it's a Small World Reviews - Disney Reviews and Ratings

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it's a Small World

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82	8894

Recommended By	Average Price	Average Rating
98% of reviewers	None indicated	8.0

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Description:

Year Opened: 1971

The legend has it that if you ride it's a small world at Disney World or Disneyland, the song will stay in your head forever, its a small world after all. It's cool to diss this ride as a cliche or for being just for kids. People will tell you that they avoid it like the plague.

These are the same people that will turn around and moan that the Carousel of Progress should be saved, or that they never should have taken out Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. Their reasoning is that these are Walt Disney's legacy (this should be said in an extremely reverent tone.)

Let's talk about that. Many of the older, or original, if your prefer, attractions at Disneyland and Disney World have Walt's touch. Walt and his team of Imagineers, led by artist and designer Mary Blair (who also created the huge multi-story murals on the Grand Canyon Concourse at Walt Disney World's Contemporary Resort), created it's a small world as tribute to the children of the world for the UNICEF pavilion at the 1964/65 World's Fair. The Sherman Brothers, responsible for a big chunk of Disney music (i.e. Mary Poppins) originally wrote the theme song as a ballad. Legend has it that Walt told them he needed something peppy that would last throughout the ride. It was decided that the song you love to hate was sped up and sung as a round. What you see today is very close to Walt's original attraction for the World's Fair. Seems like a pretty good pedigree to me.

After the World's Fair ended, it's a small world was moved to Disneyland, where it remains one of the park's premiere attractions, even after a controversial update that had classic Disney characters added to the attraction. Those additions have NOT (as of yet) been made to the Walt Disney World version of the attraction.

Information:

http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/guides/magickingdom/fan-small.htm

Author

mbouv98

Registered: December 2011
Posts: 5

Review Date: Sat December 31, 2011

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 7

Positive aspects of the product (pros):
Cons:

First of all. I have always injoyed this ride ever since I was young. But I think that Small World is one of the trademarks of Disney. So with the Fantasy Land expansion I think that they should take out the old Small World and make a bigger and better one, that is similar to the one in Disney Land.

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RocketEAR99

Registered: March 2011
Posts: 294

Review Date: Wed October 19, 2011

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 7

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	easy and relaxing
Cons:	the song after a while

I will say I enjoy the boat ride now and then, and when I take Disney rookies with me, we go on this ride without question. It's a classic! The past couple times though, the boats were backing up at the queue and we had to listen to the song for an extra 10 minutes in the last room.

mdadinnj1

Registered: May 2011
Posts: 44

Review Date: Sat July 16, 2011

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 7

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	nice break from the hot Florida sun
Cons:	Sometimes rather crowded

I know, you've gone on this ride every trip, and yes, the song is tedious. But hey! It wouldn't be Disney World without it!!

jlundeen

Registered: March 2011
Posts: 9

Review Date: Tue April 12, 2011

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 8

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	very colorful, great fun
Cons:	could be boring for older kids

I always try to ride this "oldie but goodie" but really won't stand in long line for it. It's beautifully done, and it's a great reminder that we all live in a SMALL WORLD.

2wdwfans

Registered: April 2011
Posts: 43

Review Date: Sat April 2, 2011

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Disney Classic. Lines move fast. Classic song
Cons:	Always to have too many boats on the ride since always end up bumping/stopping because of a boat jam near the end of the ride (this part hasn't changed in over 30 years).

We went March 2011 and the first thing I noticed was that the exit is now th enterance and visa versa. You now go over ride the and down to the boats instead of going down to the boats and exiting up and over the ride. An absolute Disney classic!!!! Always a great ride that makes you smile.

michael61

Registered: May 2004
Posts: 182

Review Date: Wed December 29, 2010

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 8

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Music
Cons:	none

Big lines but moves very quickly, I love the music can not get it out of my head. Thje little ones will keep kooking around a must see for all little ones

bellebookworm9

Registered: May 2009
Posts: 2531

Review Date: Tue November 2, 2010

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9

Positive aspects of the product (pros):
Cons:

Rode with about a 15 minute wait around 12:15pm on 5/24/10. The song seemed less annoying to me than in the past, but perhaps that is because we paid more attention to the dolls and trying to figure out what countries they represented (I think that's Ireland." "Wait, maybe it's Scotland" "Oh yeah, that must be Ireland!"). A classic!

JEThompson99

Registered: February 2010
Posts: 118

Review Date: Mon November 1, 2010

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 7

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Delightful and Relaxing
Cons:	Song gets stuck in your head

If you have kids, or you've just never been on this ride, it is a pleasant one to go on. It's a Disney classic and a rite-of-passage for the Disney fan. It is a one and done if you don't have kids though. The song does get stuck in your head for the rest of the day.

disneygirlmass

Registered: December 2005
Posts: 247

Review Date: Wed September 1, 2010

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 8

Positive aspects of the product (pros):
Cons:

love what they did with the rehab, make sure to wave to the castmember above you when you embark on your journey! great time to get cooled off too!

alayna86

Registered: July 2010
Posts: 46

Review Date: Mon July 19, 2010

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 10

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Long ride and cheerful
Cons:	the song gets annoying

This ride is rather lengthy. It is inside and the air conditioning feels wonderful on a hot day. Nice to see different cultures!

MarchMadness24

Registered: June 2010
Posts: 49

Review Date: Sat June 19, 2010

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 7

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Classic, Kid-Friendly, and Relaxing.
Cons:	Loud, Breaks Down, and Can Be Really Annoying If You Allow It To.

