
Disney is on something of a roll with tweaking its classic attractions lately, which is what makes its latest effort so suprising.
While Disney is home to some of the most beloved rides in theme park history, even its most iconic attractions aren’t totally immune to change. In recent years, Disney has made it clear that no ride is off-limits when it comes to updates, whether for modernization, maintenance, or storytelling enhancements.

Credit: Ed Aguila, Inside the Magic
Disney’s Ride Update Spree
From altering culturally outdated scenes in Pirates of the Caribbean and Jungle Cruise to adding new effects to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Disney has tweaked multiple iconic rides in recent years. Recently, there’s been talk that it may axe the hanging corpse scene at Disneyland Park for the sake of sensitivity.
Even “it’s a small world” – one of Walt Disney’s most iconic creations, conceived as a message of global unity – has seen modifications, with some (such as Disney adding in more inclusive figures) received more positively than others.
Most notably, fans have not been fond of Disney incorporating characters from its films into the ride. Even more controversially, Tokyo Disneyland recently gave its version of the ride a total (but temporary) refresh.
Its version of the ride is currently known as “it’s a small world with Groot,” with the iconic Guardians of the Galaxy character guiding riders on a trip that combines various cultures with an array of beloved superheroes from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Just like Walt wanted.

Credit: Tokyo Disney Resort
While we’re very much team “this update is cute,” some people aren’t quite as convinced by the idea of “it’s a small world with Groot,” considering the overlay a blight on a nostalgic classic.
Disney has made some updates to the version of the ride found at Disneyland Paris. Thankfully, these changes aren’t as drastic. In fact, they help restore much of what had been lost from “it’s a small world” over time.
Disneyland Paris Updates “it’s a small world”
According to Disneyland Paris, several Audio-Animatronics were recently updated during the ride’s brief 11-day closure to bring it closer to how it was when it first opened.
When it reopens tomorrow, ‘it’s a small world’ will feature brand new costumes for some of the dolls, inspired by the original 1992 designs. Here’s a look at the design and installation:
When it reopens tomorrow, ‘it’s a small world’ will feature brand new costumes for some of the dolls, inspired by the original 1992 designs. Here’s a look at the design and installation: pic.twitter.com/Hk8dYg9MeK
— DLP Report (@DLPReport) January 31, 2025
Unlike a huge number of updates to Disney rides lately, this refresh has seen Walt Disney Imagineering try to restore some of the attraction’s original magic nearly 33 years after it first opened. Costumes for several dolls have been replaced, drawing on the original designs inspired by the costumes featured in 1992.
The entire process reportedly took two years of research and a year of dressmaking, with those involved relying heavily on archival photographs from the 1990s. Each doll in “it’s a small world” famously wears a costume inspired by various cultures and traditions across the globe.
“In all, no fewer than sixty items of clothing were created by a team of 13 dressmakers, wigmakers and milliners, with an average of 3 metres of fabric used per figure and 4 metres of wool per wig,” explained Disneyland Paris.
“Each stage of production (including the choice of fabric, the prototype and the finished costume) is carefully inspected by the Imagineers, to ensure not only the highest quality but also the authenticity of the country they represent.”
What do you think of the new updates to “it’s a small world”?