Even as a child, Walt Disney admired President Abraham Lincoln, often dressing up in a homemade stovepipe hat and his father’s frock coat to deliver the Gettysburg address to schoolmates. From that lifelong admiration we eventually got Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. But did you know these 5 facts about this classic attraction?
1. Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln was introduced at the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair. It was sponsored by the State of Illinois and was the first use of a human-like Audio-Animatronic. All that the Imagineers had learned over the last several years of designing mechanical figures and developing Audio Animatronics culminated in this figure—and then carried on beyond it in Pirates of the Caribbean and more! Even now, the Mr. Lincoln figure is the most advanced Audio-Animatronic in the parks.
2. Originally Mr. Lincoln was planned to be part of the Hall of Presidents in the never-developed Liberty Street (which has since found a home in Liberty Square at Walt Disney World).
3. In the rear lobby of the Main Street Opera House, there are 12 Spirits of America statutes. They were carved for the American Adventure and “symbolize many diverse people working together in unity to fill the hopes and dreams of our countries pioneers.”
3. The paintings hanging in the opera house rear lobby were done by:
- Sam McKim (Disney Legend best known for creating the park maps),
- Herb Ryman (Disney Legend who worked with Walt on the original concept drawing of Disneyland),
- John DeCuir Sr. (three-time Academy Award-winning Production Designer for movie classics such as The King and I, Cleopatra, and Hello Dolly!, as well a highly-respected theme-park set designer),
- John Pomeroy (Disney animator who trained under Walt’s “Nine Old Men,” and a well-respected painter of historical events),
- and Richard Broderick (Walt Disney Imagineering concept painter).
The bust of Abraham Lincoln was sculpted by Blaine Gibson, the same man who did the Partners Statue.
4. The model of the Capitol Building that sits in the middle of the room is 3/16″:1′ scale (3/16 of an inch to the foot). It was begun in 1932 and finished in 1935 by George Lloyd of Belleville New Jersey. The structure is carved of Caenstone from the Normandy region of France.
5. When it opened, this attraction did not require an A-E ticket. The special ticket just for this attraction declared, “So young people may have a better knowledge of the man who played such an important part in American History…Walt Disney Productions invites you to be their guest to spend a few…Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.”
For you to discover: The 12 Spirit of America statues each have names. What are they?
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Is the Lincoln AA figure still considered the most advanced in the theme park? I know that it is one of the better AA figures, and has been upgraded over the years. That said, the auctioneer in Pirates of the Caribbean and Tom Morrow in Innoventions are some very sophisticated AAs. Either way, it is safe to say that the Lincoln AA figure is one of the more advanced figures in the theme park.
That’s an excellent question, Dan. I had the same one myself and spent considerable time researching it while writing this article. According to the best information I can find, Lincoln is the most advanced AA in the park, with the Auctioneer being a close second. If I find any more reliable information that says differently, I’ll definitely let you know and update this post.
Thanks for keeping me on my toes! 🙂