New changes are coming to Disneyland’s Main Street U.S.A. and its famous “It’s A Small World” ride ahead of the resort’s 70th anniversary, slated to kick off in May.
Inside the Main Street Cinema, guests can watch a new film called “The Last Verse. ” This short film is about the Sherman Brothers, a songwriting duo who often collaborated with Walt Disney and their song “It’s A Small World.”
The duo also wrote popular songs like “The Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room” for Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room, “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” and “A Spoonful of Sugar” for the film “Mary Poppins,” and “I Wan’na Be Like You (The Monkey Song)” for the animated movie “The Jungle Book.”
According to the Disney Parks Blog, the film will unveil a new verse written by Richard M. Sherman for the “It’s A Small World” attraction in his final Disney contribution.
In honor of the catchy tune’s 60th anniversary, Disneyland announced that it would add the third and final verse to the “It’s A Small World” attraction beginning on July 17, the park’s 70th anniversary.
The Opera House on Main Street, U.S.A., will also be home to new gallery experiences.
The first gallery will feature the evolution of Walt Disney’s dream of Disneyland. Displayed images, art, and artifacts—some never before seen—will showcase Disneyland before, during, and after Walt’s dream became a reality.
The Opera House’s lobby will feature another exhibit dedicated to the advancement of Audio-Animatronics technology.
The resort is collaborating with The Walt Disney Family Museum on these new experiences.
“Among the treasures on loan in the gallery will be original items from Walt’s private apartment above the Fire Station on Main Street. These items include an original rocking chair, lamp and table, all of which have never been publicly exhibited at Disneyland Park before,” according to the Disney Parks Blog.
Walt’s humanitarian accolades, his 1955 Emmy award for the “Walt Disney’s Disneyland” TV show, his Presidential Medal of Freedom awarded by President Johnson in 1964, and the Walt Disney Commemorative Medal presented to Lillian Disney by President Nixon in 1969 will also be on display.
Disneyland also announced that its Walt Disney audio-animatronic, coming to the Main Street Opera House as part of the new “Walt Disney: A Magical Life” experience, will now open on July 17 to coincide with the other new additions coming to the space.
The new experience was initially slated to open on May 16.
After the show, the exit lobby will “preview projects and moments of how Disneyland will continue to move forward, as well as showcase how it has done so for decades,” according to the blog post.
More information about Disneyland’s upcoming 70th anniversary can be found here.
