It's A Small World

Opening Day:

It's A Small World opened on May 28, 1966. Walt joined children representing 16 ethnic groups to pour waters from around the world (the seven seas and nine major lagoons). International Children’s Choir of Long Beach along with local folk dance groups were also in attendance. The event was known as “Operation water”, a great marketing event by publicist Jack Linguist. 

World’s Fair 1964:

It’s a Small World did not originate at Disneyland. The boat ride made its debut at the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair at the Pepsi pavilion before it was constructed at its permanent home.  According to the website, Designing Disney, over 10 million guests rode on It’s a Small World and the proceeds went to UNICEF. If you would like to read more about the 1964 -1965 New York World’s Fair and the other Disney attractions present- check out Designing Disney, NYWF64.com, or  the Youtube video “Disney goes to the World’s Fair”.  Walt used the World’s Fair to create new attractions with the help of sponsors from other companies. They would later make their way back to Disneyland- piece by piece, to be reassembled as permanent attractions.

Song:
For IASW, Walt created a world that looked as if it had been crafted for children, by children. The first idea was to create a ride where audio-animatronic children would sing their country’s anthem. But he soon realized that would not be possible. He then approached Richard and Robert Sherman to create, “one song that can be easily translated into many languages and be played as a round”.  They gave Walt that catchy melody,  It’s a Small World.  Which was recorded by a London church choir, TV performers in Mexico City, a Rome school chorus and children from local kids of California and Tokyo. Want to learn some random facts about the song? Click HERE.
Inside the Ride:
The inner décor was a collaboration between Mary Blair's bright pallets, Claude Coats' river flume ride, Rolly Crump's and Jack Ferges’ animatronics, Blaine Gibson's sculptures and Alice Davis' costumes.It was and is a “people eater” ride - able to take many people at the same time in a relatively fast pace. Guests aboard the boat, enter the tunnel under Glockenspiel, for a 15 minute ride that goes through different world regions. Animatronic dolls dance and sing in traditional garb and sing in their native tongues.

And here they are in order:

The “Welcome” Room: A room plastered with the word ‘hello’ in different languages along with the signature picture of Small World, culturally diverse smiling children piled onto a boat with the banner “It’s a Small World”.

North Pole: Sung in Swedish. Canada and  ¿Scandinavia?

During the Holiday time Santa appears here, naming off different good little boys and girls from his list.  Which is probably accurate because I have never heard my name there before.

Europe: English sing with a Cockney accent, French, Italian and yodeled in Switzerland.  Oh, and the Dutch, they clunk those famous clogs.

Asia: Includes India, China, Japan and Cambodia and closer to the end the song is song in Japanese

Africa: Intro drummed and sung in English.

South America: Sung in Spanish

South Pacific: Begins with the mermaids (who use to sing like she was underwater, but now clean and crisp) , and who I believe is suppose to be Queen Liliuokalani sings as well. Hawaii as well as New Zealand is represented along with Tahiti and drums all around.

North America:Sung in English and represented by a Native American, a cowboy , Jessie, Woody and Bullseye.

The Universal room: All cultures represented wearing white and gold of their traditional clothing. Where a very creepy sun ends bids you farewell.

The “goodbye” tunnel: Postcards including greetings from Disneyland U.S.A.  bidding farewell. 

Disneyland’s Façade:

For the Anaheim façade, Walt took to Mary Blair who had helped design the interior childlike décor and color. However, the bright warm colors and appearance, characteristic of her artwork, proposed for the outside was not picked up.  Instead Walt approached Ronald Crump for the task. He instead painted the play on space and shape in a gold and white theme. The gold is actual Gold accents that   helps with maintenance.

Walt was the one who came up with the clock idea of 24 figures to represent the 24 hours of the day. “Glockenspiel”, the gigantic clock, smiles from the center tower.  The 3-D clock sports a grinning visage that rocks back and forth accompanied by a tick-tock sound.  Personally, that face has always made me a little nervous, but to each his own.

Every 15 minutes the 24 figures parade out the doors under Glockenspiel. They move back into their tower through the sides and two toy blocks pop out giving the hour and minutes. The large bell sounds off the count of the hours.

Changes & additions:

The exterior has been repainted to other colors in the past from white/gold trim to shades of blue, to pink and white splashed with pastels and finally back to the original. During the holiday season the interior and exterior get yet another look of twinkle lights, holiday décor and now, projected images at night.

Disneyland closed IASW from January to November 2008 to add memorable Disney characters and replace the old boats. Thirty characters were added including Cinderella, Peter Pan, Pinocchio, Mulan, Lilo & Stitch, Woody, and Jessie, to just name a few. Also added as a “North America” room, where the old Rainforest room once was.

Walt always liked IASW for what it stood for; happiness, peace and the children. The song itself is played around the world and has no copyright. Because of its "addictive" nature the song has appeared, tongue and cheek, in a few Disney movies and other media, including the Simpsons (not exactly alike, but it's one of my favorites). Good or Bad, it has left an impression to everyone who has ever floated through the ride. And with that, I leave you, hopefully, with a smile on your face.