REFURBISHMENTMay 2004 – 2005 · ~8 mo
- May 2004
Closed for a roughly ten-month major refurbishment.
Tracked byTheme Park Patch Notes
↺ Reopened 2005
🎞 Footage wanted
We don't have a ride-through on file for this one yet — so nobody can Re-Ride it from home. Know a good POV video? 🎥 Suggest it on the Re-Ride — it takes a minute, a moderator checks it, and this ride boards with your find. (Or drop it in our Discord.)
Ride history
the lifetime log- 2025
Debuted a previously unreleased third verse of the song in the finale — the last lyrics Richard M. Sherman wrote for Disney — on the same day as the Disneyland version.
- 2023
Added a doll seated in a wheelchair to the opening scene as part of an inclusion initiative, following matching additions at the Disneyland version.
- 2021
Repainted the interior queue/loading-area facade in bright, vibrant colors for Walt Disney World's 50th anniversary, replacing the white-and-gold scheme.
- 2005
- 1971
◆ Latest milestone
Opened with Magic Kingdom on opening day as an indoor Fantasyland boat ride — a Florida recreation of the 1964-65 New York World's Fair attraction, with over 600 costumed figures.
Tracked byTheme Park Patch Notes
That's every change on the record on "it's a small world" since 1971.
The spotters in our Discord catch the next one first — and the record only grows when someone notices.
Questions & answers
When did "it's a small world" open?
Per the documented record, "it's a small world" at Magic Kingdom opened on Oct 1, 1971.
When did "it's a small world" last close for refurbishment?
The most recent closure/refurbishment documented for "it's a small world" is dated May 2004: Closed for a roughly ten-month major refurbishment.
What changed recently on "it's a small world"?
The latest documented change (documented Jul 17, 2025): Debuted a previously unreleased third verse of the song in the finale — the last lyrics Richard M. Sherman wrote for Disney — on the same day as the Disneyland version.
How many changes are on record for "it's a small world"?
6 documented changes, dating back to 1971 — the fan-kept ride changelog nobody else keeps.
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