I love watcher but honestly you guys have the only podcast on the channel that’s about something you’re actually really passionate about and not just supplemental or behind the scenes and that’s why this is currently my favorite Watcher production. will be happy to watch it on your own channel!! i’m guessing it was hard to get sponsors with such a niche topic on a “spooky” themed channel
I agree. I dont ride roller coasters but their passion and enthusiasum for this subject makes it interesting and allows people like me to learn cool new things that I wouldnt have been interested in otherwise
@@ViperXYZ98 same!!! i can’t do big roller coasters but I adore a properly themed theme park and listening it to them talk about the behind the scenes portion is extra juicy
Watcher isn’t just a “spooky” channel. Try going to playlists & “Watching”. They have Ghost Files, Are You Scared & Too Many Spirits, but that’s just 3 out of loads of others. Mystery Files is not soooky, it’s mysterious lol, so check them out… Salorn, Ricky Wang & Steven Lim have shows on there, too. 🙂
Matt making me cry. He expressed exactly how I feel. I am by nature incredibly cynical but this ride makes me believe we could indeed not only imagine but have a different world.
Matt has the same energy that Jenny Nicholson had on the pod for me, where whether or not I would've agreed with their points from the beginning, they're so genuinely enthusiastic about the ride that it makes me absolutely agree with their points by the end.
When I was in college I was on a traveling musical ensemble and we toured California for two weeks, ending our trip with a day at Disneyland. One of the altos had never before been to Disneyland so it was fun to experience the park through her eyes as she took everything in for the very first time. When we got to Small World, she was so excited, bouncing in her seat with excitement while the rest of us were settling in for something we’d all seen dozens of times before. But seeing the joy on her face as we entered the building, and watching her tear up just made my day The other excellent Small World moment I had was at Magic Kingdom when a Japanese couple sat behind me and I got to hear the man singing IN Japanese with the dolls when we got to that country. I mean, that’s seriously what the ride is all about! I had tears in my eyes by the end of that particular ride!
I love it so much that Matt loves this ride as a grown ass man! The music, love it or hate it, is a Zen koan masterpiece. The ride is one of a handful of rides people aged 1-100 can all ride together. Also, Filipino representation, no matter how small, means something to me personally, because that's something you never see, but I wish it would replace the mermaid section. The art direction by Mary Blair is absolutely iconic and timeless. It's also the last ride that Walt himself christened before he died. Can't wait for the holiday overlay episode.
I’m really happy you guys are going to your own channel. It’s the only thing I watch on the channel and I feel you’ll get to do more things on your own channel. I’d love to see videos of you guys at theme parks you visit.
I am not going to lie. That speech by Matt Real made me tear up a bit. This is a great episode. Already subbed to the new channel. Love this podcast. I don't think anyone could have made a better speech if I asked. Also The Small World system is the first as far as I know. Storybook Canal used engines and a track. But this as far as I know was a new ride system. Love it. Thank you for the episode :D
Another way that this ride pushes technology forward that wasn’t mentioned is that it was one of the first to use Audio Animatronics, and I believe the first ride moving riders through full animatronic scenes synchronized to music, instead of being confined to a stage show like Lincoln or the Tiki Room. In that case, it definitely paved the way for things like Pirates and Splash Mountain.
I just want to say as someone who used to be a cast member in disney world but has since left the company and done a complete 180 in my career, how comforting and funny and great I think FYA is. You guys make me feel like I still have a community that likes talking about this type of stuff even though I'm no longer there. Y'all gave me a heart attack on your last video but I've happily subscribed to the new channel! (If you guys ever do an episode on Starcruiser, I will flip. That's one of the locations I worked at.) Anyway! Just wanted to pop in and say I really appreciate y'all.
I’m a former CM that worked It’s a Small World in Disneyland. It deserves its world class standing as it is a true classic. In regards to if I got irritated by the looping song, I eventually just tuned out the music. The clock ticking annoyed me more than the repeating music honestly. However, 6 years later in my grown up job I still catch myself quietly humming the song while I’m typing. Fun fact: if the ride is down for long enough they will eventually turn off the music so people’s ears don’t bleed. A funny moment I had while working this ride was running into a family member I was close with as a child but lost touch with while growing up. It truly is a small small world . . . 🌍
On one hand, I’m soooo sad that *I*, a complete rando, won’t be the guest brought on to talk about this ride, which is my favorite in the whole world! 😭 On the other hand, I’m super glad that Matt loves it genuinely and will be the one going to bat for it! 💖 Matt, this earns you the title of honorary theme park sicko in my heart (positive) lol
You absolutely did! 🥹 I loved the energy you brought to this episode; you did your research and it absolutely shows, but also, its is evident to me that some of the strongest points you brought up to could only have come from a place of genuine appreciation towards the ride and what it signifies. And your speech at the end did make me tear up, it was world class in itself! All in all, this little ride couldn't have asked for a better defender! 🥳Seeing as it was in good hands all along, now I don't feel so bad about not getting to be a guest for this one lol
my maternal grandpa worked the 1964 world's fair and was able to get my mom (2y) and her little brother on it's a small world at least a few times. it's a small world is one of her favorite rides because it reminds her of good times with her dad, and that love has extended to disney. my dad grew up in socal and used to go on the ride all the time when he was growing up, so statistically, years before they met, they probably rode in the same boat but on different coasts. i'm watching the episode and sharing all the fun facts with my parents!
I don't know if it's someone at Watcher or the new FYA producer but moving all the videos to the channel is MAGIC! (and we won't talk about the small panic attack I had when I saw they were gone from this channel) Great idea having Matt on to close out this chapter of the pod! Also loved that ride pov from Byron in the beginning. I'm so happy this pod is sticking around
Idk if this was the intention of Imagineers, but I love that the Kingdom of Hawai’i is represented independently given that it was once and recently sovereign. (Even more so at the time of the Worlds Fair.) Great episode and love the pod - I look forward to following you guys over to the new channel.
What I love about Small World is that there is SO MUCH to see in every room. Every time I ride, I see something new, and I love the inclusion of the IP characters in the Disneyland version. I love riding past the hula dancers to see if it's a 5 out of 5 day or lower - based on the number of characters that are working.
I keep wondering, what’s stopping them from making a Patreon? I’d subscribe without any bonus content and pay extra if they posted their clips from when they go to the parks 😩
This ride really is a core memory maker. I don’t remember my first time but I took my toddler for the first time for his birthday this year and as soon as we started going through the sets, his eyes got big and he said “WHAT IS GOING ON UP IN HERE.” And I don’t know if it’s a core memory for him but it is for me
My 1st memory was age 8 (wdw). My parents are Hispanic. Both are artists by hobby. As a kid, I clocked the ornate costumes, the fun design, and perfect song. Seeing the children of Mexico made me so happy. Made my parents tear up. It's still our favorite ride 30 yrs later❤
1:10:55 I used to be a CM at the Small World Toys gift shop in DLR and tbh after a few months, your subconscious blocks out the song entirely during your shift
On their last trip to Disneyland my mom and sister got stuck on 'it's a small world' and when the ride resumed it did so without the music, so they were just floating through the ride listening to the squeaking and creaking of the animatronics in silence. They said it was horrifying lmao
Oh man, WHAT a send off! Absolutely WONDERFUL to have Matt on as a guest, good sir, you made me cry at the end. Absolutely It’s A Small World is a World Class attraction and I can say this as experiencing it for the first time (that I can remember) as a 40 year old. It is timeless and embodies the wonder and spirit of innocence and love. Another amazing episode, my favourite thus far ❤
This ride is cute with very low tech animatronics! What really pushes it into timeless ride and World Class Attraction is the message! A message that is timeless and was at the heart of Walt's being! Every Disney executive should be forced to go on this ride at least once a month to get back to Walt's vision!
I know I first went on the WDW version as a toddler, and was always annoyed going on it as a child. As an adult it absolutely became the "avoid the Florida heat" ride of choice. It wasn't until I finally went on the DL version as a 30-something adult that I truly appreciated the ride itself. Absolutely agree with Matt, I think it's the heart of Disneyland. Also LOVING the vibes of this episode! Last day of school indeed 😂
My most vivid memory of its a small world was when I was at disneyworld on my 9th birthday with my grandparents and there was a boat load of teenagers in front of us and they kept splashing in the water and ignoring the announcements to stop and then one of the kids pushed another kid out of the boat who them dragged the second kid into the water with him. Then lights flipped on, hidden doors slammed open and with the efficency of a CIA operation they were all gone and the ride continued like nothing had ever happened. I've never since anything else like it.
My uncle once got stuck on the ride back in the early 90s. He said they were on it for over an hour. According to him he had nightmares after that of the dolls singing that song 😆
i COMPLETELY agree with ryan about the disney character thing, "where's waldo" is a perfect way to describe it. i think it's so weird, especially when they have their own songs playing loudly over the regular small world song, it's so distracting. it's like "look at me i'm cinderella bibbity bobbity boo buy my movie!" also i think it's weird to have fictional characters when the ride is supposed to be representing real cultures, especially when the characters are from fictional places. like peter pan is from neverland not england why is he here? the mermaids were cute before the refurb. yeah they're not really supposed to be a specific country but they were so cute and they had silly underwater voices, i can't stand that voice they gave the ariel version. i'm glad they kept them singing "jingle shells" with the underwater voices in the holiday version.
I love Mary Blair; her style is so cool. There was an Alice in Wonderland exhibition at the Walt Disney Family Museum a few years ago, and I got little prints of her Alice in Wonderland concept art. I feel like her style fits that film in particular so well.
Thank you so much for treating my favorite attraction with so much love. It was the first ride I ever rode. I was two. Apparently I thought the ride was all Disney World was, and I was hysterical when it was time to get off. So my parents rode it with me again. ❤ Every time I ride it I am that same child again. Love it so much.
I love you guys, and so happy to see that nearly 5k people have followed you over to the new channel. So excited! Loving the Matt content too. The most ive ever seen him im pretty sure haha.
I can speak for the WDW cast member experience 18 years ago: Attractions cast members are trained on a couple attractions in the specific lands. That way they can rotate between a couple. I didn’t work in Fantasyland but I would assume the rotation for Magic Kingdom is between Peter Pan’s Flight, it’s a small world, and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.
15:00 - We took our son on when he was 4 months old for Christmas. And we took him again a few weeks ago for his 1st birthday. He vibes with it. Theres a surprising number of rides with no height requirement at Disneyland. When he was 4 months old, he went on Haunted Mansion, Pirates, Small World, Pooh, Runaway Railway, Little Mermaid, Webslingers, and maybe one or two more. Then at 1 year we took him on all the fantasyland dark rides, the Storybookland Boats, and a few others that he hadn't done before. But he's a biiiig boy. If he stays in the 97th percentile, he'll be tall enough to ride coasters with me by his 2nd birthday. And then soon... once he hits 4ft... We can do X2 together 🤩
Wow, I laughed and cried throughout this whole episode and loved every bit of it. Maybe Matt can join in on another episode in the future, this was so good! Thanks guys and I’ll for sure follow along on our next adventure.
My family plays a game with anyone we take to Disneyland of find yourself on small world! It’s so simple but honestly can get even the most small world skeptical people to stop thinking and just enjoy the moment. For example, my doll is the Filipina right next to the mermaids on her pedestal, my boyfriend is one of the German dolls, and I have another friend who is the blonde American girl. My dad’s doll actually isn’t there anymore, but it was the surfer boy that was replaced by Lilo and stitch.
NGL seeing how passionate y’all get about this ride really softened me to it and that’s why I love this pod so much ❤ can’t wait 2 watch on the new channel!
Im surprised the holiday overlay was not brought up this episode. In which case I would wait 60 minutes for it. So I think it gets 7/10 on the technicality that there exists a version of this ride that I would and have waited not only 60 but 90 minutes for, multiple times. I think this is world class no debate land.
I’d like to add which was looked over in the video. Despite it being the first of its kind with animatronics not to same level as Lincoln for the 64 World Fair The whole vision of this ride (and world’s fair) for Walt Disney was to bring a sense of reality into his “fantasy/distraction” park. Committing to greater the world adding innovation instead of a like bubble of Disneyland. The whole 64 world fair brought real outside topics into Disneyland. And of course you guys described the meaning perfectly. It makes you wonder what Disneyland would be today if it wasn’t for it. And id like to add although be 60 years old and has some of the “simplest” concepts. It still makes so many people happy
This episode was fantastic! I think you guys should take Matt on a road trip to Tokyo Disneyland for their upcoming Groot/Marvel It's a Small World overlay and report on that.
Oh! The Tokyo Disney ride! I've been on that. I was roaming around Tokyo Disney in my late twenties on vacation from university, and tripped on this ride. It was weird to experience Disney for the first time ever in Japan rather than the states. Yes, never been to California nor Florida. First impression on the ride, (which I rode the one before the refurbishment) I imagine my eyes spinning like those black and white spinning wheels with the song starting to fade into a creepy cadence in the background. It was trippy, but I knew it was a classic and so I jumped on. Nice to meet you, Mr. Matt. It was nice to know you, but I'm not into the Watcher podcast...sorry....! I loved listening to your debates on the ride. I was particularly envious of your writing style. Smooth as butter. I might check out your channel.
Great episode! With one exception... the Hollywood test. I have a pitch for what I think would be a great movie based on the premise of this ride. Back in the 80's, Sting released a Cold War Era song called "Russians." The lyrics included lines like this: Mr. Khrushchev said, "We will bury you" I don't subscribe to this point of view It would be such an ignorant thing to do If the Russians love their children too." Imagine a scenario where we're on the brink of World War III (not that farfetched). Then imagine a global summit where talks break down and the world leaders are all ready to destroy each other. Mutual annihilation. The children of these leaders happen to be hanging out at this summit (on the embassy playground, maybe?) They say to themselves, "This is insane! We've got to stop this!" These kids get online and start a movement in which they recruit children of the world to march on their countries' capitals. Their only weapon... is a song (picture one child singing a defiant acapella version before others join in). Through a series of tragic events, some of the children of these leaders are killed (see the misguided Children's Crusade of the 13th century for a historical precedent). It's the horrific wake-up call these world leaders needed. They all come to their senses and put their differences behind them. Then they put on white clothes with gold trim and get together for a big sing-along. Sorry... I don't have the ending worked out yet. You get the point, though. Bottom line, there's a quality story here. I want to see this movie!
