
Walt Disney Imagineers are continuing to do more work to make the visuals of one of the most beloved Disney Park attractions more inclusive.
While Walt Disney’s original version of “it’s a small world,” still holds its residency in Fantasyland, Disneyland Park, different versions of the ride can be found a Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Paris Resort, Tokyo Disney Resort, and Hong Kong Disneyland Resort. Shanghai Disney Resort hosts the only Disney Park to not include the staple boat ride.
Originally conceived for the 1964 World’s Fair, the happiest cruise to ever sail has gone through some changes over the years, and has most recently begun to expand the representation seen in the iconic dolls dressed in the style of Disney Legend Mary Blair.
On March 1, Theme Park insider Scott Gustin shared a picture of the latest addition to Magic Kingdom’s “it’s a small world” attraction, saying,
“Walt Disney World updated ‘it’s a small world’ at Magic Kingdom last night to include a new doll in a wheelchair, ‘building on ‘it’s a small world’s’ longstanding legacy of diverse representation.’
Walt Disney World updated "it's a small world" at Magic Kingdom last night to include a new doll in a wheelchair, "building on “it’s a small world’s” longstanding legacy of diverse representation." Similar updates were made to "it's a small world" at Disneyland in November 2022. pic.twitter.com/k4vPxJzu3c
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) March 1, 2023
Disney Fanatic reported on the similar situation that happened at Disneyland Resort in California when wheelchair-bound characters were revealed after an extensive renovation, as well as updated facial features to eliminate the perceived perpetration of negative stereotypes.
Read More: PHOTOS: Disney Adding Disabled Dolls to “it’s a small world”
It is unclear just how many more dolls Disney’s creative team will add to the attraction, which was already ahead of its time in levels of diversity and inclusion by creating a tribute to all the children of the world with a song by the Sherman Brothers that could be translated into multiple languages.
Disneyland Paris’ small world variant has been closed for an extensive refurbishment project, and there is little doubt that the increased representation will be visible once it reopens.
We at Disney Fanatic will continue to update our readers on Disneyland and Disney World news, and stories like this as more developments come to light.