Disney World's Hall of Presidents reopens; Trump up front again

Dewayne Bevil, Orlando Sentinel on Jul 3, 2025

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ORLANDO, Fla. — The Hall of Presidents has reopened at Walt Disney World and the re-election of President Donald Trump has prompted an unusual rearrangement inside the Magic Kingdom attraction.

For the first time since the attraction debuted with the theme park in 1971, a U.S. president is serving nonconsecutive terms. So, an animatronic figure representing Trump is back at the front of the stage after spending four years on the back row while Joe Biden held court and lived in the White House.

The attraction closed in late January for rearrangement and possible refurbishment. It reopened with little fanfare Sunday, just ahead of the Independence Day holiday weekend.

The face of Trump’s figure represents the president’s current look. In previous incarnations of the Hall, some observers complained about the animatronic’s likeness — some floating the notion that it looked like Hillary Clinton.

Disney World has not specified what changes were made during the 2025 downtime. But a statement from Walt Disney Imagineering indicates that the company will “routinely refresh animatronics” during refurbishments.

The Trump figure may motion more than it did before. Its head moves left and right as the roll call of his predecessors continues. It gestures toward Abraham Lincoln, seated nearby, when his name is called.

Before the curtain falls at the end of the 25-minute program, the Trump figure — dressed in a dark suit and blue tie — gives a thumbs-up motion.

Biden’s figure is now on the back row, installed between Andrew Jackson and Franklin Pierce. The roll call, presented in chronological order, goes directly from Barack Obama to Biden, skipping the first administration of Trump. The president’s figure then repeats the oath of office.

Grover Cleveland, the first president to serve nonconsecutive terms, also has just one mention in the roll call. Cleveland’s second term was over in early 1897 — more than seven decades before Magic Kingdom opened.

The format of the attraction has varied over the years. Some “presidents” have had speaking parts — a few modern leaders have recorded audio for Disney’s use.

The current version of the attraction begins with a wide-screen movie featuring historical challenges of the country framed by the strengths of specific presidents. The film discusses bitter elections, wars, economic hardships, terrorism and other issues. The program includes speeches by the animatronic versions of Lincoln and George Washington — both of which move from sitting to standing before speaking.

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