My timing is off. I risk releasing this article after the last of the barbecue leftovers have been consumed from a Fourth of July weekend without a trace of a sparkler to be found. But I wanted to share some insights about what I feel about this country and why it’s intertwined with this thing called Disney.
I have already waxed philosophically from a leadership point-of-view about Disney as seen from The Hall of Presidents. Again, in an act of timing being off, it was written when The Hall of Presidents was closed for refurbishment. But it has important messages and you can read that article (“Leadership Lessons at the Hall of Presidents and the American Adventure,” March 5, 2009) here.
here (“Who Is the Most Important VIP,” June 26, 2008). But I really want to apply this idea to one of the fundamental things that makes America so great. To that end, I’d like to tweak my remarks and say here in America, presidents are commoners and commoners are presidents
Let’s look at two ways I found that to be true from what I witnessed this last July 4th weekend:
The Hall of Presidents: A Celebration of Liberty’s Leaders
The Hall of Presidents has reopened and frankly, you shouldn’t miss this attraction. I didn’t say that before, even though personally I had a big place for it in my heart. And I’m not saying it simply because it seems hotter and steamier in Orlando than ever before and you’re going to need the air conditioning. I’m saying it because the presentation is so well done. Of greatest note is that President Obama now appears on stage. And with that, everything seems fresher than ever before. The presentation is done digitally, the audio the same. New LED lighting and music and narration by Morgan Freeman, and even words from George Washington, voiced by David Morse who played the role so expertly in the HBO miniseries, John Adams. Better than all of that, Abraham Lincoln is voiced once again by Royal Dano, who originally provided the voice in the 1964 New York World’s Fair and later the Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln attraction at Disneyland.
Newly opened Hall of Presidents. Photo © Disney, Gene Duncan Photographer.
But the message is far more compelling than the technology behind it. In essence, it’s about the fact that We the People, choose one of our own to lead us. And this presentation at the Hall of Presidents testifies to that message. It notes Washington rejecting the notion of becoming a king or monarch, but instead stepping down for others to take his place. it refers to Andrew Jackson being the first among the common citizenry rather than the D.C. elite. It notes the humble, self-taught roots of Lincoln, and emphasizes Teddy Roosevelt’s insistence that the executive mansion simply be referred to as a “white house.”
George Washington. Photo © Disney, Gene Duncan Photographer.
And then, there is President Obama. In an interview, the show’s producer, Kathy Rogers, noted selecting a suit and tie that would allow him to stand out from among the other chief executives. But that’s not what singles him above the others. And whatever your particular political affiliation, you can’t help but think this is fairly amazing. At least, the rest of the world does. It’s essence is, that presidents come from commoners. And sitting in this show among a sea of immigrants just “sworn in” as new U.S. citizens, it wasn’t lost on them either.
Naturalization Ceremony, Main Street, U.S.A.
That brings us to the other part of the event I witnessed last weekend. It was the gathering of 1,000 immigrants on Main Street, U.S.A. on July 3 to be “sworn in” as American citizens—25 of whom were Walt Disney World Cast Members. Of course, being made a citizen in the heart of the Magic Kingdom is a very impressive event. And between Patriot Mickey, The Voices of Liberty and a group photo to include pyrotechnics and confetti, it was an event to be remembered.
Patriot Mickey with some of America’s newest citizens. Photo by J. Jeff Kober
But being made a citizen of the United States is an unbelievable blessing, so many of us take who grew up as U.S. citizens take for granted. As I interviewed some of these newest citizens, I could see that they sensed that, especially given that many of their family members back home do not yet have that opportunity. Indeed, in their eyes, these new immigrants have almost reached some celebrity status among the members of their family.
Across the globe, our newest citizens are considered the winners of one of the greatest lotteries of all.
My favorite part of this ceremony is when they called out the individual countries these new citizens came from, and asked each to stand. The assortment of countries was huge—from Albania to Vietnam. A personal highlight was when the country of Colombia was called. There were many who stood, evidenced by the fact that many Colombians are now relocating to this section of the country. It brought me back to another time in my life where I spent two years of my younger years serving others on the Colombian streets of Cali, Manizales and Palmira. Amid the humble circumstances of so many, I learned what freedom of opportunity really meant. I also remember returning to the United States via Miami after that sojourn and seeing a large digital sign welcoming us to The United States. There is something about coming home. Something you don’t appreciate unless you’ve been away from it for a while.
No matter our history, and how we earned the opportunity to be a U.S. citizen, we are some of the most fortunate of all.
Hence, here we are in the United States of America, where commoners are presidents and where presidents are commoners. And returning to the original quote, shouldn’t we as host citizens in this country welcome and make VIP every new citizen as they become part of our country? And as a country, shouldn’t we seek from among our own to be our leader? It’s a philosophy that when practiced, makes our country not only very unique, but really great.
Where commoners are presidents and presidents are commoners.
That’s the magic of America.
