At a Glance
Duration: 15 minutes
Look Out For: claustrophobia and hundreds of animatronic dolls
Opening on October 1st, 1971, It’s a Small World is a sweet, musical celebration of culture the World. But how scary is It’s a Small World? Let’s take a look at the ratings:
1. Ride Length
It’s a Small World has a ride duration of 15 long minutes – giving it the longest track-ride duration at Walt Disney World. (This excludes any shows or tours like Kilimanjaro Safaris or Carousel of Progress)
2. Height Requirement and Warnings
This attraction has no height requirement, making it a great choice for younger kids – especially those in need of a 15 minute nap.
3. Ride Vehicles and Restraints
The It’s a Small World ride vehicles consist of large boats seating approximately 24 passengers in 6 rows of 4. There is no lap bar.
4. How Does It’s a Small World Work?
It’s a Small World works like a standard water-based dark ride in which the boats travel along a track through the show scenes.
5. Is It’s a Small World Scary?
It’s a Small World is not intentionally scary whatsoever. However, if anyone in your party is in any way averse to dolls (especially moving, animatronic ones), this ride might not be the one for them. While the dolls certainly have a sweet, stylized look, there are well over 200 of them and they often have shifty or malfunctioning movements due to the ride’s age.
6. How High is It’s a Small World?
This ride does not involve heights. As an indoor dark ride, the track remains very low to the ground.
7. How Fast is It’s a Small World?
It’s a Small World does not go fast. The boats move at an extremely slow and leisurely pace, meandering through the show scenes and often stopping for short delays.
8. Does It’s a Small World Have Drops?
It’s a Small World does not have drops. As a gentle, water-based dark ride, this attraction does not include drops of any kind.
9. Does It’s a Small World Cause Motion Sickness?
This ride should not cause motion sickness for most riders.
10. Is It’s a Small World Claustrophobic?
It’s a Small World could be claustrophobic to some riders mostly due to it’s extremely long ride duration. Its significant run time is partly due to the incredibly slow pace at which the boats travel, and those who might feel trapped on such a long, meandering ride, might want to take a moment to consider this one. It should also be noted that this attraction tends to delay fairly often and can take a while to load and unload. That being said, there is no lap bar and the show scenes are fairly open with tall ceilings, making it feel a bit less confining in my opinion.
11. Are There Animatronics?
There are around 240 animatronics on It’s a Small World. While they do have a sweet and cartoonish look to them, anyone averse to dolls might find them a bit creepy. Most of them just dance and move to the music but they often malfunction, jitter, and have shifty movements due to the ride’s age.
It’s a Small World Queue Walkthrough
The queue entrance is located outside in Fantasyland and takes you down a couple of ramps in a large, open-air area. With the loading station being right below the entrance, you’re never far from the front of the queue, no matter how long your wait is.
It’s a Small World Ride Walkthrough
Once you board the ride vehicle, you’ll set off on your meandering boat ride through several large rooms representing all 7 continents and their people. Starting with Europe, you’ll wind through extremely detailed show scenes spanning the Middle East, then Asia, then Africa, Central and South America, and finally the Pacific Isles. Throughout these scenes, you’ll encounter over 200 dancing animatronic dolls and the same, repetitive song playing in various styles for 15 minutes. At the end, you’ll pass through a room with “goodbye” written in many languages and finally find yourself back at the loading station.
That’s it! Remember, everyone’s riding experience is a little bit different and only you can decide whether to hop on that ride vehicle or not. I just hope this guide helps you be prepared and enjoy every second of your Disney experience!
So what do you think? Leave a comment to help keep this guide up to date!
For a full visual of the ride and queue, be sure to check out this video from LaughingPlace:
