it’s a small world Fantasyland attraction at Disneyland; opened on May 28, 1966, having been moved from the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair. In 2014, sponsorship changed from Sylvania to its parent company, Siemens, and ended in 2017. Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, who won two Oscars for their music for Mary Poppins, were asked by Walt to come up with a simple piece that could be repeated over and over, sung in different languages, as guests passed through the attraction in boats. The resulting song became one of the best known Disney tunes of all time. Audio-Animatronics was used for 297 children and 256 toys in stylized settings representing over a hundred regions of the world. As in most of the Disney attractions, there is way too much to see in one visit; each time you go through you catch something new and different. At Disneyland, the facade is almost as impressive as the interior attraction. A huge ticking clock is the centerpiece, and every 15 minutes brings a parade of characters marching around it. Also a Fantasyland attraction in Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World, opened October 1, 1971; in Fantasyland at Tokyo Disneyland, opened April 15, 1983; at Disneyland Paris, opened April 12, 1992, and at Hong Kong Disneyland, opened April 28, 2008. Walt Disney World lacks the impressive facade, but for Tokyo and Paris it was brought back. Because skies are often overcast in northern France, designers felt that the facade needed a colorful pastel paint job rather than the classical white and gold look of the previous incarnations. After the opening of Disneyland Paris, and the general satisfaction with the new look, the facade at Disneyland was repainted to use the new color scheme. For the 1997 Christmas season, and each succeeding year, the attraction was redressed for the holidays with colored lights and decorations, both inside and out, with the Audio-Animatronics children dancing and singing “Jingle Bells” and “Deck the Halls” interwoven in counterpoint with the original song. The white and gold facade was returned to the attraction as the park prepared for its 50th anniversary celebration.
