Disney World's Hall of Presidents Closes for Refurbishment as Trump Begins New Term, Closure Sign Raises Questions

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The Hall of Presidents closed for refurbishment - January 2025

Posted: Monday January 20, 2025 9:04am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

As of today, January 20, 2025, the Hall of Presidents at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom is closed for refurbishment.

The sign at the closure sign at the entrance says, "The Hall of Presidents is Closed for Refurbishment." This is a notable change from the last time the hall was closed in 2021, when the sign said, "The Hall of Presidents is Currently Being Prepared to Welcome the New President"

The Hall of Presidents closed for refurbishment - January 2025

The Hall of Presidents closed for refurbishment - January 2021

This temporary closure was previously announced and aligns with the tradition of updating the attraction to reflect the newly inaugurated president.

Guests visiting Liberty Square will find the Hall of Presidents closed, with no specific reopening date provided by Disney at this time. Historically, past closures for similar updates have lasted between six and eight months, but the timeline for this refurbishment may vary depending on the scope of work being completed.

The refurbishment is expected to feature the animatronic figure of President Donald Trump following his return to the presidency in the 2024 election.

The Hall of Presidents 2024

During the last presidential update, the Hall of Presidents closed on January 20, 2021, to add President Joe Biden and reopened on August 3, 2021. Similarly, in 2017, the attraction was closed from January 17 to December 18 to incorporate Donald Trump's animatronic and speech.

The Hall of Presidents has long been a centerpiece of Liberty Square, offering an overview of American presidential history through lifelike animatronics and a theatrical presentation.

The Hall of Presidents 2024

What's Next for the Hall of Presidents?

While the focus of this refurbishment is presumed to be the addition of President Trump, Disney has not confirmed whether the current president will deliver a speaking role, as has been customary since Bill Clinton's inclusion in 1993. In addition to updating the show for the new administration, Disney may also take this opportunity to refresh the attraction's technology and make other improvements.

Speculation continues about whether Disney might also make more significant changes to the format of the show, such as integrating The Muppets into the attraction, perhaps to appeal to evolving guest expectations.

The Hall of Presidents 2024

Discuss on the Forums

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Haymarket200853 minutes ago

The figure they used for his non-presidential role is entirely new and looks excellent. The sculpt will presumably transfer to the new Presidential speaking role.

James Alucobond1 hour ago

Uh, don’t the two give completely different performances? It’s not just moving them. Animatronics don’t work that way, unless they’re changing what they do.

EeyoreFan#241 hour ago

Two guesses 1. They couldn’t figure out the wording to make it “accurate” for the situation. (In their discussions) 2. They already had that sign designed or even printed and someone just put it out.

BagOfGroceries1 hour ago

We’ll probably know what’s actually happening by March.

Walt Disney19551 hour ago

I doubt it will take long to do this. Usually it takes months with a new President. But they have Trump already and basically all they have to do is switch him and Biden and maybe record a new message. It shouldn't take long, maybe a month or two if I were to guess? What should be done and will be done is different though. This is probably my favorite show in the whole park, I have always loved it. And much to my surprise so did all of our young kids the first time they saw it.

EagleScout6101 hour ago

Is this where we find out The Muppets are actually coming?

Mr. Sullivan2 hours ago

Only speculation of course but he isn’t really a new president. He’s already in there, he’d just be changing positions. Maybe that’s what they’re getting at.

larryz2 hours ago

BasiltheBatLord2 hours ago

Oh boy I wonder if Disney knew what a firestorm of speculation that simple sign is going to kickoff.

wdwmagic2 hours ago

Disney World's Hall of Presidents Closes for Refurbishment as Trump Begins New Term, Closure Sign Raises Questions https://www.wdwmagic.com/attractions/hall-of-presidents/news/20jan2025-disney-worlds-hall-of-presidents-closes-for-refurbishment-as-trump-begins-new-term,-closure-sign-raises-questions.htm 2025 Sign 2021 Sign

rioriz6 days ago

I have no credible sourCes to confirm or deny

ᗩLᘿᑕ ֊ᗩζᗩᗰ18 days ago

You might get your wish. Pull a 20K scenario.

Ayla18 days ago

I hope it closes, never to reopen.

TheRealSkull18 days ago

Assuming they have to make a new animatronic for him, considering they probably scrapped the other, I really wonder if they plan on recording a new speech? Probably not, but frankly I would prefer if they did. The old one was fine, but it just wasn't as put together as some of the others. Felt a little AI generated.