Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln has resumed performances at the Disneyland Opera House a little early due to issues with Walt Disney – A Magical Life. The Lincoln show was suspended for a year and a half to accommodate changes to the theater in anticipation of the debut of Walt Disney – A Magical Life featuring a Walt animatronic.
Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln Returns
Walt Disney – A Magical Life opened in July as part of the park’s 70th anniversary celebrations and was set to run on its own for an initial period — the duration of the 70th anniversary, according to Cast Members. After that period, Walt Disney – A Magical Life and Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln would rotate performances thanks to a literal rotating stage.
However, as Disney stated with the opening of A Magical Life, if there were technical issues with the new show, Lincoln would perform instead. It seems that contingency plan has had to go into effect as only Lincoln has performed in the theater for at least two days.
Lincoln reportedly returned for some performances in late October. On Wednesday, November 19, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln was the only show performing at the opera house. A sign outside listed “Continuous Shows Today” for Lincoln and no shows for Walt.
On the Disneyland website, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln is listed as operating from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. today, November 20, although this message is still posted:
The Disneyland Story presenting Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln is temporarily unavailable while Walt Disney – A Magical Life, a new show that explores the life of Walt Disney, plays at the Main Street Opera House. The 2 shows will eventually be presented on a rotating basis.
Walt Disney – A Magical Life, on the other hand, has “no times available” today. We don’t know when it will reopen but a Cast Member told us the downtime was due to a projection issue, not anything wrong with the animatronic. The show includes a version of the One Man’s Dream film and projections behind the animatronic.
Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln is the same show except for a set change and lighting upgrades. Because of the new rotating stage set-up, there is now a wall directly behind the animatronic instead of a railing and columns. The table next to him no longer has a tablecloth and his iconic top hat has been added to the props.
For comparison, above is the set as it looked before the updates (left) and as it looks now (right). The red curtains are still there and still open at the end to reveal the sky on a screen.
The Frederick Douglass pre-show also plays in the lobby.
Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln is not expected to continue playing during the 70th anniversary celebration. It will only play when Walt Disney – A Magical Life is down.
Watch the full Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln with the updated scenery below.
With the debut of Walt Disney – A Magical Life, the Disneyland Opera House received a new marquee and new exhibits. Watch our ultimate POV of Walt Disney – A Magical Life including a walkthrough of the opera house’s new exhibits:
A Walt Disney animatronic is also coming to Walt Disney World in a new Carousel of Progress pre-show.
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For more Disneyland Resort news and info, follow Disneyland News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. For Disney Parks news worldwide, visit WDWNT.