Is Disneyland changing too much, too fast?

“it’s a small world” in Disneyland

The Disneyland Resort is celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2025 and, with it, bringing special entertainment, ride overlays, and more to the Resort! That includes some ride changes coming to the Disneyland classic attraction “it’s a small world”. Regardless of how you feel about Disney changing its most timeless and classic attractions, THE CHANGE IS HAPPENING and we’re going over what you should expect to see when it reopens.

Disneyland’s “it’s a small world” has been closed since the end of the Christmas season, as Disneyland removed the holiday overlay theming in preparation for the ride to return to normal. However, this closure has been longer than usual, with the ride slated to reopen with additional theming and a modified version of the titular song that plays throughout the ride experience.

Holiday decorations on “it’s a small world”

When “it’s a small world” opens on May 9th, 2025, Pixar’s Coco charactersMiguel and Dante will join the ride line-up in the Mexico part of the ride. According to Disney, “Silhouetted by a stunning marigold bridge, you’ll be able to spot this new addition when the attraction reopens”.

©Disney

That’s not the only thing changing —  It was also revealed that the attraction’s iconic theme song would be getting another verse added. Created by the late, great songwriter Richard M. Sherman, the new verse is below:

“Mother Earth unites us in heart and mind

And the love we give makes us humankind

Through our vast wondrous land

When we stand hand in hand

It’s a small world after all.”

Sherman notably composed the music for the ride and has a bunch of Disney credits for films like Mary Poppins, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, and Christopher Robin.

©Disney

Traditionalists might wince at these changes, but we admit we’re pretty excited!

For starters, adding characters to “it’s a small world” has already become its own sort of tradition, as Disney has already put characters like Cinderella, Alice, Lilo, Stitch, Aladdin, Woody, and more over the years.

It’s a small world after all…

As for the song change, hearing the new verse may be jarring at first, but this new verse is a fantastic way to honor Sherman and his legacy without compromising the nostalgia of the ride.

How do you feel about the ride changes? Let us know in the comments below and continue to follow us at DFB for all the latest Disneyland updates!

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Where does “it’s a small world” rank among your favorite Disneyland rides? Let us know in the comments!