Comments on: Disneyland Remodeling "It's a Small World"

By: 1957LIKid

1957LIKid — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 01:15:58 +0000

Even though I've lived on Long Island all my life, I've never visited the World's Fair site (Flushing Meadow Park) since attending it, until this evening. As I stood under the Unisphere, which was dedicated to world peace, I thought of the small world exhibit, which is also themed towards world peace. Perhaps the ride should be modernized as it's original rendition didn't get us towards the intended goal. Maybe version 2 will produce better results.

By: joshua young

joshua young — Sun, 10 May 2009 17:43:18 +0000

"Its a small world"-Can you really call it that anymore.
If Walt Disney was alive today, he would be utterly amazed. Disney World made a movie trilogy based on a pirate theme ride, they have creativly added new characters and stories, disney has influenced asians, and they have even built on to their park. But just like Hollywood, Disney World sits on a dangerous spot. I'm obviosly alive and I'm utterly amazed the best tourist attractions are located on the worst places on Earth.

By: Charles Michael Collins

Charles Michael Collins — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 22:37:32 +0000

Since I got my major technology stollen by an illegal immigrant with no recoure in US courts it is NO surprize to me that Americans are subjected to the now globalist "Affirmative Action" lord high fellony.

Charles Michael Collins

By: Julianrocks409

Julianrocks409 — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 21:15:46 +0000

I am only thiteen years old and I have gone to disney 11 times. everytime I wnt i rode IASW at least 3 times so that would mean I have ridden it more than thirty times...I love that ride and if Disney DARES to put an "horray for the USA" scene in the ride I swear the ride will lose a lot of its magic and uncle walt's charm...I mean the whole idea is sooooo CORNY and red necked! "yeeee haaaah hooray for the USA hyuk hyuk! doiii!" will that be the slogan in the commercials? personally I have disliked a lot of the supposed "improvemets" disney has made on rides. for example now they are adding so mmuch 3d shows and videos in rides that you feel like you are going to a tech-convention than disneyland. it sucks! and I believe they should forget the whole idea of new boats beacause americans are sinking them I mean its good that they sink them so that they find out how fat and stubborn and disgusting they are! as for the disney characters in the ride I an just curious to see how that will turn out but I am not in favor of it. (I really hope they dont dare to put videos of them like they did in the mexican IASW in epcot)I believe they should just let the ride like it it and maybe a new facade or so. They should leave one of the only rides in the park that walt desinged himself intact. and they should respect mary blair's vision.

By: Vasyu

Vasyu — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:49:38 +0000

f6TePM Vasyu testit vasyu.net

By: didiz

didiz — Thu, 22 May 2008 00:15:37 +0000

I love the ride, and love love the song!
Every time I hear a change its made at the park.. it hurts.
I dont like the new tiki room (florida), and the new pirates (ca), and that they took away the bear jamboree (ca).
Is there a place where we can sign?

By: Pam

Pam — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 03:28:42 +0000

Why do they keep plowing over the amazing work of Mary Blair? Recently watched "Cinderella" and caught the special extra doc on Mary. What a wonderful, creative person. She set the tone, through her concept art, for not only "Cindereella", but "Peter Pan" and "Alice" and her version of IASW deserves to remain intact, as SHE designed it. First they desecrated the murals in Tomorrowland, now it's parts of this historic ride?

By: rack-and-ruin

rack-and-ruin — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 02:01:37 +0000

It would be nice to hear that It's A Small World was simply receiving a facelift and a new coat of paint, as it is an old ride, but it's probably the only thing left at Disney World that my father can remember from his childhood in exactly the same way that I remember it from mine. Sure the song's annoying, but so are all the Christmas carols that pop up on the radio everywhere else every winter season, but we can appreciate those for their traditional value and what they meant to us when we were children, if nothing else. It's A Small World is the same type of thing. The bit about including new Disney characters is nothing short of appalling. Walt didn't see fit to throw Mickey in there, though he easily could've, so why profane the ride with the modern cash cows? It's sad.

