”it’s a small world” Is My FAVORITE Disney Ride…Yes, Really

For over 60 years now, “it’s a small world” has been one of the most iconic attractions in Disney’s stable. Thanks to its unique design aesthetics, timeless message, and earworm song (admit it, you can hear it in your head already), it’s long been a favorite to millions… including me!

The story of Disney’s “Happiest Cruise in All the World” has evolved from a single ride constructed in a temporary structure in New York City to a worldwide phenomenon with versions across the globe, and it all started… with soda?!

The oft-told story behind “it’s a small world”’s conception begins in 1963, when the Pepsi Cola Company approached Disney about possibly designing an attraction for the UNICEF (an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide) pavilion they were sponsoring at the 1964 World’s Fair in New York City.

Initially Disney executive Admiral Joe Fowler turned down the request without forwarding it to Walt Disney, due to the company being stretched thin already working on three other attractions for the Fair (Carousel of Progress, Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln, and the Ford Magic Skyway). Actress Joan Crawford, who sat on Pepsi’s board at the time was miffed by the refusal, and allegedly took her case straight to Walt at a party the two were attending. Incensed at Fowler not presenting the opportunity to him, Disney immediately signed the company on to do the project, allegedly telling the retired admiral “I’m the one who makes those decisions! Tell Pepsi I’ll do it!”

With just about 11 months lead time to design and construct the attraction he dubbed a “little boat ride”, Disney assembled an all-star team of Imagineering talent including Marc Davis, Alice Davis, Blaine Gibson, Rolly Crump, and the legendary Mary Blair, as well as legendary songwriters The Sherman Brothers to craft the attraction.

What they came up with was a whimsical tour around the world, with child-sized dolls designed by Blair outfitted in costs perfected by Davis singing a song about global harmony, which was a somewhat “loaded” political message at a time of high Cold War tensions.

Speaking of the iconic — sorry haters, it is — Sherman Brothers theme song, it originally wasn’t supposed to be a part of the attraction. Instead, the children of each nation were supposed to be singing their respective national anthem in their native language. However, that created a massive cacophony of near-incomprehensible sound, leading to the idea being scrapped in favor of, as Walt requested of the brothers, “one song that can be easily translated into many languages and be played as a round.” The track was originally written in a slower, ballad-like style, before Walt requested it be made more “cheerful.”

That “little boat road” went on to become the smash hit of the 64 Fair. Buoyed by the brilliant design and infectious song, “it’s a small world” became a pop cultural sensation and raised millions for UNICEF. Following the Fair’s second and final season in 1965, the ride was moved to Disneyland in Anaheim California, taking up residence in a new show building featuring a whimsical Crump-designed facade, including a smiling clock face that has become one of Disneyland’s best-known symbols.

In addition to the Disneyland original — which still operates today — versions of “it’s a small world” have been opening day attractions at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom in 1971, Tokyo Disneyland in 1983, and Disneyland Paris in 1992. A version of the attraction also opened at Hong Kong Disneyland in 2008.

Over the years various additions and temporary overlays have been made across different versions of the attraction. For example, in addition to featuring several expanded rooms representing additional countries, the Hong Kong version also featured 30 versions of well-known Disney characters done in Mary Blair’s trademark style throughout the attractions. Copies of these figures were added to the Disneyland version during a refurbishment during the same period.

Speaking of the Disneyland version, since 1997 the original has been converted to “it’s a small world” Holiday for each year’s Christmas season. This overlay includes “Jingle Bells” and a bridge of “Deck the Halls” being interloped into the ride’s main theme, decorations and symbols that are based on the holidays celebrated in different parts of the world added to the attraction, and a projection show on the ride’s facade. Similar overlays have run during several Holiday seasons in Paris, Hong Kong, and Tokyo.

In 2025, Disney announced that a new verse — written by Richard Sherman shortly before his death — would be added to the attraction in celebration of Disneyland’s 70th Anniversary. At the time of the announcement, Disney CEO Bob Iger said “Hearing Richard Sherman recite the final verse to ‘it’s a small world’ before he died will be a moment I will carry with me forever.”

Beyond being a major part of Disney’s theme park history, “it’s a small world” holds special resonance to me. The ride has been my favorite Disney attraction since the first time I experienced it as a young child at the Magic Kingdom in the early 1990s. While there are certainly more technological advanced and thrilling attractions in the Disney stable, there’s something about the ride’s theme of universal togetherness and human empathy that still enthralls me, making it a must-do anytime I visit a Disney park where it’s featured.

That message is truly embodied in the aforementioned “Last Verse” that is being added to the Disneyland attraction, which reads “Mother Earth unites us in heart and mind, and the love we give makes us humankind. Through our vast wondrous land, when we stand hand in hand, it’s a small world after all.”

“it’s a small world” has evolved from a relatively last-minute addition to the roster of Disney attractions at the 1964 World’s Fair to a beloved staple of Disney parks around the world. Stay tuned to AllEars for more on Disney history!

Disney NEEDS to Fix the Carousel of Progress Finale ASAP

Are you fan of “it’s a small world”? Let us know in the comments below.

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