My favorite place to see the fireworks is on big thunder mountain. Seeing all of them go off over the peaks of the landscaping while flying through the ride is really something incredible. They started going off as we went up the first lift hill. It’s something I’ll never forget.
the crocodile and leopard were originally from a bigger tropical rainforest scene AFTER hawaii, at some point they turned that room into the america scene and crammed the stuff that was in there into the end of the hawaii scene for some reason. disney world still has it in between mexico and hawaii.
Small World is the ultimate anti-Michael Eisner ride in that older kids, teens and young adults all think it's lame but every other age group adores it.
It's very possible this was already mentioned somewhere, but where they discuss the "Hawaii" room I believe it is meant to be Oceania as a continent / area of the world.
1:28:24 - I think tunnel of love style rides are basically the same ride system, and they've been around forever. They're also heavily themed inside too. I guess the dual loading station and the larger boats was innovative, but I don't think that's suuuuper crazily innovative to just have larger ride vehicles. So for me the biggest new thing this ride brought was having 1 soundtrack through the whole ride.
Watching a ride through video the other day got me through my work hours, so I definitely agree with Matt on #9 😂 At the park it gives me a recharge so I have bounce for the rest of the day.
50:47 My dad toured Hong Kong Disney a few years after it opened. This Music and atmosphere blending happens even within different lands of Disney Parks! when you step a toe from Frontier Land to Adventure Land the atmosphere and music will blend seamlessly. Super amazing sound technicians pull this off by walking the streets themselves and adjusting it until it’s perfectly seamless. I assume it was like that for small world too!
One of the greatest attractions from a bygone era. Riding it in 2024 and beyond is such a cool look into the past and the post war optimism and nuclear age of abundance
Regarding the Disney characters dropped in, the ones that feel the most seamless to me are Peter Pan and Alice, which might be because Mary Blair did concept work on those movies.
A little FYA trivia to close out this chapter of the pod: the guys have covered 28 Disney attractions so far with about 61% of them receiving the World Class Pass. Not telling which ones - you'll have to watch or listen to the pod to find out! Thanks to everyone who's worked on this pod so far and excited to follow along on the rest of your journey.
Seeing Matt on camera is like the Wizard of Oz coming out from behind the curtain at the end of the movie.
Matt being invisible and then not only loving Small World but boldly announcing he will probably cry over it, is very hilarious and sweet to me
I love watcher but honestly you guys have the only podcast on the channel that’s about something you’re actually really passionate about and not just supplemental or behind the scenes and that’s why this is currently my favorite Watcher production. will be happy to watch it on your own channel!! i’m guessing it was hard to get sponsors with such a niche topic on a “spooky” themed channel
I agree. I dont ride roller coasters but their passion and enthusiasum for this subject makes it interesting and allows people like me to learn cool new things that I wouldnt have been interested in otherwise
This is the only Watcher thing I watch!
@@ViperXYZ98 same!!! i can’t do big roller coasters but I adore a properly themed theme park and listening it to them talk about the behind the scenes portion is extra juicy
Watcher isn’t just a “spooky” channel. Try going to playlists & “Watching”. They have Ghost Files, Are You Scared & Too Many Spirits, but that’s just 3 out of loads of others. Mystery Files is not soooky, it’s mysterious lol, so check them out… Salorn, Ricky Wang & Steven Lim have shows on there, too. 🙂
I agree! You can feel the passion they have with each episode. 😍
1:46:55 "I take it that you would give this a pass" is maybe the biggest understatement ever 😂
Matt making me cry. He expressed exactly how I feel. I am by nature incredibly cynical but this ride makes me believe we could indeed not only imagine but have a different world.
Now that youre independent would you guys consider making more theme park content? park vlogs? park food reviews? so excited for whats next for yall
Matt has the same energy that Jenny Nicholson had on the pod for me, where whether or not I would've agreed with their points from the beginning, they're so genuinely enthusiastic about the ride that it makes me absolutely agree with their points by the end.
Just keep fya alive no matter what😭
When I was in college I was on a traveling musical ensemble and we toured California for two weeks, ending our trip with a day at Disneyland. One of the altos had never before been to Disneyland so it was fun to experience the park through her eyes as she took everything in for the very first time.
When we got to Small World, she was so excited, bouncing in her seat with excitement while the rest of us were settling in for something we’d all seen dozens of times before. But seeing the joy on her face as we entered the building, and watching her tear up just made my day
The other excellent Small World moment I had was at Magic Kingdom when a Japanese couple sat behind me and I got to hear the man singing IN Japanese with the dolls when we got to that country. I mean, that’s seriously what the ride is all about! I had tears in my eyes by the end of that particular ride!
For the last time on this channel . . Day 26 of asking for Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree
You were so close 😂
8:41 Matt Real is still fighting for Mater! I believe it’ll happen one day hopefully on the next channel
8:41 MENTIONED
Mater Nation we’ve almost made it. It’s time for our last push to get our beloved Mater recognized as a world class attraction.
