Chapter 16 - Magic Kingdom - Liberty Square Part 2                                                                posted 2/18/18

In this Chapter, our travels will take us on a further pictorial tour of Liberty Square and:

  • Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe
  • Liberty Square Portrait Gallery
  • Sleepy Hollow
  • The Muppets Present – Great Moments in History
  • Hall of Presidents
  • Liberty Square Market

In the previous chapter, Chapter 15 we reflected on the Liberty Tavern, Liberty Riverboat, Liberty Tree and Liberty Bell, so let’s continue on and check out the shops in this area of Liberty Square. As we've stated Liberty Square is the smallest Land in the Magic Kingdom, yet it's filled with historical facts, and details. Walt Disney had a great interest in American history and the Imagineers stayed in theme. This is also true  with the shops of Liberty Square, quaint and filled with detail. So lets take a walk through the shops, because even the shops are attractions in themselves and Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe to a prime example.
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Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe

Change has always been a constant in Walt Disney World and Liberty Square has seen many changes over the years. Before a remodeling in the late 1990’s, the Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe used to be three separate stores, they were called Olde World Antiques, the Silversmith and Mademoiselle Lafayette’s Parfumerie.
 
Olde World Antiques featured one-of-a-kind antiques and authentic reproductions.  

The Silversmith Shop featured items from the 1700's. This store was run by "J. Tremaine, Prop." Johnny Tremaine was the title character in the 1957 Disney film based on the Esther Forbes novel. The film told the story of a silversmith’s apprentice who joins the Boston Tea Party and hung the lanterns on the Liberty Tree.
The store sold sterling or silver-plated items such as spoons and other kitchenware, tea sets, bowls, and candelabras.
 
In Mlle. Lafayette’s Parfumerie you were able to create your own unique, personal perfumes and fragrances. Once you created your perfume, it would be recorded, so that Guests would be able to reorder them when they returned to the park. Traditional perfumes from names like Hermes, Chanel, Worth and Patou were also available, as well as collectible atomizers. 
In early 1996 these stores were combined into the Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe. While the exterior of the building still looks like three different buildings, the interior space is one large area with everything Christmas.
Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe sells a wide range of character themed Christmas items including tree-toppers, baubles, toy trains, figurines and various souvenir ornaments. When you enter the store you’ll notice the smell of Christmas, the aroma of pine and spices.
 
The store has display after display and walls lined with Disney themed Christmas ornaments, from glass ornaments in the shape of a traditional three-circled Mickey Mouse to other Christmas keepsakes.
Decorate the Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe Tree
Did you know that you could decorate the Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe Tree?
If you are the first family through the door at Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe, you get the opportunity to decorate the Magical Moments Christmas Tree! Once the tree is decorated, they will proudly display the name of the family who decorated the tree that day!
 
  • Reported in a WDW Magazine email on Dec 11, 2017
 
Also during Christmastime, children can mail Santa a letter. Near the register area, there are crayons, coloring pages and a box marked Dear Santa/ North Pole.  Children can spend time coloring a page to keep or using the back for a list then place it in the box. (Santa stops by on his way to the parade to pick up the letters before heading back to the North Pole.)
 

Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe Backstory

Throughout the Shoppe Imagineers have incorporate a bit of Hidden Disney and developed interesting backstories connecting Disney and American Folk History.  For example above one of entrances is a sign state that there is a Music Teacher's Shop, it's a reference to Disney's animated feature The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad. (Complementing the Sleepy Hollow Refreshments shop just across the way).
Inside the Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe you’ll find recorders, mandolins, and fiddles. You’ll find music sheets and the background music playing is that of Watts’ “Joy to the World” and traditional English favorites, “The Holly and the Ivy” and “I Saw Three Ships.”
  
In the next room is the Woodcarver’s Shop, casual and more rough-hewn. There are tools of the trade sitting in the midst of curled shavings of pine and cherry. In the corner is a crafted hobbyhorse, and decorative holiday ornaments are all around.
The Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe is so filled with details and intermeshed backstories that during each visit we continue to find more. So spend time to look around and see what new experiences you can find and discover.
If you look closely at the exterior of the Christmas Store you can see aspects of the backstory. It's appearance still reflects the original theme of three separate colonial style buildings or storefronts, a perfume shop, a silversmith and an antique shop. Over the years the theme and shops has changed hands and later housed a music teacher's shop, a wood carver's shop, and a colonial home.
The third became the home of a family, the Kepples. This is the name of Walt and Roy Disney's grandfather, Kepple Elias Disney, born November 2, 1832 in Kilkenny, Ireland.

