At a Glance
Duration: 25 minutes
Look Out For: animatronics and some mild depictions of wartime scenes
Opening on October 1st, 1971, The Hall of Presidents is a patriotic celebration of every president of the United States. But how scary is The Hall of Presidents? Let’s take a look at the stats:
1. Ride Length
The Hall of Presidents has a duration of approximately 25 minutes. While you may be in the theater for a bit longer due to slight delays or the time it takes to have everyone seated, it will never be more than a few minutes as the show runs every half hour.
2. Height Requirement and Warnings
The Hall of Presidents has no height requirement. As an educational (and some might even say “boring“) stage show, it has no official warnings from Disney and could be suitable for even the most sensitive of guests.
3. Ride Vehicles and Restraints
While the Hall of Presidents does not have ride vehicles, guests are seated in a standard theater holding 700 people. Unlike many Disney World stage shows, however, the theater is not often filled to capacity – allowing for some space between your party and the others around you.
4. How Does Hall of Presidents Work?
The Hall of Presidents works like any standard stage show, seating guests in stationary seats facing a stage. This attraction utilizes both a large screen and audio-animatronics of the presidents themselves.
5. Is Hall of Presidents Scary?
The Hall of Presidents is not intentionally scary whatsoever. As a family-friendly, educational show, you’ll experience what is essentially a presentation right out of the History channel. The on-screen segments involve a dramatized narration over classical paintings – many portraying war scenes (no gore) and conflict. There are sounds of gunfire, shouting, and explosions behind the narration but they are not too intense, in my opinion.
Again, this is nothing you wouldn’t see on the History channel – but the fact that it’s in a large theater with Disney-tier sound design makes it a bit more in-your-face than if you were watching it in your living room. Some people will straight-up sleep through this show, but it’s worth noting that there are some loud noises and ominous moments for the sensory sensitive among us.
In addition, there are many older (and sometimes a little janky) audio-animatronics on-stage at various points. Around the halfway mark, there is a 2 minute and 20 second speech by Abraham Lincoln – the most advanced animatronic in the attraction – who stands up from his chair on stage and addresses you. Then, the last 5 minutes are dedicated to introducing every one of our presidents in order. Again, they are all up on stage and never leave their spots, but those particularly averse to animatronics could find them a little uncanny.
6. How High is Hall of Presidents?
The Hall of Presidents does not involve heights. As a standard stage show, you and your seat will remain on the ground at all times.
7. How Fast is Hall of Presidents?
The Hall of Presidents does not go fast. In fact, there is no movement whatsoever on this attraction.
8. Does Hall of Presidents Have Drops?
The Hall of Presidents does not have drops. As a standard stage show, your seat will not move.
9. Does Hall of Presidents Cause Motion Sickness?
The Hall of Presidents should not cause motion sickness to most guests. While there is a large screen with moving visuals, it is a slow-paced presentation with no seat movement or 4D effects.
10. Is Hall of Presidents Claustrophobic?
The Hall of Presidents should not be claustrophobic for most guests. While it is a 25 minute stage show, you can always see a cast member and exit at any time. In addition, the theater is large and rarely filled to capacity, making it a much more palatable theater experience, in my opinion.
11. Are There Animatronics on Hall of Presidents?
There are currently 45 audio-animatronics on the Hall of Presidents. Much like other educational attractions like Spaceship Earth and Carousel of Progress, the animatronics used on this attraction are a bit older and could be a little creepy to some. However, they are all definitely portrayed with reverence and have limited movement as well as being pretty far removed from you up on stage.
While this definitely takes away from the uncanny factor, I still wouldn’t recommend blindly walking into this attraction if you or someone in your party is particularly terrified of animatronics. Like anything else – it pays to know what to expect, and you can always sit in the back of the theater if you want to be farther away from the presidents on stage.
Hall of Presidents Queue Walkthrough
The queue entrance is located outside in the Liberty Square area of Magic Kingdom. As a large stage show that is not often filled to capacity, it really doesn’t have a queue at all. You will enter the large lobby and simply wait (in the delicious AC) for the next show to begin. There are benches as well as historical displays for you to look at, making it a great and relaxing place to escape the heat and rest your feet for a while.
Hall of Presidents Ride Walkthrough
Once entering the theater, you will find your seat and wait for the show to begin. After a cast member introduces the show, the lights will dim and the curtains rise to reveal a large screen. As I mentioned before, you’ll watch a dramatized presentation about the history of our country – spanning wars and various presidencies.
Around the mid-way mark, the screen will move aside as President Lincoln (in animatronic form) rises from his chair and addresses the audience. This lasts for about 2 minutes and 20 seconds before the screen and presentation returns, picking up from the end of the Civil War and continuing through present-day.
The last 5 minutes of this attraction involves a slow, reverent introduction to every president on stage. The animatronics have limited movement and most just wave or nod when their names are called. Finally, after everyone has been introduced, the curtain will fall and the show comes to an end.
That’s it! Remember, everyone’s riding experience is a little bit different and only you can decide whether to hop on that ride vehicle or not. I just hope this guide helps you be prepared and enjoy every second of your Disney experience!
So what do you think? How scary is Hall of Presidents? Leave a comment to help keep this guide up to date!
For a full visual of the ride and queue, be sure to check out this video from 4K WDW:
