After hearing last year about the haircuts that the small world dolls get each year, here is now another “creepy” piece of information about the long time running, It’s a Small World dolls.
According to this video from The Mouselets, the adorable little dolls inside the attraction are never allowed any downtime. We’ve heard rumors over the years that the music from the attraction never stops playing: that the iconic Sherman Brothers’ “It’s a Small World After All” plays on a loop 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
The creator of this video, however, says that the music actually does stop at the end of the night. She says the lights inside the attraction are also turned out. However, she says that the little dolls representing countries from all over the globe never stop dancing. The can-can girls keep can-canning, the hot air balloon pilots keep floating, and the whole chorus keeps singing (minus the music and the words). Imagine all the clicking and clacking you’d hear!
Can you imagine walking into the building that houses the “it’s a small world” attraction while it’s completely dark and completely quiet, except for the tiny sounds of the mechanisms inside the dolls, allowing them to move and dance, even with no music?
The prospect sounds a bit unsettling at best! We’re just thankful we don’t have to walk the attraction at night. We love the ride, but that kind of thing might just be the stuff of nightmares!
If you’ve ever been to Walt Disney World Resort or Disneyland Resort chances are you understand at least the core basic rules. One of these rules… keep your hands, arms, feet, and legs INSIDE the attraction vehicle at all times. In this case, one Disney Guest broke this most basic rule.
When you follow Disney bloggers closely, it’s not uncommon to see things posted that make you go, “WHAT?” For example, just recently, we shared an angry Guest having a total and complete meltdown over a Cast Member moving her stroller. We’ve also seen a young Guest decide to get out of a Splash Mountain boat. And let’s not forget about the woman that jumped out of the Living With the Land boat for a cucumber!
Over at Disneyland Resort, someone made the decision to stick their arm under the boat while on the nostalgic “it’s a small world” attraction. Take note that it has been deemed very dangerous to put any body parts below a moving Disney boat or vehicle. The attractions are sometimes on tracks and yes, you can lose a finger or more if you’re not careful. If you don’t hurt yourself under the boat, you could also get your arm crushed against the wall.
We aren’t sure if it was the “it’s a small world” song that got to this Disney Guest or just poor judgment, but @kellykoby took to TikTok to share a viral video. She notes, “It’s not that hard to follow the rules #disney #disneyland #wdw #disneyparks #itsasmallworld #nobigdeal #why”. The video now has over 44,00 views with comments to follow. Check out the video below or find it here:
Thankfully, the man continues to enjoy his Disney vacation and pulls his arm out without any problems. But, the comments on this video are as entertaining as one would expect.
One comment makes Little Mermaid jokes with, “His hand went under the sea” with another saying “He’s talking some Disney magic with him.” One commenter relates to the situation with “I’ve done that on pirates of the Caribbean and a lady came on the intercom I was cracking up and fully embarrassed.”
This post starts out sounding a bit like something from a Stephen King novel or a horror flick franchise. But alas, the chances are very good that you have been in the company of the terrifying dolls referenced here, as they are the ones inside the “it’s a small world” attraction at Disney World.
But this is not a joke or a hoax or a TikTok trend or a YouTube challenge. The meticulously crafted dolls that make up the scenes inside the “it’s a small world” attraction must have annual haircuts to keep them looking their best. Read on and you’ll learn why.
The ‘it’s a small world’ attraction first debuted at the Walt Disney World Resort on Opening Day in 1971. It’s one of those attractions that Guests either love or hate, and if they hate it, it’s often because of the tireless renditions of the theme song by the Sherman Brothers, “It’s a Small World After All,” played on repeat. It’s been estimated that the song plays more than 1,000 times each day.
Disney calls it “the happiest cruise that ever sailed,” and hails the attraction for getting Walt’s message across clearly: that it truly is a very small world when you think about it.
