Editing It's a Small World (section)

==Background{{Anchor|History}}==

=== Ride ===
The ride was fabricated at the [[Walt Disney Studios (Burbank)|Walt Disney Studios]] in [[Burbank, California|Burbank]] as ''Children of the World'', and created by [[Walt Disney Imagineering|WED Enterprises]]. It was shipped to the [[1964 New York World's Fair]], where it was housed at the [[UNICEF]] pavilion (sponsored by [[Pepsi]]), which featured at its entrance a kinetic sculpture, ''The Tower of the Four Winds'', a 120-foot perpetually spinning mobile created by WED designer [[Rolly Crump]].<ref name=":0" /> The ride joined three other World's Fair attractions—''Magic Skyway'' (Ford pavilion), ''[[Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln]]'' (Illinois pavilion), and ''[[The Carousel of Progress]]'' (General Electric pavilion)—that Disney was already involved with. All were intended to be dismantled and rebuilt at Disneyland after the World's Fair had closed in 1966.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://huntingpixiedust.com/history-of-its-a-small-world/|title=History of It's a Small World|date=June 26, 2018|website=Hunting Pixie Dust|language=en-US|access-date=January 27, 2019|archive-date=April 21, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190421140144/https://huntingpixiedust.com/history-of-its-a-small-world/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Tirella">{{cite book |last=Tirella |first=Joseph |url=https://archive.org/details/tomorrowland19640000tire/page/n5/mode/2up |title=Tomorrow-Land: The 1964–65 World's Fair and the Transformation of America |publisher=Lyons Press |year=2013 |isbn=978-1-4930-0333-4 |url-access=registration}}</ref>{{Rp|pages=53–57}}

[[Mary Blair]] was responsible for the attraction's whimsical design and color styling.<ref name="RS 2024">{{Cite web |last1=Reilly |first1=Maeve |last2=Seastrom |first2=Lucas |date=2024-05-28 |title='it's a small world' turns 60: A Global Celebration at The World's Fair |url=https://www.waltdisney.org/blog/its-small-world-turns-60-global-celebration-worlds-fair |access-date=2024-08-25 |publisher=The Walt Disney Family Museum}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Fanning |first=Jim |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sJ7GDwAAQBAJ |title=The Disney Book: A Celebration of the World of Disney |date=2015-10-06 |publisher=Penguin |isbn=978-1-4654-9541-9 |page=172 |language=en}}</ref> The scenes and characters were designed by animator [[Marc Davis (animator)|Marc Davis]],<ref name="n153980659">{{Cite news |last=Martens |first=Todd |date=2018-09-09 |title=Disneyland's beatnik by design |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-disneylands-beatn/153980659/ |access-date=2024-08-25 |work=The Los Angeles Times |pages=E1, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times/34364206/ E5]}}</ref><ref name="Evans2022">{{Cite web |last=Evans |first=Greg |date=2022-11-07 |title=Alice Davis Dies: Costume Designer for Disneyland's 'It's A Small World' & 'Pirates Of The Caribbean' Rides Was 93 |url=https://deadline.com/2022/11/alice-davis-dead-disneyland-costume-designer-its-a-small-world-was-93-1235165939/ |access-date=2024-08-25 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}</ref> who also choreographed the [[Audio-Animatronics|audio-animatronic]] figures' dances.<ref name="n154035702">{{Cite news |date=1964-05-05 |title='Small World' a Big One for Youngsters at Fair |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-evening-news-small-world-a-big-one/154035702/ |access-date=2024-08-26 |work=The Evening News |pages=17}}</ref> His wife [[Alice Estes Davis|Alice Davis]] designed the dolls' costumes.<ref name="Evans2022" /><ref name="n154035702" /> The costumes were heavily influenced by other countries' clothing,<ref name="n154035702" /> as [[Walt Disney]] had directed Alice Davis to "do whatever it takes to make these look like dolls every woman in the world would want to have".<ref name="Brown2020">{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Genevieve Shaw |date=May 7, 2020 |title=Take a virtual ride on Disney's 'It's a Small World' |url=https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Travel/virtual-ride-disneys-small-world/story?id&#61;70555407 |access-date=2024-08-25 |website=ABC News |language=en}}</ref> Crump designed the toys and other supplemental figures on display, as well as the original attraction's facade.<ref name="n153980659" /> The animated dolls were designed and sculpted by Blaine Gibson.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Weber |first=Bruce |date=2015-07-11 |title=Blaine Gibson, Sculptor of Figures in Disney Parks, Dies at 97 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/12/arts/design/blaine-gibson-sculptor-of-figures-in-disney-parks-dies-at-97.html |access-date=2024-08-25 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

