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Wikipedia

It's a Small World

"It's a Small World" (stylized in all lowercase) is a water-based boat ride located in the Fantasyland area at various Disney theme parks around the world, including Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California; Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida; Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, and Hong Kong Disneyland. The inaugural version of the ride premiered at the 1964 New York World's Fair before permanently moving to Disneyland in 1966.[1]

It's a Small World
It's a Small World at Disneyland
Disneyland
AreaFantasyland
Coordinates33°48′53″N 117°55′04″W / 33.8147°N 117.9178°W / 33.8147; -117.9178
StatusOperating
CostUS$1.5 million
Opening dateMay 28, 1966; 57 years ago (1966-05-28)
WebsiteOfficial website
Magic Kingdom
AreaFantasyland
Coordinates28°25′15″N 81°34′55″W / 28.4208°N 81.5820°W / 28.4208; -81.5820
StatusOperating
Opening dateOctober 1, 1971; 52 years ago (1971-10-01)
WebsiteOfficial website
Tokyo Disneyland
AreaFantasyland
Coordinates35°37′49″N 139°52′52″E / 35.6304°N 139.8812°E / 35.6304; 139.8812
StatusOperating
Opening dateApril 15, 1983; 40 years ago (1983-04-15)
WebsiteOfficial website
Disneyland Park (Paris)
AreaFantasyland
Coordinates48°52′31″N 2°46′34″E / 48.8753°N 2.7761°E / 48.8753; 2.7761
StatusOperating
Opening dateApril 12, 1992; 31 years ago (1992-04-12)
WebsiteOfficial website
Hong Kong Disneyland
AreaFantasyland
Coordinates22°18′49″N 114°02′21″E / 22.3137°N 114.0391°E / 22.3137; 114.0391
StatusOperating
Opening dateApril 28, 2008; 15 years ago (2008-04-28)
WebsiteOfficial website
1964 New York World's Fair
StatusRemoved
Opening dateApril 22, 1964; 59 years ago (1964-04-22)
Closing dateOctober 17, 1965; 57 years ago (1965-10-17)
Ride statistics
Attraction typeOld Mill
DesignerWED Enterprises/Walt Disney Imagineering
ThemeWorld peace and unity
Music"It's a Small World (After All)", written by the Sherman Brothers
Vehicle typeBoats
Riders per vehicle16
Rows4
Riders per row4
Duration12–15 minutes
Propulsion methodWater jets, electric turbine
Number of lifts0
Premier Access (outside USA) available
Disney Genie+ Lightning Lane available
Single rider line sometimes
Wheelchair accessible

The ride features over 300 audio-animatronic dolls[2] in traditional costumes from cultures around the world, frolicking in a spirit of international unity, and singing the attraction's title song, which has a theme of global peace. According to TIME.com, the Sherman Brothers' song "It's a Small World" is the most publicly performed song of all time.[3][4] In recent years, the Small World attractions at the various Disney parks have been updated to include depictions of Disney characters—in a design compatible with the original 1960s design of Mary Blair—alongside the original characters.

History Edit

Fabricated at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank as Children of the World, and created by WED Enterprises, the ride was shipped to the 1964 New York World's Fair, where it was housed at the UNICEF pavilion (sponsored by Pepsi), which featured at its entrance a kinetic sculpture, The Tower of the Four Winds, a 120-foot perpetually spinning mobile created by WED designer Rolly Crump. It joined four other attractions—Magic Skyway (Ford pavilion), Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln (Illinois pavilion), The Carousel of Progress (General Electric pavilion), and CircleVision 360 (Kodak pavilion)—already under development, which were used by Disney to sponsor, fund, and test concepts and to develop ride systems and innovative entertainment, all intended to be dismantled and rebuilt at Disneyland after the World's Fair had closed in 1966.[5]

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 (1950), Alice In Wonderland (1951), and Peter Pan (1953). Like many Disneyland attractions, the scenes and characters were designed by animator Marc Davis, whose wife Alice Davis designed the costumes for the dolls, while Crump designed the toys and other supplemental figures on display. The animated dolls were designed and sculpted by Blaine Gibson, and the dolls' facial designs were developed by Gibson and Greg S. Marinello. Walt Disney was personally involved with the design of the animated dolls' faces, each being completely identical in shape.

Arrow Development was heavily involved in the design of the passenger-carrying boats and propulsion system of the attraction. Two patents that were filed by Arrow Development staff and assigned to The Walt Disney Company illustrate passenger boats and vehicle guidance systems with features very similar to those later utilized on the Disneyland installation of the attraction.[6][7] The firm is credited with manufacturing the Disneyland installation.[8]

Song Edit

"Children of the World" was the working title of the attraction. Its tentative soundtrack featured the national anthems of every country represented throughout the ride, all playing at once, which resulted in a disharmonic cacophony. Walt conducted a walk-through of the attraction scale model with his staff songwriters Robert B. and Richard M. Sherman, saying, "I need one song that can be easily translated into many languages and be played as a round."[9] The Sherman brothers then wrote "It's a Small World (After All)"[10] in the wake of the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, which influenced the song's message of peace and brotherhood. When they first presented it to Walt, they played it as a slow ballad. Walt requested something more cheerful, so they increased the tempo and sang in counterpoint. Walt was so delighted with the final result that he renamed the attraction "It's a Small World" after the Sherman Brothers' song.[11]

Robert B. Sherman's youngest son, Robert J. Sherman, has said that this song is the single most-performed and most-translated piece of music ever produced.[9] In 2014, it was estimated that the song had played nearly 50 million times worldwide on the attractions alone, beating the radio and TV estimates for "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" and "Yesterday", which were believed to have been played at least eight and seven million times, respectively.[3][12]

A third verse celebrating the attraction's 50th anniversary was written and popularized, but not incorporated into the ride.[13]

In 2022, a 1964 recording of "It's a Small World (After All)" performed by the Disneyland Boys Choir was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Recording Registry as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[14]

Global installations Edit

1964 New York World's Fair Edit

 
The attraction debuted at the 1964 New York World's Fair.

The first incarnation of It's a Small World, which debuted at the 1964 New York World's Fair, was an afterthought and nearly did not happen. Ford and General Electric had engaged Disney early on to create their pavilions for the 1964 New York World's Fair. WED Enterprises had already long been at work developing a "dancing-doll" designed to reproduce human movement resulting in a crude early audio-animatronics fashioned as Abraham Lincoln when the State of Illinois approached Disney to create the Illinois Pavilion, representatives of the state instantly approved after being "introduced" to the robotic figurehead. A nine wide-screen CircleVision 360° exhibit for Kodak's pavilion was also being planned as an improvement over the existing Disneyland eleven 4:3 format screen Circarama (which later failed the installation deadline for opening) when Pepsi approached Disney with a plan to tribute UNICEF.