That mentioned youuuuu. Thats a win.
I love it so much that Matt loves this ride as a grown ass man! The music, love it or hate it, is a Zen koan masterpiece. The ride is one of a handful of rides people aged 1-100 can all ride together. Also, Filipino representation, no matter how small, means something to me personally, because that's something you never see, but I wish it would replace the mermaid section. The art direction by Mary Blair is absolutely iconic and timeless. It's also the last ride that Walt himself christened before he died. Can't wait for the holiday overlay episode.
I’m really happy you guys are going to your own channel. It’s the only thing I watch on the channel and I feel you’ll get to do more things on your own channel. I’d love to see videos of you guys at theme parks you visit.
Thats a great idea! Would be awesome to see them do short vlogs on foods and attractions at the parks and just bringing us along.
I am not going to lie. That speech by Matt Real made me tear up a bit. This is a great episode. Already subbed to the new channel. Love this podcast. I don't think anyone could have made a better speech if I asked. Also The Small World system is the first as far as I know. Storybook Canal used engines and a track. But this as far as I know was a new ride system. Love it. Thank you for the episode :D
Another way that this ride pushes technology forward that wasn’t mentioned is that it was one of the first to use Audio Animatronics, and I believe the first ride moving riders through full animatronic scenes synchronized to music, instead of being confined to a stage show like Lincoln or the Tiki Room. In that case, it definitely paved the way for things like Pirates and Splash Mountain.
I just want to say as someone who used to be a cast member in disney world but has since left the company and done a complete 180 in my career, how comforting and funny and great I think FYA is. You guys make me feel like I still have a community that likes talking about this type of stuff even though I'm no longer there. Y'all gave me a heart attack on your last video but I've happily subscribed to the new channel! (If you guys ever do an episode on Starcruiser, I will flip. That's one of the locations I worked at.) Anyway! Just wanted to pop in and say I really appreciate y'all.
Thank you for your service on Starcruiser. That could not have been easy.
I’m a former CM that worked It’s a Small World in Disneyland. It deserves its world class standing as it is a true classic. In regards to if I got irritated by the looping song, I eventually just tuned out the music. The clock ticking annoyed me more than the repeating music honestly. However, 6 years later in my grown up job I still catch myself quietly humming the song while I’m typing. Fun fact: if the ride is down for long enough they will eventually turn off the music so people’s ears don’t bleed. A funny moment I had while working this ride was running into a family member I was close with as a child but lost touch with while growing up. It truly is a small small world . . . 🌍
On one hand, I’m soooo sad that *I*, a complete rando, won’t be the guest brought on to talk about this ride, which is my favorite in the whole world! 😭 On the other hand, I’m super glad that Matt loves it genuinely and will be the one going to bat for it! 💖 Matt, this earns you the title of honorary theme park sicko in my heart (positive) lol
Hope I made you proud!
You absolutely did! 🥹 I loved the energy you brought to this episode; you did your research and it absolutely shows, but also, its is evident to me that some of the strongest points you brought up to could only have come from a place of genuine appreciation towards the ride and what it signifies. And your speech at the end did make me tear up, it was world class in itself! All in all, this little ride couldn't have asked for a better defender! 🥳Seeing as it was in good hands all along, now I don't feel so bad about not getting to be a guest for this one lol
ME TOO! You and me make our own followup haha. Thank you Matt!!
my maternal grandpa worked the 1964 world's fair and was able to get my mom (2y) and her little brother on it's a small world at least a few times. it's a small world is one of her favorite rides because it reminds her of good times with her dad, and that love has extended to disney. my dad grew up in socal and used to go on the ride all the time when he was growing up, so statistically, years before they met, they probably rode in the same boat but on different coasts.
i'm watching the episode and sharing all the fun facts with my parents!
MATT REAL FOR PRESIDENT!! That last statement was beautiful, for real. Wonderfully stated.
I don't know if it's someone at Watcher or the new FYA producer but moving all the videos to the channel is MAGIC! (and we won't talk about the small panic attack I had when I saw they were gone from this channel)
Great idea having Matt on to close out this chapter of the pod! Also loved that ride pov from Byron in the beginning. I'm so happy this pod is sticking around
Idk if this was the intention of Imagineers, but I love that the Kingdom of Hawai’i is represented independently given that it was once and recently sovereign. (Even more so at the time of the Worlds Fair.) Great episode and love the pod - I look forward to following you guys over to the new channel.
What I love about Small World is that there is SO MUCH to see in every room. Every time I ride, I see something new, and I love the inclusion of the IP characters in the Disneyland version. I love riding past the hula dancers to see if it's a 5 out of 5 day or lower - based on the number of characters that are working.
“to see if it’s a 5 out of 5 day” SENT MEEEEE I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO MADE IT A POINT TO SEE IF THEYRE ALL WORKIN
The amount of panic that I felt at the beginning of that announcement… I was very scared my favorite little theme park podcast was about to end.
