Happy 4th of July! We hope you are having an absolutely wonderful and safe day celebrating the 245th birthday of the United States of America.
Walt Disney was known for his patriotism. It started at a young age when Walt Disney showed up to school as President Abraham Lincoln. Dressed as Lincoln, Disney recited the Gettysburg Address to his class. He was then taken to all of the other classes to do the same by the principal.
As Walt grew older, his love of country would never disappear. When he couldn’t enlist for the military during World War I, he instead joined the American Ambulance Corps of the Red Cross. By the time World War II came along, Disney now had a studio in Burbank. This not only contributed to war films but also housed members of the United States Army.
A decade later Disneyland would be built and Walt’s patriotism continued to shine. Beyond having the American flag and other patriotic decorations on Main Street, USA, Walt Disney also created an attraction dedicated to Abe Lincoln. Initially, this was created for the 1964-1965 World’s Fair. Walt pitched the Hall of Presidents, which would feature all the Presidents of the United States. The president of the World’s Fair reached a deal with Walt Disney that would instead bring just Abraham Lincoln to life in audio-animatronic form. This attraction would prove to be so popular that Walt Disney would have an even more advanced version of the attraction installed in the Main Street Opera House at Disneyland.
The legacy of Walt Disney’s love of country lives on today. This includes patriotic celebrations on national holidays, particularly the 4th of July. Often these include patriotic music, fireworks, themed food offerings, and merchandise. Below are some of the patriotic videos DAPS MAGIC has filmed in the parks and beyond through the years! We hope you enjoy them and we hope you have a very happy 4th of July!
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/embed?listType=playlist&list=PLZHs0Rq4kXrVZxPTz3RrdKYACikh4eum_&v=-DdIbLXMBTQ&layout=gallery[/embedyt]What is your favorite way to celebrate the 4th of July in the parks? What is your favorite patriotic offering from the parks? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