Disney seemed to be the showman to give us the package we want ... He's terrific. He's got his hands in more bowls than anyone I've ever seen, but he accomplishes what he sets out to do. — J. G. Mullaly, Ford's World's Fair program manager[15]

 
1964 World's Fair "It's a Small World" ticket, logo portion
April 22, 1964 – opening day

A salute to the children of the world, designed by Walt Disney, presents animated figures frolicking in miniature settings of many lands. Visitors are carried past the scenes in small boats. In an adjoining building Pepsi sponsors exhibits by the U.S. Committee for the United Nations Children's Fund. Above the pavilion rises the 120-foot Tower of the Four Winds, a fanciful creation of coloured shapes that dance and twist in the breeze. – 1965 Official Guide Book to the New York World's Fair[16]

The attraction was incredibly successful. Ten million 60¢ and 95¢ tickets for children and adults, respectively, were collected in two half-year seasons and the proceeds were donated to UNICEF.[16] While other attractions had lines out the doors, there seemed to always be a seat available aboard It's a Small World. Its high rider-per-hour capacity was recognized as a valuable innovation and was incorporated indirectly and directly into future attractions. Pirates of the Caribbean had been under construction at Disneyland as a subterranean walk-through. That design was scrapped as concrete was broken out so similar boats could sail past scenes that (because the original walk-through scene length was not shortened) were now different each voyage, another concept that forever influenced attraction design and popularity.[citation needed]

Disneyland Edit

The boats enter the show building through a tunnel under the Small World clock and emerge from the attraction fifteen minutes later. The show building interior is 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.

Other Disney park installations wind the flume around one large room, emphasizing its theme that the world is small and interconnected. Each installation may vary the countries that are represented and the order in which they appear. The boats are stored behind the facade and go in and out backstage in between the Spanish room.

The ride was originally sponsored by Bank of America from when it opened until 1990. The ride was then sponsored by Mattel from 1992 to 1999.

Exterior Edit

The Tower of the Four Winds was not relocated to Disneyland's It's a Small World after the New York World's Fair; in its place is an outdoor oval flume and boarding queue decorated with topiary backed by a large, flat facade with stylized cutout turrets, towers and minarets that are vaguely reminiscent of world landmarks (such as the Eiffel Tower and the Leaning Tower of Pisa). The façade 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 façade, 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 European automaton 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 stylized numerals of the hour, the small one displays the minutes, while large and small bells toll to count the hours and quarters.

The exterior has been subtly repainted over the years, first as all-white with a gold/silver trim (1966), then in various shades of blue (1977), then in pink and white with pastel accents (1992). Portions of the left side of the original façade were removed in 1991 to make room for the entrance to Mickey's Toontown. As of 2020, the façade 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 façade was repainted back to its original color scheme in 2002. The gardens around the building are decorated with topiary animals.

During the 2005–2006 holiday season, an elaborate multimedia presentation was projected on the outdoor façade that 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 that was relocated under the Monorail track between the Matterhorn Bobsleds and Autopia before it was removed in 2019) to decrease overwhelming crowds gathered for viewing the fireworks spectacular in Plaza and Main Street.

Other changes (1966–2008) Edit

When the ride was moved to Disneyland in 1966, a scene representing Oceania was added to the ride, which was not included at the World's Fair due to time and budget constraints. At the same time, hello and goodbye rooms were added to the attraction, which have also seen several changes over the years. In the 1960s–’70s there were stylized cutouts of flowers saying hello and goodbye in different languages; these were then changed to stylized rainbows with cutout butterflies in the 1980s–’90s, before changing to a nautical theme with stylized boats with different greetings at the turn of the millennium. When Bank of America sponsored the ride, there was also a message in the goodbye room that read:

Wherever you go Around the World You're never far From Bank of America.

The finale scene also received changes, as originally the color palette was white with colored pastels, such as pink, yellow, and light blue, and in the early 1980s this would be changed to a darker color palette of black, as well as purple and blue. There also used to be a large stylized sun at the end of the finale scene, which would be removed circa 1990 for unknown reasons. In addition, many other scenes also saw subtle changes through the years.

2008 refurbishment Edit

Disneyland's "It's a Small World" was closed from January to November 2008 (closed and reopening in a holiday version, skipping the summer season) to receive a major refurbishment.[17][18][19] The building's structure was improved, permanent attachments created for the "It's a Small World Holiday" overlay, the water flume replaced and its propulsion upgraded to electric water jet turbines, and the attraction's aging fiberglass boats redesigned in durable plastic. The refurbishment added 29 new Disney characters, each in their native land in a similar manner to the Hong Kong Disneyland version. The refurbishment also restored the original white and pastel colors in the finale, as well as the farewell sun and tapestry, the latter of which hadn't been seen since the 1964-’65 World's Fair.

Osram Sylvania agreed to a twelve-year sponsorship. In 2014, the sponsor logo at the attraction's entrance changed to that of Siemens AG, the parent company of Sylvania. The sponsorship ended its run after the 2017 Christmas season.

The Magic, the Memories, and You Edit

As part of Disney's "Let the Memories Begin" campaign for 2011, a nighttime projection show premiered at the Disneyland version of It's a Small World on January 27, 2011.[20] The Magic, the Memories, and You show projected sequences of Disney attractions and characters set to Disney music onto the exterior façade of It's a Small World to fill its architectural features, personalized with exclusive photographs and videos of park guests taken that day by Disney's PhotoPass cast members. The show also existed in Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom, but was projected onto Cinderella Castle. As the Let the Memories Begin campaign drew to a close, the show ended its run on Labor Day, September 3, 2012, at both locations. The Florida version was eventually replaced by Celebrate the Magic in fall 2012 and later by Once Upon a Time in 2016. The Magic, The Memories, and You theme song was later used for Celebrate! Tokyo Disneyland as part of the Tokyo Disney Resort 35th Anniversary celebration that premiered at Tokyo Disneyland on July 10, 2018, which also created as nod and tribute for the former nighttime projection show along with Remember Dreams Come True, which is a show using the Wishes: A Magical Gathering of Disney Dreams soundtrack.

Magic Kingdom Edit

 
It's a Small World at Magic Kingdom, Disney World, Florida

On October 1, 1971, a version of the ride opened in Florida's Walt Disney World Fantasyland within Magic Kingdom. The boarding queue was built inside the Enchanted Hall (which is an alleyway that transitions from Fantasyland to Liberty Square). In 2005, the attraction's load area was redesigned to feature an indoor version of the three-dimensional facade and clock that are seen outdoors in the other Disney parks. This clock lacks the parade of wooden dolls and instead goes straight to opening the central pair of doors to reveal the time. In 2021, for the park's 50th anniversary, its facade was repainted in bright colors.

Kodak sponsored the attraction for a period of time in the early 1980s. The toy company Mattel sponsored the attraction from 1991 until 1998, when it transferred its sponsorship to another Magic Kingdom attraction, Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, in nearby Tomorrowland from that attraction's opening in 1998 until 1999, when it also dropped its sponsorship of that attraction, thus ending Mattel's history as a Walt Disney World/Disneyland sponsor. Mattel continued to sponsor the Disneyland version from 1992 to 1999.

Tokyo Disneyland Edit

 
It's a Small World at Tokyo Disneyland

The Tokyo Disneyland version of the attraction is identical in layout to the Magic Kingdom version except for these differences:

  • The façade's design is an almost-complete replica of the California counterpart under a different color scheme, resembling Disneyland's 1990s version.
  • The loading area is split into two zones instead of one.
  • A Welcome room was added during the 2018 refurbishment, resembling the one at the California version.
  • There are scenes featuring various Disney characters redesigned in Mary Blair's style that were added during the 2018 refurbishment.
  • The Asian room features radically different sets and dolls for Japan and China compared to the Magic Kingdom version. A Mandarin-language track was added to the China section in the 2018 refurbishment.
  • The ride uses a different, more recent recording of the song sung in Japanese specifically created for this version instead of the original Japanese recording. The vocal track is used for both the Asian room and finale room.
  • The walls of the African, South American, and Oceanian rooms are painted in colors similar to the Magic Kingdom version before its 2005 renovation.
  • The Polynesian room has vocals singing in English.
  • The Goodbye room resembles the one found at the California version.

