Hey there!

Just wanted to give y'all the 'skinny' on the changes over at
Disneyland's "It's A Small World". It reopened today for a one day preview to Annual Passholders Only.
Disney also invited some of the online media to take a ride with Imagineer Kim Irvine to get her take on
the changes they've made. I was included in that list.

Let me backtrack a little for those folks who haven't heard:
Disney decided last year to update the classic attraction "It's A Small World" before it would reopen
after the annual "Small World Holiday" overlay (when the Happiest Cruise that ever sailed 'round the world
takes on it's own joyous holiday festival atmosphere). Given that this ride was recently restored to it's
original colors only in 2005, and has otherwise been unchanged since the days of Walt Disney himself
(for the 1964 World's Fair), some folks were mighty upset at what the Disney company had in mind.

First off, Disney announced they were retiring the old boats for more bouyant versions... because the older
models were getting stuck in the rides if they were too heavy from too many people having been put on them.
Castmembers were actually having to be sent out to either push the stuck boat along if they could, or remove
someone from the boat so that it would float again, and not rest on the bottom of the flume that runs inside
the attraction.

While they were doing this, Disney announced they were going to make some minor 'plusses' to the attraction itself...
They didn't announce exactly what they would be doing other than incorporating some Disney Characters in to the
"We're All On This Planet together" theme. It didn't take long for the onlin Disney fan community to jump to their
own logical conclusions:

GASP!
ADDING MICKEY MOUSE TO "IT'S A SMALL WORLD???

REMOVING THE PAPAU NEW GUINEA RAIN FOREST ROOM FOR AN AMERICAN SCENE???

EGADS!!!

Okay, I was one of those who was a upset with the idea of adding Mickey, Goofy and the gang to
this attraction that has been the park since 1966 and has been popular enough to have been replicated
in every Disney park around the globe.

But that's not what Disney did.

Here are my pictures, and my take on the changes that actually happened.
some good, some not so good.

First, this is the only desktop in this mini-update.

Since it is, let me just put the links for the sizes right here:

just right-click on the size for your desktop, and choose "Save as desktop", OR open the picture in the correct size for your
computer monitor, and then choose "Save as desktop background".

The facade has remained unchanged since it's 2005 makeover.

Lines were not very long when I got there, but the park had just opened, and the annual passholders
"in the know" flooded over to the ride to be the first to experience it.

After about an hour, due to it's exclusivity, the lines were pretty much non-existant, and you could stay on the
boat to ride again if you could take it.

Okay, here is probably my only really negative comment. The new boats are UGLY!
They're made of the same material that my kid's outdoor dollhouse was made out of... same as
any plastic child's toy is made out of now a days.

Those of you with experience can tell me exactly what these boats will look like in about a year of almost constant
southern California sunshine.

Faded

and even uglier.

Seriously, it looks like you are boarding a Fisher Price "Weebles Wobble but they don't fall down" boat.

Once you're inside though, the ride feels just like it should.

Everything is brightly painted and just like the original here.

This is a shot I tried without a flash.

Since this was a media event, I decided that using a flash was necessary, and going to have to be okay.
No one complained, and my Disney Host never said a word either.

thanks to Debi for being such a sport, by the way. Once again a classic example of the
wonderful folks that work at Disney who love the park.

...and kudos to her bosses whom she had only the most positive and wonderful comments about for
giving her the time off from her regular duties to host my stay. From the moment I got out of my car until
the time it was brought back to me at the Grand Californian Hotel, she stayed by my side and assisted in
anything she could with a smile and a positive attitude.

ok.

so, the changes... be prepared to relax:

You see here the Peter Pan inclusion in the London area of the attraction. He's flying around with the
tightrope performers.

Notice how it's really just a regular "Small World" doll redressed to look like Peter Pan.

This is pretty much what you can expect from the inclusions...

There's a horrible shot of Tink flying around behind Peter.
She's tiny, and she's fast. I'm glad I could get her in the frame of the camera at all.

There is also a Alice and White Rabbit from
"Alice In Wonderland", but I managed to miss that shot completely.

This is Cinderella.

Notice Jaques and Gus-Gus

I want to point out that the audio engineers included just the slightest little snippets of tunes from the movies
as you ride by thecorresponding area. I'm suffering from a cold, so my ears are all messed up, but I was just able
to make out the slightest nuance of "bibbidy bobbidy boo" here.

