2025 marks the 70th anniversary of Disneyland, and the resort previously announced some joyful plans to mark the occasion, including returning fan-favorite parades and fireworks to coincide with the official celebration starting in May. But the party is only just getting started, and even more is being planned for Disneyland's actual birthday.
This morning, Disneyland Resort revealed a lot of new plans geared for the anniversary of Disneyland's opening day, July 17, 2025. They include a celebration of The Sherman Brothers, the most significant change to It’s a Small World in years, and the opening of a brand new attraction that we thought was going to open much earlier.
It’s A Small World’s Iconic Song Is Getting A New Verse At Disneyland
“It’s a Small World” is either a song you love or a song you love to hate, but either way it’s one of the best-known pieces of music in the world and one of the best songs at Disneyland. Several years ago, Richard Sherman, half of the songwriting duo of the Sherman Brothers who created numerous iconic Disney songs for movies and the parks, wrote a new final verse for It’s a Small World.
Following the passing of Richard Sherman some months back, the new verse was officially unveiled by Disney to the general public. And now Disneyland has confirmed that, starting on July 17, the final verse will be heard on the ride itself.
The lyrical addition will also be a key topic for a new film tribute to The Sherman Brothers that will also debut on July 17. Found inside Main Street Cinema, guests will be able to enjoy The Last Verse which debuted during a special on the anniversary of Mary Poppins last year.
As a huge Sherman Brothers fan, I’m excited to see the talented siglings honored in such a way. Seeing the film inside Main Street Cinema seems like the place where a tribute to the Shermans belongs. And riding It’s a Small World again with the complete song will feel like riding it for the first time.
It's possible that not everybody will like seeing the classic ride changed at all. This is the biggest new addition to the ride since Disney and Pixar characters were added, which itself is a decision that some people love, and others really don't.
But the biggest thing coming to Disneyland on July 17 was originally meant to debut a bit sooner.
Walt Disney: A Magical Life Will Now Open On Disneyland’s Birthday
In addition to these updates, the Disneyland Opera House lobby, the long-time home of Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, will transform into a Walt Disney Museum displaying numerous artifacts and accolades from Walt’s life. They will include pieces from the Walt Disney Studio, Walt Disney Imagineering as well as the Walt Disney Family Museum.
Because of these new additions, the decision has been made to push back the debut of Walt Disney: A Magical Life, a new show (temporarily) replacing Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln with a somewhat controversial Walt Disney audio-animatronic. It will now open on July 17 alongside the new displays.
As much as I’m excited and and apprehensive about the Walt Disney audio-animatronic and want to see it soon, it certainly makes sense to hold off and open all of these new additions together, on the anniversary of the day that Walt Disney said, “To all who come to this happy place, welcome.”
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