DND WIRENEWS (28Aug97) - Anaheim, CA - The Walt Disney Company has announced the latest "classic" attraction to undergo modifications for political correctness is "It's A Small World." The attraction, which is very popular at Disney's theme parks, was originally commissioned by the late Walt Disney for the 1964-1965 Worlds Fair in New York and features automated "dolls" that sing the Richard M. Sherman/Robert B. Sherman song of the same name. "The ride really shows its age," admitted Disney representative Holotta Love in a press conference that announced the changes. "The children [dolls] didn't really look human, and the representation of certain ethnic and race groups leaves a lot to be desired." The updated ride, which is already under reconstruction, will feature more realistic "audio-animatronic" children of various ethnic groups. The new attraction will feature groups that were missing or under- represented in the original attraction, including "the elderly, [and] representatives of various political and social groups." Ms. Love also announced that the attraction will also, for the first time, feature "people living alternative lifestyles" such as gays and lesbians. A complete list of represented groups was not made available. Including representations of gay and lesbian lifestyles may increase the pressures that various religious groups have recently been applying to the Walt Disney Company. Earlier this summer, the Southern Baptist convention accused Disney of being a company that actively promotes gay and lesbian lifestyles, citing Disney's extension of family benefits to gay and lesbian couples, gay/lesbian days in Disney's theme parks, and the recent "coming out" episode of Ellen Degeneres' television show, which aired on the ABC television network which is owned by Disney. Due to their boycott, no Southern Baptist was available for comment for this report. In addition to updating the audio-animatronics in the attraction, Ms. Love announced that a new sound track will also be recorded. The original sound track for the attraction has been a running joke in the theme park industry for years, occasionally being referred to as the most obnoxious sound track in the industry. Ms. Love indicated that the new sound track will feature "a hip hop band" and the theme song will be sung by veteran Disney voice artist Gilbert Gotfried. The updated ride is scheduled to be unveiled at an invitation-only midnight ceremony following the closing of the theme park on Tuesday, March 31, 1998. 28Aug97 - DND WIRENEWS - "ALL DISNEY NEWS FITTED TO PRINT" - *** END ***