Attraction Review- It's a Small World

Hi everyone! Here's this week's Attraction Review... Five days late. Sorry, I know I promised it for Friday, but it's taken a long time to write, and I've been busier than planned, doing things like cycling, school revision and going to see Monsters University at the cinema- it was awesome by the way! After today's review, I will post a special edition of Photo of the Week tomorrow, followed by a review of an Epcot attraction on Friday! So, without further ado, here's this week's review!




For a couple of years now, big changes have been happening in Fantasyland, the signature land of the Magic Kingdom, which is itself Walt Disney World's signature park. Incredibly themed new areas of the land, namely Storybook Circus and Enchanted Forest, have come to fruition, bringing with them incredible new experiences, most notably the Be Our Guest Restaurant, Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid, Enchanted Tales With Belle, as well as many other awesome new attractions, restaurants, and shops. There are even some attractions which are still yet to open as part of what is the biggest expansion in the Magic Kingdom's history.

However, one of my favourite things about how Disney have overhauled Fantasyland is the way that they have left many of the area's classic attractions untouched, theming the expansion so cleverly that such classics still fit perfectly into this quintessential area of the park, and still have a place there. The attraction I'm reviewing today fits into a distinct group within this assortment of Fantasyland's classics, thanks to its status as one of the bMagic Kingdom's opening day attractions. Not only that, but it has arguably the richest history of any Disney attraction, let alone just those attractions within the Magic Kingdom or even Fantasyland itself. It just so happens to have a famously catchy theme song too...

Now, before I break out in spontaneous singing of that very song, (try saying that ten times in a row!), I will tell you that I am of course talking about the wonderful It's a Small World ride. This charming little attraction, located on the west side of Fantasyland opposite Peter Pan's Flight, features a relaxing boat ride past hundreds of singing and dancing animatronic dolls, with each scene representing one of the world's continents, and the countries within it. Often referred to as 'the happiest cruise that ever sailed', this happy, upbeat attraction was originally developed by Walt Disney and his Imagineers for the New York World's Fair in 1964, and has since had different versions opened at each of Disney's Castle parks across the globe, with the Magic Kingdom's version being the second incarnation of the attraction to debut in the parks, following Disneyland's in 1966. Disneyland's version is actually the original version from the Fair, which was moved to the park and rebuilt there.

The Magic Kingdom's version, which is of course the one I'm focusing on today, has perhaps seen the most changes of any of the versions. The current It's a Small World at the Magic Kingdom uniquely features the wonderfully detailed facade, one of the most recognisable elements of this attraction, indoors, whereas every other It's a Small World has an outdoor facade. Guests enter the building, and queue largely indoors, with the boarding area being another level down from where you enter the building. You then board your boat, which then peacefully or annoyingly (depending on whether you like the song- I do) embarks on your 'voyage around the world'. The attraction has a very strong message, of unity and the importance of world peace, and features beautifully themed sets representing different parts of the world.

Of course, it's impossible to talk about It's a Small World without talking about its theme song, which goes by the same name. Each of the It's a Small World attractions around the world features this song, but it does differ slightly depending on the park. When Walt Disney was planning the attraction, he asked the Sherman Brothers to compose a song for it, and the It's a Small World song was the one they created, in co-operation with him. Walt wanted a song that could be translated into many different languages, and was so pleased with the result that he actually re-named the attraction, which was originally going to be named 'Children of the World', after the song. The song is one of the biggest parts of the experience, being the principal conveyor of the attraction's message of peace, which I mentioned earlier. I have even read several articles and websites claiming that the It's a Small World song is not only the most translated piece of music on Earth, but the most performed too- a truly incredible fact and yet more proof as to how massively influential this song is. It's certainly one of the most popular and ubiquitous pieces of Disney music!

I personally do really enjoy this song. I love the message it sends out, and the nostalgia it has, seeing as Walt himself was actually involved in its creation. It's also incredibly catchy- one of those songs that you'll find yourself humming for the rest of your trip- I certainly do! However, it's fair to say that not everyone likes the song as much as I do, as it is very catchy, a little repetitive and really does get stuck in your head incredibly easily! I can certainly see why some people don't like it!

Upon entering Fantasyland from Liberty Square, It's a Small World is one of the first attractions one encounters, meaning that the wait times for it are somewhat unpredictable, with several factors coming into play here. I've seen wait times all over the place over the course of a few days compared to one another, on both occasions that we have visited Walt Disney World, which have themselves been at different times of the year. This has been despite the park's overall crowd level being largely the same. So, when I couple this experience of my own with just casually checking Lines whilst at home, as many of us do, and noticing the same variations, I would say that it's safe to assume that this is the norm for the attraction.

Like I said, the waits you will typically come across at It's a Small World see unpredictable, almost dramatic variations. As I hypothesised, this is due to a number of varying factors, as every attraction in any park is subject to, to some extent. The first, and arguably most unpredictable of these factors is the guests themselves. How will they enter Fantasyland? And therefore at what point will they discover It's a Small World? Will they choose to do it after some of the Magic Kingdom and Fantasyland's bigger attractions? If entering the land from Liberty Square, will they experience it as soon as they find it, or will they save it for after the more popular Fantasyland experiences? All intriguing questions indeed, and all themselves factors influencing how guests tour the park. And then, of course, there's if that guest has a limit to how long they're prepared to wait for this attraction, and lastly, do they even want to ride It's a Small World? Aside from the guests themselves, also influential here is Small World's location at one of the busiest entrances to Fantasyland, and whatever time of day you visit it, which is of course true for every attraction to some extent.

