With The Rivers of America on the chopping block, fresh off the destruction of Splash Mountain, many are wondering what the brass at Walt Disney World and the Disney Stories Matter department are going to take on as their next big project.
Splash Mountain is a ride in Disneyland based on the movie Song of the South. Photo Credit: Cd637 at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
One common fear is that Stories Matter had their sights set on Liberty Square, a land of the Magic Kingdom dedicated to the founding of the United States of America. It’s a land rich with history that has Walt Disney’s epic patriotism injected into every nook and cranny of the land. From the huge Liberty Tree to a replica of the Liberty Bell, Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe, Sleepy Hollow Refreshments, and the Hall of Presidents itself, Liberty Square is about as American and old school Disney as it gets.
The Hall of Presidents is even home to The Great Seal of The United States woven into the carpet and surrounded by a bannister. This inclusion took no less than an act of Congress to bring to life.
An image of The Hall of Presidents via JohnYChen YouTube
READ: RUMOR: Disney Might Abandon Plans To Destroy Rivers Of America For Cars Land
But, according to a rumor shared by Mickey Central, Liberty Square could be marked by Disney’s Stories Matter department for “re-imagining.”
RUMOR: Liberty Square also marked for reimagining. pic.twitter.com/VNQSN3qTNq
— Mickey Central (@Mickey_Central) August 20, 2024
It should be noted that as of now this is an unverified rumor and should be treated as such.
Stories Matter is a division of the Walt Disney company that exists solely to find problematic elements in existing, often beloved properties and make changes that will bring them more in line with modern day political correctness. This was the division that pushed for the closure of Splash Mountain in favor of the the daily defunct and inoperable Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
They also recently oversaw a major change in the Indian camp scene in Peter Pan’s flight and the renaming of Liver Lips McGrowl in the Country Bear Jamboree.
Promotional image of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure via Disney World website
Rumors have been circulating for some time now that Stories Matter had their sights set on Liberty Square, seeking to erase the founding of America from the company’s flagship theme park. One area of particular interest has reportedly been The Hall of Presidents, which features animatronic figures of every US president.
When President Donald Trump was added to the attraction back in 2017, the theater had to be altered to create a spiked orchestra pit around the stage in fear that protesters might try to gain access to the stage in order to deface the figure. A security guard was also stationed at the base of the stage during the show.
The Hall of Presidents in Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World via wdwmagic YouTube
Liberty Square is an incredibly detailed area of the Magic Kingdom, with historical Easter eggs around every corner. For example, the shutters on every window in the land are slanted because during the Revolutionary War, shutters were attached with leather straps instead of metal because the metal was being melted down for musket balls.
As a result, the leather would warp in the sun and cause the shutters to tilt. That’s just one example of the plethora of amazing Easter eggs installed by Imagineers in this land.
Walt Disney in Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color (1966), Walt Disney Productions
Company founder Walt Disney was about as American as a person could be. Walt was a die hard patriot whose personal hero was President Abraham Lincoln. While Disneyland doesn’t have a Liberty Square, Walt had made plans for it to be a part of his original park, dubbing it Liberty Street. The proposed area would have also featured the Hall of Presidents. But when those plans never came to fruition, Liberty Square was made a part of Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, opening with the park in 1971.
As the Stories Matter department prepares to guy Frontierland, destroying Tom Sawyer Island for the sake of a bunch of cars with cartoon faces, could Liberty Square be next? Are they taking the Walt out of Walt Disney World? Is Main Street USA next? Sound off in the comments below and let us know what you think.
Marvin The Movie Monster Montanaro is a YouTube commentator and personality specializing in movies, TV, video games, and professional wrestling. He can be found on his channels Tooney Town TV and Tooney Town Wrestling with daily content and weekly livestreams. He can also be found on That Game Place, the That Park Place video game channel.
