it's a small world
Photos of the facade of it's a small world are a dime a dozen; It would be easy to take them for granted. But take a minute and really look! It would mean a lot to me and my bookie. First up is this example from around 1970, somebody standing in the queue wanted to capture the charming mechanical clock as the dolls from around the world marched by. As a kid I was always thrilled when we saw this feature, and on crowded summer days, we might have seen it more than once before boarding The Happiest Cruise That Ever Sailed 'Round the World.
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Next is another view of the facade, also from the 1970s. The variety of shapes, patterns and textures are very pleasing to the eye, and so mid-century (in the best way). I've always kind of dreamed of building an accurate foam-core (or styrene) model of this, but... you know... that requires effort. And skill. For now I'll just look at pictures!
13 comments:
OoOoh, this is an excellent view of small world! It's got a little of everything: A few people, dancing dolls, drummers, topiary, great color and lighting... I'm keeping it!
The 2nd photo is also nice, but not as nice as the first. The color is a little dull, and the people are featured too prominently. Hand-in-front-of-face kid doesn't want anyone to see his braces. Brown shirt guy (in back) either has a cigarette dangling from his mouth (how attractive!), or he's puking up a vanilla milkshake (even more attractive!).
Really nice photos, Major. (Especially the first one.)
Nice photos of peak facade!
I remember waiting with anticipation as a kid to see the clock go off and always being excited that we juuuust managed to catch it. It wasn't until I was an adult that I realized that based on the ride and queue length you were almost guaranteed to see it. Those sneaky imagineers...
Major, maybe you should try building an inaccurate foam-core (or styrene) model of the iasw facade. That way, if you fail to pull it off, you"ll have an accurate model.
Thanks again!
One of the (albeit low key) highlights of my recent retirement trip with my daughter was standing in line watching this mechanical marval! WDW totally missed the boat (pun intended) on this one! Also, upon riding the attraction I came to three controversial conclusions:
1. I like the DL troughs better than the WDW "flooded rooms."
2. I enjoyed spotting all the Disney characters.
3. Pineapple can be eaten on pizza, but only if it's baked really well (slightly crisp edges (and there's not too much of it.
That last one may not have had much to do with the attraction.
Thanks, Major!
Peak Facade Indeed.
I hope Stefano comments today, he sees things on this facade that no one else does.
I’m surprised that the pink glitter crowd stood aside and let this brilliant design revert to the original white and gold. The “Spumoni” scheme was ok for a while, but this is the best look. Even the flower beds harmonize.
I confess I don’t mind the Disney character additions, but I will draw the line at adding Marvel characters. I hope that idea is just a rumor.
And bring back the gondolier CM outfits!
Thanks Major, you’re right I remember seeing the clock show twice on some childhood visits.
JG
JB, I love those dancin’ dolls! I sure didn’t think I would be writing that sentence today, but that’s what makes life so crazy. Don’t complain about the color being dull in photo #2, they might paint the whole thing in multicolored pastel hues again! I’ll bet brown shirt guy could not WAIT to light up.
Chuck, yes, nowadays you are probably going to see the clock show at least once or twice, though that line does move. Those Imagineers were sneaky, but it would have been cheaper and easier to not include the mechanical clock show, so I’m super glad that they made it! Your advice for a model is interesting, and I will have to think about it.
Stu29573, one would assume that the IASW at the Magic Kingdom would have an even grander facade, but NOPE. Was it entirely a money issue? I’d like to know. From what I’ve seen, the exterior of that version is pretty generic - it is much like all of the other Fantasyland buildings around it. I like the idea of the flooded rooms, but the trough certainly never bothered me. I guess the Disney characters ultimately don’t bother me that much, though the poorly-designed “USA” scene is pretty crummy. I don’t think I’ve ever had pineapple on pizza!
JG, are you saying that Stefano has “the gift”? It sounds like something from a Stephen King novel. Like you, I am surprised that IASW reverted to its originall paint scheme, I read many comments from people who loved the many-colored version. The way I see it is that you could paint anything the loudest, most tasteless colors, and the general public will love it because it is “colorful”. There’s a lot to be said for aesthetic taste, even if people don’t know it. I was just thinking about the Marvel rumor, it seems so strange to include characters known for fighting, in a ride all about peace and brotherhood. Ugh.
Early on Walt Disney World wasn’t going to get a “dittographed” version of Disneyland’s It’s A Small World. The weather and almost daily rain necessitated the entire attraction be indoors … because the attraction wasn’t being installed into a temporarily building built in 3 months and would not be re-located in California there was no need to create the problematic “snap together”water trough (a major leaking problem since 1964) Florida’s Fantasyland also featured a more themed encompassed European Village architecture divided into themed areas of CASTLE COURTYARD , OLD FRANCE OLD GERMANY , OLD ITALY, OLD ENGLAND …. So the 60’s facade …. Had no fitting place in the European Village . The Mary Blair exterior palace elements of Disneyland were included in the loading room but done in bright color murals over a black neutral background. And no clock tower . Instead arches over the loading dock and sparking fountains ….an indoor restaurant THE FOUR CORNERS RESTAURANT gives diners views of the boats and fountains in a cool escape from the Florida heat and humidity. Also the attraction was slightly re-themed to feature a airballoon prop seen throughout the attraction “collecting” children from each country and brought in bringing them to a giant fantasy carnival finale …… in fact the attraction. Was known till just before a few months to opening as “SMALL WORLD CARNIVALE” the attraction’s maintenance manual had this title untill a 1973 revision. The first attraction poster also developed is the children in the air balloon “join the children of the world for the happiest celebration ever” “SMALL WORLD CARNIVALE”. . While my favorite it’s a small world is the Disneyland version I live that the exact same imagineers who created the California version decided to do things a little differently for the Florida Park … that’s how Imagineering works and became successful…. By not just copying exactly what had been done already.
