"it'a a small world" memories

RedzRobinz

Member
Original Poster
Hi there! Since the 65th anniversary of "it's a small world" is coming up, I wanted to start this thread to discuss the evolution of the attraction and if anyone has memories of going through the ride when it premired at the World's Fair or recently opened at Disneyland or just memories of going through the ride for the first time. I'm also doing research on what the original Disneyland version was like.
 

trylon57

Active Member
Rode it once in 1964 at the World's Fair, and once again in 1965. On my first visit to Disneyland in 1977, I was struck with the feeling of deja vu. My childhood memories of the World's Fair came rushing back to me. When I got off the ride I had to find a pay-phone to call my dad back in New York and tell him of this incredible flood of memories and emotions that the ride triggered in me. His reaction was "what kind of drugs are you taking out there in California?" Have since ridden it many times in Florida and California, and enjoy every time!
 

1HAPPYGHOSTHOST

Well-Known Member
It was my grandmother's favorite ride. She didn't do many rides at Disneyland. Most of the time she would sit down on a bench while the family went on a ride and she would wait for us to get out or go shopping. This is one of the few she would always go on. I remember countless rides with her and I cherish them. Every one. She is no longer with us , God rest her soul, but I have a life time of memories of her at Disneyland riding Small World.
 

1HAPPYGHOSTHOST

Well-Known Member
I first rode it at WDW and was astounded when I saw the DL version and it was outside with a large palace building. I consider it one of the quintessential DL attractions and one of the most rewarding as it has a fairly decent length and you actually feel its length similar to Pirates. You get a lot of return from it and it's a good one to ride on a hot afternoon.
And its a good one to ride at the end of the day to rest your feet.
 

Homemade Imagineering

Well-Known Member
First, I'll start off by saying it's my favorite attraction at DLR, mostly due to the fact that it was the first attraction I really connected with as a small child. I first experienced the attraction, during the Holiday season at DLR, with IASW Holiday in full swing at the time. I was blown away by everything, and every bit of detail packed into one building. It was an unforgettable experience! As I grew older, and experienced more thrilling attractions, it still remained my favorite all throughout the years, and ever since then, I've come to appreciate it even more, learning about the history of the attraction, and the legendary imagineers behind it. I actually wrote a letter to Rolly Crump last year, thanking him for his contributions. He later sent me a signed IASW poster in return, which is now hanging on the walls of my room! Here's to another 57 years of the most important attraction at Disneyland!
 

RedzRobinz

Member
Original Poster
First, I'll start off by saying it's my favorite attraction at DLR, mostly due to the fact that it was the first attraction I really connected with as a small child. I first experienced the attraction, during the Holiday season at DLR, with IASW Holiday in full swing at the time. I was blown away by everything, and every bit of detail packed into one building. It was an unforgettable experience! As I grew older, and experienced more thrilling attractions, it still remained my favorite all throughout the years, and ever since then, I've come to appreciate it even more, learning about the history of the attraction, and the legendary imagineers behind it. I actually wrote a letter to Rolly Crump last year, thanking him for his contributions. He later sent me a signed IASW poster in return, which is now hanging on the walls of my room! Here's to another 57 years of the most important attraction at Disneyland!
Glad to see someone has a similar connection with this ride. It's practically my favorite ride in existance. I remember going on the Holiday the most and do remember the original ride first but have very little memories of it at a young age. Over the years, I've watched countless videos of the ride from today and from the past.(I'm still doing it today except I'm trying to go back further with footage from the 70s and the 60s except now they're mainly for research purposes with still some enjoyment). From watching all those videos and listening to the soundtrack hundreds of times, I've learned the song in all the languages represented in the ride, know what every prop and doll looks like, and even mostly know all the changes and evolution of the ride so yeah I would consider myself one of the biggest fans of this ride.
 

John park hopper

Well-Known Member
Rode it at WDW when my sons were very little 4 and 6 there was a man seated in front and we were in the back who had very bad body odor. My 6 year old kept saying what's that smell daddy-- trying to keep him quiet was a job. My son was right the smell was over powering. We do Small World every trip but it's very low on my list of favorites
 

Brer Oswald

Well-Known Member
I was always fascinated with the attraction from the first time I went on it in WDW. That fascination came with a bit of fear, and a bit of intrigue. For awhile, I claimed I hated the attraction. Went to Disneyland for the first time in 2014, and it was undeniable how good iasw was there. Between that and Pirates, it was the crowning moment of that trip. Now I love the ride in Florida too, as well as the song. After Splash, it’s my favorite.

It was also a favorite of my grandparents.
 

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