Today is the last day of operation for Disneyland: The First 50 Magical Years. It will be closed through fall 2009 and will then re-open as The Disneyland Story, Featuring Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln (more details on that in this press release). In honor of the closing of the attraction, here is a complete video tour of the attraction from last Sunday, including the entrance, lobby, full show, and exit gallery:
In a major press release, Disneyland has announced that Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln will return before the end of 2009 with a revamped show, the Disney Gallery will open where the Bank of Main Street now stands, and Annual Passport processing will move to the Plaza Pavilion later this year. Here is the announcement:
ANAHEIM, Calif. (February 25, 2009) – A longtime favorite of Disneyland guests will return as “The Disneyland Story, featuring Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln,” an enhanced version of the show which appeared, in various forms, in the Main Street Opera House at Disneyland park from 1966 through 2004 . The attraction will reopen later this year in celebration of the 200th anniversary year of Abraham Lincoln’s birth.
The current Opera House presentation, “Disneyland: The First 50 Magical Years,” will go on hiatus beginning Monday, March 16, in preparation for the new “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln” show. When the updated “Disneyland Story, featuring Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln” opens later this year, “Disneyland: The First 50 Magical Years” will be presented as part of the “Disneyland Story” display of art, models and mementoes in the Opera House lobby.
Also planned for fall 2009 is a prominent new home on Main Street, U.S.A., for The Disney Gallery. Formerly located above Pirates of the Caribbean in New Orleans Square, The Disney Gallery houses treasured Disney artwork and collectibles representing creative efforts from throughout The Walt Disney Company. A frequently changing exhibit area often includes never-before-displayed art. The Disney Gallery’s new home will be in the Bank of Main Street building, located next door to the Main Street Opera House and currently serving as the headquarters for Disneyland Resort Annual Passport processing. The Bank will continue to operate as an Annual Passport center until mid-summer 2009. After that, Annual Passport processing will move to the Plaza Pavilion, near the entrance to Adventureland.
The original “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln” was created by Walt Disney and his Imagineers for the State of Illinois Pavilion at the 1964 New York World’s Fair and featured the world’s first fully animated human Audio-Animatronics figure, built by Walt Disney Imagineering. The show, made its Disneyland debut in the Main Street Opera House on July 18, 1965.
Stay tuned to Disneyland News Today as we get more information on this breaking news on the return of “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln”.
According our friends over at the LA Times Travel Blog:
President-elect Barack Obama will soon take his place among the 43 previous commanders-in-chief at Walt Disney World and may join Abraham Lincoln and George Washington at Disneyland. (Story updated below.)
Disney hopes to entice Obama to record an address for his animatronic likeness, which will be added to the Hall of Presidents show at the Magic Kingdom by the Fourth of July 2009. Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush lent their voices to their Disney doppelgangers.
The revamped show in Florida will include speaking parts by Washington, Lincoln and Obama, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
Mice Age columnist Al Lutz reports that Obama and Washington may join Lincoln at the Disneyland Opera House in time for the Anaheim theme park’s 55th anniversary in 2010.
Disneyland’s “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln” closed in 2005 to make way for the 50th anniversary movie, “Disneyland: The First 50 Magical Years.”
Walt Disney Imagineering officials said that while discussions have been ongoing to bring back “Mr. Lincoln” at Disneyland, no such plans are currently in the works.
UPDATE: Walt Disney Imagineering officials now emphatically say a Barack Obama animatronic figure will NOT be added to the “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln” show at Disneyland, calling the Al Lutz story “patently false.”
The Quinceanera Dream Come True event that is going to be held at Disneyland this week will have major impact on the parks this week. A stage will be put up in front of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle from Tuesday through Friday blocking access through the Castle. The Horse Drawn Streetcars wont be running Wednesday through Friday so the tracks can be blocked for the event.
Aladdin’s Oasis will be closed for the event on Wednesday & Thursday, as well as Disneyland: The First 50 Magical Years. But expect the latter to re-open sometime Friday afternoon. The Princess Fantasy Faire will also be closing early on both Wednesday & Thursday. Finally, Thursday’s second performance of Walt Disney’s Parade of Dreams will be pushed forward to 5:30PM.
Here’s a little more information on the event:
Tune into “El Show de Cristina” on the Univision Network for a one-hour special highlighting the enchanted Dream Come True Quinceañera event at the Disneyland® Resort — check your local listing for day and time.
As part of The Year of a Million Dreams celebration, 15 very lucky girls had their Quinceañera dreams come true. They won an enchanted Quinceañera celebration hosted by Cristina Saralegui — the star of the popular television program “El Show de Cristina” — featuring dancing, music, celebrity performances, Disney magic and a few very special surprises!
Head’s up to Monday in the Parks for information on the attraction closures!