2018 refurbishment Edit

On March 1, 2017, Tokyo Disneyland's version of "It's a Small World" closed down for refurbishment for its first major update since the park's opening in 1983. Reopened in April 2018,[21] to coincide with Tokyo Disneyland's 35th anniversary, the attraction featured 40 characters from Disney properties including Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, The Aristocats, Brave, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Pinocchio, The Jungle Book, The Lion King, Hercules, The Three Caballeros, Mulan, Tangled, Lilo & Stitch, Frozen, Finding Nemo, and Moana similar to its counterparts in California and Hong Kong.[22][23]

The attraction was initially set to be relocated to another area in Fantasyland with a new facade similar to the California counterpart as part of original expansion plans announced in October 2014 for the resort within the next ten years, before being revised and updated.[24] The transformed version of the attraction soft-opened on April 15, 2018, revealing an updated color scheme for the façade, a new tick-tock sound and parade music (similar to the ones used in Hong Kong and Anaheim), an entirely reconstructed loading area dubbed "Small World Station," a new Welcome room, an extended Goodbye room, rebuilt set pieces, and music tracks new to the ride including a Mandarin language track added to the China scene formerly exclusive to the Hong Kong version along with the aforementioned Disney characters.[25]

Disneyland Paris Edit

The attraction at Disneyland Paris is a departure from other versions of the attraction. The façade features rearranged and slightly redesigned landmarks with a completely different clock tower. The exterior clock face features a wide-awake sun on its left half and a sleeping moon on its right half. Unlike all other versions of the ride, every scene is housed in one room with arches being used to define sections of the ride. The scenery design is a complete departure from Mary Blair's distinctive style, though the dolls used remain identical to all other versions. The ride also uses a completely different soundtrack composed by John Debney (which was also used for roughly a decade at the Californian version from 1992 to 2002, before switching back to the original 1966 soundtrack), which can be described as more ornate compared to the original soundtrack. This is the first version of the ride to incorporate a scene for North America with dolls representing Canada and the United States, and a distinct Middle Eastern section with dolls singing in Arabic and Hebrew. In the Finale room, in addition to the song being sung in English, it is also sung in Dutch French German and Russian. Also, the attraction had a post-show area called World Chorus that was sponsored by Orange S.A., which opened with the park in 1992 and then closed in 2010 to make way for the Princess Pavilion meet and greet area.[26]

2015 refurbishment Edit

As part of an ongoing plan to refurbish several attractions for the park's 25th anniversary, this version went under an extensive refurbishment for six months before it reopened on December 19, 2015. The refurbishment included a different color scheme for the façade that is identical to the color scheme when it first opened, restored assets and special effects, refurbished boats, new LED lighting to replace the old stage lighting, and all 176 dolls in the ride being progressively replaced through 2017. The entrance and exit rooms have been completely revamped, being identical to the entrance scene in Hong Kong Disneyland's version and the exit scene in the Magic Kingdom and Hong Kong Disneyland versions (rendered in the Mary Blair style similar to the other parks). The soundtrack has been completely remastered with the base instrumental removed from the majority of the ride's audio except for the finale, making the soundtrack more similar to the original version. Additionally, new audio tracks are added including a new recording of someone yodeling to the tune of the song in the Switzerland scene.[27]

2021–2023 refurbishment Edit

Disneyland Paris's "It's a Small World" was scheduled to be closed for extensive refurbishments from November 2021 until November 2022.[28] After an additional six-month delay, the ride was officially reopened on May 5, 2023.[29]

Hong Kong Disneyland Edit

 
It's a Small World at Hong Kong Disneyland

The Hong Kong Disneyland version of the attraction is mostly modeled after the original Disneyland counterpart, using a canal for the boats to travel through instead of the open-ended water track found in the Magic Kingdom, Tokyo, and Paris versions. Some of this version's prominent and unique characteristics include:

  • 38 Disney characters (all rendered in the Mary Blair style) added to scenes where their stories originated[30] This plan was originally supposed for the Magic Kingdom version of the attraction.
  • An expanded Asia sequence with Hong Kong, the Philippines and Korea represented with children singing in Cantonese, Tagalog and Korean, respectively, as well as an extended China scene with represented with children singing in Mandarin
  • A distinct Arabian room, and scenes for North America, similar to the Paris version
  • Extraordinary fiber-optic lighting effects in the Finale room not seen on any other Disney attraction[31]
  • Cantonese, Korean, Mandarin, and Tagalog versions of the song that were specifically recorded for Hong Kong Disneyland. The finale is sung in three languages: Cantonese, English and Mandarin.

The attraction is the largest indoor attraction at Hong Kong Disneyland. It is situated beyond the Hong Kong Disneyland Railroad, next to Disney's Storybook Theater where Mickey and the Wondrous Book is performed daily.

Holiday overlay Edit

It's a Small World Holiday
 
"It's a Small World holiday" lighting display
Disneyland
AreaFantasyland
Coordinates33°48′53″N 117°55′04″W / 33.8147°N 117.9178°W / 33.8147; -117.9178
StatusClosed
Opening dateNovember 25, 1997; 25 years ago (1997-11-25)
Closing dateThis year: January 8, 2023; 9 months ago (2023-01-08)
Tokyo Disneyland
Name"it's a small world" verry merry holidays
AreaFantasyland
Coordinates35°37′49″N 139°52′52″E / 35.6304°N 139.8812°E / 35.6304; 139.8812
StatusRemoved
Opening date2003
Closing date2018
Disneyland Park (Paris)
Name"it's a small world celebration"
AreaFantasyland
Coordinates48°52′31″N 2°46′34″E / 48.8753°N 2.7761°E / 48.8753; 2.7761
StatusRemoved
Opening date1999, 2009, 2017
Closing date2002, 2015, 2019
Hong Kong Disneyland
Name"it's a small world" Christmas
AreaFantasyland
Coordinates22°18′49″N 114°02′21″E / 22.3137°N 114.0391°E / 22.3137; 114.0391
StatusRemoved
Opening date2009
Closing dateJanuary 1, 2010; 13 years ago (2010-01-01)
Ride statistics
Attraction typeOld Mill
DesignerWED Enterprises/Walt Disney Imagineering
ThemeHolidays Round The World (Christmas themed)
MusicJingle Bells with a dash of Deck The Halls featuring "It's a Small World (After All)", written by the Sherman Brothers
Vehicle typeBoats
Riders per vehicle16
Rows4
Riders per row4
Duration12–15 minutes
Propulsion methodWater jets, electric turbine
Number of lifts0
  Premier Access (outside USA) available
  Disney Genie+ Lightning Lane available
  Single rider line sometimes
  Wheelchair accessible

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. After the holiday season, "It's a Small World Holiday" stays open until late January where it closes to remove the holiday overlay and return to classic "It's a Small World" in early February. Almost one million lights are included during the holidays.[32] The overlay has proved very popular and has led to the installation of Fastpass machines. The attraction is the same boat voyage through many regions of the world, though the main theme song is not played in full. Instead, the children sing "Jingle Bells" and a bridge of "Deck the Halls" in addition to the main theme. Other versions of this overlay have been implemented at different international versions of the ride since. Since the holiday 2009 season, the Disney characters and The Spirit of America room (formerly the covered transition room) have joined in the "It's a Small World Holiday" at Disneyland. During the 2019 holiday season, Disney Imagineering added 3 new scents on "It's a Small World" Holiday. Since 1997, the European room has implemented a peppermint gingerbread scent, now accompanied by 3 new scents such as cherry blossoms in Asia, cinnamon in South America, and coconuts in the South Seas. For the 2020–2021 season, the overlay didn't take place due to COVID-19 and the ongoing closure of Disneyland Park.[citation needed]

Prior to the 2018 refurbishment, Tokyo Disneyland had a version of "It's a Small World Holiday" called "It's a Small World Very Merry Holidays".[citation needed]

Disneyland Paris had a version of the overlay in which the full holiday soundtrack was not used. For the 2009 winter season, it received an overhaul with an official name of "It's a Small World Celebration". The overhaul included new lighting and decorations throughout the ride, and the entire ride now uses the full "It's a Small World Holiday" soundtrack.[33] Following a 2015 renovation, "It's a Small World Celebration" was planned to use an updated soundtrack originally set for winter 2016.[34] However, it was delayed for unknown reasons. "It's a Small World Celebration" returned for the 2017–2018 holiday season, featuring an updated soundtrack.

