Snapshot Sunday: Guess that snap!

This incredible sight can been seen during your visit to one of the six lands at Magic Kingdom. In fact, the land where it is located is actually exclusive to Walt Disney World. Can you guess it?!

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It’s The Liberty Tree located in Liberty Square!

Even though Liberty Square does not have ‘land’ in its name, like its neighbors Adventureland and Frontierland; Liberty Square takes you back to Colonial America. Submerging guests in the rich history of America and honoring the country’s early heritage. Liberty Square has many unique and meaningful features keeping it true to its time. Here are just a few of the historical symbols and attractions that you can see in Liberty Square.

 

The Liberty Tree
The Liberty Tree is the oldest tree in the park! This 100-year old Oak tree was found on the property about 8 miles from it’s current location, it it the largest tree ever to be transplanted at Walt Disney World. It took careful planning and months of prepping to get this 38-ton tree to its new home. Bill Evans was one of Walt Disney’s personal landscapers, he was handpicked by Walt himself to oversee the landscape projects at Disneyworld; he was in charge of this huge project and came up with the innovative way to move this oak.  Holes were drilled through the hardwood center of the trunk and steel rods were inserted to create a support for hoisting and hauling the tree with a 100-ton crane.

This tree now stands tall and grand in the middle of Liberty Square. It is decorated with  thirteen hanging lamps which represent the original thirteen American colonies. The story of the Liberty tree dates back to Colonial Boston at the beginning of the American Revolution. It is said that the Sons of Liberty gathered under a large elm tree to protest the British Stamp Act. From that day forward, the tree became known as the “Liberty Tree.” It became a meeting place and was often decorated with lanterns and a yellow flags were raised to call people to meetings

At the base of the tree there is a plaque that reads: “The Liberty Tree – Under the boughs of the original Liberty Tree in Boston in 1765, Patriots, calling themselves The Sons Of Liberty, gathered to protest the imposition of the Stamp Act. In the years that followed, almost every American town had a Liberty Tree — A Living Symbol Of The American Freedom of Speech and Assembly.”

The Liberty Bell

This iconic American symbol of Independence can be seen in Liberty Square. In 1976, 50 reproductions of The Liberty Bell were made to celebrate the Bicentennial of the United States; each state had a reproduction made of the original Liberty Bell. In 1989, Disney requested the reproduction for the state of Pennsylvania and their request was granted. On July 4, 1989, the reproduction was placed in Liberty Square. There is a plaque at the base of the bell that reads: For over two centuries, the Liberty Bell has Symbolized Liberty to Most of America. Cast from the same mold, this bell is a “Second generation” of the Original bell that hangs in Philadelphia”.

The Hall of Presidents 

Step inside this attraction to meet the presidents of the past. The Hall of Presidents honors each president with a realistic Audio-Animatronics replica of each president. Guests can watch a 25 minute film made by a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, about the foundation of America, the struggles along the way and the presidents who made a great impact. The Great Seal of the United States can been seen here. Congress had to vote and approve it so it could be displayed and respected in a honorable manner. It is on the carpet in the hall surrounded by a gate to prevent any guests from walking on it or causing any damage.

The Streets of Liberty Square

The next time you are at Liberty Square, take a look at the color of the pavement. It all has the same color throughout the land with a brown streak running several feet wide long the street. In order to keep with the times, this was purposefully done to represent the sewage of early Americans. There was no indoor plumbing in early America so many people would take their waste and dump it into the streets. It sounds gross, but Disney wanted to maintain an authentic look and image of that time. In keeping with that no plumbing aspect, you can expect to not find any bathrooms in Liberty Square (except in the restaurants), but don’t worry, there are some in the neighboring lands close by!

Also take a close look at the building numbers the next time you visit. Each building in Liberty Square has a two digit number. If you add an 18 to the beginning of that number, you will get the year that style of house would have been built!

Even though Liberty Square is the smallest of all the lands it is packed with nostalgia and pride. Take some time to enjoy the fine details and history of Old America- a young country, proclaiming freedom and independence.

 

Photo Sources: Disney, WDW-Magazine, WDWInfo