BREAKING! Disneyland Making Change to Iconic “it’s a small world” Ride as Part of 70th Anniversary to Honor Disney Legend

Disneyland just announced that they will be making a change to the classic “it's a small world” ride at Disneyland. It will introduce a change to honor Disney Legend Richard Sherman.

The change is based on a new addition to the classic song featured throughout the ride. The addition was written by the original songwriter, Richard Sherman.

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“it's a small world” Changing at Disneyland

Late Disney Legends Richard Sherman and Robert Sherman wrote the earworm “it's a small world” song for the original attraction. Before Richard Sherman passed away last year, he wrote a new lyric for the song and had a chance to share it with Disney CEO Bob Iger. That lyric was first debuted during a panel at D23 honoring Sherman. We were there and it was an emotional period. This Disney Legend impacted so many.

The new lyric will be introduced into the attraction at Disneyland as part of the Disneyland 70th anniversary celebration. The addition will be made on the actual anniversary day of the park on July 17, 1955. That date is the park's 70th anniversary. We do not anticipate that the attraction will have to close as part of this addition. No word on if this change will come to Walt Disney World eventually. We don't anticipate that it will unless it receives rave reviews on social media at the launch.

READ MORE – All New Disneyland Rides and Attractions Planned For 2025 & Beyond

Here's that new lyric and the additional information on how it came to be and a wonderful short film discussing the verse from the film.

“Mother Earth unites us in heart and mind / and the love we give makes us human kind / Through our vast wondrous land / when we stand hand in hand / it's a small world after all.”

At the time Disney CEO Bob Iger commented:

“As the legendary creators of some of the most cherished music of the past century, the Sherman brothers will be remembered for their profound impact on our global culture,” Iger, 73, said in a statement. “Hearing Richard Sherman recite the final verse to ‘It’s a Small World’ before he died will be a moment I will carry with me forever. This beautiful short film is our tribute to their immeasurable musical contributions, their memory, and to the countless memories they helped create for generations of people around the world.”

The following short film was released in November featuring the lyric and the footage. This short film will also be shown inside the Disneyland Opera House as part of the 70th anniversary.

This is a wonderful addition that pays tribute to a songwriter with an incredible mark on the history of Disney. I am blown away thinking about the wide impact of these songwriters on Disneyland and our favorite Disney movies.

I also just generally appreciate these smaller additions that will keep the 70th anniversary feeling fresh at Disneyland throughout the year. I look forward to seeing how they continue to announce and introduce more small events like this for the full length of the offering.

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