Day 108: Lincoln

Today I spent a good amount of time watching the new movie, Lincoln. It isn't exactly a short movie, and I have to say right away I don't recommend watching it when you're tired (I fell asleep...not because the movie was bad, but because I was stupid and was watching it while laying in bed). It is a great movie though, and it really shows a different side to one of our nation's greatest Presidents.

If you know Disney, you'd know right away that Walt's favorite president was, in fact, Lincoln. When he was young, he would go around his school dressed in a top hat and recite the Gettysburg Address for younger students each and every year, and when the World's Fair came around in 1964-65, and Illinois approached him with the idea of creating an attraction, Lincoln certainly came into play.

Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln premiered at the World's Fair, and Lincoln himself was the first fully functional audio-animatronic human figure, in which he talked and gestured to the audience. Throughout the years, different forms of the attraction have been showcased at Disneyland. While originally there were some technical difficulties, they were all eventually worked out, so Lincoln no longer fall into spasms in the middle of the show.

I have to say that the current show at Disneyland really reminded me a lot of another show that's currently open in another Disney Park. I'm not sure about you, but Two Brothers and Golden Dream seem to be from somewhere in Epcot...just saying.

Either way, I really enjoyed the show, and I loved the movie as well (or at least what I saw of it. I plan on rewatching it this weekend). Lincoln is probably my favorite president as well, and whether that's because of Disney or not, I have no idea. I've always had a strange fascination with the Civil War, so that probably plays a part too (although the reason I find interest in the Civil War is because of Disney...this all connects back somehow). I've kind of gotten my brother involved too, as last year he created a scrapbook for his Social Studies class as if it was really from the Civil War. We told a similar story to that told in both Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln and The American Adventure, with two brothers, and I personally helped out by writing out his letters with a quill pen. He wrote the words on the letters, I just transcribed them.

And so, I highly suggest you see the film Lincoln, directed by Steven Spielberg, and, as always, John Williams did the music, so that's a plus as well. It's very well made and reminds us all that Lincoln was more than just a president...he was a father, a husband and most importantly, one of us.

Here's today's Disney History: 1954: Actor, comedian and musician Rick Moranis, the voice of Tuke in Disney's animated 2003 Brother Bear, is born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Disney fans will also know him as Wayne Szalinski in the comedy feature, Honey, I shrunk the Kids and the 3-D park attraction film, Honey, I Shrunk the Audience.

Have a magical day!