On this day 60 years ago, “it’s a small world” officially celebrated its formal grand opening at Disneyland. The attraction was a massive triumph at the 1964–1965 New York World’s Fair. It originally debuted under the name “Children of the World”. Afterward, Disney teams meticulously packed up the ride and shipped it across the country. Workers permanently rebuilt the attraction inside Fantasyland. Consequently, generations of park guests have spent decades floating through this timeless message of global unity and peace.
To mark the historic occasion, Walt Disney hosted an unforgettable grand opening ceremony. The event perfectly matched the joyful spirit of the ride. Over 36 foreign consular officials and 800 international journalists attended the debut. A choir of children representing 16 different ethnic groups gathered around the brand-new entrance. During the festivities, the children poured flasks of water into the attraction’s moat. This water was gathered from the world’s seven seas and nine major lagoons. Walt then added a flask of water from Disneyland’s own Rivers of America. This act beautifully christened the global waterway right in the heart of Anaheim.
An Engineering Marvel Sponsored By Bank Of America
Unlike the World’s Fair original, the permanent Disneyland version received exclusive upgrades. This included a grand, white-and-gold outdoor facade designed by Imagineer Rolly Crump. Animated flowers also said hello and goodbye in multiple languages. Imagineers added an entirely new Oceania show scene to the layout. This section was cut from the original fair layout due to strict time and budget limits. Sponsored permanently by Bank of America at Disneyland, the interior boat ride instantly became a park milestone. It was the park’s very first continually loading, high-capacity attraction.
The ride mechanics were incredibly efficient. Because of this, Disney completely changed its future park development plans. The team famously scrapped plans for a walk-through version of Pirates of the Caribbean. Instead, they converted it into a boat ride using the exact same water channel system. Behind the scenes, the show relied on hundreds of moving parts. It utilized advanced design principles pioneered by Disney’s legendary Imagineering team. Inside the vibrant show buildings, the attraction brought a staggering amount of kinetic energy to Fantasyland. It utilized 297 animated audio-animatronic children alongside 256 stylized toys.
The Anthem Heard Around The Globe
Legendary artist Mary Blair designed the distinct visual style. She used bold geometric shapes and vivid color palettes to distinguish each country. Costumer Alice Davis hand-crafted the authentic garments for the dolls. Meanwhile, leading sculptor Blaine Gibson designed the distinct faces of the audio-animatronic children. Of course, the true heart of the attraction remains its iconic theme song. The track was written by the legendary songwriting duo of Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman. It was originally composed as a gentle, slow ballad following the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Walt Disney requested a more upbeat track. He wanted a song that could loop continuously without disrupting the ride’s pacing. The Sherman brothers sped up the tempo and created a musical round. Walt loved the result so much he officially renamed the ride after the track. The massive popularity of the Anaheim original eventually transformed the ride into a global phenomenon. Today, the attraction stands as a crowning achievement of Walt Disney’s creative legacy. It reminds millions of travelers each year that it is a small world after all.
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