Hong Kong Disneyland implemented its own version called "It's a Small World Christmas" that highlights the Disney character scenes in Christmas fashion with an appearance of Santa Claus in the North Pole scene.[35]

The Magic Kingdom does not have its own holiday edition of "It's a Small World", and the regular ride operates continuously through the holiday season.

Television series and feature film Edit

Accidental deaths on It's A Small World Edit

  • On October 6, 2010, a Disneyland Paris staff member died when the ride restarted unexpectedly while he was working on it. According to police, the 53-year-old man was cleaning the amusement park ride due to an earlier incident with a child guest. The unnamed man, a sub-contractor of the park, was reportedly trapped beneath a boat on the ride when it started up by accident. He was severely injured and transported by helicopter to a nearby hospital where he later died of his injuries.[43]

See also Edit

References Edit

  1. ^ "it's a small world meaning". Theidioms.com. The Idioms. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  2. ^ Montgomery, Allison. "QUIZ: 'it's a small world' at Magic Kingdom Park". Disney Parks Blog.
  3. ^ a b Corliss, Richard (April 30, 2014). "Is This the Most Played Song in Music History?". TIME.com. from the original on October 26, 2014. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  4. ^ Kubersky, Seth (January 7, 2014). . orlandoweekly.com. Archived from the original on August 17, 2017.
  5. ^ . Hunting Pixie Dust. June 26, 2018. Archived from the original on April 21, 2019. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
  6. ^ US patent 3404635, Bacon, Karl W. & Morgan, Edgar A., "Boat amusement ride", published October 8, 1968, assigned to The Walt Disney Company 
  7. ^ US patent D204282, Morgan, Edgar A., "Passenger-carrying amusement boat", published April 5, 1966, assigned to The Walt Disney Company 
  8. ^ Gurr, Bob (November 27, 2013). "DESIGN: Those Were The Times – No.23 1955 Arrow Development – Ed Morgan and Karl Bacon". MiceChat.com. Retrieved November 28, 2013.
  9. ^ a b ""It's a small world" by Disneyland Chorus". songfacts.com. Retrieved July 1, 2011.
  10. ^ Smith, Dave (2006). Disney A to Z: The Official Disney Encyclopedia. Disney Editions. p. 354. ISBN 0-7868-4919-3.
  11. ^ "Small World, Big Message: The Music of "it's a small world" | the Walt Disney Family Museum". WaltDisney.org. August 22, 2017.
  12. ^ Schneider, Caitlin (January 9, 2016). "The Most Frequently Played Song in the World is One Everyone Hates". Mental Floss. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  13. ^ "Sights and Sounds of Disney Parks: It's a Classic Attraction. It's Turning 50. 'it's a small world!' Disney Parks Blog". Disneyparks.disney.go.com. March 25, 2014. Retrieved May 20, 2014.
  14. ^ "National Recording Registry Inducts Music from Alicia Keys, Ricky Martin, Journey and More in 2022". Library of Congress. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
  15. ^ Walt Disney Conversations, p.83 ISBN 1-57806-713-8
  16. ^ a b . Archived from the original on January 1, 2013. Retrieved November 28, 2011.
  17. ^ ""It's a Small World" attraction page". Retrieved February 1, 2008.
  18. ^ "Disney's 'Small World' to get big retrofit". The Hollywood Reporter. Associated Press. November 10, 2007.
  19. ^ "MousePlanet DLR Update". November 24, 2008. Retrieved April 24, 2009.
  20. ^ "New Projection Show Turns 'Small World' Into a Big Canvas, for 'The Magic, The Memories, and You'". Retrieved April 26, 2011.
  21. ^ "Tokyo Disney Resort Event Calendar".
  22. ^ [Tokyo Disneyland's attraction "It's a Small World" has been renewed! For a happier voyage.]. Tokyo Disney Resort Blog. November 24, 2016. Archived from the original on November 26, 2016.
  23. ^ "All the Magical Art You Need to See for Tokyo Disney Resort's 35th Anniversary Celebration". Jocelyn Buhlman. January 24, 2018.
  24. ^ "Tokyo Disney Resort Expansions Announced". October 30, 2014.
  25. ^ "PHOTOS, VIDEO: "it's a small world" Returns At Tokyo Disneyland Loaded With Disney Characters". Jose Castillo. April 7, 2018.
  26. ^ "France Télécom hangs up on "small world"".
  27. ^ . Archived from the original on March 8, 2016. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
  28. ^ Francis, Katie (January 10, 2023). ""it's a small world" Will Reopen at Disneyland Paris This Spring After Extended Refurbishment". WDW News Today. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  29. ^ denise (May 6, 2023). "More Photos of "it's a small world" at Disneyland Paris as it Reopens After Refurbishment". MouseSteps.com. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  30. ^ Hong Kong Disneyland 2008 promo on YouTube
  31. ^ . Archived from the original on March 9, 2014.
  32. ^ Eades, Mark (November 27, 2016). "How Disneyland transforms Small World for holidays". The Orange County Register. p. Local News 11.
  33. ^ "It's a Small World – Celebration all-round!". DLP Today. November 18, 2009. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  34. ^ . Archived from the original on January 29, 2016. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
  35. ^ . November 18, 2009. Archived from the original on December 16, 2018. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  36. ^ Amidi, Amid (February 10, 2014). "Disney Creates "It's A Small World" Animated Web Series". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved August 20, 2019.
  37. ^ . Disney Insider. Archived from the original on August 19, 2019. Retrieved August 20, 2019.
  38. ^ . Mommy Factor. Archived from the original on August 19, 2019. Retrieved August 20, 2019.
  39. ^ Sherman, Dina (April 17, 2022). "Just One Moon! Small World goes to China". Retrieved October 7, 2022.
  40. ^ "Disney Interactive Brings Families Around the World with Original Online Series, 'it's a small world: the animated series'". Disney Parks, Experiences and Products. December 4, 2013. Retrieved December 11, 2022.
  41. ^ Fleming, Mike (April 22, 2014). "Disney Taps Jon Turteltaub To Direct 'It's A Small World' Feature Film". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 20, 2014.
  42. ^ McNary, Dave (February 26, 2016). "Disney Taps Writers for 'It's a Small World' Movie". Variety.com. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  43. ^ "Disneyland cleaner dies in It's A Small World accident". Metro. October 8, 2010.

