Remembering IASW

[Cuzco-topia]

Yes, I know most cringe when they hear the infamous neverending chorus line that has come so near and dear to our hearts, but I just happend to ride it the other night after so many years, and to my surprise, I was pleasantly amused at how much I actually enjoyed It's a Small World.

For one, it's an uncanny warp back in time. The attraction is simply so era specific, but I was amazed at how it's kept up after all these years. The fact they brought it over piece by piece from the Worlds Fair all those many years ago to Disneyland seems quite an achievement in its self. A lot of thought and talent was poured into this attraction.

Secondly, it bought back fond memories of childhood. I found myself in awe of the vivid colors and small details, pointing out all the silly features throughout the boat trip around the world...how I chuckled at the one kid hanging off of the hot air balloon, or smiled at those silly penguins and kiwis. There was simply so much for the eyes to take in.

So anywho...for an attraction that I thought I despised, I realized it really wasn't all too shabby afterall, however, it may take me another few years before I ride it again. I was however dissapointed that I only found one little Greek boy So, you're thoughts on IASW? I know we have some diehard fans out there....

[Ghostbuster626]

IASW is awsome. I dont get why people bash it. Its one of the few grand "all ages" rides left in Disney.

[CinderellaPrincess]

I love it!!!!
The only thing that bugs me is that you don't hear the 2nd verse of the song through out the whole ride!!!

"There is just one moon and one golden sun
And a smile means friendship to everyone
There's so much that we share
That it's time we're aware
It's A Small World After All"

Ain't it the truth people???

[MickeyMan]

We love going on IASW. We try to ride it whenever we go. It is a Classic and I for one hope it never goes away.

[Circarama]

Why I like It's A Small World

I enjoy Small World for several reasons:
(1) I actually enjoy the tune :lol:. The music brings back pleasant memories of Disneyland when I used to come to Disneyland in the early 70's with my friends after selling enough subscriptions of the local newspaper. We used to mock IASW back then. Now it's comforting, because Disneyland is one of the few places in MY world that is "my safe place".
(2) I enjoy taking a load off after a long day of walking around.BRING BACK THE PEOPLEMOVER! :bow:
(3) The fact that there is so much to see is what Walt wanted. He wanted the guests to come back and see something new every time they went on the ride.
(4) I am a Walt Disney guy. This is why I love DISNEYLAND PARK so much. It is Walts Park. Walt wanted this attraction at Disneyland because he believed in the concept of the attraction. Walt really felt that most of the worlds ill's were from misunderstandings between people. Sometimes I wonder what the world would be like today if Walt had lived another 20 years. :botox:

[robotpirates]

You DO hear the 2nd verse! I remember hearing it last time we went, because uhm, we were in there for fifteen minutes. The boat in front of us kept getting stuck!

Anyway, I love IASW. My relatives like to call it "Napland", haha. I love its kitschsiness and its optimism.

[Momzilla59]

I love Small World - I can remember when the exit proclaimed
"It's Always a Small World when you bank with Bank of America!"
It never failed to crack me up!

[michael eisner]

The only way i could enjoy it is by dropping acid. I believe it is a testament to the value of cardboard and glitter and tackiness. It looks like Elvis's play room gone mad, This is only surpassed by the supreme of annoyance of the song which must have been written by someone in a mental institution. It was nice 35 years ago for about a month. It looks like an old ladys craft fair gone wild!

[robotpirates]

The only way i could enjoy it is by dropping acid. I believe it is a testament to the value of cardboard and glitter and tackiness. It looks like Elvis's play room gone mad, This is only surpassed by the supreme of annoyance of the song which must have been written by someone in a mental institution. It was nice 35 years ago for about a month. It looks like an old ladys craft fair gone wild!

Well, YOU don't have to go on the ride, buddy.

[Disneyfreak]

Well, YOU don't have to go on the ride, buddy.

His name says it all. :lol:

[Disneyfreak]

IASW is awsome. I dont get why people bash it. Its one of the few grand "all ages" rides left in Disney.

People bash it because they think they are too cool for IASW. They look at it as a girls doll when the guy could be playing with the robot that can blow things up. That is a concept to how some people think about it. They think it is a little kids ride.

