Travel Tools from The Unofficial Guide™ Team  -  See Our Books Here!
  • Background Image

    "it's a small world"

Subscribe Now: 1 Full Year of WDW For Only $17.95!

Get full access to the WDW Crowd Calendar, Lines Mobile App, Touring Plans and More!

topsub_examplefamily

"Our TouringPlans subscription was a lifesaver on our trip. One of the busiest days of the year, and we never waited longer than 20 minutes!"

- Smith Family, KY

Subscription Type:

1 Year WDW Subscription ($17.95)

Visiting The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando?

Add Universal Orlando to your subscription for only $6.95!   That's 22% off!

Payment Method:

Pay With Your Credit Card
Pay With Your PayPal Account

Discounts:

Click here to close the subscription form

Description And Comments

Happy and upbeat to an almost unsettling degree, It’s a Small World is guaranteed not to leave you asking, “How’d that song go again?” Small boats carry you on a tour around the world, with singing and dancing dolls showcasing the dress and culture of each nation represented. One of Disney’s oldest entertainment offerings, Small World first unleashed its mind-numbing theme song and lethal cuteness on the big world at the 1964 New York World’s Fair; the original exhibit was moved to Disneyland after the fair, and a duplicate was created for Walt Disney World when it opened in 1971.

Though it bludgeons you with its sappy redundancy, almost everyone enjoys It’s a Small World—the first time, anyway. It stands, however, with Enchanted Tiki Room, and Country Bear Jamboree as monuments to an earlier age of entertainment.

Touring Tips

Cool off here when it’s hot. During the pandemic, lines extend outside into Fantasyland and are largely without shade. Try to visit early in the morning or after the sun starts to set. If you wear a hearing aid, turn it off.

"it's a small world" Ride Through

"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 Magic Kingdom Crowd Level. The blue bars represent the average "peak" wait time (that is, how long the line will be 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.

Attraction Photos

Special Comments

Special Needs

Disney Dish with Jim Hill
Jimhill120x141

Small World's Crawford Connection

Most people credit Walt Disney with the creation of it's a small world. But we also have screen legend Joan Crawford to thank for bringing the original idea to fruition. Back in the early 1960s, Pepsi-Cola was struggling to come up with a concept for its 1964 World's Fair pavilion. Crawford--the widow of Pepsi chairman Al Steele and a member of the company's board of directors at the time--suggested that her colleagues call up her old friend Walt. When the board later balked at funding what the Imagineers had dreamed up, Crawford stood up and declared, in inimitable Mommy Dearest fashion, "We are going to do this!" And so they did.

Other Attractions in Fantasyland

Touring Plans with "it's a small world"

What is a Touring Plan?

Top