Pinocchio

There is supposed to be a Jiminy Cricket, but I didn't catch him.
(no pun intended)

Jasmine and Aladdin

"A Whole New World" plays just lightly in the background here.

A Whole New Small World.

Let me just ask

Who reading this, when on this ride, hasn't thought "Oh, flying carpets, like from Aladdin" when they got to this point?

The Orient is represented by Mulan, of course with Mushu

Is this Mulan?

And in the Jungle scene, Simba and Pumba for "The Lion King".
Timon held out for a larger cut in the residuals, so he wasn't included.

I was surprised in the Jungle Scene that there was no inclusion of "The Jungle Book" characters.
No Sher Kahn, no Kaa (the snake), no buzzards, no Baloo, no nothing.

interesting.

Indian vs. African Jungles maybe?

Over in South America way we have Jose, Donald, and Panchito... best known as The Three Caballeros.

This is the only inclusion of any of the Fabulous Five into "It's A Small World".

(Fab 5 are Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto)

But this inclusion works in this area.

And who reading hasn't seen the mermaid in the ocean section and thought of Ariel from "The Little Mermaid"?

Flounder

No Crush from "Finding Nemo" which again was surprising to me. It would have been an easy inclusion.

You might notice here that the paint didn't get touched up at all in this overhall.
I never would have noticed it in person, but in the photo, the chipped spots and overall
faded nature of the scene stands out.

Dory has those "crazy girl" eyes.

There's an actual Stitch on the surfboard now. During the "Small World Holiday" over the last 5 years at least,
a small toy "Stitch" was placed on the surfboard... so someone else had already thought about the inclusion of
Disney Characters into this ride a long time ago.

Is that supposed to be Lilo on the surfboard with Stitch?
REALLY Doesn't look like her, and it's odd that it wouldn't be her. You know?

Here's a horrible shot of Kim Irvine during the ride through. What I really wanted to show was that
Disney Imagineers kept a small portion of the Papau New Guinea Rainforest scene. It's now tucked into one
corner of the tropical room.

Here's the American room.

Farmers on the left
cowmen on the right.

"The farmer and the cowman should be friends"

c'mon! Everbody SING:

"Cowboys dance with farmer's daughters,
Farmers dance with the ranchers' gals..."

eh... never mind.

Funny Disney would seperate these two.

off on the other side of the room are the lights of Hollywood

But not before we have to see the worst inclusion of the attraction

Woody and Jesse

They look NOTHING like any other doll in the attraction

and they ARE A TOY
to begin with.

(althouse I do like the bulleyes painted on Bullseye.)

But really, the style just doesn't fit in with any other doll in the attraction. Just really too bad.

But if that's the only thing that I really have to pick on, then Disney did pretty dang good. Didn't they?

None of the new inclusions were repeated in the grand finale room but there are a couple of additions
and/or re-installations

Kim Irvine pointed out that the Sun on the far wall was in the original 1964 version of "It's A Small World"
for the New York World's Fair.

As was the "Farewell" banner over the exit.

These were recreated for this install.

Ms. Irvine was most gracious and kind.
I never saw any evidence of horns coming out from her head, or a tail
poking from behind her.

A short update, I know.
but your contributions are always welcomed.

It was actually forecasted to rain this day, so there were nice clouds in what was at that time a brilliant blue sky.
perfect picture weather!

or

picture perfect weather.

So.

In all, Disney has NOT ruined this attraction.

The boats need to be rethought, and I don't doubt we'll hear how badly they've weathered constant use and exposure to
the sun in a couple of years or less. I'm not thrilled about the "Woody and Jesse" inclusion, no so much that they are there
(If they were going to do a cowboy, it would have to be him and her, let's face it) but how they don't match anything else
around them in the building.

But if that's my worst gripe at first glance, I'm pretty sure I'll get over it quickly.

All in all, I'd give it a good hearty thumbs up.

and a thumbs up to Disney for being such great hosts, once again!

until next time my friends!

Love uP!
DaddyB

thanks for anything you can give to help support these updates!

I use a 12 megapixel Canon EOS 40D with a Canon 580EX flash
and an assortment of fine Canon lenses.

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