The Magic Kingdom’s “it’s a small world”

5 December 2022 by Erin Schreiver Leave a Comment

Love it or hate it, “it’s a small world” is an opening day attraction that is as iconic to Disney as Mickey Mouse himself.

📍 Magic Kingdom | Fantasyland

This Fantasyland family-friendly classic boat ride, seeing children through different lands and backgrounds, has been bringing people together since the 1964 World’s Fair.

Disney created this UNICEF sponsored attraction for the 1964 World’s Fair with the goal of showing guests unity of people across the world. With children being the most precious innocents of the world, it made sense to use small children to tell the story. Each area of the attraction features children from around the world playing and singing the iconic “it’s a small world” song.

The song that remains in your head until the end of time was written by the famous Sherman Brothers, and at present day, is the most played song of all time. According to the National Recording Registry in 2022, “it’s a small world” has been played more than 50 million times.

The Queue

This Fantasyland attraction is a go-to for when the Florida skies open up for an afternoon rain! The queue is almost entirely indoors and the queue can fit a large line. “it’s a small world” is still a very popular attraction and averages a 35 minute standby wait time daily.

Lightning Lane Multi Passes are available for this ride and are not difficult to snag throughout the day.

The Ride

“it’s a small world” is the quintessential Disney family ride. There is no height requirement, and it is great for people of all shapes, sizes, and ages. This 15 minute slow boat ride will be one that fills you with joy and wonder or one that tests your patience and endurance. Either way, it’s a must-do when at Disney!

The boats feature long benches, so every party is sure to feel comfortable. Important to note, there is a small step into the boat that needs to be considered for those with physical handicaps.

WARNING: This adorable song and those haunting little faces will be with you forever after you ride “it’s a small world”. The song will not leave your head!

All kidding aside, “it’s a small world” is an adorable attraction that just brings a smile to everyone’s face. It is a beautiful reminder that while we may seem different, we are far more similar than we see, and really, it’s a small world afterall.

Fun Fact:
Can’t get enough of “it’s a small world”? Grab a meal at Pinocchio’s Village Haus and eat on the second floor. It is often very quiet up there, even on the busiest of days because people don’t realize it’s there. On the second floor dining room you will find windows overlooking “it’s a small world”, so you can watch those adorable animatronics even longer!

Height Requirement

There is no height requirement for “it’s a small world,” making it an enjoyable attraction for guests of all ages!

Rider Swap

Rider Swap is not available for this attraction. With its gentle boat ride and vibrant, international scenes, it’s a wonderful experience for families to enjoy together.

Accessibility

Guests using wheelchairs or ECVs can remain in their mobility devices while boarding specially accessible boats on “it’s a small world.” The queue is accessible, and Cast Members are available to assist with boarding and provide information about accessible seating options.

Take Our Small World Survey

Let us know if you Love It or Hate It.

Here are the Results so far.

You can always share your thoughts on small world in the comments section below!

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• Disney World Theme Park Overview
• Magic Kingdom
• EPCOT
• Disney's Hollywood Studios
• Disney's Animal Kingdom

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