And from those of us who enjoy providing too MUCH information ....
it's a small world
Location: Fantasyland
Opening Date: October 1, 1971
Description: "it's a small world" is a musical extravaganza hosted by the children of the world. Guests embark upon a global journey and are transported by boat to the countries of the world where they can enjoy wooden soldiers, cancan dancers, balloonists, chess pieces, Tower of London guards, bagpipers and leprechauns, gooseherds, little Dutch children in wooden shoes, Don Quixote and a goatherd, yodelers and gondoliers, dancers from Greece and Thailand, snake charmers, Japanese kite flyers, hippos, giraffes, frogs, hyenas, monkeys, elephants, Polynesians, surfers, dolphins, and much more sing and dance in their native costumes to a simple, yet joyful, tune.
Ride System: Water Ride (propulsion pumps)
Attraction Statistics:
Show Time: 10 minutes, 30 seconds
Boat Capacity: 20 guests
Canal Length: 1, 085 feet (334 meters)
Canal Capacity: 500,000 gallons of water
Total Number of Show Elements: Approximately 472 elements including:
- Dolls (Audio-Animatronics® Figures): 289
- Toys: 147
- Animated Props: 36
POINTS OF INTEREST:
Clown: The clown figure, which can be seen ascending in a hot air balloon in the "Finale" scene of the attraction, is the only figure in the entire show that frowns.
Hidden Mickey: Africa scene -- purple flowers on a vine on the elephant's left side
History: In 1963, executives from the Pepsi-Cola Co. asked Walt Disney for assistance with the creation of an exhibit for the 1964 World's Fair to benefit UNICEF (United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund). With the approval of Walt Disney, Marc Davis, one of the original Disney animators designed the boat ride attraction through the countries of the world. The first version of "it's a small world" was on exhibit at the New York World's Fair from 1964-65 where it entertained and thrilled more than 10 million children of all ages. In 1966, after some major enhancements, including an enlargement of approximately 33%, the attraction found a permanent home at
DISNEYLAND® Park in California.
Design: Walt Disney Imagineer artist Mary Blair created the conceptual drawings and doll designs for "It's a Small World."
Original Facade Design: "it's a small world" at DISNEYLAND® Park in California is marked by an impressive facade which includes a ticking clock and a parade of characters that march around it. Although the attraction at the MAGIC KINGDOM® Park lacks this intricate facade, the attraction located at both Tokyo Disneyland Park and DISNEYLAND PARIS® Resort also features the same elegant design that characterized the original version.
International Song Titles: The following represents "it's a small world" as it appears translated into multiple languages:
Spanish: "Muy Pequeño El Mundo Es"
French: "Le Monde Est Petit"
German: "Diese Welt Ist Klein"
Italian: Questo Mondo Intorno A Te"
Major Show Scenes: Europe, Asia, Africa, Central/South America, South Pacific Islands, Finale, Good-Bye Scene
Music: Academy Award winning composers Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, who won 2 Oscars for their work on Disney's feature film "Mary Poppins," were asked by Walt Disney to create a simple, yet catchy, piece that could be sung in many different languages while guests traveled by boat through the attraction. The resulting song, "it's a small world," became one of the best-known and happiest of all Disney tunes.
The following five languages can be heard in the attraction song: English, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, Swedish
Pre-show Song Title List: The following selection of international songs can be heard in the pre-show area. (They are listed alphabetically by song title, followed by country of association, and do not necessarily represent the order of presentation):
"Ach Du Lieber Augustin," or, O Du Lieber Augustin (1815 - Germany/Austria); "Alouette" (1879 - France/Canada); "Chiapanecas" (1938 - Mexico); "Estaba La Pájara Pinta (Spain); "Funiculì--Funiculà" (1880 - Italy); "Hava Nagila" (1963 - Israel); "Irish Washerwoman", or, The Scotch Bagpipe Melody (1792 - Ireland); "London Bridge" (1744 - England)
Theme-Park Opening Dates: "it's a small world" appears at all four Disney theme parks worldwide. The opening dates of the individual attractions located at each of the four theme parks are as follows:
DISNEYLAND Park: May 28, 1966
MAGIC KINGDOM Park: October 1, 1971
TOKYO DISNEYLAND Park: April 15, 1983
DISNEYLAND PARIS Resort: April 12, 1992
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