“it’s a small world” Demolished at Disney World After Five Decades of Operation

Walt Disney World Resort‘s original “it’s a small world” attraction appears to have been damaged by an unruly Magic Kingdom Park guest.

“it’s a small world” opened alongside Walt Disney World Resort on October 1, 1971, following the original at Disneyland Resort in 1966. Walt Disney, Mary Blair, and Alice Davis originally created the attraction to support the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) at the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair.

After two seasons, The Happiest Cruise on Earth found its permanent home in Fantasyland at Disneyland Park. Versions of the boat ride, including its renowned theme song, have since premiered at Disneyland Paris Resort, Tokyo Disney Resort, and Hong Kong Disneyland Resort.

Disneyland Park is in the middle of refreshing its version of “it’s a small world” for the resort’s upcoming 70th anniversary celebration. Walt Disney Imagineers are retrofitting Coco (2017) dolls into the attraction and adding a final verse by the late Richard Sherman to the ride’s iconic song. A new projection show, “Tapestry of Happiness,” will perform nightly on the Fantasyland ride’s exterior when the Disneyland70 celebrations begin on May 16.

But while Disneyland Resort shows some love to “it’s a small world,” the Magic Kingdom Park version of the attraction appears neglected. On Thursday, WDWNT reported damage to the attraction’s colorful clock tower facade.

Walt Disney Imagineers repainted the “it’s a small world” facade in 2021, bringing bright new colors to the decades-old ride. The clock numbers, from 0-9, which appear under the smiling clock face, were painted a glittery gold.

Most of the numbers are too high for guests to reach, but the six and the three are the closest to the ground. In recent days, the top half of the number three disappeared, and the blue wall behind it shows a mark from where the missing piece should be.

It’s unclear precisely what happened to the number, although it appears to have been damaged by a guest. Walt Disney World Resort hasn’t announced plans to repair the clock tower facade.

Have you noticed any damage at Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, or Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park? Let Disney Tips know in the comments!