I keep wondering, what’s stopping them from making a Patreon? I’d subscribe without any bonus content and pay extra if they posted their clips from when they go to the parks 😩
Matt killed it! What a lovely speech during the debate section
This ride really is a core memory maker. I don’t remember my first time but I took my toddler for the first time for his birthday this year and as soon as we started going through the sets, his eyes got big and he said “WHAT IS GOING ON UP IN HERE.” And I don’t know if it’s a core memory for him but it is for me
My 1st memory was age 8 (wdw). My parents are Hispanic. Both are artists by hobby. As a kid, I clocked the ornate costumes, the fun design, and perfect song. Seeing the children of Mexico made me so happy. Made my parents tear up. It's still our favorite ride 30 yrs later❤
MATT REAL REVEAL!!!!!
Matt’s speech during the debate was honestly incredible beautiful and touching. That alone should have bumped the score up lol
4:52 Matt is a part of the Mater Nation!!!!! One of us, one of us!!!
1:10:55 I used to be a CM at the Small World Toys gift shop in DLR and tbh after a few months, your subconscious blocks out the song entirely during your shift
I desperately need Matt to get to ride the Sinbad ride in Tokyo Disney Sea now because for me, it brings the same kind of joy that small world does.
On their last trip to Disneyland my mom and sister got stuck on 'it's a small world' and when the ride resumed it did so without the music, so they were just floating through the ride listening to the squeaking and creaking of the animatronics in silence. They said it was horrifying lmao
Oh man, WHAT a send off! Absolutely WONDERFUL to have Matt on as a guest, good sir, you made me cry at the end. Absolutely It’s A Small World is a World Class attraction and I can say this as experiencing it for the first time (that I can remember) as a 40 year old. It is timeless and embodies the wonder and spirit of innocence and love. Another amazing episode, my favourite thus far ❤
Can we bring Matt back for more FYA?
3:25 Byron slotting in that There’s A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow reference was too good 😂
This ride is cute with very low tech animatronics! What really pushes it into timeless ride and World Class Attraction is the message! A message that is timeless and was at the heart of Walt's being! Every Disney executive should be forced to go on this ride at least once a month to get back to Walt's vision!
I'm surprised/slightly upset that the families from Coco and Encanto haven't been added to the Latin America section. But I still love this ride ❤
This episode made me teary eyed. There was so much crying.
I know I first went on the WDW version as a toddler, and was always annoyed going on it as a child. As an adult it absolutely became the "avoid the Florida heat" ride of choice. It wasn't until I finally went on the DL version as a 30-something adult that I truly appreciated the ride itself. Absolutely agree with Matt, I think it's the heart of Disneyland.
Also LOVING the vibes of this episode! Last day of school indeed 😂
Actually so happy to hear this podcast is separate from atcher but don’t want Matt to leave tell him chat says he must stay
This podcast very much deserves its own platform and I can’t wait to see you there ❤️
My most vivid memory of its a small world was when I was at disneyworld on my 9th birthday with my grandparents and there was a boat load of teenagers in front of us and they kept splashing in the water and ignoring the announcements to stop and then one of the kids pushed another kid out of the boat who them dragged the second kid into the water with him.
Then lights flipped on, hidden doors slammed open and with the efficency of a CIA operation they were all gone and the ride continued like nothing had ever happened. I've never since anything else like it.
My uncle once got stuck on the ride back in the early 90s. He said they were on it for over an hour. According to him he had nightmares after that of the dolls singing that song 😆
i COMPLETELY agree with ryan about the disney character thing, "where's waldo" is a perfect way to describe it. i think it's so weird, especially when they have their own songs playing loudly over the regular small world song, it's so distracting. it's like "look at me i'm cinderella bibbity bobbity boo buy my movie!"
also i think it's weird to have fictional characters when the ride is supposed to be representing real cultures, especially when the characters are from fictional places. like peter pan is from neverland not england why is he here?
the mermaids were cute before the refurb. yeah they're not really supposed to be a specific country but they were so cute and they had silly underwater voices, i can't stand that voice they gave the ariel version. i'm glad they kept them singing "jingle shells" with the underwater voices in the holiday version.
I love Mary Blair; her style is so cool. There was an Alice in Wonderland exhibition at the Walt Disney Family Museum a few years ago, and I got little prints of her Alice in Wonderland concept art. I feel like her style fits that film in particular so well.
Thank you so much for treating my favorite attraction with so much love. It was the first ride I ever rode. I was two. Apparently I thought the ride was all Disney World was, and I was hysterical when it was time to get off. So my parents rode it with me again. ❤ Every time I ride it I am that same child again. Love it so much.
matt's speech bring tears to my eyes, he went out with a bang!
