Dis characters coming to MK Small World?

Neverland

Active Member
I just don't really see the point in adding Disney characters. It's not like they need to make the ride relevant to the general population - everyone knows the song and about the dolls. Little kids sing the song and the ride has been parodied on zillions of TV shows. The ride doesn't appear to be any less popular than it was ten years ago. I'm just kinda sick of the new trend of having to tie everything to a movie nowadays. If Small World needs to be updated, update some tech, clean the ride, and maybe add some new dolls and scenes.

Granted, I'm not nearly as concerned about this as I am the ravaging of the Tiki Room. At least this is subtle. I don't really mind the Disney characters dolls in the DL version. I'm just wondering what the reasoning is behind this.
 

DisneyNut2007

Active Member
Granted, I'm not nearly as concerned about this as I am the ravaging of the Tiki Room.

Leave the Tiki Room alone and leave it out of this! "Under New Managment" is NOT a "ravaging" at all, despite what you may think! :mad:


Getting back on topic, count me in as being among those who think that we may finally get It's a Small World Holiday at WDW. All the other Small World attractions across the globe have already done the Xmas changeover with great success and now it's time for WDW to follow suit.

However, I'm going to remain cautiously optimistic about it and taking a wait-and-see approach, due to the fact that we've been burned regarding Xmas overlays/offerings at WDW over past couple of years.
 

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
Surprised they didn't do the character additions at Magic Kingdom first instead of starting with Disneyland's Small World.
The plan was originally for the Magic Kingdom. They even released a pin set based on work that was done for the project.

I really like the characters out in Disneyland. It adds much needed theming to specific areas in the ride.
How are characters "theming"?


As much as I dislike the idea, I think a true "seamless integration" is a failure of execution. There is no point if the characters become barely noticeable. I have not looked recently, but before all of the brew-ha-ha arose over the Disneyland attraction, the Hong Kong Disneyland English website openly advertised the hide and go seek element of the Disney characters. This a point Disney tried to deny was going to happen at Disneyland and those references were removed from the website. The attraction becomes more "relevant" by becoming "interactive".
 

TP2000

Well-Known Member
^ they blend in really well with the other dolls.. and the music is actually quite subtle and doesn't overpower the main iasw song.

I couldn't even notice the music the first couple of trips I was on. I just figured they must have cut that element out of the plan.

About the third trip a friend made me listen exactly at the right moments and you could kind of hear the undertones of the various movie songs for a few moments. It's very, very subtle. At least to my ears.

Otherwise, the Character dolls added to IASW were extremely well done and very clever I thought.
 

aladdin2007

Well-Known Member
Why do I get the feeling they are going to replace the blue and white grand finale room with an americana room filled with cheap flat plywood backdrops??

I remember reading that was the biggest complaint about the Disneyland version apparently and how the new America section was tacky/cheaply done?

Small world just had a redo though five years ago so the Tiki room needs attention instead. Were still stuck with that awful show.
 

sponono88

Well-Known Member
Why do I get the feeling they are going to replace the blue and white grand finale room with an americana room filled with cheap flat plywood backdrops??

I remember reading that was the biggest complaint about the Disneyland version apparently and how the new America section was tacky/cheaply done?

that's not the reason people disliked it. because to be honest the room looks like all the rest.. some people were upset because an 'Up With America' scene replaced the rainforest. the rainforest was shortened and relocated into the previous room -- the Finale room is still there.
 

aladdin2007

Well-Known Member
that's not the reason people disliked it. because to be honest the room looks like all the rest.. some people were upset because an 'Up With America' scene replaced the rainforest. the rainforest was shortened and relocated into the previous room -- the Finale room is still there.

Ohhh okay I see. I've always loved our rainforest scene I hope its retained if moved.
 

Animaniac93-98

Well-Known Member
I say no to both Disney characters and an America scene in the ride. Both however, seem likely.

Edit: how long was Disneyland's version of the ride closed for the character/America addition? And wasn't there talk of re-doing the queue (as in redirecting)?
 

cmwade77

Well-Known Member
I really like the characters out in Disneyland. It adds much needed theming to specific areas in the ride. I'm not a huge fan of Stitch in the Hawaiian scene, but everything else goes pretty good. It took me a few runs through before noticing all of the characters, that's how well it all blends in.

If the refurb went into November, I'd say that it might be getting a Holiday overlay. However, with it currently scheduled for a re-opening of Oct 22nd, it wouldn't make much since as the Halloween parties will still be going on.

I do remember some months ago that there was some posts on a completely redesigned queue for IASW that will incorporate a new interactive element, along with the possibility of Disney characters being added. I'm thinking that will be the case.
Generally that's just about the time that it's a small world holiday opens at Disneyland each year. I think they want it open when Halloween is done, so that attendance doesn't suddenly drop until all of the Christmas stuff gets going a few weeks later.
 

aladdin2007

Well-Known Member
I wish they would bring back the fountains in the load float through with the colored lights in the water. And I prefered the original colors of the sets. All that white and gold and blue just has never really fit in there to me, too much stark white and it feels more closed in, the original was more open.
 

_Scar

Active Member
I wish they'd use some of that Imagineering "MAGIC" they always talk about and give us a real Small World exterior to boast about.
 

TP2000

Well-Known Member
Edit: how long was Disneyland's version of the ride closed for the character/America addition? And wasn't there talk of re-doing the queue (as in redirecting)?

The Disneyland version of It's A Small World was closed for 10 months, from January to October of 2009. But they also replaced the flume (that was still the original one from the World's Fair), and did a great deal of work and upgrading to the interior sets, lighting and audio, in addition to adding the new Character dolls. It's never sparkled more brightly.

The twice-yearly rehabs for Disneyland's Small World to install and remove the Holiday overlay average about 12 days long; 11 to 13 days in early November to install it, and 10 to 12 days in January to remove the Holiday overlay and reopen as the original version.
 

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