“it’s a small world” at Disney’s Magic Kingdom (A Resorts Gal Ride Guide)
“it’s a small world” is an attraction at Magic Kingdom Park in Walt Disney World. For most, the name “it’s a small world” is synonymous with Disney.
As far as history goes, the original attraction was once part of the New York World’s Fair in 1964. It was housed in the Unicef Pavilion during the fair. This is the same World’s Fair where Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress debuted.
This same “it’s a small world” was rebuilt to become Disneyland’s version. During the ride’s construction, it was to be named “Children of the World.” However, Walt Disney renamed the ride after the Sherman brothers created the attraction’s iconic song, “it’s a small world.” Artist Mary Blair is responsible for the ride’s vibrant color palette and children’s costume design.
Today, various versions of this attraction exist at most Disney Parks worldwide, including Magic Kingdom. Below, we’ll go over the specifics of this gentle boat ride and the best time to experience it during your vacation.
Here are a few quick reference details for “it’s a small world.”
| “it’s a small world” | Magic Kingdom |
|---|---|
Location: | Fantasyland |
Height Requirement: | None |
Lightning Lane: | Yes, with Multi Pass (Tier 2 Category) |
Ride Type: | Slow Moving Boat Ride |
Seats Per Vehicle: | 3 to 4 per row |
Rider Switch: | No |
Early Theme Park Hours: | Yes |
Extended Evening Hours: | Yes |
Scare Factor: | None |
Must-Do List: | High |
Perfect For: | All Ages |
Special Mention: | Look for your name in the final scene. It might be displayed in the farewell signs. |
Additional Info: Guests in an ECV or wheelchair must transfer to a manual wheelchair. Details for those with mobility issues (i.e., wheelchair, ECVs) can be found on Disney’s site. Handheld Captioning and Audio Description are available for this attraction.
Make sure to check our one-stop Lightning Lane Guide to plan your attractions.
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“it’s a small world” (Magic Kingdom)
This attraction is a slow-moving boat ride that sails through different countries. Each country offers vibrant displays with child audio-animatronics that sing “it’s a small world” in their native language. Surprisingly, the transition between each scene is seamless, along with the musical notes.
“it’s a small world” has two entrances. A separate entrance is available to the far left of the main entrance for those using an individual Lightning Lane.
Other guests can use the regular standby entrance. Wait times average 30 minutes for “it’s a small world” during the busier portions of the day.
Guests needing wheelchair accommodations will join a separate line that boards on the opposite side of the boat. You can see the ramp for this line in the photo below.
While you wait, you can see other guests come and go from the boats below. Since this entire attraction is inside, it’s a reasonable place to wait in the event of a rain shower.
Hopefully, the rain will have cleared off by the time you finish. However, if not, there are several other indoor attractions nearby. So you can join another line without getting too soaked.
“it’s a small world” is usually a walk-on attraction during the early morning and later evening hours. Each row of the boat holds up to four guests. Cast members do not require that different parties share rows.
Once you set off on the happiest little cruise that ever sailed, look up! Guests might be waving to you while dining above at neighboring Pinocchio’s Village Haus.
Then, you’ll enter the first room.
This is where the new doll in a wheelchair has recently been added. He’s playing a flute and sits between two other audio-animatronics dolls.
You’ll then continue through the various rooms, each featuring small children from all over the world. Here are a few photos of Magic Kingdom’s “it’s a small world.” Here are a few scenes from the ride:
The Resorts Gal Spin on “it’s a small world”
We give “it’s a small world” the green light. This is a high-capacity ride that usually loads quickly, which keeps the wait times fairly low. Also, if you have someone in your party who doesn’t like the noise of fireworks, this attraction is the perfect escape!
Resorts Gal Traffic Signals
Green Light
We give an attraction the green light if we consider it a must-do, regardless of the posted wait. We also give the green light for attractions we deem suitable to experience anytime. For example, some attractions have high capacities. Therefore, the lines continuously move and you shouldn’t have a long wait unless the attraction experiences downtime.
Red Light
We recommend checking the posted wait times for red light attractions. Then, make a quick judgment call on whether to wait, skip it, or return later. We also red light some attractions that we feel might not be suitable based on our experience.
Hopefully, you’ll have the opportunity to experience this fun attraction on your next visit. Make sure to check out these other rides at Magic Kingdom:
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
- Disney World’s Winnie the Pooh Ride
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Review
Resorts Gal specializes in Disney World Resorts, Characters, and Dining. Check out some of our resources, like our Disney World Resort Reviews. That page provides a list of every single resort review we have available on the site.
Some of our favorites for off-site include:
- Best Disney World Off-Site Hotels
- Wyndham Grand Orlando Review
- Signia By Hilton Bonnet Creek Review
- Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Review
We have a complete list of Disney restaurant reviews for planning dining reservations. Usually, we recommend scheduling at least one Disney World character dining meal and a Disney signature dining reservation. Lastly, our most popular dining reviews include the best restaurants at Disney Springs.
If you plan to meet characters in the parks, there is an updated list of Disney World Characters. That review links to every meet available in each of the four parks.
In the Comments
When visiting Disney World, do you always ride “it’s a small world”? Is this a must-do attraction or a skip? Share your thoughts below in the comment section.