By: Kyle Hayes

Kyle Hayes — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 16:30:58 +0000

Small World is a timeless classic and is one of the many that are from Walt's own heart. Even though they may be changing some parts, I don't think it is a significant change enough to say that the ride will never be the same again. I am usually a very conservative promoter of keeping Walt's spirit in all that is Disney. As for this, I think it could be worse.

Thanks for sharing.

By: MoonCake

MoonCake — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 14:26:20 +0000

yea i went when i was 13 (10 years ago) and wasn't truly impressed. the only thing i remember well was the guitar-shaped pool at my hotel and the arguing family of little people (no, they did not work for Disney...) who were making a scene in the middle of the blizzard water park thing. never went on the IASW ride, BUT i've heard good things. it's sad that Disney doesn't take into consideration the feelings of their millions of patrons. i mean, the park wouldn't exist without its patrons (duh) and they should consider making an online survey of what their patrons want.. updated equipment with a brighter touch of tender loving care? or just another representation of perpetuated corporate america at it's inflated finest (and i use "inflated" to take on several meanings here).

By: Denita TwoDragons

Denita TwoDragons — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 05:54:27 +0000

I miss many of the old classic Disney movies (The Black Hole still scares the bejeebus out of me!) but I never had any ambition to see Disneyland...and I care even less for the franchise as time goes on. It's reaching its nadir, and there's nothing of Walt's vision left in it anymore. So sad...

--TwoDragons

By: toddb

toddb — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 05:19:31 +0000

Wow! Maybe the most extreme example of how to teach and show your child of how money talks. I rode the ride for the first time about five years ago, was moved. Now I have a 18 month girl(first kid) and was looking so forward to giving her this piece of history. So Sad

By: The Mutt

The Mutt — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 20:02:55 +0000

When I worked at Disneyworld I was told that ride operators could move from attraction to attraction, but if they found one they really liked, they could stick with that one for as long as they worked there. Except for Small World. Ride operators on Small World were rotated out after three months lest they go insane from the music.

I know it sounds like an urban legend, but I was told this by more than one cast member at different times. I was a performer, so I didn't work for that division, and they may have been goofing on me, but I only rode it once and I was already losing my mind before I even got through the line and on to a boat. I have no reason to doubt that it's true.

By: Rodney

Rodney — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 18:28:28 +0000

Some more changes are in store for Disneyland, including a new ride "20,000 Pounds Under the Sea" and "Honey, I Shrunk My Butt":

http://calorielab.com/news/2007/11/12/parkwide-obesity-refurb-in-store -for-disneyland-disneys-post-small-world-plans/

By: StacyBee

StacyBee — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 17:22:50 +0000

Hey, just for my own peace of mind, when I said putting the characters "Where they belong" I didn't mean that I personally feel they belong there... I just meant that they will be putting them in the countries that they are from according to their respective stories.

I also think putting Disney characters in the ride is reprehensible.

By: Jacki

Jacki — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 17:04:37 +0000

After a few minutes bobbing along in the boat in It's A Small World, I recall wishing for the song to end and looking longingly at the emergency exits. lol.

Puppets are just creepy...

By: Namowal

Namowal — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 15:50:39 +0000

The rain forest was one of the coolest parts. Replace it with "hooray for the U.S.A.?" Yechh!. Load up the ride with Disney characters "where they belong!?" Why don't they throw in a McDonald's in each country while they're at it? Oh for the days when the tackiest part of the ride was the departing message: Where ever you go Around the world You're never far From Bank of America!

By: DB

DB — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 06:27:06 +0000

I can understand cleaning it up and maybe adding a few more American characters, but it's sad that they're taking away the jungle scene, that one was fun.

And adding Disney characters? I think that's rather ridiculous, unless they're going to keep to the original style.

I know a lot of people find that song annoying, but I think it's rather nice, and the style is very cute.

By: Thai

Thai — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 03:38:03 +0000

Is there a petition somewhere? I used to like Disney, but it's been all downhill for me these past two decades.

