Five Things to Know About it’s a small world

If you’ve ever been to the Magic Kingdom in Disney World, or even if you haven’t, you know about “it’s a small world”. At the very least, you’ve heard the song somewhere. Is it a must-do attraction that’s worth the time on your first visit? Here are some facts about the attraction that may persuade you to ride – or cover your ears and run away! But if you want to skip the trip to get to the wheres and hows, here’s your shortcut.

1. It’s a cute queue after all.

In the queue, you’ll wind your way down long ramps. But you’ll have a view of the boats and the attraction’s signature backdrop as you approach! And yes, as you wait, the famous song is on loop. There’s nothing interactive about the experience, unless, like we do, you make up your own lyrics to the song to pass the time.

If you’re an older visitor, you’ll appreciate the creativity that went into designing this area. In 2021, new colors were added to the scenery to keep it fresh and vibrant. Once you board, you pass underneath the ride operators who wave as you start out.

2. You’ll ride – and maybe sing – all around the world!

After settling into your boat, you enjoy a gentle 10-minute boat ride. The Seven Seas Waterway travels through more than 40 countries and regions of our planet. Along the way, animatronic dolls dressed in traditional costumes dance and sing “that song” in their native language. The whimsical, colorful scenes have so much going on that you can see something new each time you ride. “What’s that penguin doing?” “Is that a kiwi?” “Look at the balloon riders overhead!”

Watch for the sun shining in every room. This was intended to remind guests that we all share the same planet, look up at the same moon, and enjoy the same sun. The song lyrics say it this way: “There is just one moon and one golden sun.”

The message of the ride is a timeless wish for peace and unity throughout all peoples and nations. There is a strong element of nostalgia here, which I enjoy. The pace and length of the ride lets me take a break from the often-hectic park activity of checking for wait times and racing to the next attraction.

3. It opened with the Magic Kingdom in 1971.

There are only a handful of attractions left in the Magic Kingdom where you can experience the magic as it was on that opening day. One of those is “it’s a small world” (always spelled without capital letters!). And that’s one of the reasons I ride it every time I’m there. I love the nostalgia and slower pace. (But I can see why other folks may not share my fondness for it.)

The original “it’s a small world” was a last-minute attraction for UNICEF at the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair. Following its run at the fair, it moved to Disneyland Park, where it debuted on May 28, 1966. Then, in October 1971, the WDW version premiered. Other versions have been created for Disney parks around the globe since then.

Famed Disney artist Mary Blair was the person most responsible for creating the distinct look and color palette of the ride. If you visit Disney’s Contemporary Resort, you’ll see the mural she also designed for the Grand Canyon Concourse. Her visual style left an indelible mark on the look of everything she worked on.

Walt Disney originally wanted each country’s national anthem to play as riders passed through. It was a cute idea, but as you can guess, the result was not exactly what you could call global harmony. So Richard and Robert Sherman were hired to create a simple song. It had to be easy to remember and easy to translate into other languages – in other words, an earworm. Wow, did they succeed!

Over the years, it’s a small world has become a “love it or hate it” attraction for guests. But when it first opened, it was ground-breaking! The animatronics may be a bit dated now, but they were state-of-the-art back then, and riding through an attraction in a boat was something new. It proved so successful that other attractions followed in its wake (see what I did there?). For example, Pirates of the Caribbean was first conceived as a walk-through attraction, but that changed when small world’s boat-ride approach proved so successful. And boats are still popular; Na’vi River Journey is the most recent boat ride to be built at Disney World.

4. it’s a world of fun facts!

⭐ There are some 300 animatronic dolls in all.

⭐ As you ride, notice that each doll has the same face, but a different skin color and costume. It’s another way the ride conveys the message of hope for peace and unity throughout the world.

⭐ A few years ago, for the first time ever, the Disneyland version added two dolls in wheelchairs. Disney World followed suit, adding a doll in a wheelchair in 2023.

⭐ When the lights are turned off, the dolls stay on, dancing (but not singing) through the evening after the park closes. The dolls always dance. Always.

⭐ The song is in the public domain since Disney never copyrighted it. Walt believed that it should belong to the children of the world.

⭐ Because the theme song is played on a loop at each Disney Park around the world, it has the distinction of being the most performed song of all time.

⭐ The windows at Pinocchio Village Haus overlook the queue and the ride. You can wave at them as you go past!

5. The Nuts and Bolts.

it’s a small world is located in Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom, across from Peter Pan’s Flight. As an indoor attraction, it operates rain or shine. The open-air queue is mostly covered and indoors, and offers a welcome air-conditioned reprieve from the sun on a hot day.

Your ride vehicle is a boat with six rows. Each row can accommodate 3-5 people, depending on size.

To board, guests must step over a small wall and then down a moderate step to enter their boat. Those in wheelchairs can stay seated to use the wheelchair-accessible boat; ECV users must transfer to a standard wheelchair. There are no dips or drops, and no health or safety advisories due to the tame nature of this attraction. There are also no height requirements; the whole family can ride. Audio Description and Handheld Captioning are available.

Since this is a continuous-load ride, wait times are not usually very long. Even on a crowded day, it’s rare for waits to exceed an hour, and 25-40 minutes is more typical. You can use Lightning Lane Multi Pass to reserve a time, but unless this is an absolute must-do for you, there are likely better options for advance selections. it’s a small world is open for Early Theme Park Entry and for Extended Evening Theme Park Hours.

The Bottom Line.

If you want to step back in time to an era when entertainment was simpler, it’s a small world is a great choice. That’s why our family considers it a must-do every time we visit the Magic Kingdom. If you’ve never ridden, take time out of your touring day next visit to give it a try. You may be surprised that it becomes an unexpected favorite of yours, too.

Will you ride it’s a small world next visit? Or skip the trip completely? If you’ve ridden already, what was your favorite part? Let us know in the comments below.

(Originally published January 23, 2023. Last updated/republished June 12, 2025.)