Benjamin this is your best Small World salute yet; it is also a nice tribute to the late Richard Sherman, one of the great team that brought the show to life. A few things I miss (and remember when they were changed): the African children laughing uproariously with the hyena; the welcome room with its heraldic shields and banners, which glowing in ultraviolet light seemed like a nod to Fantasyland's early years; above all the trees which for years were seen behind the facade. As a child I was bewildered by those trees; they seemed to be in line with the foliage flanking the exterior, making me wonder just where our boats were disappearing into. Later I learned from the Rolly Crump interview in The E Ticket Magazine that this sleight of hand ( the trees were on the roof of the show building) was exactly Disney's intention. One improvement was painting the walls and ceiling of the Finale black, as with the rest of the attraction; this was done sometime between 1979 and 1982. The original was just a bit unattractive, one was too conscious of being in a warehouse -sized room. The black background works better in this stylized world in which the sun and moon are seen several times apiece. Including the New York Fair version, here's to 60 years of this youthful, colorful, musical, kinetic classic. The older you get, the more it may also take on a poignant quality; it represents an ideal most children can probably conceive of, and unfortunately most adults cannot.
Thank you very much, I'm glad you enjoyed this so much. May Richard Sherman rest in peace, a legend. I know when the laughing African kids & hyena were removed (c.1973/74), and the Banners (1991). Maybe you have seen it, but there's a video of the banners from 1990 that has good lighting for the time. They were rearranged at some point in the 70’s or early 80’s. The Banners actually also made me think of early Fantasyland. I have that E Ticket Magazine as well and wish the trees were still there. Strangely they were removed when the façade was painted back to white & gold in 2002. I did not know that the original finale felt like a warehouse. It does make me rethink my previous perspective in wishing for colored walls to return. I wonder if colored curtains would be a good alternative. I know that the black walls are actually curtains over the old colored walls, which have been that way ever since 1979. There is a photo of the Finale on Flickr from 1979 where it definitely seems like the black curtains were already there, especially since the sets had just been repainted to the blue & purple pre-2008 version. It definitely becomes sad as I get older and I see how this world of children's imagination is more kind and pure than most adults. I suppose that's one of the reasons I love it so much, as it takes me back to that way of thinking.
@@adamossali9924 April 22 was the World's Fair version's 60th anniversary. May 28, when this was uploaded, was the 58th anniversary of the Disneyland version.
The 1966 version in my opinion is the best version of all time. The sets are still new and polished the welcome room is nice with all the banners and the best thing about this version is definitely the finale with its pink walls original silver and white sets and the sun.
*I agree,what a great summary of why!* The 1966-68 Finale is easily my favorite with the colors & lighting. Many dolls had more vibrant movements in the early years compared to today. I also like the Banner Welcome room better than today's. They were similarly detailed but more fitting of the Blair style of the rest of the ride and IMO more charming. Personally, I do like the early 70's Welcome room Flowers a little bit more, but the Banners were still amazing and I wish for their return. Honestly, my all time favorite version of it's a small world is a tie between Disneyland 1966-68 and 1968-72 for the reasons you and I have stated.
@@benjaminroberson1924 Too many IP's Disney needs to knock it off, they have IP music infultrating the Country Bear Jamboree. The IP's have gotten more out of hand since the 90's it's pathetic to say the least. My friend said Disney is just reminding people what a movie is.
@@carrouselsandtheirwurlitze7909 I strongly agree that far too many attractions since the 90's, and ESPECIALLY the last decade, have been based on movie IP instead of original creations for the parks. They seem to have forgotten that many of the most successful attractions don't or didn't have IP attached to them: it's a small world, Haunted Mansion, Pirates, Tiki Room, Railroad, Matterhorn, Big Thunder, Space Mt, Jungle Cruise, old Country Bears, all of old EPCOT Center, much of Tokyo DisneySea, and so much more. While it's true that some IP attractions are great, many of them from the past decade have been underwhelming for me. It makes me extremely sad to know that there were 0 non-IP attractions in 17 years, between Expedition Everest (2006) and Adventureland Treehouse (2023).
@@benjaminroberson1924 Idk about the adventurland tree house it was touched by the wicked witch of the west who ruined it's a small world in 2008 by littering it with IP's can't wait til she gives up her nasty breathing habbit.
![[4K] "it's a small world" - On Ride 2022 - Disney World - Magic Kingdom](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/BvXhhw-nuuk/mqdefault.jpg)
Benjamin this is your best Small World salute yet; it is also a nice tribute to the late Richard Sherman, one of the great team that brought the show to life.
