It's a Small World, Boat ride in Fantasyland, Disneyland, United States
It's a Small World is a covered boat ride through several illuminated rooms where hundreds of singing dolls represent different continents. The boats glide slowly through artificial canals past colorful backdrops, each showing a different geographic zone.
The attraction was designed in 1964 for the New York World's Fair as a contribution for UNICEF and brought to California two years later. Later, identical versions were built in Florida and Hong Kong, largely adopting the original concept.
The Sherman Brothers wrote the title song in July 1963 after the Cuban Missile Crisis, and Walt Disney asked for a cheerful tune that could be sung as a round in many languages. The dolls' costumes were designed by Alice Davis, who followed Walt's instruction to make them look like dolls every child would want.
The ride lasts about a quarter of an hour and takes place in open boats that move slowly, making it suitable for visitors of all ages. The loading system is continuously in motion, so waiting times tend to be shorter than at other rides.
The melody plays simultaneously in more than a dozen languages, made possible technically by precise synchronization of each figure. Every doll moves only its mouth and arms, yet together they create the impression of a worldwide children's choir.
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