“Sing along to the classic anthem of world peace during a delightful musical boat tour. Cruise along the Seven Seaways Waterway on a gentle 10-minute journey through all 7 continents. Pass through vivid, fantastical scenes representing the iconic sights and sounds of dozens of nations. Behold a cast of dancing darlings from nearly every corner of the globe and watch as the Audio-Animatronics figures achieve universal harmony as they sing one song in many languages.”
Long-time Disney delight Mary Blair was instrumental in the details of the attraction, as was designer Alice Davis. Under the direction of Davis, Disney seamstresses sewed costumes for all the dolls in the attraction. When it was all over, more than 300 costumes were at the ready for Cast Members to dress the dolls, each one made from different regions’ materials, such as silks from India and wool from Scotland for the Scottish bagpiper’s costume.
But this lesser-known fact about “it’s a small world” has Guests feeling a bit uneasy about the attraction. It has others just plain horrified. TikTokker @thedisneyparkers lets fans in on a little secret (or two):
You heard that right! The dolls in the attraction have to have yearly haircuts so that they don’t end up looking completely disheveled, and it’s not a joke. The dolls’ hair is made of yarn, and over the course of the year, humidity causes the yarn to stretch out, yielding the need for each doll’s hair to be cut and reshaped.
@thedisneyparkers’ video also states that the dolls continue moving and dancing all night long, even after the music stops and the park closes, but we can’t confirm this. (If we’re being honest, we don’t really believe that music ever stops!)
From mid-November through early January, the holidays take over Disney Parks. Specialty food is available, fun merchandise is for sale, decorations are hung by the castles with care, and festive parades and fireworks shows entertain Guests daily. There are even some attractions that receive holiday overlays — at Walt Disney World, the world-famous Jungle Cruise becomes the Jingle Cruise and at Disneyland Resort, “it’s a small world” becomes “it’s a small world” Holiday, celebrating holiday traditions from around the world.
The holiday season at Disneyland Resort is set to kick off on Friday, November 12, and “it’s a small world” Holiday was also scheduled to open at that time. The attraction is closed for approximately two to three weeks beforehand as Disney Cast Members transform the ride into a colorful holiday experience. Unfortunately, Disney has had to delay the ride’s opening due to some flooding that took place while the Park was closed.
Flooding that occurred during the process of refilling the flume on It’s a Small World will delay the reopening of the classic boat ride as Disneyland prepares to kick off the winter holiday season and launch the new Merriest Nites after hours event.
It’s a Small World experienced some flooding that affected machinery used to operate the attraction during the early morning hours on Wednesday, Nov. 10 while Disneyland was closed to the public, according to Disneyland officials.
Disneyland realizes the closure of It’s a Small World is disappointing for guests who look forward to this holiday tradition and has teams working around the clock to get the attraction open as soon as possible, according to Disneyland officials.
Set sail along a wondrous wintry waterway transformed with whimsical décor. Behold jubilant regional adornments all along your world tour of good cheer. Listen as the costumed chorus of children sings the classic “It’s a Small World (After All)” song and traditional holiday tunes.
The enchantment begins as you approach the iconic façade, which is adorned with thousands of shimmering lights for the season.
While no reopening date has been announced for “it’s a small world” Holiday at this time, Disney may still decide to use the building facade for projections for its Believe…In Holiday Magic fireworks as it has done in the past.
When you think of the classic Disney attraction “it’s a small world”, chances are the quick and happy song pops into your head (and stays there for a very long time!). Well, Disney Files Magazine recently sat down with the amazing Keala Settle to discuss the song and the importance of it during these trying times. Her performance of “It’s A Small World (After All)” is absolutely stunning.
As shared by Disney Parks: “Stage and screen star Keala Settle (“The Greatest Showman”) visits with Disney Files Magazine Editor Ryan March about her emotional connection to the Sherman brothers’ “It’s a Small World (After All)” before performing the iconic song as a healing prayer for peace in trying times.”
