Treasures of Yesteryear, vol. 1
The happiest pamphlet that ever circulated ‘round the world
Treasures of Yesteryear is a series that showcases and salutes Disney items and memorabilia of decades past. Be sure to check out the archives for previous posts.
If there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that I love to collect things. A quick glance into my office would make even the most casual observer raise their eyebrows and be like, “Wow — you’re, uh, quite the collector, aren’t ya?” To which I would glance over at my overflowing shelves and bulletin boards and respond with, “Oh, this? Yea, I mean, it’s not much but I suppose so.”
I’m like a crow but instead of picking up small, shiny objects, I’m more inclined to favor books, washi tape, and Mickey ears. One thing that I’ve been really into lately is vintage Disney paper goods. We’re talkin’ pamphlets, magazine advertisements, postcards, and the works. They’re such a fun blast to the past, and — bonus! — I can very easily share them with y’all while dishing out some historical context.
There are obvious elements of Disney history like the films, music, and park attractions, but I love finding the bits and bobs that would’ve been present in a fan’s everyday life because that’s really where the magic lives on for the majority of us.
So with that said, enter: Treasures of Yesteryear, a new series that will feature vintage Disney paraphernalia with a lil’ bit of background behind the items.
Our first exhibit is this fantastic tri-fold brochure from 1967 that provided guests some insight into the technology, visual art and music, and overall messaging of the now-classic attraction “it’s a small world.” I first saw it a couple weeks ago over on @justindoesdisney and immediately fell head over heels for it because scroll down and look at those maps. The geographer in me simply cannot handle it.
For a lil’ background, “it’s a small world” made its initial debut at the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair. The idea for the attraction took root after Walt Disney was approached by Robert Moses, a well-known urban planner, to design a “children’s village” for the Fair. Coincidentally, Walt had already been in discussion with various sponsors of the World’s Fair about a similar concept that would allow WED Enterprises (now Walt Disney Imagineering) to experiment with new technologies and determine if they could be later translated to a much larger scale at Disneyland.
With less than a year to go before the official opening, Walt agreed to develop “a little boat ride” for the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) pavilion, which was sponsored by the Pepsi-Cola Company.
“Disney seemed to be the showman to give us the package we want ... He's terrific. He's got his hands in more bowls than anyone I've ever seen, but he accomplishes what he sets out to do.” — J. G. Mullaly, Ford's World's Fair Program Manager
Now, keep in mind that Imagineers were already working ‘round the clock on a few attractions for other pavilions, including the Carousel of Progress (General Electric), Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln (the State of Illinois), and the Magic Skyway (Ford). Understandably, they were a bit perplexed and probably quite flustered about this new addition.1
Disney Legend Roland “Rolly” Crump later said, “One day Walt pulled all of the show designers in, and he said, ‘There’s one more piece of real estate that they’ve offered to us. And I’ve got this idea for a little boat ride that maybe we can do.’ And we thought, a little boat ride? I mean God, we were working on Lincoln, the Carousel of Progress, both of which were using the highest technology and animatronic figures. And we were working on Ford, too. All of this and Walt wants to do a little boat ride!”
It was no small feat but in true Imagineering fashion, the team — including Mary Blair, Rolly Crump, and Marc and Alice Davis — got it done just in time for an opening day of April 22nd, 1964.
A debut at the World’s Fair
In the two half-year seasons that comprised the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair, roughly ten million 60¢ and 95¢ tickets for children and adults were sold, with UNICEF receiving the proceeds. The attraction was a smashing success, and it — along with the other Disney-produced attractions — proved to Walt and Imagineers that their special blend of entertainment could attract and sustain audiences in eastern states (hello, Project X).
One of the primary reasons for its success was — and still is — the attraction’s high rider-per-hour capacity, which meant that there was almost always a seat available. In fact, “it’s a small world” forever altered the conceptual planning and design of theme park rides by introducing a flat-bottomed, track-assisted ride vehicle that could comfortably hold around 16 guests per boat. This is what ultimately led Imagineers to adopt the same kind of ride vehicle for Pirates of the Caribbean, which was still in development at the time.
Onward to Disneyland and beyond
On May 28th, 1966, “it’s a small world” opened its doors to guests at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. A few tweaks were made to the attraction prior to its permanent debut, like incorporating an Oceania scene into the ride layout and adding rooms with stylized cut-out flowers that would welcome guests upon entry and bid them farewell upon departure. Additionally, the attraction was sponsored by Bank of America.
That might sound a bit odd, but corporate sponsorships have played an integral role at the Disney parks since their very inception. Not only do sponsorships provide additional funding to produce and maintain certain attractions, but they allow Disney an opportunity to reach new audiences through cross-promotion, diversify their revenue streams, and enhance the guest experience with technology and resources that they might not have had access to otherwise. We still observe this throughout the parks today, such as with Chevrolet’s sponsorship of Test Track (currently undergoing a refurbishment), Enterprise's support of TRON Lightcycle/Run, and Chiquita’s sponsorship of Living With the Land.
Since its arrival at Disneyland in 1966, “it’s a small world” has been a cornerstone at five Disney parks around the globe, including the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Park in Paris, and Hong Kong Disneyland. Minor differences can be spotted throughout each variant, and some even feature festive overlays during the holiday season.
Whether guests want to bask in the vibrant colors and geometric designs of Mary Blair, hum along to the ear-worm of a tune by the Sherman Brothers, or simply rest their achy legs after a long day of walking, the Seven Seaways of “it’s a small world” offer a lil’ bit of something for everyone at every age. It most certainly is — and will forever be — the happiest cruise that ever sailed 'round the world.
There we have it! If you enjoyed this post, give it a like and leave a comment sharing when you tend to hop on “it’s a small world” during your park visit. Is it a must-do on your first day or do you save it for when the park is a bit more crowded and everything else has longer wait times? Inquiring minds would love to know.
See ya real soon,
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Jo, Sophie. “Small World, Big Message: The Music of ‘It’s a Small World.’” The Walt Disney Family Museum, 22 Aug. 2017, www.waltdisney.org/blog/small-world-big-message-music-its-small-world.
Such a sweet, cute ride. I especially love the addition of Disney characters into the Disneyland version.
My favorite time to ride it's a small world is during extra night time hours while the rest of my party rides a bigger roller coaster!