To this day my grandma thinks the animatronics are real people being kept there against their will
Just started watching this, but I love It’s a Small World. It’s so meditative. It’s World Class to me…no matter where this goes. 👍
i love watching people talk about things they love and ur podcast is the epitomy of that i love it
Small World is a “must”. Not really world class but it is so nostalgic and iconic - it’s a “don’t miss “.
I love you guys, and so happy to see that nearly 5k people have followed you over to the new channel. So excited! Loving the Matt content too. The most ive ever seen him im pretty sure haha.
Really enjoy the loose feel of this episode! Can’t wait for the new channel to pop off 🎉
I can speak for the WDW cast member experience 18 years ago: Attractions cast members are trained on a couple attractions in the specific lands. That way they can rotate between a couple. I didn’t work in Fantasyland but I would assume the rotation for Magic Kingdom is between Peter Pan’s Flight, it’s a small world, and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.
I hated small world before today. You've changed my mind. Well played.
See y'all on the new channel!
I was worried this would be full of snark since small world is such an easy target- thrilled to hear your uncynical appreciation of the ride
I also learned about the term switchbacks (one word? two?) because of this pod!
Love you guys! Thank you for keeping the podcast free, but tbh if you ever choose to move over to Patreon, I'm signing up first day!
There isn't "Worlds Fair" anymore but there is "World Expo" which is similar. That is still going on and will be in Osaka, Japan next year
Exactly! I almost went to the Expo in Brazil in 2020 but than a global pandemic crapped on my plans...
So excited to see this podcast grow! I absolutely love it!
15:00 - We took our son on when he was 4 months old for Christmas. And we took him again a few weeks ago for his 1st birthday. He vibes with it.
Theres a surprising number of rides with no height requirement at Disneyland. When he was 4 months old, he went on Haunted Mansion, Pirates, Small World, Pooh, Runaway Railway, Little Mermaid, Webslingers, and maybe one or two more. Then at 1 year we took him on all the fantasyland dark rides, the Storybookland Boats, and a few others that he hadn't done before.
But he's a biiiig boy. If he stays in the 97th percentile, he'll be tall enough to ride coasters with me by his 2nd birthday. And then soon... once he hits 4ft... We can do X2 together 🤩
Wow, I laughed and cried throughout this whole episode and loved every bit of it. Maybe Matt can join in on another episode in the future, this was so good! Thanks guys and I’ll for sure follow along on our next adventure.
matt’s little essay at the end was genuinely amazing why did i tear up
My family plays a game with anyone we take to Disneyland of find yourself on small world! It’s so simple but honestly can get even the most small world skeptical people to stop thinking and just enjoy the moment.
For example, my doll is the Filipina right next to the mermaids on her pedestal, my boyfriend is one of the German dolls, and I have another friend who is the blonde American girl. My dad’s doll actually isn’t there anymore, but it was the surfer boy that was replaced by Lilo and stitch.
NGL seeing how passionate y’all get about this ride really softened me to it and that’s why I love this pod so much ❤ can’t wait 2 watch on the new channel!
Im surprised the holiday overlay was not brought up this episode. In which case I would wait 60 minutes for it. So I think it gets 7/10 on the technicality that there exists a version of this ride that I would and have waited not only 60 but 90 minutes for, multiple times. I think this is world class no debate land.
I’d like to add which was looked over in the video. Despite it being the first of its kind with animatronics not to same level as Lincoln for the 64 World Fair
The whole vision of this ride (and world’s fair) for Walt Disney was to bring a sense of reality into his “fantasy/distraction” park. Committing to greater the world adding innovation instead of a like bubble of Disneyland. The whole 64 world fair brought real outside topics into Disneyland. And of course you guys described the meaning perfectly. It makes you wonder what Disneyland would be today if it wasn’t for it. And id like to add although be 60 years old and has some of the “simplest” concepts. It still makes so many people happy
Matt made me cry 😅❤
Awww, Matt's speech🥹❤❤❤ Love it!
Thank you for your contributions Matt ❤
After Matt’s statement 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
This episode was fantastic! I think you guys should take Matt on a road trip to Tokyo Disneyland for their upcoming Groot/Marvel It's a Small World overlay and report on that.
I love how Ryan is you would see Matt for the very first time. I looked for this man on Ig the first time I ever heard his voice
Oh! The Tokyo Disney ride! I've been on that. I was roaming around Tokyo Disney in my late twenties on vacation from university, and tripped on this ride. It was weird to experience Disney for the first time ever in Japan rather than the states. Yes, never been to California nor Florida. First impression on the ride, (which I rode the one before the refurbishment) I imagine my eyes spinning like those black and white spinning wheels with the song starting to fade into a creepy cadence in the background. It was trippy, but I knew it was a classic and so I jumped on.
Nice to meet you, Mr. Matt. It was nice to know you, but I'm not into the Watcher podcast...sorry....! I loved listening to your debates on the ride. I was particularly envious of your writing style. Smooth as butter. I might check out your channel.