Note: read more about Disney’s ancestry in Chapter 14 – Frontierland Part 3
 
If you head around the alley between the Christmas Shoppe and the Liberty Tree Tavern, you will find this sign posted on the door that reads "Kepple est. 1779".
Here is a list of some great references to the Backstory of Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe:

Liberty Square Portrait Gallery

Outside of the Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe, there are several vendors and carts nearby, including the open-air Liberty Square Portrait Gallery, where you can have your portrait done, and the Silhouette Cart, where artists create and frame silhouette drawings of their subjects.
Best Buy Co, Inc.
Best Buy Co, Inc.
Best Buy Co, Inc.

Liberty Square Parasol Cart

Liberty Square Parasol Cart is located in Liberty Square next to Sleepy Hollow Refreshments. The Liberty Square Parasol Cart is an outdoor kiosk that is easy to find with all of the colorful parasols on displayed. Take the time to check out the beautiful custom artwork on the parasols, even if you not planning to purchase one (right now).
The parasols are hand decorated and you can have them personalized with your name.

Sleepy Hollow Inn

Throughout Liberty Square there are many references to the Washington Irving’s short story ‘Legend of Sleepy Hollow'. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow was published in 1820.  The story is set in the late 1700’s in an isolated Valley on the Hudson River called Tarrytown. The area was supposedly haunted by a Headless Hessian Soldier, a victim of a Revolutionary Battle.
The story portrays a lanky, odd Schoolmaster named Ichabod Crane, who was a very talented musician and singer, with a love for fine food. Ichabod also had a crush on a wealthy landowner’s daughter, which didn’t sit well with the local bully called Brom Bones. As the legend goes after the Halloween Dance, Ichabod encountered the Headless Horseman on the way home. The story ends with Ichabod not to be found again. Rumor has it that the Headless Horseman was really Brom in disguise, but many local believed otherwise.

Walt Disney converted the story into an animated short and released in 1949 as part of The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad animated fill package.

As you may be aware Mr. Toad’s Wild Road was an attraction in Fantasyland which closed in 1998. (We’ll have more on that ride in a later Chapter).

Ichabod’s story was considered for an attraction, but never made it off of the storyboard. However, the Imagineer’s weren’t going to leave this interesting tale out of the Magic Kingdom.

As you cross over the Concord Bridge from Cinderella’s Plaza tucked into a cobble-stoned corner of Liberty Square is a quaint refreshment counter of Sleepy Hollow Inn. The counter service restaurant offers a variety of sweet treats and delicious snacks served throughout the day including the famous funnel cakes. The seating area behind it provide a beautiful view of Cinderella’s Castle.
While waiting to order, make sure to check out the posted menu, with the Headless Horseman on top.
Even the architecture of the Sleepy Hollow Inn building was modeled after a home Washington Irving renovated in Tarrytown, which he called ‘Sunnyside’.
Some references:
As we mentioned earlier, there is a sign that references Ichabod Crane at the ‘Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe’.

Another reference was a small store that had several names over the years -- the Keelboat Hat Shop, Keelboat Shop, and Ichabod's Landing. As Ichabod’s Landing, it was a magic shop selling tricks and other fascinating goodies, it closed in 1996.
 
Even with the Haunted Mansion, Imagineers were inspired by the Legend of Sleepy Hollow and the Dutch-Gothic style of manors in the Hudson Valley during the Revolutionary era. 

Unfortunately, there are no reference to Sleepy Hollow in the interior of the Haunted Mansion.

Heritage Shop

Next to the Sleepy Hollow Inn Restaurant was a shop called the Heritage Shop. It had been the gift shop for the Hall of Presidents and you could purchase reprints of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, and the Bill of Rights.
If you were interested in your genealogy there was a counter where you could look up your family name and see if there is a family crest. A Cast Member who would pull up your crest and the meaning of your family name. You could then purchase it framed or put on a shirt to take as a souvenir. If you just wanted to check out your family crest and some history you don’t need to buy.
 
