it's a small world

Embark on "the happiest cruise that ever sailed!" Tour delightful pastel scenes from around the globe, meet fantastical friends and sing along with a cherished Disney melody. "it's a small world" celebrates a simple, but powerful, idea: if we view the world through the wondrous eyes of a child, we'll realize how much we have in common, and the world will be at peace. Come join the children's hopeful song!

Board your boat and set sail on a nearly 15-minute intercontinental expedition around the Seven Seaways canal. Float past the lush animal-shaped topiaries into the most harmonious place in Disneyland Park. Travel from snowy Alps to dusty plains, from arid deserts to tropical isles. Spot skiing Scandinavians, hula-ing Hawaiians, sailing Spanish, dancing Dutch and merry Mexicans. The joyful journey ends with a magical and heart-warming grand finale featuring all the world's children singing together as one. Say goodbye, Aloha or au revoir to your global friends -you'll be humming their melody all day long.

From toy soldiers to ballerinas to vaqueros to Chinese acrobats, see more than 300 animated dolls representing over 100 regions from around the world. Disney Legend Alice Davis painstakingly researched and designed individual costumes for each doll, inspired by the traditional wardrobe of each culture. Some familiar new faces debuted on February 6, 2009 with the addition of dolls representing select Disney and Disney-Pixar characters. Designed by legendary Disney artist Mary Blair, the settings are as spectacular and whimsical as the dolls. Resembling a fantasy world lovingly crafted out of construction paper, ribbon, glitter, buttons, fabric and papier-mache, the sets' simplicity and inventiveness recall the wide-eyed creations of a child.

Ride Experience

The boats enter the show building through a tunnel under the Small World clock and emerge from the ride fifteen minutes later. The show building interior is surprisingly larger than the façade. Voyagers see animatronic dolls in traditional local costumes singing "it's a small world (after all)" together, each in their native language. Boats carry voyagers as they visit the regions of the world:

• The Hello/title Room greets visiting guests a two dimensional cutout decoupage representing a boat carrying children of all nations support the title banner and many cultural greetings from around the world nearby.
• The Arctic/North Pole features dolls representing Scandinavia and Canada singing "It's a Small World (after all)" in Swedish.
• Europe has the English dolls sing with a Cockney accent, French, Italians, and a yodeler represents Switzerland.
• Asia has the song sung in Japanese.
• Africa has the rhythm of the song marked with drums and then sung in English.
• Latin America has the song sung in Spanish.
• South Seas has the song sung by mermaids (previously with an underwater gurgling sound, until the 2009 renovation) in the first section of the room, a rainforest scene with native drummers, and a Polynesian steel drum version of the song throughout the rest of the room.
• North America has dolls representing the United States and the song sung in English. (Until the 2009 renovation, the North America Room housed the rainforest scene).
• The Finale Room, a white carnival or festival, has representatives from all the cultures of the world dressed in white versions of their native costumes and singing in English in unison. (Before the refurbishment, a cowboy and Native American standing together were the only dolls during the voyage that represented the United States.)
• The Goodbye room features brightly painted three dimensional cut-outs representing stamps, airmail envelopes and postcards.
• Voyagers proceed emerge from the show building from beneath the Small World clock and proceed in a curve through fanciful landscaping featuring topiary representing animals such as dolphins and moose to the twin embark/disembark dock.

Exterior

The Tower of the Four Winds was not relocated to Disneyland's "It's a Small World" after the New York World's Fair: taking its place is a large, three-dimensional facade with stylized cutout turrets, towers and minarets which are vaguely reminiscent of world landmarks (such as the Eiffel Tower and the Leaning Tower of Pisa.) The facade was designed by Disney Imagineer Rolly Crump who was inspired by Mary Blair's styling. Walt Disney asked Rolly to design a large 30-foot clock, a central feature of the exterior facade with a smiling face that rocks back and forth to a ticking sound.

A parade of wooden dolls in native culture costumes dance out from doors at the base of the Small World clock to an instrumental toy soldier version of "It's a small world (after all)" in preparation for each quarter hour, reminiscent of a Black Forest cuckoo clock. As the last doll returns into the clock, the parade doors close and the large central pair of doors open to reveal two giant toy blocks-the large block displays highly stylized numerals of the hour, the small one displays the minutes, while large and small bells toll indicating the hours and minute.

The exterior has been slightly repainted over the years, first as all-white with a gold/silver trim, then in various shades of blue, then in pink and white with pastel accents. Portions of the left side of the original facade were removed in 1993 to make room for the entrance to Mickey's Toontown. Currently, the facade is white with a gold trim as it was in 1966, except the original gold and silver paint of the clock, the smiling clock face, is now entirely gold leaf. The gardens around the building are decorated with topiary animals.

During the 2005–2006 holiday season a sophisticated, elaborate, multi-media presentation was projected upon the outdoor façade which registered colored patterns matched to the façade each quarter hour after dusk. Guests were encouraged to view the popular Remember... Dreams Come True fireworks presentation from the "It's a small world" Mall and nearby parade viewing platform built for "Light Magic" (which had included a smoking area, now re-located under the Monorail track between the Matterhorn Bobsleds and Autopia) to decrease overwhelming crowds gathered for viewing the fireworks spectacular in Plaza (hub) and Main Street.

