Disney Legends Richard and Robert Sherman – known as the Sherman Brothers – composed the iconic “it’s a small world” song for an attraction created by Walt Disney and his team at WED Enterprises (which later became Walt Disney Imagineering) for the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair.
After two seasons in New York, the charming attraction was relocated to California, where it opened at Disneyland on May 28, 1966. Today, “it’s a small world” (and the beloved Sherman Brothers’ song) can be experienced at five Disney Parks: Disneyland, Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, and Hong Kong Disneyland.
The iconic earworm of a song plays approximately 1,200 times a day at Disneyland. Multiply that by the five parks featuring versions of the historic ride, and the Sherman Brothers’ song, “it’s a small world” (after all),” is likely the most played song in the world—and possibly of all time. It’s also said that, thanks to Disney parks in different time zones, the song is playing around the clock.
On April 13, 2022, the 1964 recording of “It’s a Small World” performed by The Disneyland Boys Choir joined “When You Wish Upon a Star” as the second Disney song inducted into the Library of Congress National Recording Registry.
On November 27, 2024, The Walt Disney Company premiered a three-minute and 30-second short film called The Last Verse, which traces the iconic Disney song’s 60-year history and impact on pop culture and includes a poignant new verse written by Richard Sherman before his passing in May 2024.
Richard Sherman shared the new verse with The Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger in the summer of 2023 “as his final gift to the studio that he so deeply cherished.”
“As the legendary creators of some of the most cherished music of the past century, the Sherman brothers will be remembered for their profound impact on our global culture,” Bob said. “Hearing Richard Sherman recite the final verse to “it’s a small world” before he died will be a moment I will carry with me forever. This beautiful short film is our tribute to their immeasurable musical contributions, their memory, and to the countless memories they helped create for generations of people around the world.”
“It’s A Small World” – The Last Verse:
Mother Earth unites us in heart and mind
And the love we give makes us humankind
Through our vast wondrous land
When we stand hand in hand
It’s a small world after all
The Last Verse premiered as part of an ABC News Studios’ two-hour documentary, The Untold Story of Mary Poppins: A Special Edition of 20/20, which celebrates the 60th anniversary of Mary Poppins, for which the Sherman Brothers won Academy Awards for Best Original Song and Best Original Score.
The short film will stream on Disney+ beginning November 28.
You can read our tribute to Richard Sherman here:
There’s so much that we share that it’s time we’re aware—it’s a small world, after all.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Looking for more holiday cheer?
We’ll be live at 5pm (Pacific) from Disneyland on our Facebook Page and YouTube (follow the accounts now to get your notifications). Be sure to follow along for some madcap fun at the Happiest Place on Earth.
And find all of our holiday articles on our dedicated holiday portal: