Animatronic Obama to make Disney debut

ORLANDO, Fla., June 29 (UPI) -- An animatronic Barack Obama will soon make its debut in the Hall of Presidents at Disney's renovated Magic Kingdom attraction in Florida, officials say.

The faux U.S. president will be at the center of the hall, which has been undergoing extensive renovations since late last year, the Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel reported.

Some Disney pass-holders who received a sneak preview of the Hall of Presidents Sunday said the robotic figures of U.S. presidents are now being presented as "real people" rather than just historical icons and talks about how anyone can become the nation's leader, the newspaper reported.

The animatronic Abraham Lincoln now delivers a full Gettysburg Address, while a film narrated by U.S. actor Morgan Freeman recounts speeches given at troubled times by Lyndon Johnson, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, observers said.

"I thought technically his movements were really good," Disney pass-holder Jason Bluming of New Jersey said of the Obama robot.

The Hall of Presidents officially reopens Saturday, Disney officials told the Sentinel.