External links Edit

  • Disneyland – It's a Small World
  • Walt Disney World Resort – It's a Small World
  • Tokyo Disneyland – It's a Small World
  • Disneyland Park (Paris) – It's a Small World
  • Hong Kong Disneyland – It's a Small World
  • Richards, Jason (March 13, 2012). "It's an Annoying Song (After All)". The Atlantic. Retrieved March 13, 2012.

small, world, other, uses, disambiguation, stylized, lowercase, water, based, boat, ride, located, fantasyland, area, various, disney, theme, parks, around, world, including, disneyland, park, anaheim, california, magic, kingdom, walt, disney, world, resort, l. For other uses see It s a Small World disambiguation It s a Small World stylized in all lowercase is a water based boat ride located in the Fantasyland area at various Disney theme parks around the world including Disneyland Park in Anaheim California Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake Florida Tokyo Disneyland Disneyland Paris and Hong Kong Disneyland The inaugural version of the ride premiered at the 1964 New York World s Fair before permanently moving to Disneyland in 1966 1 It s a Small WorldIt s a Small World at DisneylandDisneylandAreaFantasylandCoordinates33 48 53 N 117 55 04 W 33 8147 N 117 9178 W 33 8147 117 9178StatusOperatingCostUS 1 5 millionOpening dateMay 28 1966 57 years ago 1966 05 28 WebsiteOfficial websiteMagic KingdomAreaFantasylandCoordinates28 25 15 N 81 34 55 W 28 4208 N 81 5820 W 28 4208 81 5820StatusOperatingOpening dateOctober 1 1971 52 years ago 1971 10 01 WebsiteOfficial websiteTokyo DisneylandAreaFantasylandCoordinates35 37 49 N 139 52 52 E 35 6304 N 139 8812 E 35 6304 139 8812StatusOperatingOpening dateApril 15 1983 40 years ago 1983 04 15 WebsiteOfficial websiteDisneyland Park Paris AreaFantasylandCoordinates48 52 31 N 2 46 34 E 48 8753 N 2 7761 E 48 8753 2 7761StatusOperatingOpening dateApril 12 1992 31 years ago 1992 04 12 WebsiteOfficial websiteDisney Premier Access availableHong Kong DisneylandAreaFantasylandCoordinates22 18 49 N 114 02 21 E 22 3137 N 114 0391 E 22 3137 114 0391StatusOperatingOpening dateApril 28 2008 15 years ago 2008 04 28 WebsiteOfficial websiteDisney Premier Access available1964 New York World s FairStatusRemovedOpening dateApril 22 1964 59 years ago 1964 04 22 Closing dateOctober 17 1965 57 years ago 1965 10 17 Ride statisticsAttraction typeOld MillDesignerWED Enterprises Walt Disney ImagineeringThemeWorld peace and unityMusic It s a Small World After All written by the Sherman BrothersVehicle typeBoatsRiders per vehicle16Rows4Riders per row4Duration12 15 minutesPropulsion methodWater jets electric turbineNumber of lifts0Premier Access outside USA availableDisney Genie Lightning Lane availableSingle rider line sometimesWheelchair accessibleThe ride features over 300 audio animatronic dolls 2 in traditional costumes from cultures around the world frolicking in a spirit of international unity and singing the attraction s title song which has a theme of global peace According to TIME com the Sherman Brothers song It s a Small World is the most publicly performed song of all time 3 4 In recent years the Small World attractions at the various Disney parks have been updated to include depictions of Disney characters in a design compatible with the original 1960s design of Mary Blair alongside the original characters Contents 1 History 1 1 Song 2 Global installations 2 1 1964 New York World s Fair 2 2 Disneyland 2 2 1 Exterior 2 2 2 Other changes 1966 2008 2 2 3 2008 refurbishment 2 2 4 The Magic the Memories and You 2 3 Magic Kingdom 2 4 Tokyo Disneyland 2 4 1 2018 refurbishment 2 5 Disneyland Paris 2 5 1 2015 refurbishment 2 5 2 2021 2023 refurbishment 2 6 Hong Kong Disneyland 3 Holiday overlay 4 Television series and feature film 5 Accidental deaths on It s A Small World 6 See also 7 References 8 External linksHistory EditFabricated at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank as Children of the World and created by WED Enterprises the ride was shipped to the 1964 New York World s Fair where it was housed at the UNICEF pavilion sponsored by Pepsi which featured at its entrance a kinetic sculpture The Tower of the Four Winds a 120 foot perpetually spinning mobile created by WED designer Rolly Crump It joined four other attractions Magic Skyway Ford pavilion Great Moments with Mr Lincoln Illinois pavilion The Carousel of Progress General Electric pavilion and CircleVision 360 Kodak pavilion already under development which were used by Disney to sponsor fund and test concepts and to develop ride systems and innovative entertainment all intended to be dismantled and rebuilt at Disneyland after the World s Fair had closed in 1966 5 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 1950 Alice In Wonderland 1951 and Peter Pan 1953 Like many Disneyland attractions the scenes and characters were designed by animator Marc Davis whose wife Alice Davis designed the costumes for the dolls while Crump designed the toys and other supplemental figures on display The animated dolls were designed and sculpted by Blaine Gibson and the dolls facial designs were developed by Gibson and Greg S Marinello Walt Disney was personally involved with the design of the animated dolls faces each being completely identical in shape Arrow Development was heavily involved in the design of the passenger carrying boats and propulsion system of the attraction Two patents that were filed by Arrow Development staff and assigned to The Walt Disney Company illustrate passenger boats and vehicle guidance systems with features very similar to those later utilized on the Disneyland installation of the attraction 6 7 The firm is credited with manufacturing the Disneyland installation 8 Song Edit Children of the World was the working title of the attraction Its tentative soundtrack featured the national anthems of every country represented throughout the ride all playing at once which resulted in a disharmonic cacophony Walt conducted a walk through of the attraction scale model with his staff songwriters Robert B and Richard M Sherman saying I need one song that can be easily translated into many languages and be played as a round 9 The Sherman brothers then wrote It s a Small World After All 10 in the wake of the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis which influenced the song s message of peace and brotherhood When they first presented it to Walt they played it as a slow ballad Walt requested something more cheerful so they increased the tempo and sang in counterpoint Walt was so delighted with the final result that he renamed the attraction It s a Small World after the Sherman Brothers song 11 Robert B Sherman s youngest son Robert J Sherman has said that this song is the single most performed and most translated piece of music ever produced 9 In 2014 it was estimated that the song had played nearly 50 million times worldwide on the attractions alone beating the radio and TV estimates for You ve Lost That Lovin Feelin and Yesterday which were believed to have been played at least eight and seven million times respectively 3 12 A third verse celebrating the attraction s 50th anniversary was written and popularized but not incorporated into the ride 13 In 2022 a 1964 recording of It s a Small World After All performed by the Disneyland Boys Choir was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Recording Registry as being culturally historically or aesthetically significant 14 Global installations Edit1964 New York World s Fair Edit nbsp The attraction debuted at the 1964 New York World s Fair The first incarnation of It s a Small World which debuted at the 1964 New York World s Fair was an afterthought and nearly did not happen Ford and General Electric had engaged Disney early on to create their pavilions for the 1964 New York World s Fair WED Enterprises had already long been at work developing a dancing doll designed to reproduce human movement resulting in a crude early audio animatronics fashioned as Abraham Lincoln when the State of Illinois approached Disney to create the Illinois Pavilion representatives of the state instantly approved after being introduced to the robotic figurehead A nine wide screen CircleVision 360 exhibit for Kodak s pavilion was also being planned as an improvement over the existing Disneyland eleven 4 3 format screen Circarama which later failed the installation deadline for opening when Pepsi approached Disney with a plan to tribute UNICEF Disney seemed to be the showman to give us the package we want He s terrific He s got his hands in more bowls than anyone I ve ever seen but he accomplishes what he sets out to do J G Mullaly Ford s World s Fair program manager 15 nbsp 1964 World s Fair It s a Small World ticket