Touring Tips

• It's a Small World is a continuous loading ride; that is, as soon as one boatload of visitors disembarks, another is then loaded on. Each boat can hold up to 15 people. During crowded times, the boats often back up at the end of the ride and sometimes gently bump each other, so do not stand or allow your children to stand until the Cast Member beckons you to unload.
• This attraction is a great place to visit when it's hot outside, as the cool air inside will refresh you.
• There are many, many different dolls to spot as you wind along the waterway. Look for wooden soldiers, cancan dancers, balloonists, chess pieces, Tower of London guards, bagpipers and leprechauns, gooseherds, little Dutch children in wooden shoes, Don Quixote and Cleopatra, a goatherd, yodelers and gondoliers, dancers from Greece and Thailand, snake charmers, Japanese kite flyers, mermaids, hippos, giraffes, frogs, hyenas, monkeys, elephants, surfers, dolphins and much more! The 2008 refurbishment saw the addition of 29 Disney characters to the attraction, such as Alice in Wonderland, Pinocchio, Mulan, Simba, and Lilo and Stitch.
• Kids of all ages will enjoy this ride. There is nothing scary about it - no drops, no darkness, and no sudden loud noises or surprises.
• There are 29 different Disney characters in the attraction, and trying to spot them is a fun activity for kids and adults.
• Disney character meet-and-greet opportunities are available at the nearby Princess Fantasy Faire and Pixie Hollow, and characters are sometimes found on the raised terrace area along Small World Way.

Facts

• Walt Disney originally designed the attraction for the Pepsi-Cola Company to benefit UNICEF at the 1964-65 New York World's Fair. When the Fair closed, the attraction was moved to Disneyland where it opened in July 1966.
• Written and composed by the Academy Award winning team of brothers Richard and Robert Sherman, the song "it's a small world" has become one of the most well-known tunes of all time. The infectious melody is sung in the native language of the respective dolls and is orchestrated using instruments indigenous to each region- including Scottish bagpipes, Peruvian reed flutes and Tahitian drums.
• Walt Disney originally envisioned using the national anthems for each country. He quickly discovered that while the world may one day sing in perfect harmony, our national anthems will always be sung to different tunes. Walt asked the Sherman Brothers to write a single song to avoid a musical cacophony.
• Walt Disney asked the Oscar-winning musical team of Richard and Robert Sherman to come up with a "simple piece that could be repeated over and over, sung in different languages" - thus, the famous "it's a small world" theme song was born. The song was recorded by a church choir in London, a school chorus in Rome, Italy, TV performers in Mexico City and kids from Tokyo and Burbank, California. It was later spliced together with sounds and styles that represent 25 countries.
• During Holidays at the Disneyland Resort, "it's a small world" is transformed into "it's a small world" holiday. During this special time of year, the classic "it's a small world" song is joined by traditional holiday tunes, regional holiday decorations brighten up the ride, and thousands of festive lights adorn the attraction façade. Take a trip to Disneyland Park and feel the holiday spirit! Since 1997, Disneyland has featured "It's a Small World Holiday" during the end-of-the-year Christmas and holiday season. The attraction is closed in late October to receive temporary holiday decorations inside and outside, and reopens in early November before the start of the busy holiday tourist season. The overlay has proved very popular and at one point during its run needed the use of FASTPASS machines (which have since been removed). The attraction is the same boat voyage through many regions of the world, though the main theme song is not played fully. Instead, the children sing "Jingle Bells" and a bridge of "Deck the Halls" in addition to the main theme. The holiday overlay has since been implemented at Tokyo Disneyland with similar decorations, if not more, than the Disneyland version.
• Sylvania has agreed to a twelve year sponsorship and created a new marquee for the attraction.

History

It's a Small World was created by WED Enterprises as the 1964 New York World's Fair's UNICEF pavilion sponsored by Pepsi. It featured a kinetic sculpture, The Tower of the Four Winds, a 120-foot perpetually spinning mobile created by WED designer Rolly Crump, at its entrance. It was one of four attractions (Magic Skyway [Ford], Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln [Illinois], and The Carousel of Progress [GE]) which were used by Disney to test concepts and ride systems, then moved and re-built at Disneyland after the World's Fair closed in 1966. The company was given only 11 months time to create and build the ride.

Mary Blair was responsible for the attraction's whimsical design and color styling. Blair had been an art director on several Disney animated features (including Cinderella, Alice In Wonderland, and Peter Pan). Like many Disneyland attractions, scenes and characters were designed by Marc Davis, while his wife, Alice Davis, designed the costumes for the dolls. Rolly Crump designed the toys and other supplemental figures on display. The animated dolls were designed and sculpted by Blaine Gibson. Walt was personally involved with Gibson's development of the dolls' facial design (each animated doll face is completely identical in shape, hence the name "it's a small world").

Disneyland's "It's a small world – happy holiday" was closed from January to November 2008 (reopening in "happy holiday" version) to receive a major refurbishment. The building's structure was improved, permanent attachments created for the "It's a small world – happy holiday" overlay, the waterflume replaced and propulsion upgraded to electric water jet turbines, and the attraction's aging fiberglass boats redesigned in durable plastic. The refurbishment added 30 new Disney characters each in their native land, such as Ariel under water, Pinocchio in Italy, Cinderella in France with England hosting Alice, the White Rabbit, Peter Pan and Tinkerbell. The former New Guinea Room was transformed to North America with Woody, Jessie and Bullseye, and in the South Seas room is Dori, Marlin, Lilo and Stitch. The scenes, figures, props, and set pieces of New Guinea were then added to the end of the South Seas Room.