As evidenced above, pretty much all of the major and noteworthy factors in play here do link back to the guests themselves, as would be expected of a theme park attraction! There is however one more element worth mentioning here, and that is capacity. Small World's capacity is actually pretty good, with it having similar ride vehicles and loading areas to it's fellow Magic Kingdom attraction Pirates of the Caribbean, which is itself the highest capacity attraction in the entire park. Whilst the waits are always unpredictable, one thing you can be certain about is that they'll almost always be low, and this is largely thanks to the large capacity.

With regards to the actual times themselves, I've never seen the wait at anything more than 25 minutes, and it's usually significantly less than that, taking into consideration the fact that wait times at WDW tend to be shorter than the actual posted time. All of the articles I've read in various Books and on different Websites over the years would suggest that this is the case at It's a Small World for the vast majority of the time. Fastpass wise, Small World does not participate in the current classic Fastpass system, but will offer Fastpass+ when that's fully launched. I would recommend experiencing Small World after all the park's headliners, or whenever you feel appropriate. Please note that these observations concerning typical wait times may not be completely accurate, as they're based solely on my personal experiences.

Here's how I would personally rate It's a Small World in the following areas, and why...

Thrill~ 5/10
I would say that Small World is moderately thrilling. Sure, there's no proper drops, but there's something to be said about the thrill of riding such a wonderful, cutely themed little attraction!

Scariness~ 9/10
This one really depends on if you've read Ridley Pearson's popular Kingdom Keepers series, the first book of which features a scene in which the Keepers are seeking things in the Magic Kingdom which refer to certain other things. I won't give it all away in case you haven't read the books (if not, you should check them out- they're awesome!) but what I will say is that they choose to search It's a Small World, and all the dolls come to life. And they're not exactly friendly dolls, too. So if you have read the series, as I have, you may well see It's a Small World in a different light, with it maybe going from near the Dumbo end of the spectrum to closer to the Tower of Terror in terms of scariness...

Theming~ 8/10
I'll be totally honest here, I've ridden the version of Small World at Disneyland Paris, and that had theming which was slightly better than the Magic Kingdom version. I guess this is because it's newer, more open in terms of the facade being outdoors, and bigger. It just felt a little more immersive than WDW's version. That said, however, the Magic Kingdom's version is really good in its own right. Not only does it have its unique indoor facade, which makes it feel almost cosy and therefore perfectly counters the aforementioned argument about the outdoor facades being bigger and more open, but it's also got that distinct charm of a classic attraction, with it being only the second Small World to open, and also part of the Magic Kingdom, itself only the second Disney Park to open. And of course, Walt Disney himself created the original version of this attraction, further cementing its status as a Disney classic.

Educational~ 9/10
The great thing about It's a Small World is that it's a fun attraction with vibrant theming and a catchy song, but is also a great way to teach kids about the fascinating world that we live in. Not only is it accurate, but the genius of it is how it tells you so much about all these places without the use of words, it's all there to see in the beautifully designed sets. I've heard people say that Small World and it's educational elements are made redundant by World Showcase at Epcot, but I fundamentally disagree with this. Not only does It's a Small World use the same kind of concepts to depict the world, but it's also in my opinion a lot more kid friendly for a multitude of reasons. Such reasons include the fact that it's all there in one ride, and doesn't take as long to experience, as well as being largely sets on a dark ride as opposed to the World Showcase Pavilions, which I guess must be themselves categorised as walkthroughs. Lastly, the dolls and almost cartoonish sets make the attraction a lot more fun and visually appealing for children. I am however not saying that you shouldn't experience World Showcase- you should. It's incredible, and I think that absolutely everybody should experience both It's a Small World at the Magic Kingdom and World Showcase at Epcot on a trip to Walt Disney World- they're both awesome!

Fun~ 10/10
This upbeat, happy attraction is one of those that always makes me feel more cheery on a hot day, mostly because it's such a joy to experience. I always walk out of the attraction with a massive smile spreading across my face! Indeed, it's always been one of my favourites! Everything about this attraction is just so cheerful and pleasant, and is a fitting celebration of our wonderful world!

Interactivity~ 7/10
Whilst the more traditional interactive elements are non-existent here, you could always... Sing along!

Repeatability~ 6/10
I personally think that there's so much to see in It's a Small World that you could ride it a hundred times and still spot something new every time! Beware though, that song is incredibly catchy! On a more serious note, there can sometimes be a bit of a wait to disembark at the end of the attraction; we have several times encountered a queue of boats waiting to get to the unloading area. Like I said before, you should experience Small World after the park's more major attractions, and so should therefore prioritise repeat rides for them. However, if you have the time or so desire, Small World is a great ride to experience multiple times!

And finally, my overall rating of It's a Small World... 8/10!
I know I have a habit of loving the less popular attractions (!) but I really do think that Small World is a complete attraction. From the catchy song to the energetic theme, It's a Small World is another great example of how an attraction doesn't need to be a high-tech thrill ride to be a success. All the remarkable elements of It's a Small World combine to make it a masterpiece of an attraction!

Thank you for reading! Don't forget to check back tomorrow for a special edition of Photo of the Week! It's gonna be awesome! Please also check out the incredible We're Going To Walt Disney World Podcast!

I hope you have a magical day!