[Sheriff Lucky]

IASW - as soon as I get in ear shot of the music emanating from the queue area, I always do a little grimace. In 2003, my daughter was less then a year old and my son was 3. My daughter was too young to care about the ride, but my son liked the Small World, and he couldn't understand why I wasn't excited to ride it (I still rode it for his sake, ya know..ya gotta suck it up an take the punishment when you're a Dad). I explained to him, "the Small World is a great ride, but it's not built for Daddys--- too many geo-political references", and then I glanced at my wife and chuckled...she nodded in acknowledgment of my attempted humor.

Fast forward to 2004, back at DL. This time my boy's 4 and my daughters 1. Nearing IASW...there's that music...there's my grimace again. But...a Dad's Gotta do what a Dad's Gotta do...so, we set sail. But, something really cool happened this time. My son, loved the ride like always, but my daughter, for the first time in her life...reacted and interacted with her environment (remember, she had just turned 1, so she was still a baby for the most part). Before that moment, she never showed much recognition or understanding of her world...sure she new what a bottle was; she new how to hold your hand; she new all the normal baby stuff. But, on the Small World that day, she suddenly started to notice and respond to more complex things. She started to dance to the music. She pointed to various scene's and squealed. She caught site of the 2 geese (in the Holland Setting?), pointed at them, and said "ducks". OMG!!! She said a word!!

So...call it irony, call it destiny, or perhaps the geo-political gods were simply mocking me that day, I dunno. All I know is, the Small World is NOW and forever cool in my book. I'll always ride it, and I'm always gonna love it.


(btw -- but that freakin' song still gets on my nerves...ah well, whatcha gonna do?) :botox:

[Disney Analyst]

I think they should change the song up a bit lol! It does get annoying.. besides that, I loved it! The amazing details, and cool scenerys, all that colour! A good ride in my book

[Eric Dean]

This is only surpassed by the supreme of annoyance of the song which must have been written by someone in a mental institution.

Must...resist...urge to flame someone talking smack about the Sherman brothers...

[Michelle]

I wrote a paper about it once, tying it into cultural pluralism..

I like to go on it maybe every other trip, or if the line's short. I don't loathe it but it's not a "must-do" for me. This weekend the tile ceiling was really bothering me though..

[Tom Chaney]

Prior to our recent trip to the park, I hadn't ridden IASW in many, many years. Like many others, I guess, I just convinced myself it was repetitive and stoogy. However, the evening we were there, the wait was...well...zero. Just walk right onto a boat! My girlfriend insisted. The CM that loaded us was a total gem...friendly and warm...and gave us our own boat. OK......wait a minute....I LIKE THIS! Yes it is so a relic of its age but that is a large part of its charm. The colors, the action, the humor...everything. I was, frankly surprised how much fun it was.

[DISNEYJUNKIE]

I love it .... its cool inside...refreshing...repetitive...and when anyone bashes this ride and sings the song you know they have been there and it has been implanted into their brain lol.

[Momzilla59]

Understand that when this ride was created, Space travel and the jet age had really just begun. We had thought of it as a "Great Big Beautiful World" for so long that it really was a New thought that our blue marble wasn't so great big after all. If you're my age you remember the first photo's of the earth from space. We seem quite tiny and insignificant and YES - it's a small, Small world.
It's simple and idealistic, just like me

[Wotan]

Not only do we like the ride, but we simply adore watching the clock go through it's little routine. I still remember seeing it at the NY World's Fair, and my jaw dropping to the bottom of the boat.

[DoppelV]

"it's a small world" is a really great true Disney attraction. It provides with a song that rally does get stuck in the mind, but not a horrible enough song to actually hate when it does. The ride itself is both relaxing, and challenging. A favorite game of mine, and my mom's who rides it with me (it's her fave), is to try to put names on the faces, guess the country so to speak. It's a great ride to go on when it's hot, the AC is fantastic.

One of the things that really sticks out in my mind though, is the enormity of the show building. You really get a sense of just how big Disney makes their attractions. This isn't a cozy dark ride, it's a warehouse! It really helps it feel like you're outside, when you're really inside, I think it's neat.

Small World is reminiscent of a time when attractions didn't need to be the greatest thrill in the world to be fun, a time I wish we had back.