Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom
Information on Liberty Square

                Liberty Square

Liberty Square is the colonial era Disney style and there are some great attractions here; most especially the Haunted Mansion; one of the best and main exhibits in Disney World; the memorable Hall of Presidents, with life like statues of our country's Presidents, lined up and giving a great rendition of their most creative speeches; a live tree in front of the Liberty Tree Tavern, this tree is the biggest living organism in the Magic Kingdom, weighing in at 38 tons; and the Liberty Belle paddlewheel boat, rebuilt from the original boat in 1996, and the fantastic replica of the Liberty Bell that sits in Philadelphia. Also in the square area is the wooden pillory or stocks of the old days, where people would throw food at the people punished there. The Liberty Tree Tavern is a great place to enjoy real American food, with characters at dinner; and the Columbia Harbor House is the place to have some great down east food from the New England area of our wonderful country.

The Hall of Presidents is not the best place to take younger children unless you want them to learn about the many Presidents we have had, what they looked like and the original clothing worn at the time they became President. A really wonderful place to visit and enjoy the almost 25 minute dialogue. This is a timeless attraction, always worth waiting for and never tiring of. The film shown at the start shows some awesome paintings and tells about the Constitution and the first Presidency. After the film is finished, the stage is lighted with the Presidents standing in a beautiful line with animated movements that were reminiscent of the very gestures made by the Presidents themselves. George W. Bush did his figure's speech and is an exciting addition to the hall's repertoire. The other President doing a speech is Abraham Lincoln, who stands up from his chair and during his speech, actually moves his hands and arms like the real Lincoln. There are 700 seats in this air-conditioned theater that makes it an even more popular place in the hot summer months. A great sculptor from Disney, Blaine Gibson, was retired, but comes back to do the latest updates for this magnificent show. The watch worn by Bush and its inscription are exact replicas of the last President, and Hillary Clinton was asked about her husband's hairstyling..

After waiting for a while in the hot summer sun of Florida and reading every funny headstones, the Haunted Mansion will be a very cool respite. Maids and butlers, dressed in the appropriate attire greet you with an eerie expression at the door of the mansion, a replica of an 18th century gothic home from the Hudson River Valley, escort you to the waiting room or library with either the floor dropping or the ceiling rising, with the strangest pictures placed around the walls, especially the eyes! This is not going to be fright night, but can definitely cause concern among the younger boys and girls. As you are helped into the doom buggy, you go into the dark areas of the mansion riding slowly along a track with scenes unfolding in front of you with spooky attendees. Be careful, as some of these ghostly apparitions love to hitch a ride with unsuspecting riders; and when you do notice that image from the glass in front of you, it sure causes a surprise; especially to the young ones. The scenes behind the glass partitions continue to show you various haunted scenes of the mansion as you travel along twisting and turning with each passing. This ride is for only 8 minutes, which can seem like an eternity to the young boy or girl riding in your buggy.

The Liberty Tree Tavern is representative of the old taverns from the colonial era in the Boston of the 1770s, complete with a beautiful Liberty tree planted in front, with the name from the book and Disney movie called "Johnny Tremain". Set in the many branches of this exquisite tree are 13 hanging lanterns representing the original 13 colonies that broke away from British rule and taxation to form the most powerful nation in the world, where more immigrants came than to any other country in the world; all because of the Constitutional freedoms that were guaranteed from that eventful time. The Liberty Tree is more than just a tree in a Disney theme park; it is a wonderful representation of the growth and glory of this magnificent land. Yes, there are and have been problems, but that is mostly because we all have a voice in what happens, a share in the toils, turmoils, and constant trials that beset a great nation as it hurdles through history gaining power and prestige for a united people.

Liberty Square is probably the smallest area of the park, but its imagery and exhibits help to make this a huge success; visited by people every year just to renew their waning spirits or to lift up their day. You can relax and enjoy a calm ride on the Liberty Belle paddle boat as it tours around the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer's Island. Or put your hands and feet in the stocks to have your picture taken and relive the punishment that was doled out to the poor people in the past that committed some small crime and were ridiculed and pelted with rotten foodstuffs in the centuries long gone. You can visit some of the many souvenir shops that line the square or search for some silver treasures like tea sets and kitchen ware or other antiques in the Olde World Antiques shop, Heritage House, The Yankee Trader and Silversmith Shoppe. There is a cart called Madame Leota's that contains items from the Haunted Mansion. All in all a wonderful place to spend the better part of a day and remember.

Some of the unique or unusual things located in the square; the architectural designs of the buildings represents one from each original colony of the 13, there are 13 original state flags and the US flag flying in the square; the replicated Liberty Bell was actually cast from the original mold and the Liberty Tree was a 100 year old oak tree found on the property. In the House of Burgesses, the upstairs windows hold two lanterns by Paul Revere signaling the British were coming by sea.