Editing It's a Small World (section)

===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>