By: Christophe

Christophe — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 03:26:44 +0000

I don't see the problem with getting rid of the rainforest section.

...It matches reality...

********
And : StacyBee, thanks for one full day of Disney tune ;p

it's a world of laughter, a world or tears
its a world of hopes, its a world of fear
theres so much that we share
that its time we're aware
its a small world after all

its a small world after all
its a small world after all
its a small world after all
its a small, small world

There is just one moon and one golden sun
And a smile means friendship to everyone.
Though the mountains divide
And the oceans are wide
It's a small small world

By: rebajonez

rebajonez — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 02:39:31 +0000

I have a suspicion this ride will share the same fate as Disneyworld's "Enchanted Tiki Room". Disney kept most of the original decor/color scheme but recently unnaturally "updated" the room with random graphics of modern disney characters/motifs. I think at the end of the audio-animatronic voodoo lady's(?) performance Iago the parrot makes an appearance and busts a Hawaiian rap. It's hideous. The "update" make the remains of the 60's decor look tired and sad. Relative to the charm of it's former life, the newly added Iago crew looks so tacky--trashy, actually. Please Disney, all or nothing. I vote for a perfect renovation of the ride as it is or just remove it completely. Mary Blair had such style and talent, please leave her vision intact.

By: Bonnie

Bonnie — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 01:17:41 +0000

The things that Disney does these days often makes me want to throw up. The whole putting the Disney characters where they belong crap is just that, crap. When did whimsy and simple pleasure become passe? What, have they now decided that the jungle ride isn't "Disneyfied" enough and they feel the need to replace the real looking animals with characters from the Lion King? More isn't always better, just more.

By: Video Game Dork

Video Game Dork — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 00:31:34 +0000

yeah, the irony of destorying the rainforest to put up a "GO USA" section in a ride about cultural awareness... well it's pretty amusing, in a bleak way. I'm all for them 'repolishing' the ride, fixing stuff, shiny new animatronics, etc, but, man, some of that stuff is wacko. ... And walt disney is not frozen. that's a big ol' lie. "did you know that walt disney eats an average of 8 spiders per year in his frozen sleep, and for each spider he eats, bill gates will donate 1 dollar to a dying little girl?!"

By: Ben Eshbach

Ben Eshbach — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 22:15:15 +0000

Disneyland just needs to open a section of the park and call it "Disneyland-land" - where all the old rides in their original format are duplicated in slightly smaller scale. Then they can keep tearing down all the cool stuff all over the park -- as long as they keep Disneyland-land alone.

By: belled27

belled27 — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 22:12:17 +0000

I have not been to either Disney World or Disney Land, but I have been to Disney Land Paris (I grew up in Europe). The Small World ride there is a wonderful statement (?) for world unity and while I can understand upgrades of the ride for safety sake, I cannot understand the need to update with current Disney characters. The ride is probably the most famous (yes,yes...teacups, too)....why mess with a classic?

By: Dave

Dave — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 21:28:21 +0000

"No! No! Anything but that!"
-- Scar

By: Geekazoid

Geekazoid — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 21:15:35 +0000

This is one of my mom's favorite rides. Not the most exciting concept in this day and age. Nice to see they're upgrading it though.

By: sickb*stard

sickb*stard — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 20:37:36 +0000

Update the ride, yes. It's been around since before my father was born, but making it more "Go America", what the hell? We don't need to be told we're great, we just know. And as for adding in other disney characters, that's just appalling.

By: Drew

Drew — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 20:18:57 +0000

It's the most boring ride in the park. I think the only reason people ride it at all is because the line is usually short. You can't get across the message of world peace if nobody will watch the thing. Make it a little more visually stimulating and show the same message...what's wrong with that? By all means, mix in a few Disney characters and make it like a picture hunt. It would at least be entertaining to try and find them all.

By: patricio

patricio — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 19:21:28 +0000

Dang it! I'm going to Disneyland in late April. Anyone n=know if the ride will be back open by then?