It’s a Small World, originally called “Children of the World”, is a classic Disneyland attraction that everyone has to do once upon visiting the Magic Kingdom. Whether you ever do it again is up to each individual guest. Most guests either love this attraction or love to hate it. However, if you are one of those people who love to hate it, maybe you will find a new appreciation for this attraction by learning some its history.

It’s a Small World was originally designed for the Pepsi-Cola Company to benefit UNICEF at the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair. When the fair closed, the attraction was moved to Disneyland where it opened on May 28, 1966 and has stayed there ever since. It’s a Small World is a fun-filled and whimsical boat ride saluting the children of the world. This attraction conveys a message of peace and harmony though the international language of music.

The song was originally supposed to feature a medley of national anthems from the countries represented in the boat journey. However, the result was just a bunch of noise. So, Walt Disney went to the Sherman Brothers (Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman; the same team behind great Disney films Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh). Shortly thereafter the song we have all come to know, “It’s a Small World (After All)” was born and has become the most preformed and translated song on Earth.

The outside of building is part of the whole experience in and of itself. The façade is a crazy quilt of different shapes and patterns, all incorporating architectural features from a variety of countries. In the center of the façade is a huge smiley face clock that continuously rocks back and forth. Every 15 minutes the doors below the clock open to a musical “children’s march of nations”. This is just a sample of the great show you will see inside the building. Following the “march of nations”, another pair of doors opens to reveal a set of blocks that give the current time. Also around the building you will find a variety of topiary animals including moose, dolphins, giraffes and elephants.

If all that isn’t enough, you can then board a flat bottom boat for a 10½ minute glide through several countries of the world. Some of the places you will visit include: Europe, Asia, Africa, Central/South America, South Pacific Islands, the Finale and the Good-bye Scene. This attraction truly is a Disney classic.

Additional Trivia and Fun Facts

• There are 400 animated figures in It’s a Small World.
• It’s a Small World’s slogan is “The Happiest Cruise that Ever Sailed Round the World” and required an E ticket when it first opened.
• The exterior has been slightly redesigned and repainted over the years. First it was all white with gold trim, and then it was repainted in myriad pastel colors. Currently it is all white with gold trim, just as it was in the 1960’s.
• The Oscar-winning musical team of Richard and Robert Sherman came up with the theme song when they were asked by Walt Disney to come up with a “simple piece that could be repeated over and over, and sung in different languages”.
  Throughout the cruise you will hear the song in Spanish, French, Japanese among other languages.
• 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.
• Walt Disney Imagineer, Mary Blair was the mastermind in creating the conceptual drawings and doll designs for “It’s a Small World.”
• For a short time, Disneyland carried a set of “small world beanies”, which included the British Beefeater Boy, French Can-Can dancer, Dutch Girl, the pink kangaroo, hippo, zebra and rhino.
• In the final scene of the attraction, there is a clown figure in a hot air balloon carrying a sign that says “help”. That clown is the only frowning figure in the entire attraction.
• During a 2004 refurbishment, almost everything was restored to the original version, including the façade which was returned to its original white.