logo portionApril 22 1964 opening dayA salute to the children of the world designed by Walt Disney presents animated figures frolicking in miniature settings of many lands Visitors are carried past the scenes in small boats In an adjoining building Pepsi sponsors exhibits by the U S Committee for the United Nations Children s Fund Above the pavilion rises the 120 foot Tower of the Four Winds a fanciful creation of coloured shapes that dance and twist in the breeze 1965 Official Guide Book to the New York World s Fair 16 The attraction was incredibly successful Ten million 60 and 95 tickets for children and adults respectively were collected in two half year seasons and the proceeds were donated to UNICEF 16 While other attractions had lines out the doors there seemed to always be a seat available aboard It s a Small World Its high rider per hour capacity was recognized as a valuable innovation and was incorporated indirectly and directly into future attractions Pirates of the Caribbean had been under construction at Disneyland as a subterranean walk through That design was scrapped as concrete was broken out so similar boats could sail past scenes that because the original walk through scene length was not shortened were now different each voyage another concept that forever influenced attraction design and popularity citation needed Disneyland Edit The boats enter the show building through a tunnel under the Small World clock and emerge from the attraction fifteen minutes later The show building interior is larger than the facade 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 Other Disney park installations wind the flume around one large room emphasizing its theme that the world is small and interconnected Each installation may vary the countries that are represented and the order in which they appear The boats are stored behind the facade and go in and out backstage in between the Spanish room The ride was originally sponsored by Bank of America from when it opened until 1990 The ride was then sponsored by Mattel from 1992 to 1999 Exterior Edit The Tower of the Four Winds was not relocated to Disneyland s It s a Small World after the New York World s Fair in its place is an outdoor oval flume and boarding queue decorated with topiary backed by a large flat facade with stylized cutout turrets towers and minarets that 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 European automaton 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 stylized numerals of the hour the small one displays the minutes while large and small bells toll to count the hours and quarters The exterior has been subtly repainted over the years first as all white with a gold silver trim 1966 then in various shades of blue 1977 then in pink and white with pastel accents 1992 Portions of the left side of the original facade were removed in 1991 to make room for the entrance to Mickey s Toontown As of 2020 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 facade was repainted back to its original color scheme in 2002 The gardens around the building are decorated with topiary animals During the 2005 2006 holiday season an elaborate multimedia presentation was projected on the outdoor facade that registered colored patterns matched to the facade 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 that was relocated under the Monorail track between the Matterhorn Bobsleds and Autopia before it was removed in 2019 to decrease overwhelming crowds gathered for viewing the fireworks spectacular in Plaza and Main Street Other changes 1966 2008 Edit When the ride was moved to Disneyland in 1966 a scene representing Oceania was added to the ride which was not included at the World s Fair due to time and budget constraints At the same time hello and goodbye rooms were added to the attraction which have also seen several changes over the years In the 1960s 70s there were stylized cutouts of flowers saying hello and goodbye in different languages these were then changed to stylized rainbows with cutout butterflies in the 1980s 90s before changing to a nautical theme with stylized boats with different greetings at the turn of the millennium When Bank of America sponsored the ride there was also a message in the goodbye room that read Wherever you go Around the World You re never far From Bank of America The finale scene also received changes as originally the color palette was white with colored pastels such as pink yellow and light blue and in the early 1980s this would be changed to a darker color palette of black as well as purple and blue There also used to be a large stylized sun at the end of the finale scene which would be removed circa 1990 for unknown reasons In addition many other scenes also saw subtle changes through the years 2008 refurbishment Edit Disneyland s It s a Small World was closed from January to November 2008 closed and reopening in a holiday version skipping the summer season to receive a major refurbishment 17 18 19 The building s structure was improved permanent attachments created for the It s a Small World Holiday overlay the water flume replaced and its propulsion upgraded to electric water jet turbines and the attraction s aging fiberglass boats redesigned in durable plastic The refurbishment added 29 new Disney characters each in their native land in a similar manner to the Hong Kong Disneyland version The refurbishment also restored the original white and pastel colors in the finale as well as the farewell sun and tapestry the latter of which hadn t been seen since the 1964 65 World s Fair Osram Sylvania agreed to a twelve year sponsorship In 2014 the sponsor logo at the attraction s entrance changed to that of Siemens AG the parent company of Sylvania The sponsorship ended its run after the 2017 Christmas season The Magic the Memories and You Edit See also Celebrate Tokyo Disneyland As part of Disney s Let the Memories Begin campaign for 2011 a nighttime projection show premiered at the Disneyland version of It s a Small World on January 27 2011 20 The Magic the Memories and You show projected sequences of Disney attractions and characters set to Disney music onto the exterior facade of It s a Small World to fill its architectural features personalized with exclusive photographs and videos of park guests taken that day by Disney s PhotoPass cast members The show also existed in Walt Disney World s Magic Kingdom but was projected onto Cinderella Castle As the Let the Memories Begin campaign drew to a close the show ended its run on Labor Day September 3 2012 at both locations The Florida version was eventually replaced by Celebrate the Magic in fall 2012 and later by Once Upon a Time in 2016 The Magic The Memories and You theme song was later used for Celebrate Tokyo Disneyland as part of the Tokyo Disney Resort 35th Anniversary celebration that premiered at Tokyo Disneyland on July 10 2018 which also created as nod and tribute for the former nighttime projection show along with Remember Dreams Come True which is a show using the Wishes A Magical Gathering of Disney Dreams soundtrack Magic Kingdom Edit This section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed June 2023 Learn how and when to remove this template message nbsp It s a Small World at Magic Kingdom Disney World FloridaOn October 1 1971 a version of the ride opened in Florida s Walt Disney World Fantasyland within Magic Kingdom The boarding queue was built inside the Enchanted Hall which is an alleyway that transitions from Fantasyland to Liberty Square In 2005 the attraction s load area was redesigned to feature an indoor version of the three dimensional facade and clock that are seen outdoors in the other Disney parks This clock lacks the parade of wooden dolls and instead goes straight to opening the central pair of doors to reveal the time In 2021 for the park s 50th anniversary its facade was repainted in bright colors Kodak sponsored the attraction for a period of time in the early 1980s The toy company Mattel sponsored the attraction from 1991 until 1998 when it transferred its sponsorship to another Magic Kingdom attraction Buzz Lightyear s Space Ranger Spin in nearby Tomorrowland from that attraction s opening in 1998 until 1999 when it also dropped its sponsorship of that attraction thus ending Mattel s history as a Walt Disney World Disneyland sponsor Mattel continued to sponsor the Disneyland version from 1992 to 1999 Tokyo Disneyland Edit nbsp It s a Small World at Tokyo DisneylandThe Tokyo Disneyland version of the attraction is identical in layout to the Magic Kingdom version except for these differences The facade s design is an almost complete replica of the California counterpart under a different color scheme resembling Disneyland