The World Is Smaller, And Better Than We Think It Is
I’ve watched a lot of people gripe at Disneyland. If I had to rank the adult grievances about Disney Parks I’d certainly place “expense” in the number one spot and “kids whining” at number 2.
Number three would probably be “It’s A Small World” though.
For my money “Small World” is the most polarizing feature of The Happiest Place On Earth. People seem to either love it or hate it. I’ve found that many of the “haters” also feel the need to be excessively vocal with their derision of the ride. I usually overhear at least one conversation per visit to the park in which someone rails against “Small World” as if it is one of the world’s great evils.
Sometimes mom’s announce that they “don’t want that dang song in my head all day” or kids announce that they’re “too grown to be seen in that ride”. I’ve actually heard one father* tell his children that the “overriding ‘secular humanist’ message of the ride is in conflict with our Christian beliefs.”
The casual listener can probably leave fantasy land with the idea that few people truly enjoy Walt Disney’s “It’s A Small World”. This isn’t to say that people don’t ride “It’s a Small World”; quite often the line for the attraction is as long as many of the other rides at the Disney parks. It’s just to say that the ride seems mostly targeted to impress very young children or optimistic racial profilers.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not an IASW “hater”. I ride it whenever it’s open. This is because I’ve noticed that the ride does offer some very specific perks: