The History of Disney’s "It's a Small World" Ride

Disney’s “It’s a Small World” ride is one of the most iconic theme park attractions of all time. It was originally created for the 1964 – 1965 New York World’s Fair. The creation process was personally overseen by Walt Disney himself and the attraction supported the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). After two seasons at the New York World’s Fair, where it became a smash hit, the ride was shipped to Disneyland Park, where it opened to parkgoers on May 28, 1966. In 1971, the “It’s a Small World” ride was recreated at Walt Disney World Resort, where it served as one of the main attractions on opening day (and it remains popular today). The iconic song, “It’s a Small World (After All)” was written by brothers Richard and Robert Sherman. While they were working on Mary Poppins, Walt Disney commissioned them to create a song that could be sung by Audio-Animatronics figures in multiple languages. The visual design of the ride was influenced by Mary Blair’s simple, colorful, and child-like art style. The costumes for the dolls featured on the ride were created by a team of over 300 seamstresses under the direction of designer Alice Davis and utilized authentic materials from all over the world. Due to its immense popularity and important themes of peace and unity, the “It’s a Small World” ride has been replicated at many Disney theme parks all over the world and today, it is considered one of the most beloved and recognizable attractions ever created.