"it's a small world" Holiday — Attraction in Anaheim

No visit to Disneyland is complete without a whirl on 'It's A Small World'! To be upfront, yes, it's cheesy and suited towards little ones, but it also brings out the inner child in you, so just do it!

The 'Children of The World' ride premiered at the New York World's Fair in 1964, then moved to Disneyland in 1966. The original idea was to have each featured country's national anthem played, a seemingly good idea on paper but sounded like a disaster in real time when they were played at once. Sherman brothers (Robert & Richard) were hired to write a song that could be sung in the same tune but translated into the different languages. 'It's A Small World' song was born and the attraction's name changed as well.

EXPERIENCE: The queue line is brutal especially during the day as it's outdoors and uncovered.

You can hear the infamous jingle when approaching the tunnel on the boat, and it won't stop until the end! LOL. This is the most unattractive part of the ride as you're greeted with cheesy cardboard cutouts of characters, with the sides of the flume and soundstage equipment visible due to the sun shining in, but it doesn't last long. And, you'll be glad to finally be out of the sun.

You're treated to 1960's-era twirling animatronics and decor, but it still works. The further in you go, the more detailed the architecture, clothing, and themes seem to get and actually becomes enjoyable. Continents and countries blend together with changing scenes of toy soldiers, turning windmills, bobbing hot air balloons, famous landmarks, flying carpets, snake charmers, bowing people, elephants, pandas, acrobats, camels, you name it! Even my home state of Hawaii has a shoutout via an "Aloha" sign and hula dancers in a Polynesian setting! A bit stereotypical but the little ones will love it. For adults it's more of an entertaining chuckle. Some modern Disney characters also make an appearance (an afterthought that looks very out of place) including Aerial from The Little Mermaid, Woody from Toy Story, and Nemo from Finding Nemo. The ride concludes with cardboard cutout farewell postcards before you're back in the blazing sun.

OVERALL: Try it once as a kid and once as an adult, that should be...

It's a Small World Disneyland ride is full of outdated stereotypes and needs to retire and get rethemed.

I have been on It's a Small World at Disneyland in 2022 and the theme song "It's A Small World" repeats without end. I did enjoy the song until it repeated itself over and over and it was agonizing and I was glad to get off that awful song ride, I did like looking at the dolls but they are based on outdated Asian, Native American, India, African stereotype cultures from the 1960s.

And to quote Scar after Zazu sings It's a Small World from The Lion King 1994 "No! Anything but that!" I cannot wait until It's A Small World ride gets taken down from Disneyland and Disney World, Tokyo Disneyland has announced that they would replace "It's a small world" ride with a Marvel superhero themed ride.

I hope that Disneyland will retire "It's A Small World" with a new ride, maybe "Pocahontas Just Around the Riverbend" or "Tangled" or "Zootopia", or "Coco", or "Encanto" or "Raya and the Last Dragon", or "Moana" which I would be much more excited to ride. In the meantime it's time to let Disneyland people know we want "It's a Small World" to be retired and rethemed into a more modern Disney Princess ride. In the meantime avoid this outdated stereotype doll, song...

Upon entering, I was immediately appalled by the singing vile kid moving animatronic dolls and I then tripped over a concrete bushing because the music reminded me of D Day. When I entered the ride, the worker told me to get on or the ship would sail away like my job and I responded by saying he was dark and socially inept. The first room: I was slightly under the influence so this one was a breeze minus the kid moving animatronics dolls and the annoying, repetitive, "cheap thrills" style of music. The middle rooms were alright as I was tied down to the boat so I couldn't move around like olama bin saden. The final room. I was dekcuf. I entered the room and as soon as I did, Eliot Yamin gave me a preaching about dolls and their "unique" forest. I was terrified and told him to go back to romania or wherever he was from anyways (it was 2006). I exited the ride with fear and apathy so I decided to leave and go into the gift shop. The worker confronted me about my devices so I told her to go to Ojai to learn the aurtistic nature. I left with a bead and I left drowning in...