Description And Comments

A happy and upbeat attraction with a world-brotherhood theme and a catchy tune that will roll around in your head for weeks. Small boats convey visitors on a tour around the world, with singing and dancing dolls showcasing the dress and culture of each nation. Almost everyone enjoys it's a small world (well, there are those jaded folks who are put off by the dolls' homogeneous appearance, especially in light of the diversity theme), but it stands, along with the Enchanted Tiki Room, as an attraction that some could take or leave but that others consider one of the real masterpieces of Disneyland Park. In any event, a woman from Holbrook, New York, wrote with this devilish suggestion for improvement:

Small World would be much better if each person got a few softballs on the way in!

A mom from Castleton, Vermont, added this:

it's a small world at Fantasyland was like a pit stop in the Twilight Zone. They were very slow unloading the boats, and we were stuck in a line of about six boats waiting to get out while the endless chanting of that song grated on my nerves. I told my husband I was going to swim for it just to escape one more chorus.

In early 2009, over 20 Disney and Disney/Pixar characters were given the "small world" treatment and added to the attraction. While this was much to the consternation of serious Disney fans, the result was very tastefully done.

Since 1997, the attraction has received an annual holiday overlay inside the attraction as well as outside, with renditions of jingle bells replacing some of the usual music. We particularly enjoy the light-show and projection effects outside the attraction that happen every 15 minutes.

Touring Tips

it's a small world is a fast-loading ride that's usually a good bet during the busier times of the day. The boats are moved along by water pressure, which increases as boats are added. Thus, the more boats in service when you ride (up to a maximum total of 60), the shorter the duration of the ride (and wait).

Two notes: while the loading can be very quick when there are many boats running, the unloading can be very slow. Second, the attraction has two loading zones, one which has wheelchair access and one without. Unless you need wheelchair access, we recommend using the loading zone on the far side of the entrance by choosing right-hand side of the queue when it splits.

it's a small world Wait Times

This chart shows you roughly how long you'll wait for it's a small world when you visit on a day with a given Disneyland Crowd Level. The blue bars represent the average "peak" wait time (that is, how long the line will at its busiest). The bottom and top black lines represent the range of peak wait times to expect (for you fellow nerds out there: it's the 5th percentile and 95th percentile of peak wait times). Please note that these are estimates, and for a better forecast for your travel dates, see it's a small world Wait Times.

Special Comments

A pleasant change of pace.

Special Needs

Other Attractions in Fantasyland

Touring Plans with it's a small world

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