This ride is a classic and should always be kept here at the MK. It is a relaxing, positive ride to enjoy with young ones. The singing can become tremendously annoying you allow it to. It also broke down for 30 minutes, which took away time from the park.

friendnc

Registered: January 2007
Posts: 180

Review Date: Tue June 15, 2010

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 7

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Classic. Realxing. Comfortable indoor ride.
Cons:	Boats tend to bunch up at the end, the "It's a Small World" songs runs in a loop in your head the rest of the day.

Great classic Disney ride.

csjordan

Registered: February 2005
Posts: 310

Review Date: Sun May 9, 2010

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 7

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	nice seeing countries, cute dolls
Cons:	annoying song that sticks in your head

This ride is overall good for kids. The only bad thing is the song that gets stuck in my head everytime I ride!

Joolish1313

Registered: August 2007
Posts: 813

Review Date: Sat February 13, 2010

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 8

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Lots of colorul, creative
Cons:	Needs an update

We go on this every trip, usually as many times as we are in the MK (so like 3-4 times a trip). By the 2nd time through you can see where paint needs to be touched up, or where speaks are in the middle of animals. Maybe a face lift would help, but don't change the ride.

kaetra

Registered: January 2010
Posts: 115

Review Date: Wed January 20, 2010

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 6

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	not as bad as I thought it would be
Cons:

I was dreading going on this, I really was. But, it wasn't that bad. It's been kept up nicely and the song wasn't blaring as loud as I thought it would be. The very end is kind of wierd where they mix all the world's children up into a single room playing together but everyone is wearing white. Why white? Kind of creepy, but I'm surely over-thinking it. Anyway, you have to do it at least once, might as well get it over with! Wink

Rainkiss

Registered: September 2009
Posts: 259

Review Date: Thu September 3, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Classic, always something new to see
Cons:

I love this ride, I really do. Sure, the music will require a sledgehammer to get out of your head, but there's just SO much to see, you catch a new detail or two every time.

Cherinva

Registered: October 2007
Posts: 4969

Review Date: Tue September 1, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 7

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Good to get out of the hot sun
Cons:

This is a good ride for kids and those that need a break from the hot Florida sun. Once you've done it, that's it. I'm not wild about some of the new things they added, I think it takes away some of the classic style that Walt invisioned.

disney_lily

Registered: July 2009
Posts: 11

Review Date: Sat July 25, 2009

Would you recommend the product? No | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 4

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	good for young children or people who dont like fast rides
Cons:	slow and boring

this ride is good for young children and people who dont like rollercoasters (my mum loved it!).
however i would NOT recommend this for thrill seekers.

Mgoblue44

Registered: February 2008
Posts: 79

Review Date: Wed July 22, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 8

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Classic, cool down, nice long ride.
Cons:	None

I've been on this during Holiday season with massive lines, and the wait still went fast. The 20 minutes it takes is a great time to cool down. You never look at this ride the same way after reading Ridley Pearson's "Kingdom Keepers".

OverTheParkway

Registered: July 2009
Posts: 7

Review Date: Tue July 7, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 8

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Long, gets you off your feet.
Cons:	Repetative song.

Its a classic! I love to try and guess what country each doll is from!

wdwfreeksince88

Registered: May 2008
Posts: 692

Review Date: Mon June 29, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 8

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	A true Disney original, great for all ages
Cons:	Lots of bad cliches but thats all

This is a pretty good attraction. It is not my favorite but I still hit it once in a while because of the history behind this attraction. Its a boat ride that moves slow and has a song that never stops. lol But still worth checking out. Wouldn't wait long in line for this attraction if your going to wait try not to wait more than 15 mins.

klam_chowder

Registered: November 2007
Posts: 1634

Review Date: Sun June 28, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 10

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	A true joy to ride this classic
Cons:	Water can smell funny

I love this ride, and I believe it might have started my love of Disney from my first trip to DLR as a young girl. If I sing along and just enjoy the ride, it can still bring a tear to my eye. And that song? I love it too!

tlhbdm

Registered: February 2007
Posts: 1345

Review Date: Thu June 25, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 8

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Cute Ride
Cons:	Song kind of gets annoying, if you get stuck

Love this ride, it's a classic. At the end of the ride you can get stuck for boats waiting to unload and the song can get quite annoying.

Mouse Skywalker

Registered: August 2005
Posts: 7520

Review Date: Sat June 20, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Classic, very cute, lots to look at
Cons:	song is trite

I like this attraction. You just have to ride it. No trip for us is complete without doing it.

Donaldfan81

Registered: June 2006
Posts: 179

Review Date: Thu June 11, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 8

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	A true Walt Classic
Cons:	The song gets stuck in your head

To me I have to go on this one on the first night every time we go. A true Classic.

jeanigor

Registered: February 2008
Posts: 13705

Review Date: Tue June 9, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 10

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	classic
Cons:	the song?, a must do

Everyone wants to ride IASW. That can create horribly long lines. But it is worth it. The color and pizazz of IASW is worth the wait. The underlying message is also a good thing.

mommyceratops

Registered: January 2006
Posts: 2632

Review Date: Tue June 9, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 10

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Cute and slow
Cons:

My 2DS love this ride! It is slow and cute...slow down and enjoy this ride

princessluvsapirate

Registered: December 2008
Posts: 164

Review Date: Sat June 6, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 10

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	classic Disney
Cons:	none for us

True classic Disney.Even if you get sick of the song

alamode

Registered: May 2009
Posts: 458

Review Date: Thu June 4, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 7

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	The visuals
Cons:	The song... oh the song

You know what to expect going in, lots of cute kids from all over the world singing that song, oh that song... over, and over, and over and over.

auroralark

Registered: September 2004
Posts: 1013

Review Date: Wed June 3, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 10

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Classic
Cons:

I'm a fan of this ride - the song doesn't bother me and I love all the visuals of all the different lands. For a first timer, this is a must ride.

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