LA Times: ‘It’s a Small World’ song gets musical makeover at Disneyland

[MasterGracey]

‘It’s a Small World’ song gets musical makeover at Disneyland

What’s the most played song in the world?

“It’s a Small World,” which plays on a continuous, 48-bar loop at one of five Disney theme parks around the world.

What’s the most annoying song in the world?

See above.

After a yearlong rehab, Disneyland will unveil the completely revamped It’s a Small World attraction on Feb. 5.

The beloved boat ride, which originally debuted at the 1964 World’s Fair before moving to the Anaheim theme park, will add approximately two dozen new Disney characters throughout the attraction, install a controversial new scene and update the now-classic song.

Walt Disney Imagineering music director John Dennis was charged with blending in new musical arrangements and counterpoint melodies to the maddeningly catchy multilingual song — “plussing” in Disney-speak.

“It was really about introducing some new elements to make it exciting and to give it a new twist, but not to take it over and change it,” Dennis said. “We found places and gaps to sort of fill in and create little new vignettes without taking anything away.”

The changes include three new musical arrangements based on the “Small World” melody, including folk instruments, wood flute and percussion in the African scene, traditional Chinese instruments in the Asian scene and solo vocals, guitars and bass in the new pre-finale scene.

Similar existing “musical arrangements” include the gurgling mermaids, yodeling yodelers and the oh-lah-lahing can-can girls.

The biggest musical change involves the addition of five new instrumental counterpoint melodies derived from classic Disney films, including one in the Asian scene, one in the South American scene and three in the European scene.

Among the newly introduced Disney counterpoint melodies in the European scene is “All in a Golden Afternoon” from “Alice in Wonderland.”

The sauntering lilt of “Golden Afternoon” was weaved into the holes and rests of “Small World” with only a few minor key and tempo adjustments, Dennis said.

“You might not catch it the first time,” Dennis said. “Even if you don’t catch any of these, the experience isn’t diminished at all.”

More at the link. ‘It’s a Small World’ song gets musical makeover at Disneyland - Travel - LATimes.com

[Nautilus]

Duck and cover from the MC Disney Purists!

Before you all start yelling please note this section of the article:

The sauntering lilt of “Golden Afternoon” was weaved into the holes and rests of “Small World” with only a few minor key and tempo adjustments, Dennis said.

Not a major "change", just a subtle little addition, like the characters.


Why should I bother saying all of this, considering all of you will probably skip over my post anyways and immediately jump to outrageous conclusions without carefully reading the article and take things out of context and say "Disney sucks" and "its all marketing" and blah, blah, blah...

[I Heart Disneyland]

WHAAAAAAAAAA? They are also changing up the music?

[Trekkie Dad]

Sounds like someone got inspiration from the weaving of various melodies into the main theme of the Electrical Parade (including "it's a small world").

[RocknGuitar]

Sounds like they are trying to update a classic attraction, which makes perfect sense and will probably give the ride a better reputation. I have absolutely nothing against this, although I don't really care for the attraction, but still, I'm kind of anxious to see the new updates.

[OTownGuy]

Thank you WDI Lords and Gods. The destrucion of a Disneyland original and icon is complete and now basically, has ceased to exist....

IASW 1966-2009

[1FoolishMortal]

Originally Posted by Nautilus

Why should I bother saying all of this, considering all of you will probably skip over my post anyways and immediately jump to outrageous conclusions without carefully reading the article and take things out of context and say "Disney sucks" and "its all marketing" and blah, blah, blah...

You didn't have to wait very long.

[Datameister]

This is actually the least offensive part of the whole overhaul to me, provided it's done well, if for no other reason than the fact that putting together a counterpoint like that between two existing melodies is difficult, and any successful solution is thus of interest to a musician like me.

[stitchon]

-sigh-

The only thing I didn't want them to mess with was the song.

[Aladdin]

Originally Posted by Nautilus

Duck and cover from the MC Disney Purists!

Before you all start yelling please note this section of the article:



Note a major "change", just a subtle little addition, like the characters.


Why should I bother saying all of this, considering all of you will probably skip over my post anyways and immediately jump to outrageous conclusions without carefully reading the article and take things out of context and say "Disney sucks" and "its all marketing" and blah, blah, blah...

HAHAHAHAHA, I was thinking the same thing, with emphasis on uh-oh, I hope we don't have to go through the wrath of the don't touch small world purists. if ANY attraction in ALL of DL desperately needed some infusion of freshness, it's this attraction. It probably doesn't go far enough, though.

[a_shy_kid]

thanks for the news break!
sounds like another fun element to also pay close attention to this week.

how exciting!!

[Disney Analyst]

I'm so excited to hear this and see it.. via videos and photos.. as Canada is far away.. but none the less, it is sure to amaze everyone. Wait too see the so-called mountain you've made out of a very tiny mole hill.

[lazyboy97O]

So much for "this will not be like Hong Kong"...

[Disney Analyst]

Well it won't be.. they've plussed it even more

[MasterGracey]

Originally Posted by Aladdin

HAHAHAHAHA, I was thinking the same thing, with emphasis on uh-oh, I hope we don't have to go through the wrath of the don't touch small world purists. if ANY attraction in ALL of DL desperately needed some infusion of freshness, it's this attraction. It probably doesn't go far enough, though.

Ironic that you would say that, considering your signature calls out for the return of The Country Bear Jamboree, an attraction that died in part to staleness.

Originally Posted by lazyboy97O

So much for "this will not be like Hong Kong"...

That's what I was thinking, too.