You might have noticed that a few days ago, we posted a sneak peek at a new project in the works at Tokyo Disney. The incredible group of Imagineers on the ground in Japan are busily working on a limited-time new addition to one classic attraction, “it’s a small world.” The popular ride will soon be having a visit from Groot and his friends from Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, which will be featured in the attraction from January 15th – Jun 30th of 2025. Before we go on, let’s take a quick refresher look here:
You don’t have to be a Marvel fan to admit this is adorable. The fan response to this news has been significant, and it has me asking myself some serious questions about the “it’s a small world” attraction in all its locations. In 2008 and 2009, some familiar Disney faces began to appear in the US version of this attraction, with some special Disney characters added to this iconic ride. Before then, there was no specific Disney entertainment tie-in with the attraction. Now, with the addition of these limited-edition characters to the Tokyo ride, fans are left wondering if we will see more of these special featured Disney characters in the other iterations of the attraction. I’m thinking twice about this, so let me tell you why.
At first, the answer is obviously yes. I loved the reopening of my Disneyland attraction when it suddenly showcased the faces of some of my favorite characters, each ideally (and subtly) suited to their homeland. What I didn’t like was the addition of the Toy Story characters, suddenly in a different design that felt like it detracted from Mary Blair’s original style. While every other character was transformed into their “it’s a small world” version, Woody, Jessie, and Bullseye stand out as being, well, just weird-looking, to be honest. Take a look:
While I would love to see more of the Disney characters introduced, especially if they can continue that tradition of keeping in tune with each location’s representation, it does concern me that some might just be poked in where possible. It could easily detract from the ride’s original purpose and beauty if that same skillful care isn’t applied to new characters coming into each scene.
What do you think? Should more Disney characters be introduced to this attraction? And as a side note, let me know if you’ve always been disappointed in the Toy Story addition shown above like I have. It can’t just be me, can it?
Zoë Wood is a travel writer from Sydney, Australia. Since her first visit to Disneyland at the age of 6, she has spent her years frequently visiting Disney Parks and traveling around the world.
Join Zoë as she lets you in on all the tips, tricks, anecdotes, and embarrassments that arise from her family adventures.