A few things I miss (and remember when they were changed): the African children laughing uproariously with the hyena; the welcome room with its heraldic shields and banners, which glowing in ultraviolet light seemed like a nod to Fantasyland's early years; above all the trees which for years were seen behind the facade. As a child I was bewildered by those trees; they seemed to be in line with the foliage flanking the exterior, making me wonder just where our boats were disappearing into. Later I learned from the Rolly Crump interview in The E Ticket Magazine that this sleight of hand ( the trees were on the roof of the show building) was exactly Disney's intention.
One improvement was painting the walls and ceiling of the Finale black, as with the rest of the attraction; this was done sometime between 1979 and 1982. The original was just a bit unattractive, one was too conscious of being in a warehouse -sized room. The black background works better in this stylized world in which the sun and moon are seen several times apiece.
Including the New York Fair version, here's to 60 years of this youthful, colorful, musical, kinetic classic. The older you get, the more it may also take on a poignant quality; it represents an ideal most children can probably conceive of, and unfortunately most adults cannot.
Thank you very much, I'm glad you enjoyed this so much. May Richard Sherman rest in peace, a legend. I know when the laughing African kids & hyena were removed (c.1973/74), and the Banners (1991). Maybe you have seen it, but there's a video of the banners from 1990 that has good lighting for the time. They were rearranged at some point in the 70’s or early 80’s. The Banners actually also made me think of early Fantasyland. I have that E Ticket Magazine as well and wish the trees were still there. Strangely they were removed when the façade was painted back to white & gold in 2002. I did not know that the original finale felt like a warehouse. It does make me rethink my previous perspective in wishing for colored walls to return. I wonder if colored curtains would be a good alternative. I know that the black walls are actually curtains over the old colored walls, which have been that way ever since 1979. There is a photo of the Finale on Flickr from 1979 where it definitely seems like the black curtains were already there, especially since the sets had just been repainted to the blue & purple pre-2008 version. It definitely becomes sad as I get older and I see how this world of children's imagination is more kind and pure than most adults. I suppose that's one of the reasons I love it so much, as it takes me back to that way of thinking.
Didn't know what day in specific the ride opened, but thx for putting it in the desc
Happy Birthday "it's a small world"! 🥳🎉🎊
happy birthday it's small world!
Happy brithday small world its ben 60 years🎉
Happy Birthday small world!
I'm sorry but it was a month ago :(
@@adamossali9924 a month ago was the world's fair version's anniversary.
@@smallworldfanmason well 23rd of April was the 60th anniversary of its a small world
@@adamossali9924 April 22 was the World's Fair version's 60th anniversary. May 28, when this was uploaded, was the 58th anniversary of the Disneyland version.
@@benjaminroberson1924 sorry I didn’t know.
The 1966 version in my opinion is the best version of all time. The sets are still new and polished the welcome room is nice with all the banners and the best thing about this version is definitely the finale with its pink walls original silver and white sets and the sun.
*I agree,what a great summary of why!* The 1966-68 Finale is easily my favorite with the colors & lighting. Many dolls had more vibrant movements in the early years compared to today. I also like the Banner Welcome room better than today's. They were similarly detailed but more fitting of the Blair style of the rest of the ride and IMO more charming. Personally, I do like the early 70's Welcome room Flowers a little bit more, but the Banners were still amazing and I wish for their return. Honestly, my all time favorite version of it's a small world is a tie between Disneyland 1966-68 and 1968-72 for the reasons you and I have stated.
Good old classic
Be at peace.
I have returned to RUclips after almost 11 months
Welcome back
also tokyo disneyland closed their it's small world later this fall 2024 year replace by It's a Small World with Groot in 2025
Super disappointed about that. I thought Tokyo was better than that
@@benjaminroberson1924 yeah me too!
@@benjaminroberson1924 Too many IP's Disney needs to knock it off, they have IP music infultrating the Country Bear Jamboree. The IP's have gotten more out of hand since the 90's it's pathetic to say the least. My friend said Disney is just reminding people what a movie is.
@@carrouselsandtheirwurlitze7909 I strongly agree that far too many attractions since the 90's, and ESPECIALLY the last decade, have been based on movie IP instead of original creations for the parks. They seem to have forgotten that many of the most successful attractions don't or didn't have IP attached to them: it's a small world, Haunted Mansion, Pirates, Tiki Room, Railroad, Matterhorn, Big Thunder, Space Mt, Jungle Cruise, old Country Bears, all of old EPCOT Center, much of Tokyo DisneySea, and so much more. While it's true that some IP attractions are great, many of them from the past decade have been underwhelming for me. It makes me extremely sad to know that there were 0 non-IP attractions in 17 years, between Expedition Everest (2006) and Adventureland Treehouse (2023).
@@benjaminroberson1924 Idk about the adventurland tree house it was touched by the wicked witch of the west who ruined it's a small world in 2008 by littering it with IP's can't wait til she gives up her nasty breathing habbit.