Would you boycott Hall of Presidents, if a president you didn't like was elected?

[njpyro]

I wouldn't boycott it, but this isn't an attraction we do any more. It's more of a one and done. I was on it many years ago and have no real desire to go again. Maybe is we are nearby while it is pouring rain...

 

[OKW Lover]

Yesterday, it dawned on me, the presidential election decides which Animatronic gives the biggest speech at the Hall of Presidents. WITHOUT commenting on politics, naming candidates, or political parties, could this election potentially affect your decision to see the Hall of Presidents exhibit in Disney World?

IMHO, there are a couple of things to consider:

1. Would a person boycott this attraction if they disliked any (current or former) president? My response, of course not. Over the course of history (or at least my short portion) there have been presidents I've liked and disliked. Neither was a factor in deciding to go to the show.
2. The AA figure that gives the biggest speech is not necessarily the current president. This attraction has changed over the years but at one point it was Lincoln that gave the biggest speech. During the Clinton administration (IIRC) it was Mya Angelou. Also, I don't begrudge a president the opportunity to explain their hopes for the country so this isn't a deciding factor for me either.

 

[goofy4tink]

To what end? Disney certainly isn't going to care if you're sitting in a seat and the president you don't care for isn't going to know, much less care.
Now, perhaps if Disney had some way to monitor attendance there, and knew, with certainty, that people were walking right in past because it was a particular president, then maybe it might make a difference.

As it is, I do HoP every other year or so, more often in the summer months....for obvious reasons.

 

[gschon]

I'm not OK with erasing any part of History. We should not just pretend certain things never happened.

 

[ravenclawtrekkie]

I don't skip it because of past presidents I don't like, why would I skip it because of a new one I don't like?

 

[Disney Cindy Bear]

Why in the world would you skip a Disney attraction based on who is president? Hall of the Presidents is worth seeing just for the animatronics. Plus, it is a nice place to sit and rest in an air conditioned theater.

 

[LaurenT]

It hasn't stopped me before. But I have to say there is one possibility whose mere presence gets me so upset, that I think I just wouldn't want to have to deal with it on vacation.
Hopefully it will never be an issue!

 

[awalker1015]

Absolutely not. To me that is incredibly narrow minded and immature. I agree with many of the pp. it's not about a person but a role and it still is our history

This. No, I absolutely would not

 

[tchrrx]

I get a good nap in, and I have no idea which presidents are talking.

 

[disneysteve]

This reminds me of a related topic. I attended a conference a few years ago and the main featured speaker was President Obama. I was totally excited. I was 47 at the time and never in my life had seen the current President in person. My daughter was with me also and she was equally excited (she was 16). But there were actually people complaining that we managed to land the President of the United States as our speaker because they didn't happen to be fans of his. Really? Sorry, but no matter who the President was or what I thought of him, I would have been thrilled to attend that event. It wasn't a political event in any way. I was honored to have that opportunity. To suggest that anyone would skip a theme park attraction for political reasons is just plain sad, as sad as the people who were upset by having the President speak at our conference.

 

[tcherjen]

I just visited this attraction for the first time in October. I had been to MK so many times, but hadn't ever watched this show.

Personally, I thought it was very neat. Even if I do not care for the current President, it was still worth seeing.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Of course not.

 

[goofyernmost]

Silly question, but, it does bring up the thought that I have. When people go to that show, do they just zone out and not look at what is going on up there. If they do look they will find an amazing bit of animatronic activity. I was totally fascinated looking at the Presidents with non-speaking parts. Watching how the imagineers captured the human characteristics and put them in a robot. From the leaning to one side, glancing over at each other, shifting weight back and forth and just the things that actual humans would do if standing there and listening to someone speak. It is an incredible show and is way more then political. That is the basis of the story, but, with a little curiosity it is all very entertaining.

 

[3CW]

In addition, does anyone know how long after the new president is elected, the show is changed?

Since no one else seems to have answered this part yet...

We took a trip in mid-June 2009 and at that time, HoP was down so they could add the Obama animatronic. According to Google, they had it back up and running in time for the 4th of July weekend. So figure about six months from inauguration to updated HoP show?

 

[Lumiere Lover]

Yes.

 

[tstidm1]

I haven't been in Hall of Presidents since the 1990's, so I want to see the Show with Morgan Freeman as the Narrator. Not the biggest fan of the current President, but I'm willing to see the show. It isn't the best American focused attraction from my memories of it (prefer American Adventure over it). Unless someone I deeply dislike as President was the whole show, I wouldn't boycott it.

 

[robinb]

To what end? Disney certainly isn't going to care if you're sitting in a seat and the president you don't care for isn't going to know, much less care.
Now, perhaps if Disney had some way to monitor attendance there, and knew, with certainty, that people were walking right in past because it was a particular president, then maybe it might make a difference.

I don't boycott in the traditional sense. I'm not out to protest or prove something. It's more that I'm on vacation and I would rather not see someone I didn't vote for featured. It's not nearly as much fun as when the person I supported is up there. I'm a very political person. I work on campaigns, I register voters and I am an election official. I respect the office. I respect whoever is currently in the office. I would just rather skip the attraction if my guy or gal isn't featured. It makes my vacation better to not think negative political thoughts.

FTR I go at least once during the current administration. I love to see the new animatronics!

 

[nilla]

I've heard stories of people making comments during the show, to which I think, "you do know that's not really the president, right?"

 

[loves to dive]

I haven't been in years, I can't even remember last time I went. It has nothing to do with who is featured though, I'm just usually so busy doing other things I walk right by it. I also skip the AA in Epcot except for maybe every 5 years or so. Oddly enough, one of the reasons I tend to skip them is the very reason most people go, the AC. It gets too cold for me and if it's hot summer I'm not walking around with a sweater I can throw over my shoulders like I do at the movies. Lately when I go solo I try to fit in one thing in each park I either haven't done (after over 30 years of going to the parks every other year at least and the last 3 years, twice a year, I still haven't seen and done everything) or haven't done in a while, so maybe when I'm there during F&W I'll hop in to see it. I can guarantee I won't like the sitting president since I'm not fond of anyone who is running so that won't influence my decision one bit.

 

[disneysteve]

I'm a very political person. I work on campaigns, I register voters and I am an election official. I respect the office. I respect whoever is currently in the office. I would just rather skip the attraction if my guy or gal isn't featured. It makes my vacation better to not think negative political thoughts.

FTR I go at least once during the current administration. I love to see the new animatronics!

I can totally respect this behavior. If you are really into politics and hearing someone you don't support upsets you, there's no reason to put yourself in that situation, especially on vacation. Why do something that you truly don't enjoy? Heck I "boycott" Stich's Great Escape every visit for the same reason.