Originally, Walt Disney was approached by Pepsi to create the attraction in honor of UNICEF for the 1964 World's Fair – one of several attractions tested at the Fair and later reconstructed at Disneyland Park. After several art directors took a shot at what it might look like, Disney gave Mary Blair a call. Her children's books from the early 1940s were perfect for this. She came out and did all the concept renderings. Imagineer Rolly Crump and a few other model builders were tapped to interpret her artwork into this immersive 3D world. It was very important that the set pieces looked exactly as she designed them."
When the attraction was rebuilt at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, it exceeded the size of its World's Fair counterpart. Rolly added, expanded, and moved various scenes out of order. He designed a Rube Goldberg-style façade for the exterior (not previously in the New York exhibit) . The Tower of the Four Winds (a focal point in the New York attraction) was replaced by the smiling-faced clock tower, which blended perfectly with Mary's whimsical designs.
"It's a small world" opened in Disneyland on May 28, 1966, and continues to delight Guests. To date, there are four other versions in Parks around the globe – Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort, Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, and Hong Kong Disneyland. The attraction features over 300 Audio-Animatronics® figures of international children, with more than 250 toys and 80 animated props. New to the attraction are 29 popular Disney and Disney-Pixar characters (as costumed dolls) in the countries or regions where their stories take place. They include: Woody and Jessie (Spirit of America), Aladdin and Jasmine (Middle East), Mulan and Mushu (Asia), Ariel and Flounder (Pacific Islands), Alice and the White Rabbit (Great Britain), Lilo and Stitch (Pacific Islands/Hawaii), and Donald Duck, Panchito, and Jose Carioca (South America).
Now through October 31 at Disneyland Resort, fans can experience the timeless magic of Mary Blair's work at the Disney Gallery on Main Street, U.S.A. The show features 45 pieces and includes a cross-section of Mary's art for the Studio, movie shorts, and WED [Imagineering]. "Mary's style is indescribable ... so unique, sophisticated, and innocent.
Those with special "small world" memories can collect the limited-edition, commemorative pin featuring the children of the world as a spinner element (released at the D23 Expo, August 19) and several new children's books that include art inspired by the attraction, a song CD, and more.
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