“It’s a Small World” is a Big Deal: What Every True Disney Fan Needs to Know About Walt Disney World’s Quintessential Attraction
Disney’s longest-standing “must-see” attraction is It’s a Small World. The name carries with it a three-fold meaning. The first is the intended message: that we aren’t so different from one another. However, the adjective “small” also aptly describes other aspects of the ride.
It’s a Small World is “the happiest cruise that ever sailed,” according to the sign over-hanging the tunnel entrance.1 Gently lapping waves guide boats through the tunnel into another world. But unlike the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland, the tunnel leads to a depiction of the real world. Nevertheless, the animatronic inhabitants look like they might have taken a sip from the bottle that says “DRINK ME” because they are all doll-sized! However, being doll-sized is not the only way to apply the word small – each animatronic is that of a child.
It’s a Small World is not only a universal ride, spanning the peoples, places, and cultures of the seven continents, but it is also a timeless ride, bridging the gap between the innocence of childhood and the harsher realities of adulthood.
“World’s” upon Worlds
It’s a Small World was created by Disney on behalf of Pepsi for the New York World’s Fair in 1964-65. Joan Crawford, the famous Hollywood actress, and widow of Pepsi CEO Alfred Steele was on the Pepsi board, and she told Walt she wanted the Pepsi-sponsored pavilion at the fair to honor the world’s children.2 She was also instrumental in getting Pepsi to actually hire Disney to design the pavilion in the first place!3
So, unlike other attractions Walt was designing for companies at the World’s Fair, this pavilion wasn’t going to advertise products like refrigerators or cars. It was going to make a bid for global peace. During its development period, which was less than a year, the project was nicknamed Children of the World, but its final name at the World’s Fair was It’s a Small World – a Salute to UNICEF.
(UNICEF stood for United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund but has since been shortened to United Nations Children’s Fund, though the acronym remains unchanged.4)
The UNICEF Pavilion had about 40,000 visitors a day and was seen by 10 million people total during its time at the World’s Fair.5
The ride didn’t stop there, though. When the Fair closed, Disney retained all rights to It’s a Small World and moved the ride to Disneyland, California, in 1966.6 The ride was also duplicated in Disney World in 1971. It remains open in both locations today and is mostly unchanged from its stint at the World’s Fair.7
It is interesting to note that in Disneyland and Disney World, the ride opened as a part of Fantasyland. Why would a ride that depicts real-world cultures open in a fantasy realm? Maybe it’s because of the living dolls and robotic animals, or maybe it’s because the idea of world peace is, as yet, only a fantasy.
Dancing Dolls & Darling Ducks
The audio-animatronics of It’s a Small World deserve more than just a passing glance as you glide by. Not only are the dolls “exponentially cute,”8 but many are accompanied by equally adorable animal companions. A row of ducks, a leopard with an umbrella, and a hot pink poodle populate the small world as if declaring that animals, too, want the world to be a more unified place.
Don’t let cuteness overload you, though! There’s something deeper to note – the dolls’ costumes, along with their rich colors and textures, also have their own rich history. There are over 300 costumes, with 150 distinct designs in total, created by Alice Davis. This was Alice’s first project with Disney, and her costuming knowledge helped perfect the animatronics and bring them to life. She continued to work for Disney on other rides, and Alice is now considered to be a Disney Legend.9,10
Not only are the costumes special in their designer origin, but also in their material origin as well! Truly representative of the world, the costumes were made with authentic materials from their respective regions, “from silks for the saris of India to fine wool for the Scottish bagpiper.”11
The dancing dolls and darling ducks may be the show’s stars, but they are dancing before a beautiful backdrop designed by Mary Blair. Walt Disney himself was a huge fan of Mary’s art and asked her personally to work on It’s a Small World.12 Well known for her cute, modernist illustrations in “The Little Golden Books,” the backdrop Mary created for the happy cruise makes one feel as if they are sailing through a children’s book – or maybe their own childhood – once again.
Catchy Music, Clear Message
The music accompanying It’s a Small World is iconic. The song, “It’s a Small World, (After All),” is “the most performed composition in the world,” having been played nearly 50 million times in its 50-year history.13 Written by the Sherman Brothers of Mary Poppins fame, the tune is one that “only a back-hoe can remove from your brain.”14 (I’d bet you my Aladdin snow-globe you just started humming it!)
What’s amazing about the song’s composition is how it morphs with each nation you “visit” along the ride. Although the melody remains the same, the instruments change to suit their native country, the song’s beat sometimes slows or quickens, and the lyrics are sung in different languages. (And at one point, the lyrics are even quacked by those adorable animatronic ducks!)
You go through the whole ride listening to this catchy tune without understanding the words if you’re an English speaker. It is not until the final scene that suddenly your ears are opened, and you hear the words in your own language; which is a beautiful thing, especially when you realize it’s the same message everyone else was trying to convey all along: it’s a small world after all! It is an anthem of peace.
The anthem of peace was particularly poignant to the Sherman Brothers and Walt Disney, as they were living through the Cold War when they composed the song and constructed the ride. However, just as the song’s message is universal, it’s also timeless. Today, there are still wars and rumors of wars. Even on an individual scale, we experience mishaps at work or fights with friends. The longing for peace is a core part of the human experience.
Although the tune of the Sherman Brothers anthem carries incredibly intrusive power, that may not be such a bad thing – after all, wouldn’t we do well to remember the people we meet are not so different from us? That, just like us, they are real souls who need and deserve to be loved? If you’re singing under your breath, “a smile means friendship to everyone,” it’s hard to forget that.
Today, It’s a Small World is still a staple of Disneyland and Disney World, but true to its global nature, it is now inflicting its catchy song on tourists of Disney Parks in Tokyo, Paris, and Hong Kong. Although the song is the same, the Tokyo version of the ride has added recognizable Disney characters, like Marie from Aristocats, a teeny-tiny Jiminy Cricket from Pinocchio, and even Stitch from Lilo and Stitch! (Squee!!!) Although, I must say, little Simba from Lion King gives them all a run for their money on cuteness-factor!
Where was I? Oh, right, yes. Reportedly, Disney World in Orlando will also be adding these iconic characters to their Small World for the park’s 50th anniversary (this year)!15 Although I am always thankful for added cuteness, I am glad the ride’s message will remain the same. As a Disney Imagineer so eloquently said, “This is such a universal theme – seeing the world through the innocent eyes of children. It’s a message that’s timeless, and it’s a message that’s now. It needs to be heard.”16
So, now that we’ve heard the message – it’s a small world after all – let’s make it a small world by loving our neighbors across the street and across the globe.
Cover Image
Photo: Harshlight via Flickr
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Additional Resources in Print
Sehlinger, Bob. “The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2018.” The Unofficial Guides. LaVergne: Unofficial Guides, 2017.
