Liberty Square from A Dream Called Walt Disney World

Flashback Fridays: Liberty Square Postcard

A vintage Liberty Square postcard including the classic Walt Disney World logo.

Disney After Dark: The Liberty Bell

The Liberty Bell in Liberty Square.

Making Memories: Great Moments with the Muppets

Great Moments in History with the Muppets in Liberty Square.

Gardner's Shack: The Liberty Tree

In Liberty Square, there is an attraction that is often overlooked. But in 1971 when the Magic Kingdom opened it was the centerpiece of the land. That Attraction is the Liberty Tree. You may be asking yourself what is the Liberty Tree well that goes back to a time before Disney in fact it goes back to a time before America. The original Liberty Tree was located in Boston Common from 1646 till 1775 when a British Loyalist cut it down. But in the years before she was felled she stood as a sort of rallying place for those who wanted to rebel against the tyranny of the British.

Fast-forward to the 1970s. Walt Disney had always had plans to build a Liberty Square in Disneyland but when that never happened it became a priority for the "Florida Project". So with Liberty Square coming to fruition in Florida now, they needed a centerpiece for the land. Again they looked back to Walt's vision. He had always planned to have a liberty tree in the land, so that's what they did. They took a Florida Live Oak from 8 miles east of the Magic Kingdom and trucked it over to the park. That was no small task but with the guidance of legendary Disney Gardner Bill Evans who had experience moving impossible to move big trees at Disneyland they got the job done.

Now she sits across from the Hall of Presidents with thirteen Lanterns hanging in her branches representing the thirteen original colonies. So next time you are at the Magic  Kingdom and find yourself in Liberty Square maybe waiting for a parade or enjoying a snack from Sleepy Hollow, stop and take a moment to enjoy the shade of The Liberty Tree.

Or whistle a tune. here are the lyrics and audio from the Liberty Tree song from the 1957 Disney film Johnny Tremain.

Plant the seed in our homeland, boys. Let it grow where all can see

Feed it with our devotion, boys. Call it the Liberty Tree

It’s a tall old Tree

And a strong old Tree

And we are the Sons

Yes, we are the Sons

The Sons of Liberty

Save it from the storm, boys. Water down its roots with tea

And the sun will always shine on the old Liberty Tree

It’s a tall old Tree

And a strong old Tree

And we are the Sons

Yes, we are the Sons

The Sons of Liberty

March along with the piper, boys. We were born forever free

Let’s go pay the piper, boys, beneath the Liberty Tree

It’s a tall old Tree

And a strong old Tree

And we are the Sons

Yes, we are the Sons

The Sons of Liberty

Pay the price they’re asking, boys. Always pay the tyrant’s fee

Never give up the struggle, boys. Fight for the Liberty Tree

It’s a tall old Tree

And a strong old Tree

And we are the Sons

Yes, we are the Sons

The Sons of Liberty

Stand for the rights of man, boys. Stand against all tyranny

Hang the lamps of freedom, boys, high on the Liberty Tree

It’s a tall old Tree

And a strong old Tree

And we are the Sons

Yes, we are the Sons

The Sons of Liberty

And it will grow as we grow, boys. It will be as strong as we

We must cling to our faith, boys-faith in the Liberty Tree

It’s a tall old Tree

And a strong old Tree

And we are the Sons

Yes, we are the Sons

The Sons of Liberty

Disney Dining At Home: Apple Cobbler from the Liberty Tree Tavern

Apple Cobbler 

from the Liberty Tree Tavern at the Magic Kingdom

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Pie Crust Dough:

3 ½ cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 sticks unsalted butter cut into ¼ inch pieces

4 tablespoons Crisco – Vegetable Shortening

Sift the flour, sugar, and salt into a large bowl Using your fingers, work in the butter and shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add 2 tablespoons ice water and work with your fingers until the water is incorporated and the dough comes together. Add more water if needed.

Spray the inside of a 9x13x2 inch glass or ceramic baking dish with a

non-stick coating. Roll out pie dough on a lightly floured surface and line the baking dish with dough (as for an apple pie)

Apple Filling:

4 pounds Baking Apples – Golden Delicious

½ cup Sugar

1 ½ cups Brown sugar

½ teaspoon Nutmeg – ground

½ cup Flour

Sift dry ingredients together. Put apples in a small saucepan and cook

over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Add dry ingredients and cook until

apples are soft and ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Remove apples

from heat and chill thoroughly. Place cooled apple filling into dish.

Cream Cheese Filling:

8 ounces Cream cheese – softened at room temperature

1 each large egg

2/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix until smooth. Top apples with cream cheese mixture and swirl into apples slightly.

Oatmeal Streusel:

¾ cup All-purpose flour

½ teaspoon Cinnamon – ground

½ cup Brown Sugar – packed

¾ cup Rolled Oats

½ cup Butter – Unsalted

Spread streusel mixture evenly over top of apple/cream cheese mixture.

Bake in center of the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Recipe found at AllEars.net

Flashback Fridays: On The River

When the Rivers of America had life and energy. At one point you had four types of transportation on the river. They were: The Mike Fink Keelboats, The Liberty Square River Boats, The Rafts to Tom Sawyers Island, and the Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes. 

60 Days of Disneyween: Day 26 Audio Archive: A Audio Ride on the Haunted Mansion.

Welcome Foolish Mortals...Today on the Manifesting the Magic YouTube page we have a special treat. A full audio ride though of the Haunted Mansion. Put on headphones or ear buds to get the full experience of this special treat. And beware of hitchhiking ghosts. 

Click here to visit the page or view the video below.

60 Days of Disneyween: Day 24

The Haunted Mansion at Dusk.

60 Days of Disneyween: Day 19

Pumpkin fun at Sleep Hallow at the Magic Kingdom.

60 Days of Disneyween: Day 2

This old spook was retelling the story of The Legend of Sleepy 

Hollow at Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party in 2003.

Magic Kingdom ABC's: C

C is for the Columbia Harbor House.