s 1990s version The loading area is split into two zones instead of one A Welcome room was added during the 2018 refurbishment resembling the one at the California version There are scenes featuring various Disney characters redesigned in Mary Blair s style that were added during the 2018 refurbishment The Asian room features radically different sets and dolls for Japan and China compared to the Magic Kingdom version A Mandarin language track was added to the China section in the 2018 refurbishment The ride uses a different more recent recording of the song sung in Japanese specifically created for this version instead of the original Japanese recording The vocal track is used for both the Asian room and finale room The walls of the African South American and Oceanian rooms are painted in colors similar to the Magic Kingdom version before its 2005 renovation The Polynesian room has vocals singing in English The Goodbye room resembles the one found at the California version 2018 refurbishment Edit On March 1 2017 Tokyo Disneyland s version of It s a Small World closed down for refurbishment for its first major update since the park s opening in 1983 Reopened in April 2018 21 to coincide with Tokyo Disneyland s 35th anniversary the attraction featured 40 characters from Disney properties including Cinderella Alice in Wonderland Peter Pan The Aristocats Brave The Little Mermaid Aladdin Pinocchio The Jungle Book The Lion King Hercules The Three Caballeros Mulan Tangled Lilo amp Stitch Frozen Finding Nemo and Moana similar to its counterparts in California and Hong Kong 22 23 The attraction was initially set to be relocated to another area in Fantasyland with a new facade similar to the California counterpart as part of original expansion plans announced in October 2014 for the resort within the next ten years before being revised and updated 24 The transformed version of the attraction soft opened on April 15 2018 revealing an updated color scheme for the facade a new tick tock sound and parade music similar to the ones used in Hong Kong and Anaheim an entirely reconstructed loading area dubbed Small World Station a new Welcome room an extended Goodbye room rebuilt set pieces and music tracks new to the ride including a Mandarin language track added to the China scene formerly exclusive to the Hong Kong version along with the aforementioned Disney characters 25 Disneyland Paris Edit The attraction at Disneyland Paris is a departure from other versions of the attraction The facade features rearranged and slightly redesigned landmarks with a completely different clock tower The exterior clock face features a wide awake sun on its left half and a sleeping moon on its right half Unlike all other versions of the ride every scene is housed in one room with arches being used to define sections of the ride The scenery design is a complete departure from Mary Blair s distinctive style though the dolls used remain identical to all other versions The ride also uses a completely different soundtrack composed by John Debney which was also used for roughly a decade at the Californian version from 1992 to 2002 before switching back to the original 1966 soundtrack which can be described as more ornate compared to the original soundtrack This is the first version of the ride to incorporate a scene for North America with dolls representing Canada and the United States and a distinct Middle Eastern section with dolls singing in Arabic and Hebrew In the Finale room in addition to the song being sung in English it is also sung in Dutch French German and Russian Also the attraction had a post show area called World Chorus that was sponsored by Orange S A which opened with the park in 1992 and then closed in 2010 to make way for the Princess Pavilion meet and greet area 26 2015 refurbishment Edit As part of an ongoing plan to refurbish several attractions for the park s 25th anniversary this version went under an extensive refurbishment for six months before it reopened on December 19 2015 The refurbishment included a different color scheme for the facade that is identical to the color scheme when it first opened restored assets and special effects refurbished boats new LED lighting to replace the old stage lighting and all 176 dolls in the ride being progressively replaced through 2017 The entrance and exit rooms have been completely revamped being identical to the entrance scene in Hong Kong Disneyland s version and the exit scene in the Magic Kingdom and Hong Kong Disneyland versions rendered in the Mary Blair style similar to the other parks The soundtrack has been completely remastered with the base instrumental removed from the majority of the ride s audio except for the finale making the soundtrack more similar to the original version Additionally new audio tracks are added including a new recording of someone yodeling to the tune of the song in the Switzerland scene 27 2021 2023 refurbishment Edit Disneyland Paris s It s a Small World was scheduled to be closed for extensive refurbishments from November 2021 until November 2022 28 After an additional six month delay the ride was officially reopened on May 5 2023 29 Hong Kong Disneyland Edit nbsp It s a Small World at Hong Kong DisneylandThe Hong Kong Disneyland version of the attraction is mostly modeled after the original Disneyland counterpart using a canal for the boats to travel through instead of the open ended water track found in the Magic Kingdom Tokyo and Paris versions Some of this version s prominent and unique characteristics include 38 Disney characters all rendered in the Mary Blair style added to scenes where their stories originated 30 This plan was originally supposed for the Magic Kingdom version of the attraction An expanded Asia sequence with Hong Kong the Philippines and Korea represented with children singing in Cantonese Tagalog and Korean respectively as well as an extended China scene with represented with children singing in Mandarin A distinct Arabian room and scenes for North America similar to the Paris version Extraordinary fiber optic lighting effects in the Finale room not seen on any other Disney attraction 31 Cantonese Korean Mandarin and Tagalog versions of the song that were specifically recorded for Hong Kong Disneyland The finale is sung in three languages Cantonese English and Mandarin The attraction is the largest indoor attraction at Hong Kong Disneyland It is situated beyond the Hong Kong Disneyland Railroad next to Disney s Storybook Theater where Mickey and the Wondrous Book is performed daily Holiday overlay EditIt s a Small World Holiday nbsp It s a Small World holiday lighting displayDisneylandAreaFantasylandCoordinates33 48 53 N 117 55 04 W 33 8147 N 117 9178 W 33 8147 117 9178StatusClosedOpening dateNovember 25 1997 25 years ago 1997 11 25 Closing dateThis year January 8 2023 9 months ago 2023 01 08 Tokyo DisneylandName it s a small world verry merry holidaysAreaFantasylandCoordinates35 37 49 N 139 52 52 E 35 6304 N 139 8812 E 35 6304 139 8812StatusRemovedOpening date2003Closing date2018Disneyland Park Paris Name it s a small world celebration AreaFantasylandCoordinates48 52 31 N 2 46 34 E 48 8753 N 2 7761 E 48 8753 2 7761StatusRemovedOpening date1999 2009 2017Closing date2002 2015 2019Hong Kong DisneylandName it s a small world ChristmasAreaFantasylandCoordinates22 18 49 N 114 02 21 E 22 3137 N 114 0391 E 22 3137 114 0391StatusRemovedOpening date2009Closing dateJanuary 1 2010 13 years ago 2010 01 01 Ride statisticsAttraction typeOld MillDesignerWED Enterprises Walt Disney ImagineeringThemeHolidays Round The World Christmas themed MusicJingle Bells with a dash of Deck The Halls featuring It s a Small World After All written by the Sherman BrothersVehicle typeBoatsRiders per vehicle16Rows4Riders per row4Duration12 15 minutesPropulsion methodWater jets electric turbineNumber of lifts0 nbsp Premier Access outside USA available nbsp Disney Genie Lightning Lane available nbsp Single rider line sometimes nbsp Wheelchair accessibleSince 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 After the holiday season It s a Small World Holiday stays open until late January where it closes to remove the holiday overlay and return to classic It s a Small World in early February Almost one million lights are included during the holidays 32 The overlay has proved very popular and has led to the installation of Fastpass machines The attraction is the same boat voyage through many regions of the world though the main theme song is not played in full Instead the children sing Jingle Bells and a bridge of Deck the Halls in addition to the main theme Other versions of this overlay have been implemented at different international versions of the ride since