Disneyland Replaces Original “it’s a small world” Icon After 69 Years of Operation

As part of an ongoing refurbishment project, Disneyland Resort has temporarily replaced the iconic “it’s a small world” clock face with a 2d decal.

“it’s a small world” opened in Fantasyland at Disneyland Park on May 28, 1966, after initially premiering at the New York World’s Fair in 1964. Walt Disney, Mary Blair, Rolly Crump, Marc Davis, and Alice Davis all collaborated on the attraction as a tribute to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). To this day, Disney Park guests around the world leave the ride humming the same tune written by Richard and Robert Sherman all those years ago.

As Disneyland Resort prepares for its upcoming 70th birthday, Walt Disney Imagineers have been hard at work inside “it’s a small world.” The Disneyland Park attraction closed for refurbishment in January and has no scheduled reopening date. However, Disneyland Resort has promised that it will debut new Coco (2017) dolls and a final song verse as part of the park’s 70th-anniversary celebrations. Disneyland Park will also introduce a new nighttime projection show, “Tapestry of Happiness,” on the ride’s exterior.

Although “it’s a small world” remains inaccessible to guests, covered by white construction walls, visitors have spotted some refurbishment efforts around the attraction. Most recently, Disneyland Resort has focused on replacing brickwork near the ride’s exterior.

This week, though, Disney Park guests noticed a change to “it’s a small world” itself. According to WDWNT, the attraction’s iconic 3D clock face, which spins and smiles at guests, has disappeared. In its place, crews have stuck a 2D decal of the face on a square box covering the area where the clock face is typically.

Although what happened to the “it’s a small world” clock face is unclear, it’s likely been removed for offsite refurbishment. Walt Disney Imagineers will probably reinstall the clock face before the Fantasyland attraction reopens to guests.

Disneyland Resort hasn’t announced a reopening date for “it’s a small world,” but it’s expected to coincide with the resort’s 70th-anniversary celebrations. Although Disneyland Park’s birthday isn’t until July, the Disneyland70 party kicks off on May 16.

Beyond “it’s a small world,” the Disneyland70 entertainment offerings include the “Paint the Night” parade, “Wondrous Journeys” fireworks, and all-new “Celebrate Happy” cavalcade at Disneyland Park. Disney California Adventure Park will debut the all-new “World of Color Happiness!” show, a refreshed version of the Toy Story Midway Mania! attraction, and the returning “Better Together: A Pixar Pals Celebration!” parade.

Which version of “it’s a small world” is your favorite and why? Share your opinion with us in the comments!