Readers React: The big message of ‘It’s a Small World’

To the editor: When “It’s a Small World” opened in 1966 at Disneyland after two years at the New York World’s Fair, I was the park’s advertising and promotion manager. (“‘It’s a Small World’ after all; iconic ride celebrates 50 years,” Aug. 3)

To premiere the attraction, we had Disney offices from around the world send us a small amount of water from their seas and major rivers. We placed each of them in a separate vial, and to inaugurate “It’s a Small World,” Walt Disney poured all of them into the water, signifying the world’s waters mingling — and the oneness of humankind.

The symbolism of what we all have in common was unmistakable, and today’s world leaders would do well to learn from that ceremony we performed half a century ago.

Martin Cooper, Encino