Behind The Building: It’s A Small World

It’s A Small World might just be the most famous Disney parks attraction of all time. Some version of this ride appears at every resort worldwide except for Shanghai, and even casual Disney fans can sing its theme song…and get it stuck in their heads. But this post isn’t about the ride itself. Instead, let’s take a closer look at the exterior building, and how its design teases key elements of the attraction within.

Like the ride itself, the show building is created in Mary Blair‘s signature art style. (Mary didn’t design the building herself though – it was designed by Imagineer Rolly Crump). You’ll see tons of interconnecting shapes, curved lines, with just a touch of midcentury modern flair. The color scheme of the building matches the final scene within the ride – white and gold, unifying all the people of the world into one bright color palette. But if you look closely, you’ll see elements from all over the world incorporated into the facade: the Eiffel Tower, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Taj Mahal, etc. As you stand in line, it’s fun to try and spot these famous landmarks!

At the center of the facade, you’ll see the famous clock. Some sources call this the “Glockenspiel”, and it does resemble Munich’s famous Glockenspiel in Marienplatz. This clock comes alive every 15 minutes, with music and dolls from around the world taking a quick moment to dance for guests. This is the only part of the facade that strays from the simple color scheme – you’ll see the dolls in the full color of their respective costumes.

The gold detailing throughout the building is in fact real 22k gold leaf. Not only was the real gold strikingly beautiful against the white building and blue sky, it also served a practical purpose. The gold leaf weathered extremely well, and actually cost less than long term maintenance of an artificial version would have. While constructing the building, domestic supply of gold leaf was difficult to source, so Disney added yet another international element to the attraction by sourcing gold leaf from Europe.

Mary Blair’s art style extends to the greenery surrounding the building as well. You’ll see hedges shaped into all kinds of rounded or geometric patterns, and there are animal topiaries everywhere. And this international theme even extends to the water shepherding boats into the attraction. Before the ride opened in 1966, Imagineers added small samples of water from around the world into the ride path, from “the seven seas and nine major lagoons”.

In the end, all of these tiny details work together to create an elaborate, eye-catching facade that stands out from far away. The interconnected shapes and patterns that result in a beautiful and cohesive design give guests the feeling of the ride before they ever float inside – we’re all together in a small world after all.