[[Arrow Development]] was heavily involved in the design of the passenger-carrying boats and propulsion system of the attraction. Two patents that were filed by Arrow Development staff and assigned to The Walt Disney Company illustrate passenger boats and vehicle guidance systems with features very similar to those later utilized on the Disneyland installation of the attraction.<ref>{{cite patent|country=US|number=3404635|status=patent|title=Boat amusement ride|pubdate=October 8, 1968|fdate=April 16, 1965|invent1=Bacon, Karl W.|invent2=Morgan, Edgar A.|assign1=The Walt Disney Company}}</ref><ref>{{cite patent|country=US|number=D204282|status=patent|title=Passenger-carrying amusement boat|pubdate=April 5, 1966|fdate=March 8, 1965|invent1=Morgan, Edgar A.|assign1=The Walt Disney Company}}</ref> The firm is credited with manufacturing the Disneyland installation.<ref name=Gurr>{{cite web|last=Gurr|first=Bob|title=DESIGN: Those Were The Times – No. 23 1955 Arrow Development – Ed Morgan and Karl Bacon|url=http://micechat.com/49581-bob-gurr-arrow-development/|website=MiceChat.com|access-date=November 28, 2013|date=November 27, 2013}}</ref>

===Song===
"Children of the World" was the working title of the attraction. Its soundtrack, composed by the [[Sherman Brothers]],<ref name="p962663036">{{cite magazine |last=Fessier |first=Mike Jr. |date=12 Feb 1964 |title=Vaudeville: Actors No Longer Safe From Robots As Disney Preps 'Lincoln' for Fair |magazine=Variety |pages=72, 74 |volume=233 |issue=12 |id={{ProQuest|962663036}}}}</ref> was originally supposed to feature the national anthems of every country represented throughout the ride; they were all played at once, resulting in cacophony.<ref name="Brown2020" /> Walt conducted a walk-through of the attraction scale model with his staff songwriters [[Robert B. Sherman|Robert B.]] and [[Richard M. Sherman]], saying, "I need ''one'' song that can be easily translated into many languages and be played as a round."<ref name="OneSong">{{cite web |url=http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=4691 |title="It's a small world" by Disneyland Chorus |access-date=July 1, 2011 |website=songfacts.com}}</ref> The Sherman brothers then wrote "It's a Small World (After All)"<ref name="iasw-a2z">{{cite book |last=Smith |first=Dave |author-link=Dave Smith (archivist) |year=2006 |title=Disney A to Z: The Official Disney Encyclopedia |publisher=Disney Editions |page=354 |isbn=0-7868-4919-3}}</ref> in the wake of the 1962 [[Cuban Missile Crisis]], which influenced the song's message of peace and brotherhood.<ref name="n154045547">{{Cite news |last=Quill |first=Greg |date=2009-08-21 |title=Parent trap, too: behind the hits |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-toronto-star-parent-trap-too-behin/154045547/ |access-date=2024-08-26 |work=The Toronto Star |pages=43}}</ref> When they first presented it to Walt, they played it as a slow ballad. Walt requested something more cheerful, so they increased the tempo and sang in [[counterpoint]]. Walt was so delighted with the final result that he renamed the attraction "It's a Small World" after the Sherman Brothers' song.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.waltdisney.org/blog/small-world-big-message-music-its-small-world | title=Small World, Big Message: The Music of "it's a small world" {{pipe}} the Walt Disney Family Museum |date=August 22, 2017 |website=WaltDisney.org}}</ref> Recordings of the song were first sold in October 1964.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Laffler |first=William D. |date=1964-11-06 |title=Adults Won by Doll Tune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/democrat-and-chronicle-adults-won-by-dol/154038322/ |access-date=2024-08-26 |work=Democrat and Chronicle |pages=23}}</ref>

The Sherman Brothers originally wanted to donate all profits from "It's a Small World (After All)" to [[UNICEF]], but Walt Disney dissuaded them from doing so, telling the brothers that the song would become popular.<ref name="n153983050">{{Cite news |last1=Shrieves |first1=Linda |last2=Matthews |first2=Mark K. |date=2004-05-01 |title=Small World memories loom large among all ages |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-orlando-sentinel-small-world/153983050/ |access-date=2024-08-25 |work=The Orlando Sentinel |pages=[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-orlando-sentinel-small-world-memorie/153983084/ A1], A4}}</ref> ''[[The Christian Science Monitor]]'' wrote of the song in 1967: "Visitors go away humming it as though they had made it up themselves."<ref name="p510996879">{{cite news |last=Hendrick |first=Kimmis |date=22 July 1967 |title='Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious'...: Disney's choice |work=The Christian Science Monitor |page=6 |issn=0882-7729 |id={{ProQuest|510996879}}}}</ref> Robert B. Sherman's youngest son, Robert J. Sherman, has said that this song is the single most-performed and most-translated piece of music ever produced.<ref name="OneSong"/> In 2014, it was estimated that the song had played nearly 50&nbsp;million times worldwide on the attractions alone, beating the radio and TV estimates for "[[You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin']]" and "[[Yesterday (Beatles song)|Yesterday]]", which were believed to have been played at least eight and seven million times, respectively.<ref name="Time-Song Plays">{{cite news|last=Corliss|first=Richard|title=Is This the Most Played Song in Music History?|url=https://time.com/82493/its-a-small-world-50th-anniversary/|website=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|access-date=June 1, 2016|date=April 30, 2014|url-status=live|archive-date=October 26, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141026225052/https://time.com/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Schneider|first=Caitlin|title=The Most Frequently Played Song in the World is One Everyone Hates|url=http://mentalfloss.com/article/73391/most-frequently-played-song-world-one-everyone-hates|date=January 9, 2016|website=Mental Floss|access-date=June 1, 2016|archive-date=June 1, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160601020605/http://mentalfloss.com/article/73391/most-frequently-played-song-world-one-everyone-hates|url-status=dead}}</ref> On average, the song is played 1,200 times during a 16-hour operating day.<ref name="Brown2020" /><ref name="Martin2014">{{Cite web |last=Martin |first=Hugo |date=2014-08-06 |title=The back story on Disneyland 'Small World' ride at 50 |url=https://www.providencejournal.com/story/lifestyle/travel/2014/08/06/20140806-the-back-story-on-disneyland-small-world-ride-at-50-ece/35325724007/ |access-date=2024-08-25 |website=The Providence Journal |language=en-US}}</ref>

A third verse celebrating the attraction's 45th anniversary was written and popularized, but not incorporated into the ride.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2014/03/sights-and-sounds-of-disney-parks-its-a-classic-attraction-its-just-turned-50-its-a-small-world/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140326134256/http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2014/03/sights-and-sounds-of-disney-parks-its-a-classic-attraction-its-just-turned-50-its-a-small-world/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 26, 2014 |title=Sights and Sounds of Disney Parks: It's a Classic Attraction. It's Turning 50. 'it's a small world!' Disney Parks Blog |website=Disneyparks.disney.go.com |date=March 25, 2014 |access-date=May 20, 2014}}</ref> In 2022, a 1964 recording of "It's a Small World (After All)" performed by the Disneyland Boys Choir was selected by the [[Library of Congress]] for preservation in the United States [[National Recording Registry]]<ref>{{cite web |last=MacDonald |first=Brady |date=April 15, 2022 |title=Disneyland's iconic 'It's a Small World' song inducted into Library of Congress music registry |url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/04/15/disneylands-iconic-its-a-small-world-song-inducted-into-library-of-congress-music-registry/ |access-date=August 25, 2024 |website=The Mercury News}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Ulaby |first=Neda |date=April 13, 2022 |title=The Library of Congress is preserving these major historical recordings for posterity |url=https://www.npr.org/2022/04/13/1091585574/the-library-of-congress-adds-25-titles-including-alicia-keys-and-ricky-martin |access-date=August 25, 2024 |website=NPR}}</ref> as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".<ref>{{cite web |title=National Recording Registry Inducts Music from Alicia Keys, Ricky Martin, Journey and More in 2022 |url=https://newsroom.loc.gov/news/national-recording-registry-inducts-music-from-alicia-keys--ricky-martin--journey-and-more-in-2022/s/fee30140-0454-401c-a2a2-205298e32fb1 |website=Library of Congress |access-date=April 13, 2022 |language=en}}</ref> Shortly before his death, Richard Sherman composed a new verse to It's a Small World. On November 27, 2024, Disney premiered it in a short film on ABC.<ref>{{cite web | title=New Verse To "It's A Small World" Featured In Poignant New Disney Short Paying Tribute To The Legendary Sherman Brothers Songwriting Team | website=The Walt Disney Company | date=November 28, 2024 | url=https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/new-verse-to-its-a-small-world-featured-in-poignant-new-disney-short-paying-tribute-to-the-legendary-sherman-brothers-songwriting-team/ | access-date=November 30, 2024}}</ref> On February 12, 2025, it was announced that the new verse would be added to the Disneyland version of the attraction starting on July 17, 2025, as part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary celebration.<ref>{{cite web |title=Disneyland adding new verse to ‘It’s A Small World’ for park’s 70th anniversary
 |url=https://ktla.com/news/theme-parks/disneyland/disneyland-adding-new-verse-to-its-a-small-world-song-for-parks-70th-anniversary/ |website=Library of Congress |access-date=April 13, 2022 |language=en}}</ref>