it’s a small world
Opened: October 1, 1971
Location: Fantasyland across from Peter Pan’s Flight
Extra Magic Hours: Morning, Evening
FASTPASS: No
Type: Dark ride
Similar To: Living with the Land with dolls instead of plants
Requirements: None
Scary Factor: Zero, but you may lose your sanity depending on your tolerance for repetitious songs.
What to Expect: The queue for “it’s a small world” is covered and mostly indoors, but there isn’t a lot to see or do while in line. Once you make it to the front of the line, you will board a slow-moving boat that seats about 20 people. The boat will take you through a number of scenes featuring about 300 audio-animatronic dolls dressed up in costumes from over 100 nations. Each of the dolls sings the “it’s a small world” theme song non-stop throughout the ride while dancing to the tune.
Where to Sit: Most of the action occurs off to the sides of the boat and above your head. Sitting in the front row offers the best view of what’s ahead, but it isn’t necessarily worth requesting it.
When To Go: This is another good ride to visit in the afternoon or while you’re waiting for a FASTPASS time to become due for another Fantasyland ride. Riding this along with seeing Mickey’s PhilharMagic in the afternoon should give you a nice break from the heat and crowds. Lines should also be nonexistent in the late evening and during evening Extra Magic Hours, which is an even better time to visit if you don’t get a chance to ride in the afternoon or don’t require a break
Expect to Wait: Waits are rarely longer than 25 minutes and should be ten minutes before 11am or after 8pm. When the overall crowd level is an eight or above, afternoon waits can hit 35 minutes. When the overall crowd level is high, avoid riding between 11am – 7pm when lines are longest. When the overall crowd level is a five or below and Magic Kingdom is recommended, you shouldn’t run into a line longer than 15 minutes.
Length: 11 minutes
Rating: 5/10
Commentary: This is another Disney ride that has been kept mostly the same since it opened more than 40 years ago. It will be popular with kids and adults that appreciate classic Disney attractions, but won’t be enjoyed much by people who are looking for the latest in technology and thrills. It’s a perfectly pleasant ride and a nice relaxing break, but the repetitious song is famous for becoming annoying long before the ride ends. Even worse, chances are good that you’ll have to sit and wait for a few minutes to unload from your boat due to backups at the end of the ride, so you’ll have to sit and listen to the song even when there’s nothing to look at. All in all, I would recommend “it’s a small world” because it is one of those classic Disney attractions. Just be aware that it will take at least 20 minutes to experience and you may have other priorities with limited time in Magic Kingdom.