Whenever my girlfriend insists we ride Disneyland’s “it’s a small world” (one of her favorites), I throw a tantrum like a toddler who needs a nap. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of ‘small world’ designer Mary Blair. I always found her highly stylized asymmetric mod-art an interesting departure from classic Disney animation. And I’m certainly not the only one who misses Blair’s long gone Tomorrowland murals . Yet, I’ve never been big on ‘small world.’ 

Of course, I realize I’m outnumbered by those who cherish the mind-boggling assemblage of audio animatronic dolls, the song (oh, that earworm of a song!) and the attraction’s overall message of world peace. Yes, I’m fully prepared to be called a grumpy old cynic in the “Comments” section below. But never once did I imagine “it’s a small world” and the word “controversy” would inhabit the same sentence.  

In 2008, that’s exactly what happened after the attraction closed for some long overdue TLC. When word leaked that the makeover would add new Disney and Pixar movie characters to the ride, Magic Kingdom purists flipped their Mad Hatter lids.  Disney Imagineering legend Marty Sklar reminded them that Walt himself always considered the park a work in progress. (Note: 'it's a small world' at Disney World in Florida was redone in 2004-2005. Unlike the character additions made to the Disneyland attraction, the WDW changes were simply a matter of aesthetics and updating.)

Closed for a year, the Fantasyland classic reopened in early February and last week I headed for Anaheim to give ‘small world’ redux a spin. Would the rehab ruin Mary Blair’s “historic work of art” as purists predicted? Shuffling through the queue, I snapped pictures of the freshly painted ‘small world’  façade, its stylized jumble of white geometric shapes, turrets and minarets gleaming in the mid-day sun. The toy figures in the massive mechanical clock have been spiffed up. And down in the water canal, guests climbed aboard brand-spanking-new boats. So far, so great.

As my boat set off on the “happiest cruise that ever sailed ‘round the world,” I immediately noticed everything inside the attraction sparkled like I’d personally never seen before. Scene backdrops have been repainted, the spruced-up dolls sport new threads and the lighting and audio have been beautifully enhanced.

As for the new Disney/Pixar characters, there are 29 of them placed throughout the ride in the world region in which their stories take place. I didn’t spot them all, but did catch Alice and the White Rabbit in Great Britain, Pinocchio in Italy, Aladdin and Jasmine on a magic carpet ride over the Middle East, Ariel “The Little Mermaid” in the Pacific Islands and Woody and Jessie from “Toy Story” in the new “Spirit of America” scene.

Rest easy, Disney superfans. “it’s a small world” looks as good, if not better than it did on opening day back in 1966. Don’t believe me? Check out footage of the opening ceremonies and a ride through the attraction itself in the 1966 episode of “Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color”, titled “Disneyland Around The Seasons.” You’ll find it on disc two of the “Walt Disney Treasures: Disneyland Secrets, Stories & Magic” DVD set.      If you can’t find the DVD, which was a limited edition release, there are a few clips in this Disney promo video.

So, did they ruin the ride? Far from it. The new dolls, designed in the Blair style, blend in perfectly with the existing dolls. The kindergarten-age kids in my boat loved spotting their favorite Disney characters. And after all, aren’t they who Walt and Blair had in mind when they originally dreamed up this attraction?