History at the “Most Magical Place on Earth.”

American history has been part of Disney’s theme parks pretty much since the beginning, as Walt Disney found several ways to bring references to the country’s history into Disneyland. However, not even Walt could imagine that a history-changing moment would actually take place at a resort in Disney World. 

Walt Disney had idolized President Abraham Lincoln since he was a child, and held great general respect for the office of the President of the United States. He long wanted to bring the history of the office to life in his park, and plans for the attraction that would become the Hall of Presidents were put into motion as early as 1956. They would eventually morph into the Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln show, which debuted at the 1964 World’s Fair and was then moved to Disneyland. 

When Disney World opened half a decade later, the Hall of Presidents was an opening-day attraction and stood in tribute to Walt, who had passed away in 1966. However, less than two years later, Disney’s fabricated take on U.S. history would be overshadowed by a real event. 

By 1973, President Richard Nixon’s second presidential term was unraveling. Despite having won reelection in a landslide the previous year, Nixon’s popularity and approval ratings had plummeted in light of his involvement in the Watergate scandal.

In November of 1973, the President made an appearance at the annual convention of the Associated Press Managing Editors Association, which was taking place at the then-new Contemporary Resort at Disney World. The resort, with its massive convention space and ultra-modern (hence the name) design, had been built by Disney to bring in these types of massive events. 

During an hour-long television address from the resort, Nixon (in response to a question about his taxes) delivered one of the most famous lines ever uttered by an American leader: “I’ve earned every cent. And in all of my years of public life, I have never obstructed justice… People have got to know whether or not their President is a crook. Well, I’m not a crook. I’ve earned everything I’ve got.”

The “I am not a crook” speech has gone on to become iconic, especially following Nixon’s resignation from the presidency in 1974. 

However, many people don’t know that this history-changing, era-defining, arguably legacy-destroying speech was delivered at Disney World. Stay tuned to DFB for more dives into Disney World history. 

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Did you know that Nixon’s famous speech was delivered at the Contemporary? Let us know in the comments below. 

The post This Is the Hotel Where President Nixon Gave His “I’m Not a Crook” Speech in Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog.