‘It’s a small world’ gets new characters in ‘monumental moment’ at Disneyland

Disneyland in California has added two new characters to its “It’s a small world” ride, according to multiple news outlets.

On Nov. 11, two new animatronic dolls in wheelchairs were added to the park in Anaheim, according to The Associated Press.

The project “took more than half a year and involved both Disney creatives and the park’s accessibility team,” according to CNN.

The dolls were showcased on the first day of the park’s Christmas season, according to AP. They’ll remain on display after the seasonal decor is removed in January.

“I feel seen. I feel represented. It’s a monumental moment to have my community be in an attraction and represented,” Erin Quintanilla, who is the manager of accessibility for the park and uses a wheelchair, told AP. “I teared up when I saw them in the attraction.”

One of the dolls is in the South America scene of the ride, and the other character sits among all the dolls from around the globe, singing the final theme song of the ride, according to the New York Post. The dolls remain in their same clothes but were reconfigured to into a seating position.

McClatchy News reached out to the park for comment and is waiting for a response.

Earlier this year Disney World’s EPCOT added a mannequin in a wheelchair to the Creations Shop, according to Disney park news site WDW News Today.

“Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland Paris are also expected to add dolls in wheelchairs to their ‘it’s a small world’ rides sometime in 2023,” according to the New York Post.

Anaheim is about 30 miles southeast of Los Angeles.

This story was originally published November 14, 2022 at 11:41 AM with the headline "‘It’s a small world’ gets new characters in ‘monumental moment’ at Disneyland."