Happy birthday, Small World! 🎈
The colorful “It’s a Small World” attraction first opened in Disneyland on this day, May 28, 1966, following its successful showing at the New York’s ’64-’65 World’s Fair UNICEF salute at the Pepsi-Cola pavilion.
In the opening ceremony, children from around the world in traditional costumes joined Walt Disney. Water that had been collected from every ocean, major rivers, and bodies of water from around the world was poured into Small World’s Seven Seaways canal by Walt Disney and some of the children.
The boat ride is a tribute to global unity, featuring over 300 animatronic dolls representing different countries dressed in traditional costumes from their various cultures. The ride is designed to be in line with the original artwork by Mary Blair, and it achieves this really well for the most part, however some of the newer characters feel like a bit of a contrast from the rest.
All of this is set to the famously happy Sherman Brothers’ tune “It’s A Small World” on an endless loop, which most people either love or hate. I happen to love it all.