Ok but why did Matt's defense of the ride at the end make me cry?? lol
Great episode! With one exception... the Hollywood test. I have a pitch for what I think would be a great movie based on the premise of this ride. Back in the 80's, Sting released a Cold War Era song called "Russians." The lyrics included lines like this:
Mr. Khrushchev said, "We will bury you"
I don't subscribe to this point of view
It would be such an ignorant thing to do
If the Russians love their children too."
Imagine a scenario where we're on the brink of World War III (not that farfetched). Then imagine a global summit where talks break down and the world leaders are all ready to destroy each other. Mutual annihilation. The children of these leaders happen to be hanging out at this summit (on the embassy playground, maybe?) They say to themselves, "This is insane! We've got to stop this!" These kids get online and start a movement in which they recruit children of the world to march on their countries' capitals. Their only weapon... is a song (picture one child singing a defiant acapella version before others join in). Through a series of tragic events, some of the children of these leaders are killed (see the misguided Children's Crusade of the 13th century for a historical precedent). It's the horrific wake-up call these world leaders needed. They all come to their senses and put their differences behind them. Then they put on white clothes with gold trim and get together for a big sing-along. Sorry... I don't have the ending worked out yet. You get the point, though. Bottom line, there's a quality story here. I want to see this movie!
OH MY GOD?!?! EXTRATERRORESTRIAL WITH DEFUNCTLAND NEXT EP???? THIS IS LITERALLY MY DREAM COME TRUE!!!!
My favorite place to see the fireworks is on big thunder mountain. Seeing all of them go off over the peaks of the landscaping while flying through the ride is really something incredible. They started going off as we went up the first lift hill. It’s something I’ll never forget.
Not me bawling while Matt makes his last statement about the pureness of childhood.
For the crocodile in Hawaii, it might be a reference to the song Pineapple Princess!
the crocodile and leopard were originally from a bigger tropical rainforest scene AFTER hawaii, at some point they turned that room into the america scene and crammed the stuff that was in there into the end of the hawaii scene for some reason. disney world still has it in between mexico and hawaii.
@@feliciteacup ahhhh that makes a lot of sense!
Small World is the ultimate anti-Michael Eisner ride in that older kids, teens and young adults all think it's lame but every other age group adores it.
Can’t wait for the next “season”! Are there plans for merch, short form pods for filler rides, fan discord, and either YT membership or Patreon?
A Mickey and the Magical Map episode would be AWESOME!!! 🖌
You totally showed the animatronic that is choking the chicken in Mexico. That racks me up every time I go on it
It's very possible this was already mentioned somewhere, but where they discuss the "Hawaii" room I believe it is meant to be Oceania as a continent / area of the world.
1:28:24 - I think tunnel of love style rides are basically the same ride system, and they've been around forever. They're also heavily themed inside too. I guess the dual loading station and the larger boats was innovative, but I don't think that's suuuuper crazily innovative to just have larger ride vehicles. So for me the biggest new thing this ride brought was having 1 soundtrack through the whole ride.
I love this ride so much! What a great tribute :)
Watching a ride through video the other day got me through my work hours, so I definitely agree with Matt on #9 😂
At the park it gives me a recharge so I have bounce for the rest of the day.
so so so much love for you guys & the whole team!! truly this podcast is so comforting.
I just want someone to fight for me as hard as Matt fights for Small World
50:47
My dad toured Hong Kong Disney a few years after it opened. This Music and atmosphere blending happens even within different lands of Disney Parks! when you step a toe from Frontier Land to Adventure Land the atmosphere and music will blend seamlessly. Super amazing sound technicians pull this off by walking the streets themselves and adjusting it until it’s perfectly seamless. I assume it was like that for small world too!
I think this is my favorite episode yet. One of the funniest for sure. Fantastic last ep on the Watcher channel!
Byron’s footage of going on the ride completely empty 😂👍
One of the greatest attractions from a bygone era. Riding it in 2024 and beyond is such a cool look into the past and the post war optimism and nuclear age of abundance
Matt made me cry what the heck 😭 thumbs up just for that! maybe he can come and be a guest on the new channel sometime
Regarding the Disney characters dropped in, the ones that feel the most seamless to me are Peter Pan and Alice, which might be because Mary Blair did concept work on those movies.
alice is the only one im semi ok with because she fits the mary blair style. peter pan shouldn't be there, he's from NEVERLAND not england 😭
I love and collect dolls, I love the art, I love to listen to the soundtrack, but I feel like I’d still be anxious riding this
It is really relaxing.
I love that it's copyright free! I'd totally have an elementary school choir sing it, if I was a music teacher!
A little FYA trivia to close out this chapter of the pod: the guys have covered 28 Disney attractions so far with about 61% of them receiving the World Class Pass.
Not telling which ones - you'll have to watch or listen to the pod to find out! Thanks to everyone who's worked on this pod so far and excited to follow along on the rest of your journey.
Can you do a short podcast on tapestry of nations it is my favorite Disney parade!