10 Fun Facts About “it’s a small world”

1. Getting the Name Right

We’ll start this list off by talking about the name, as it’s a name that’s commonly misspelled. The proper spelling of the name is with all lower case letters, and the name is always enclosed in quotation marks. Why is that? It was a stylistic decision to convey the notion that you are on an innocent, care-free voyage around the world, joined by children from all nations coming together to sing in harmony.

2. That Famous Song

Speaking of singing, the famous song was of course written by the Sherman Brothers. But that wasn’t the original plan for the soundtrack. Walt Disney’s first concept was for all of the children to be singing their respective national anthems, but he soon realized that his would create a cacophony of sound that would be hard to decipher. So instead, he asked the Sherman Brother to come up with a simple song that could be sung in a round, and that’s how they came up with the song that we know and love today. By the way, if you’re referring to the song itself, that indeed is spelled with capital letters as you would expect.

3. Ooh La La

The song can actually be heard in five different languages throughout your voyage, and if you pay attention, you can hear the French dolls add an “ooh-la-la” after each chorus.

4. it’s a small world…world….world…world…

Incidentally, the word “world” is used 14 times through the course of song.

5. Mary Blair and Alice Davis

The colorful designs seen throughout the attraction are the work of famed Disney artist Mary Blair, who also designed the mural in the Contemporary’s Grand Concourse and created concept art for films such as Alice in Wonderland, But while her unmistakable style can be seen in every scene, she didn’t actually design the dolls themselves, as most people believe. That was the work of Disney Legend Alice Davis, who created the designs for ever outfit for every doll in the attraction. Though certainly inspired by Mary Blair’s work, the dolls were a pure Alice Davis creation.

6. The Disneyland Dedication Plaque

To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the debut of “it’s a small world” at the 1964 New York World’s Fair, a ceremony was held in Disneyland to rededicate the attraction in 1989. Roy E. Disney (son of Roy Disney) read the dedication speech, and this plaque was installed. It was originally located to the left of the Clock Tower underneath the signage for Bank of America (the sponsor at the time). In 1992, the plaque was relocated to its current position. Fun fact: The gold circle is actually a piece of the original Disneyland facade from 1966!

7. Water Water Everywhere

The waterway that you sail upon is known as the Seven Seaways, and contains more than 500,000 gallons of water in its 1,085-foot-long canal.

8. The Original Name

When originally conceived for the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair, the attraction’s original name was “Children of the World.”

9. Disneyland Posters

The Disneyland version has several features that you won’t find in the Magic Kingdom, beginning with its outside queue. But another surprise can be found inside. Three of the rooms feature a welcome poster: Asia, Latin America, and Oceania. It might seem odd that these are the only rooms with a poster, but it makes sense, considering these are the rooms with the longest transitions. For example, when you leave the Arctic Room, you immediately enter the Europe Room. However, when you next sail into Asia, you’ll pass through a dark corridor with no scenery. (The transition from Latin America to Oceania is particularly lengthy.) The posters not only welcome you to your next stop on your global journey, but they also help fill the space in areas that are otherwise devoid of show elements.

10. Don Quixote

If you look closely, you’ll also see a stylized version of Don Quixote aboard his horse Rocinante, accompanied by his faithful sidekick Sancho Panza. These were the characters from “The Ingenious Nobleman Sir Quixote of La Mancha,” written by Miguel de Cervantes and published in 1615.