Since the holiday 2009 season the Disney characters and The Spirit of America room formerly the covered transition room have joined in the It s a Small World Holiday at Disneyland During the 2019 holiday season Disney Imagineering added 3 new scents on It s a Small World Holiday Since 1997 the European room has implemented a peppermint gingerbread scent now accompanied by 3 new scents such as cherry blossoms in Asia cinnamon in South America and coconuts in the South Seas For the 2020 2021 season the overlay didn t take place due to COVID 19 and the ongoing closure of Disneyland Park citation needed Prior to the 2018 refurbishment Tokyo Disneyland had a version of It s a Small World Holiday called It s a Small World Very Merry Holidays citation needed Disneyland Paris had a version of the overlay in which the full holiday soundtrack was not used For the 2009 winter season it received an overhaul with an official name of It s a Small World Celebration The overhaul included new lighting and decorations throughout the ride and the entire ride now uses the full It s a Small World Holiday soundtrack 33 Following a 2015 renovation It s a Small World Celebration was planned to use an updated soundtrack originally set for winter 2016 34 However it was delayed for unknown reasons It s a Small World Celebration returned for the 2017 2018 holiday season featuring an updated soundtrack Hong Kong Disneyland implemented its own version called It s a Small World Christmas that highlights the Disney character scenes in Christmas fashion with an appearance of Santa Claus in the North Pole scene 35 The Magic Kingdom does not have its own holiday edition of It s a Small World and the regular ride operates continuously through the holiday season Television series and feature film EditOn November 26 2013 Disney released It s a Small World The Animated Series on Disney com as an online exclusive series and the final episode was released on February 4 2014 36 37 38 39 40 On April 22 2014 it was announced that a feature film franchise about the ride was in the works to be directed by Jon Turteltaub written by Jared Stern and produced by Turteltaub Stern and Dan Lin 41 The project was still in development in early 2016 42 as of 2023 update no new information on the film has been released Accidental deaths on It s A Small World EditSee also List of incidents at Disney parks On October 6 2010 a Disneyland Paris staff member died when the ride restarted unexpectedly while he was working on it According to police the 53 year old man was cleaning the amusement park ride due to an earlier incident with a child guest The unnamed man a sub contractor of the park was reportedly trapped beneath a boat on the ride when it started up by accident He was severely injured and transported by helicopter to a nearby hospital where he later died of his injuries 43 See also EditList of Disneyland attractions List of Magic Kingdom attractions List of Tokyo Disneyland attractions List of Disneyland Park Paris attractions List of Hong Kong Disneyland attractions Incidents at Disneyland Resort Incidents at Walt Disney World Incidents at Disneyland Paris List of Disney attractions using Audio AnimatronicsReferences Edit it s a small world meaning Theidioms com The Idioms Retrieved July 7 2020 Montgomery Allison QUIZ it s a small world at Magic Kingdom Park Disney Parks Blog a b Corliss Richard April 30 2014 Is This the Most Played Song in Music History TIME com Archived from the original on October 26 2014 Retrieved June 1 2016 Kubersky Seth January 7 2014 Fact Checking Saving Mr Banks with Disney Historian Jim Korkis orlandoweekly com Archived from the original on August 17 2017 History of It s a Small World Hunting Pixie Dust June 26 2018 Archived from the original on April 21 2019 Retrieved January 27 2019 US patent 3404635 Bacon Karl W amp Morgan Edgar A Boat amusement ride published October 8 1968 assigned to The Walt Disney Company US patent D204282 Morgan Edgar A Passenger carrying amusement boat published April 5 1966 assigned to The Walt Disney Company Gurr Bob November 27 2013 DESIGN Those Were The Times No 23 1955 Arrow Development Ed Morgan and Karl Bacon MiceChat com Retrieved November 28 2013 a b It s a small world by Disneyland Chorus songfacts com Retrieved July 1 2011 Smith Dave 2006 Disney A to Z The Official Disney Encyclopedia Disney Editions p 354 ISBN 0 7868 4919 3 Small World Big Message The Music of it s a small world the Walt Disney Family Museum WaltDisney org August 22 2017 Schneider Caitlin January 9 2016 The Most Frequently Played Song in the World is One Everyone Hates Mental Floss Retrieved June 1 2016 Sights and Sounds of Disney Parks It s a Classic Attraction It s Turning 50 it s a small world Disney Parks Blog Disneyparks disney go com March 25 2014 Retrieved May 20 2014 National Recording Registry Inducts Music from Alicia Keys Ricky Martin Journey and More in 2022 Library of Congress Retrieved April 13 2022 Walt Disney Conversations p 83 ISBN 1 57806 713 8 a b Designing It s a Small World The 1964 New York World s Fair Archived from the original on January 1 2013 Retrieved November 28 2011 It s a Small World attraction page Retrieved February 1 2008 Disney s Small World to get big retrofit The Hollywood Reporter Associated Press November 10 2007 MousePlanet DLR Update November 24 2008 Retrieved April 24 2009 New Projection Show Turns Small World Into a Big Canvas for The Magic The Memories and You Retrieved April 26 2011 Tokyo Disney Resort Event Calendar 東京ディズニーランドのアトラクション イッツ ア スモールワールド がリニューアル さらに幸せな船旅に Tokyo Disneyland s attraction It s a Small World has been renewed For a happier voyage Tokyo Disney Resort Blog November 24 2016 Archived from the original on November 26 2016 All the Magical Art You Need to See for Tokyo Disney Resort s 35th Anniversary Celebration Jocelyn Buhlman January 24 2018 Tokyo Disney Resort Expansions Announced October 30 2014 PHOTOS VIDEO it s a small world Returns At Tokyo Disneyland Loaded With Disney Characters Jose Castillo April 7 2018 France Telecom hangs up on small world Beautified boats at it s a small world Archived from the original on March 8 2016 Retrieved March 1 2016 Francis Katie January 10 2023 it s a small world Will Reopen at Disneyland Paris This Spring After Extended Refurbishment WDW News Today Retrieved June 22 2023 denise May 6 2023 More Photos of it s a small world at Disneyland Paris as it Reopens After Refurbishment MouseSteps com Retrieved June 22 2023 Hong Kong Disneyland 2008 promo on YouTube Three New Attractions in 2007 and 2008 Archived from the original on March 9 2014 Eades Mark November 27 2016 How Disneyland transforms Small World for holidays The Orange County Register p Local News 11 It s a Small World Celebration all round DLP Today November 18 2009 Retrieved December 16 2018 it s a small world is reopening interview with Tracy Eck from Walt Disney Imagineering Archived from the original on January 29 2016 Retrieved March 1 2016 Snowflakes Light Up A Sparkling Christmas A Winter Wonderland A Season of Giving and Whimsical Fun Starts at Hong Kong Disneyland November 18 2009 Archived from the original on December 16 2018 Retrieved December 16 2018 Amidi Amid February 10 2014 Disney Creates It s A Small World Animated Web Series Cartoon Brew Retrieved August 20 2019 Design Behind the Scenes The making of It s a Small World The Animated Series Disney Insider Archived from the original on August 19 2019 Retrieved August 20 2019 Disney It s A Small World The Animated Series amp Trailer Mommy Factor Archived from the original on August 19 2019 Retrieved August 20 2019 Sherman Dina April 17 2022 Just One Moon Small World goes to China Retrieved October 7 2022 Disney Interactive Brings Families Around the World with Original Online Series it s a small world the animated series Disney Parks Experiences and Products December 4 2013 Retrieved December 11 2022 Fleming Mike April 22 2014 Disney Taps Jon Turteltaub To Direct It s A Small World Feature Film Deadline Hollywood Retrieved May 20 2014 McNary Dave February 26 2016 Disney Taps Writers for It s a Small World Movie Variety com Retrieved June 22 2023 Disneyland cleaner dies in It s A Small World accident Metro October 8 2010 External links EditDisneyland It s a Small World Walt Disney World Resort It s a Small World Tokyo Disneyland It s a Small World Disneyland Park Paris It s a Small World Hong Kong Disneyland It s a Small World Richards Jason March 13 2012 It s an Annoying Song After All The Atlantic Retrieved March 13 2012 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title It 27s a Small World amp oldid 1180464727, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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