okay, I think you really took this the wrong way. I am not talking about what is on television or recorded. I am talking about the *DISNEY RIDE* Hall of Presidents.
Obama is our president, whether people like it or not, and therefore he deserves to be accuratly represented in the Hall of Presidents attraction.
Simple as that.

I think there was some serious misreading going on there.

jenhen27 · Post by **jenhen27** » Jan Wed 28, 2009 9:53 pm

I think my next post was pretty clear. When I spoke about misunderstanding the PP I was talking about the quote I posted after that which you have left out of the above quote.

I respect the president. I think he should have the opportunity to speak. But it doesn't matter what you or I or anyone else thinks. As you can see from the link I posted Disney desperately wants him to speak. They are in negotiations with the White House. It is all up to the President at this point.

My post was not directed at the President regardless of how you want to read it. I was merely pointing out that this whole thread seems to have taken on a tone that the current president must be allowed to speak in the Hall of Presidents. I don't understand where that is coming from. No one is restraining the President or preventing him from recording a speech for his animatronic. According to that Orlando article it is clearly his perogative.

FWIW, 40 presidents have been accurately represented in the Hall of Presidents with no speaking roll. I have full confidence and faith that President Obama's animatronic will accurately represent him whether or not he speaks.

And, one last time... pro speaking president in the Hall of Presidents. Don't see it as a point of fairness because that implies that there is unfairness. There isn't. He has the opportunity. Disney is salivating to get him to speak. The last two presidents have spoken. It's his choice.

To compare, I saw this thread as the same as arguing that someone must have the opportunity to pay taxes or get a job. They have the opportunity. I don't see why there has to be a discussion about it. It just made no sense. But it's a free country and you can argue all you want, that's your choice.

Thread, no sense, this has made. Confused, I was. Posted a point, I did. Sorry, I am for discussing anything remotely related to politics.

That Orlando article indicated that Disney plans to reopen the Hall of Presidents on July 4th. I'm hoping that with such a long closing that the refurbs are gonna rock. The article also indicates what some of those refurbs are going to be. Now I know that the President has some serious obligations in DC for that festive event but how cool would it be if the President came to the park for the unveiling! I'm sure the first daughters would be in heaven. Of course it would probably be a secret service nightmare with trying to make sure the family was safe. Maybe he could make some kind of live broadcast instead. And I wonder what kind of Obama stuff they'll put in the lobby?

Jacca5660 · Post by **Jacca5660** » Jan Wed 28, 2009 11:09 pm

Is President Obama in the hall yet?

Contrary to what's going on here right now, all I was asking was what's written above. Like I said in an earlier post "HYPERSENSITIVE!". OY! Lighgten up everyone! Smile

this is a Disney board with music....how cool is that!