Attraction Type: Audio-Animatronic theater presentation.
Location: East side of Town Square, inside The Main Street Opera House.
General Description: Attend a speech given by our 16th President of The United States.
Will’s Review: This iconic Disneyland attraction celebrates patriotism and Walt Disney’s admiration for our 16th President. The show, “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln”, was originally developed by WED (the predecessor to Walt Disney Imagineering) for the Illinois Pavilion at the 1964 New York World’s Fair. This was one of several attractions Disney developed for the Fair that would later be transplanted to Disneyland (the others being Primeval World, “it’s a small world” and Carrousel of Progress). In it’s heyday, it was a landmark of achievement in the field of Audio-Animatronics, or moving, robotic characters that were specially programmed to give repeat performances. Disney had originally tinkered with a primitive version of Audio-Animatronics for The Enchanted Tiki Room; “Great Moments”, however, presented the first application of this technology to human form.
After a successful run in New York, the show opened at Disneyland’s Main Street Opera House in 1965. It remained a fixture until 1973, when it was replaced with The Walt Disney Story, an exhibit and tribute to the recently-passed founder of The Walt Disney Company. While Uncle Walt was certainly a beloved figure, guest complaints spawned the return of Mr. Lincoln in 1975. This time, the two attractions were combined to become The Walt Disney Story, featuring “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.” While the Audio-Animatronic presentation was again the main feature, the lobby exhibits and pre-show film were dedicated to the life and achievements of Walt Disney. The show was slightly revised in 1984, drawing script inspiration from The American Adventure show at Epcot in Florida. The show remained unchanged until 2001, when a complete reworking of the attraction eliminated much of the original speech and presentation. Perhaps too eager to show off new technology, this new version of Lincoln required guests to wear headphones featuring gimmicky binaural sound. A new backstory to this version of the show placed guests more into the story itself: guests were supposed to believe they were a newly-enlisted soldier; as such, the binaural sound featured effects such as getting a military haircut and being bothered by a swarming fly. The actual Lincoln figure seemed little more than an afterthought to the new technology.
Due to low guest turnout, The Walt Disney Story, featuring “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln”, was again closed in 2005. The new feature in The Main Street Opera House was a film, “Disneyland: The First 50 Magical Years”, starring Steve Martin. At the time, the film was supposed to run a little more than a year before Lincoln was restored to the Opera House. It finally closed in 2009. Disney quickly announced the December 2009 return of “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.”
Entering the Opera House, guests are first treated to The Disneyland Story, a series of short films and exhibits dedicated to the history of Disneyland. Iconic attractions are presented here, many of which have faded from the park, including the PeopleMover, Country Bear Jamboree and the original Fantasyland. The exhibits also look towards the park’s future, highlighting the return of Michael Jackson’s “Captain E.O.” and the upgraded Star Tours II. The exhibits then morph into concept art and oil paintings created for the original New York version of “Great Moments”. At the center of this area is a scale replica of The Capitol Building, an impressive centerpiece that always sparks conversation.
After being ushered into the lobby, “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln” returns in its full 1964 glory, including the original track recordings and speeches, doing away with the headsets and binaural sound. The narrator of the first portion of the show, Paul Frees, is a Disney voice legend, perhaps best known for voicing the Ghost Host in The Haunted Mansion. Royal Dano, a famed actor, provides the voice for Mr. Lincoln. After a dramatic series of clips and narration presenting the trials of the Civil War and the hardships of unifying the country, the curtain raises, revealing President Lincoln. What follows is an emotional, inspiring and patriotic speech delivered with stunning life-like characteristics by the most advanced Audio-Animatronic Lincoln figure developed to date.
Touring Tips: Visit anytime.
Family Info: A “must see” piece of Disneyland nostalgia and history, this attraction still may not score points with thrill-seekers, and may bore some young children, but is still a requisite experience for the whole family.
Variations: This attraction is unique to Disneyland Park.
The Disneyland Railroad Main Street Station – The Disney Gallery – Main Street Cinema – Main Street Vehicles – The Disneyland Story, featuring “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln”
Main Street, U.S.A. Shopping Guide – Main Street, U.S.A. Dining Guide