As I've said before, I'm old enough to see IASW as a new addition to Fantasyland, remembering Walt narrating it on the TV show. It's almost a land unto itself, gigantic and Mary Blair modern while the older dark ride facades blended into the castle with medieval "tents". Later, the New Fantasyland went for architecture modeled on the films themselves, in rich storybook style (very artfully making different eras of England, Italy, and Germany visually compatible).
Magic Kingdom's Fantasyland echoed the original Disneyland's in that the main dark ride buildings were unified by harmonious design, a sort of Barbie Dream House Victorian instead of a medieval tournament. Again, the themes of the rides are contained inside as if in a department store window. With the massive 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea taking up the back border of the park, IASW was set among the smaller dark rides and given an exterior facade to harmonize. Once inside you found the huge loading area, originally with the look of a 1960s airport lobby.
Wonder if there was ever thought of placing IASW in Tomorrowland, as an optimistic forward view. Mary Blair's murals on that land's upgrade suggest it would have fit.
Mike Cozart, wow, I am sure I have never heard about the Small World Carnivale; to be honest I like it when attractions are not cookie-cutter copies of each other. Make them unique! Just a little extra effort would give guests their own experience, and would give people from out of state a reason to visit. Even the small differences in their Haunted Mansion make me want to see it someday. Meanwhile, their Pirates of the Caribbean, missing all of the cave/skeleton scenes, sounds like it would not be worth it (maybe I’m wrong?). On a separante note, I’ve read that many people consider the “going up a waterfall” ending in Disneyland to be a bad thing. I love it, just not when the ride gets so backed up that you have to wait five minutes. With your mention of the balloon concept, it might have been cool to have an overhead monorail conveyance, like the Peter Pan ride! Sounds pretty neat to me.
DBenson, you’re so right, not only is IASW a big ride, but the plaza in front of it is an astonishing amount of real estate in a park where square footage is dear. I do miss the old medieval tent design of the Old Fantasyland, but acknowledge that the New Fantasyland is beautifully done, and superior in almost every way (other than missing the Pirate Ship and Skull Rock). “Barbie Dream House Victorian”, oh boy, that is pretty damning! I’m so sad that the beautiful 20,000 Leagues attraction was removed, even as a kid, it was by far the most incredible thing that I wanted to see. An “optimistic future” version of IASW is a fascinating idea!
I don’t think It’s A Small World was ever considered for inclusion as a Tomorrowland attraction … it’s just always been grouped as Fantasyland. As much as we adore the Mary Blair murals of Disneyland’s Tomorrowland , they immediately became associated with “small world” for Florida’s Tomorrowland they intentionally avoided this … Mary was on her last Disney project doing the Contemporary resort mural - she was becoming too difficult to work with as her drinking affecting her work - most of the designers of Tomorrowland 1967 were not used in the development of the Florida version … it was decided to go with a industrial designer as art director … giving the WDW 70’s Tomorrowland a very unique but still Disney feel. A perfect summary of the two tomorrowland design intent is wrapped up in the PeopleMovers from both parks ; Disneyland’s is sculptural designed by an automobile stylist. The Florida WEDWAY is in its simplified form created by an industrial designer. ( a very interesting approach as automobile designs can become dated very quickly …. While the Florida WEDWAY is 50 years old and still looks very modern ) wait … we were talking about it’s a small world .
When Tokyo Disneyland was under development the most popular versions of both Disneyland and Walt Disney World were selected for inclusion in Tokyo …. It’s interesting for “it’s a small world “ the Disneyland exterior was chosen but the interior loading , restaurant and show elements from Florida were replicated . Paris went with a “victorian-ized” clock exterior … and Hong Kong is very similar to Tokyo’s . All the attractions have elaborate multi colored facades except for Disneyland’s which was returned to the white and gold in honor of Disneyland’s 50th .
Shanghai Disneyland remains without an Its A Small World attraction …. And like a park railroad its Chinese government developers had no interest in the attraction….. partially why the fantasyland enchanted voyage boat ride was developed .
Mike, thanks for sharing all that background info on iasw. The DL iasw water trough still has a leaking problem?
"Going up the waterfall" in POTC:
Mike, please share your story. :o)
Stu, I LOVE pineapple on pizza. I also LOVE anchovies on pizza, but not WITH pineapple. My parents and husband LOVE anchovies on pizza, too. We're weird.
Thanks, Major.
^ Stupid blogger. I didn't italicize everything. Now I know how you felt the other day, Major. :oP
My mom hated the idea of pineapple on pizza. I'm OK with it, though I wouldn't go out of my way to order a pizza with pineapple. Basically, anything tastes good on pizza, anything! : Cow drool, auto parts... ANYTHING!!!
JB, anchovies??
—Sue
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