The Heritage Shop closed Jan 2014. (Guest can still check out their family name and background in the United Kingdom Gift Shop at Epcot).
The shop has since reopened as a new Guest Relations Center. Where Guests can get the same services as the Relations Center in Town Square, including:
  • Upgrading tickets by adding additional days or options (such as the Park Hopper option);
  • Upgrading tickets to an annual pass;
  • Replacing a lost ticket;
  • Making dining reservations and event bookings;
  • Additional Annual Passholder services.
 
This location is available to all guests daily, from park open to park close.

The Muppets Present... Great Moments in American History

‘The Muppets take Walt Disney World”. It seems wherever you go in Walt Disney World, guest encounter the Muppets. In Hollywood Studios, there’s the Muppet Vision 3D Show and PizzeRizzo Restaurant at, of course, the Muppet Courtyard.
You may even spot Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Becker roaming Epcot in the Muppet Mobile Lab.
And now in the Magic Kingdom’s Liberty Square, the Muppets are presenting their own version of ‘Great Moments in American History'.
 
It’s an interactive show that takes place in the windows above the Heritage House at various times throughout the day. 'The Muppets Present... Great Moments in American History', consists of two different shows which are performed at different times. One show features the Muppets telling guests the story of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and the second show retells the midnight ride of Paul Revere. (Muppet style)
For the Declaration of Independence show, a Cast Member named James Jefferson (aka “JJ”), the Town Crier of Liberty Square, dressed in his colonial patriotic attire makes his appearance. He walks out ringing a bell and shouting “Hear ye, Hear ye” to summons guests to gather around for a lesson in American history. He breaks into a song which is interrupted by the exceedingly patriotic American eagle Muppet – Sam Eagle. Sam appears in the small circular window above The Hall of Presidents. With more singing about “The Great Moments in History”, a classic cast of Muppets appear in the windows above the Heritage House, including Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, and The Great Gonzo. The Muppet cast then proceeds to present their rendition of how the Declaration of Independence was signed. You can watch it below.

The retelling of the Midnight ride of Paul Revere show features all Muppets, including Sam Eagle, above the Heritage House. There is no Town Crier in the Paul Revere show. Below is a video of the Show.
Since the Muppets are located on the second floor of the Heritage House, it’s easy to see these shows. The shows are only about 10 minutes.

Show times vary, so check the Magic Kingdom schedule.

Additional Reference:

Construction of Liberty Square

Picture
Photo credit: Imagineeringdisney.com
During our research on Liberty Square we came across a very interesting website. The website contains pictures of the original construction of Liberty Square. If you’re nostalgic for how Walt Disney World was build check the site out.
 
We’re not sure if the website is still active, but they have left us with some great historical Walt Disney World pictures.
 
Photo credit: Imagineeringdisney.com
 
Here is the website:
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Hall of President

Walt Disney had a great interest in American History. This can be seen from the number of historical based films he produced that continued into the Disney Theme Parks. Walt Disney also had a great respect for the Office of the President and what it stood for. He had been interested in dedicating an attraction, which he call ‘One Nation under God’, to portray the Presidents long before the concept of Disneyland was completed. Though automation technology at the time was not advanced enough to make it a fruition. So it was put on the backburner until an opportunity to advance the development was presented in the planning of the New York World’s Fair in 1964-1965. With the support of several sponsors, in particular the State of Illinois, the Disney Imagineers developed the auto-animatronics in the form of Abraham Lincoln. The exhibit was called ‘Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln’.
An original figure of the Lincoln auto-animatronic figure can be seen in Hollywood Studio’s One Man’s Dream attraction.
 
The figure could move and presented a speech to the fascinated audience. With this development it opened the gate for many new animatronic inspired attractions. (Such as, Enchanted Tiki Room, Pirates of the Caribbean, etc.)
 
Now an attraction dedicated to the Office of the President concept could come off the shelf and actually made into reality. The entire concept didn’t quite fit into Disneyland nor was there room. However after the World’s Fair Mr. Lincoln was relocated to Disneyland, where it has been enjoyed one reincarnation or another ever since.
 
References on Disneyland’s attraction: 
Liberty Square in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom was ideal for the complete Hall of Presidents’ idea.

About the Building

Hall of Presidents is housed in a red-brick colonial hall topped with a peaked clock tower. The architectural style is designed to bear a resemblance to the historical Philadelphia and Boston meeting houses, where the US Constitution and the Declaration of Independence were ratified.
The year over the entrance, 1787 was the date the United States Constitution was sanctioned. 

The Lobby

The Hall of Presidents, which is the closest presentation of Walt Disney’s original concept for his 'One Nation under God' attraction. It is more than just a theatrical presentation honoring the nation’s Leaders, it is also a federally recognized presidential museum and features a wide range of authentic presidential artifacts. The pre-show contains numerous displays of articles and items from past Presidents and First Ladies:
  • painted eggs from White House Easter egg hunts,
  • dresses from former first ladies,
  • a golf club from Woodrow Wilson,
  • a powder horn from Theodore Roosevelt,
  • tea caddy and a beer mug used by George Washington,
  • George W. Bush’s cowboy boots that he wore during the Inauguration.
  • There are reproductions of paintings commissioned by each president during his term in office
  • Also found in the lobby are a number of presidential portraits and much more 
The first thing guest’s encounter upon entering the show's waiting room is the "Great Seal of the United States" crafted out of 100 percent wool carpet. It took an Act of Congress to grant Disney permission to display this seal.


 
It has been mistakenly called the Seal of the President of the United States of America. But the Presidential Seal is based upon the Great Seal of the USA.
 

Now on to the theater

 The show is about 20-minute long and begins every hour and half hour. The theater hold over 700 people and all seats have good views. As the curtain draws to reveal three 18-feet high by 30-feet wide side by side screens created by Ub Iwerks, who we know as the first animator of Mickey Mouse.

The Presentation

The original show which opened in 1971, begin with a multi-media presentation of the history of the United States of America. It showed that the Americans forged their way through conflict and many long years of struggle with changes and improvements. The film also celebrated the liberties of the American people, the United States Constitution, and the progress of America in its early years, with the help of paintings from the era.
Over the years the presentation has changed, in 1993 it provided a greater focus on slavery and its effects on the outlining of the constitution.
The role of the narrator and voice actors have changed with time. Below is a listing of these changes:

You may recognize some of these voices from other Walt Disney World attractions:

  • Lawrence Dobkin played in many Radio and Television Show, as well as, Films during his long career. He also did the narration in Spaceship Earth from 1982-1986.

  • Paul Frees voiced "Ghost Host" in the Haunted Mansion and several audio-animatronic pirates, including the Auctioneer, in the Pirates of the Caribbean ride and recorded the iconic "Dead Men Tell No Tales" used in the ride.

  • Dallas McKennon provide voices for many Disney Attractions such as the famous Big Thunder Mountain Railroad safety spiel, a pair of laughing hyenas in the Africa Room portion of It's a Small World, Benjamin Franklin's voice in Epcot's The American Adventure and the voice of Zeke in the Country Bear Jamboree.

  • Peter Renaday voiced Henry in the Country Bear Jamboree and narrated The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.
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GameStop, Inc.
At the end of the film presentation the screens then lift up, and the U.S. Presidents take center stage. After the curtain lifts, a roll call of all the presidents is done, in chronological order.
The original show remained virtually unchanged from 1971 until October 1993 with the roll call ended with Richard M. Nixon. Additional Audio-Animatronic figures of Gerald R. Ford, Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, George Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump were then added when each entered into office.
Each animatronic President responds to their name with a nod, wave, or other sign of acknowledgment. During the presentation, the Presidents fidget, talk to each other, and look around; all the while making the illusion seem quite real.

Abraham Lincoln then stands and takes center stage. His speech is remarkably similar to the speech he gave in "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln".
 
After his speech, the show concludes with a rendition of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," (the same rendition used in "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln"). However, in 2009, the Battle Hymn of the Republic was replaced with America the Beautiful, but it reverted to "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" in 2011.
Note: With the exception of Obama and Trump, all of the Presidents were sculpted by Disney Legend Blaine Gibson. Blaine Gibson, you’ll remember also did the ‘Partners” Statues of Walt Disney and Mickey in Cinderella’s Plaza, and Roy Disney and Minnie in Town Square.
In 1993, Bill Clinton also became the first president to provide his voice and record the dialogue for his audio-animatronic figure; George W. Bush and Barack Obama subsequently followed this process.
 
In the 2009 revised show George Washington was added as a third speaking president who would introduce the current President.
Current version of the show with Donald Trump 2017.
The 2009-17 version of the show, featuring a speech by Barack Obama.
You may be interested in watching both, since many changes were made.
Notes: When Spaceship Earth needed audio animatronics, molds of the presidents were used for expediency. Teddy Roosevelt is recreated into an Egyptian priest and again as a senator in Rome. James Buchanan was made into Johannes Gutenberg with his life-changing printing press. Eisenhower is the lute player and the sculptor is actually from the mold of Ulysses S. Grant. Franklin Pierce and John Tyler are scholars.
References:https://www.undercovertourist.com/blog/secret-history-the-hall-of-presidents/

Touring around the exterior of the Hall of Presidents guest may note several things.
As mentioned in the previous chapter, in the windows of an upper floor are the two lanterns from the Paul Revere poem. “…one if by land, two if by sea…..”
Then in a window of the lower floor you will see a doll. During the colonial times a doll in a window would indicate to the Firemen that in this room sleeps a child.
As you move toward the back of the Columbia House you may notice above the double green doors this sign. This is a fire insurance mark, which was used to identify the houses insured. This mark represents The Philadelphia Contributionship which was founded in 1752 by Benjamin Franklin. The insignia is four hands clasping each other’s wrists. The Contributionship still exists and is the oldest property insurance company in the United States.
Read more at:

Liberty Square Market

What town center would be complete without a Market Place? Market Places in colonial times were the social center and gathering of the Town. This was where folks would come not just for their produce, but also for the local, community and national news.
It was also sometimes used as a place where civil crimes were punished.
Here are two paying for their crimes! (and I'll pay for this)
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Microsoft
Need a quick healthy snack?
The Liberty Square Market, a hidden gem of a snack kiosk next to The Hall of Presidents.
Structured like an open-air market, Liberty Square Market offers a wide variety of, to go snacks: such as, potato chips, Goldfish crackers, Craisin trail mix, Cracker Jack, pickles, carrot sticks, chocolate chip cookies, pineapple spears, and fresh apples, oranges, and bananas.
Also available are fresh salads, fruit salads, and juices, making Liberty Square one of the healthier snack stops in the Magic Kingdom.
As always menus change in Walt Disney World so check this link for a current one:
Tour will pause here at the Liberty Square Market for a break.

Liberty Square though being the smallest of the Magic Kingdom lands holds a wealth of historical detail. So look around, there is a lot more to discover.

 
In the next chapter 17, we’ll venture on to the Haunted Mansion. With its 18’s century Dutch-Gothic architecture it fits well into Liberty Square historical and backstory theming.

    We would definitely like to hear from you.
    Let us know what you think, suggestions, ideas, and absolutely if we've missed anything.
Afterword:
WDWMousing.com is designed to be a tour of Walt Disney World through photos. We have been to Walt Disney World countless times over the past 25 years and accumulated a magnitude of photos in that time. This website is an intention to combine two of our favorite pastimes, Walt Disney World and photography, and provide an insightful pictorial tour.
While doing so, we've done an extensive research of the internet and literary sources for background information on each area and atrraction. The information is available, but most bits and pieces are scattered all over. WDWMousing doesn't intend to rewrite the stories, legends or data, but to try and collect it into one location with reference and links to the original articles and authors. And giving rightful credit. We've stumbled through quite a bit of mis-information, most of which came to life by fans because the origins were lost, forgotten or no one seems to remember. Over the past 25 years we've also lost most of the great Imagineers that helped develop, design and build the original concepts of Walt Disney World. So we believe it's extremely important to make sure that their efforts, intentions, details and creativity in making this Happiest Place on Earth isn't lost.
So we ask for feedback, insights, and suggestions.

Thank you
WDWMousing