Redeem now - Disney World closed the Hall of Presidents attraction on Wednesday to add a Joe Biden figure.
- People are now asking Disney to hide or remove the Donald Trump animatronic during refurbishments.
- Others think Disney should remove the attraction entirely to no longer honor problematic presidents.
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Shortly after Joe Biden's inauguration on Wednesday, Disney World closed its Hall of Presidents attraction at Magic Kingdom to make room for a new animatronic of the 46th President.
This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Log in.Just as quickly, Disney fans began to share their opinions on how they think the Orlando, Florida, theme park should handle the change, and specifically the controversial Donald Trump animatronic that was added in 2017.
While some suggested "hiding" Trump behind previous presidents, others asked Disney to remove him entirely now that he's no longer in office. There's also been talk among fans who feel Disney World should remove the attraction entirely.
Disney World closed the Hall of Presidents attraction for refurbishment immediately after Joe Biden's inauguration
As journalist Ashley Carter shared on Twitter, the theme park placed a small sign outside the attraction on Wednesday that reads: "The Hall of Presidents is currently being prepared to welcome the new president."
—Ashley Carter (@AshleyLCarter1) January 20, 2021It's currently unclear how long it will take for Disney World to create and install an animatronic inspired by Biden. That being said, Disney fans have pointed out that the theme park was much quicker to install the figure of the 46th president than it was when installing the Trump animatronic years prior.
—Nadine (@XO_Genny) January 20, 2021Many Disney fans are asking the theme park to 'hide' the Donald Trump animatronic now that he's no longer in office
Though the Hall of Presidents features animatronics of all past presidents, only those representing Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, and the incumbent President of the United States give speeches during the stage show. As a result, all other animatronics take a backseat.
With that in mind, Disney fans have said online that they'd like the Trump animatronic to be "hidden" onstage, or placed behind another president.
—Jolene Jensen (@HelloJolene23) January 20, 2021—💖SunniApplePie💖 (@SunniApplePie) January 20, 2021—justin (@justinwillm) January 20, 2021Others feel Disney should remove the Trump animatronic or replace the entire attraction with something new
On Twitter, numerous Disney fans said they believe the Trump figure should be removed in response to the former president's handling of the coronavirus, his role in the US Capitol insurrection, and other controversial actions that occurred throughout his time in office.
—Chef (@ChefJags) January 21, 2021—︽✵︽ Jackie Rogers ︽✵︽ (@JaclynRogers) January 21, 2021—Alex (@AL3X_M) January 21, 2021However, there are other issues within the Hall of Presidents that wouldn't be resolved by removing the replica of Trump.
As the Orlando Sentinel recently pointed out, tensions have risen at the attraction in recent years after animatronics representing George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Trump were installed. In response to upset guests, Disney World installed metal spikes in front of the animatronics and placed security guards on standby in the attraction.
The show also honors former presidents who have problematic backgrounds and racist pasts, including 12 former slave owners.
That being said, the Orlando Sentinel and some Disney fans say it would be smart for Disney to remove the attraction entirely. After all, Walt Disney "wanted his theme parks to be fantasy lands where people could escape the real world," the Orlando Sentinel wrote — but at the Hall of Presidents, "there's no escaping it."
Regardless of what the Hall of Presidents looks like in the future, numerous fans say they can't wait to visit again
On Twitter, many of these fans seem particularly happy that Trump will no longer have a speaking role in the attraction.
—Michele Otero (@otero_michele) January 21, 2021—Emma Young (@EmmaNYoung) January 21, 2021—Mongo (@Decojuicer) January 20, 2021- Read more:
- Disney fans found a clever way to bypass the theme park's ban on adult costumes
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Sign up for notifications from Insider! Stay up to date with what you want to know. Subscribe to push notificationsWatch: We searched for the best Mickey-shaped snack at Disney World — and the winner was clear
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