Hall of Presidents appreciation thread

[Tegan pilots a chicken]

I absolutely adore The American Adventure. I am admittedly about as critical and cynical of government and elected officials as one can be. Yet that show has moved me to tears.

HoP doesn’t resonate with me the same way. I used to always go see it once every time it received an,....”update”. I can’t bring myself to do it anymore.

I would be that guy spoiling the experience for other guests, and I don’t want to be that guy. I hate that guy. So I avoid the attraction.

 

[bsiev1977]

I’ve always wondered about people who complain about the patriotism at HOP or American Adventure. Of course these attractions are going to focus on the positive.

It’s not like all the other countries at EPCOT don’t focus on only the positive things from their history.

It’s not like the U.S. is the only country at EPCOT that has things in its past that aren’t to be proud of.

 

[Heppenheimer]

The American Adventure at least acknowledges that the Indians kind of got the shaft.

And the debates over slavery always played a prominent role in the Hall of Presidents. Heck, the Maya Angelou narrated version of the show could have been called "The History of American Slavery, Featuring the Presidents".

By the same standard, "Oh, Canada" should feature a segment on the residential school system, or "Images du France' would discuss the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre.

 

[John park hopper]

The American Adventure at least acknowledges that the Indians kind of got the shaft.

And the debates over slavery always played a prominent role in the Hall of Presidents. Heck, the Maya Angelou narrated version of the show could have been called "The History of American Slavery, Featuring the Presidents".

By the same standard, "Oh, Canada" should feature a segment on the residential school system, or "Images du France' would discuss the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre.

Not to mention China has a history of oppression and murder of millions under Mao and subjugation of Tibet continues. Japan and the Nanking Massacre of thousands of Chinese in WW II or the Bataan death march. Pol pot in Cambodia killed millions of his own people. The point is there is not a country on .this planet that does not have some dark side to their history we (USA) are not alone.

 

[Lilofan]

The American Adventure at least acknowledges that the Indians kind of got the shaft.

And the debates over slavery always played a prominent role in the Hall of Presidents. Heck, the Maya Angelou narrated version of the show could have been called "The History of American Slavery, Featuring the Presidents".

By the same standard, "Oh, Canada" should feature a segment on the residential school system, or "Images du France' would discuss the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre.

And after debate on the Conferderate flag, WDW yanked the flag from the walls at Epcot 's American Adventure a few years ago.

 

[bsiev1977]

The American Adventure at least acknowledges that the Indians kind of got the shaft.

And the debates over slavery always played a prominent role in the Hall of Presidents. Heck, the Maya Angelou narrated version of the show could have been called "The History of American Slavery, Featuring the Presidents".

By the same standard, "Oh, Canada" should feature a segment on the residential school system, or "Images du France' would discuss the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre.

Exactly my point. Japan and Germany pavilions don’t mention WW2, Mexico doesn’t talk about how the natives were treated by the Spaniards. Every EPCOT country has bad stuff.

Maybe not Norway?

 

[Heppenheimer]

Exactly my point. Japan and Germany pavilions don’t mention WW2, Mexico doesn’t talk about how the natives were treated by the Spaniards. Every EPCOT country has bad stuff.

Maybe not Norway?

Viking raids.

 

[macefamily]

It's an amusement park attraction honoring our Democracy. Any idiot who makes it political and starts trouble in there should be banned from the park for life. Every time I sit through the show at HOP, it brings a tear to my eye. I would be disgusted if some jerk ruined the experience for me.

 

[trainplane3]

I've always looked at both attractions as very dressed up history lessons. Partly because they are. I was introduced to AA and HoP on my first trip at the age of 5/6ish and have loved them ever since. They aren't perfect but when it comes to history related things (skipping past parts to not have a 5 hour show), but nothing is perfect. They're great attractions.

I get why people try to twist it into political statements (...HoP...) but they really stick to well established parts of history. You don't see them saying "President *name here* is the greatest leader, fixed everything previous President *other name here* did, and literally became God so if you don't like them then the park exit is right past the gift shop".

 

[danyoung56]

Wow. I think that I agree!

 

[correcaminos]

It's a rite of passage for every red-blooded American boy to have to sit through Hall of Presidents when they're getting antsy and thinking about how much more fun they'd have riding Big Thunder or making the ghost riders appear at the shooting gallery. I definitely grew to appreciate it more as I got older.

It remains a very well-done and worthwhile attraction, IMO.

Guess I'm not raising a red-blooded boy (though why only males?). I have yet to subject my 11yo to this one. It might have been since the 90s since I've been in, though possibly once in the early 2000s friends may have drug me in. Sorry to say I hate it. I find the animatronics creepy looking.