Period-appropriate buildings, clothing, and music all meld together in the area of Magic Kingdom that is designed to take you back to the birth of the nation, a time of new patriotic pride, and a time before plumbing. Welcome to Magic Kingdom’s Liberty Square! This area is small, but so full of little touches that work together to bring you back to colonial days. Here are my three favourite Disney details that bring Liberty Square to life!

1. Leaning shutters

Each of the buildings in Liberty Square are beautiful and historical, representing the time and the people who would have lived there. Red brickwork, grey store facades, and painted wood all come together in the familiar vignette of a little town in colonial America. As you stroll through this detail-rich square, take a moment to look a little closer (and up!). The wooden shutters on the buildings in this area lean, as if pulling outward from the tops of the windows, but this isn’t a building flaw; it is a deliberate detail added in to the design of this area to make the visuals and experience even more authentic, even though it’s something you might not notice if you didn’t know it was there!

During the Revolutionary War the need for metal to manufacture ammunition was high, which of course was the primary need, and so no metal was spared for things like hanging shutters; leather straps would be used instead, which would stretch after time and cause the shutters to lean. Disney Imagineers certainly do their research, and I just love this subtle touch in this land!

 

2. A gross and winding road

Our first Liberty Square detail had us looking up; now our second detail will have us peering down! As you stroll through the square taking in the sounds of pipes and drums, the enticing smells of popcorn and turkey legs, and admire the patriotic views of the Liberty Bell replica and stately Liberty Tree with its 13 lanterns, don’t forget to take a little glance down for another touch that’s very subtle, but very period-authentic.

Amid the familiar red pavement in the Liberty Square area you will notice a winding brown pathway; if you have ever wondered what it’s there for, it’s another Disney touch that makes the visual of this historical land even more authentic and accurate!: back in colonial days there was no indoor plumbing -which is why you won’t find a restroom in Liberty Square, and also why you will find this pathway. Residents would toss the household waste into the streets, which would run through to create a ‘river’, like this facsimile in Disney World’s colonial town!

3. Sleepy little town

As you conclude your visit to Liberty Square, don’t forget to make a stop at one of the most delicious places in the park- Sleepy Hollow Refreshments! Whether you’re after funnel cake, ice cream sandwiches, or a waffle sandwich you’ll find it here.

This counter service stop is one of my favourite details, not because of the delicious fare (food is a whole other column!), but of course because it is an amazing example of the emphasis on detail in the Disney parks.

When creating Sleepy Hollow Refreshments, Imagineers could have designed another authentic period building to house the restaurant, adding some Sleepy Hollow touches and calling it a day. But, when crafting a park area in Disney World, Imagineers go big or go home. Rather than just consisting of finishing touches on a period home, Sleepy Hollow Refreshments is actually designed after the home of the legendary story’s author, Washington Irving.

And there you have it – my top three Disney details in Magic Kingdom’s Liberty Square! Thank you for travelling with me back to colonial times and the beginning days of a proud new country! Don’t forget to list your favourite Liberty Square details below!

MelissaH