Our solar system will inevitably fade into oblivion someday in an extremely distant, incomprehensible future, but for one Martian replica, neglect and wear are happening right now at Mission: SPACE in EPCOT.
Various portions of the shiny crimson orb are showing heavy wear and tear, and the maroon glow characteristic of the display is giving way to bare grayness and warped material underneath. Dirt is also accumulated in the grooves of the sculpture.
The structure serves as more than decoration — it hides the entrance area for both the Orange and Green Team experiences of Mission: SPACE, and both guests and Cast Members are regularly stationed underneath.
That being said, it looks like our planetary neighbor could use a little love.
Mission: SPACE
Mission: Space is a centrifugal motion simulator in World Discovery at EPCOT, that replaced the beloved Horizons attraction in 2003. The attraction simulates the thrill of space travel using high G-forces to make guests feel like they’re launching on a mission to Mars.
Originally just one experience at maximum intensity in which riders voyaged to Mars was available, until too many guests reported issues with motion sickness due to the centrifuge. As a result, a less intense version of the Mars mission was in place from 2006 until a tamer, more mild mission around Earth replaced it in 2017.
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Want to bring back the vibes of your favorite Disney World rides back to your resort? We have matched up hotels based on attractions you can find in the theme parks! The correlation between rides and hotels Disney World is a theme park, and a theme park is very different from an amusement park. While […]
In the mood for something new? Here’s your guide to all of the new TV shows and movies this week, spread across all networks, streamers, and a few nationwide theatrical releases. As always, this week kicks off with my personal top 5. Whatever you choose to watch, I hope you have a great week! Top […]
Flying is stressful enough, but you can make it a little less stressful by flying nonstop to avoid the hassle of catching a connecting flight (though, for many of us, this isn’t always possible). Luckily, another nonstop flight was just added to Orlando International Airport.
Flying away
We try to keep an eye on flights into and out of Orlando International Airport to help with your Disney World planning, meaning we’re always looking out for flight deals and discounts, as well as new flights. Well, ANOTHER nonstop flight is now available to and from the Orlando International Airport.
Orlando International Airport has confirmed that Silver Airways has resumed weekly nonstop flights to and from Marsh Harbor and Eleuthera, Bahamas. So if you’re wanting to fly to Disney World from the Bahamas (or if you just want to fly to the Bahamas from Orlando), you have a new nonstop option!
Next stop: paradise! Yesterday, we celebrated our friends @silver_airways who resumed weekly, nonstop service to Marsh Harbor & Eleuthera, Bahamas. We look forward to connecting the City Beautiful to the Caribbean sunshine – sea you in the Bahamas! : https://t.co/TW7MH9qRDopic.twitter.com/zkQOoHCYvY
— Orlando International Airport (@MCO) May 21, 2023
Silver Airways is a regional carrier that flies all over the Southeast region, including Nashville, New Orleans, Huntsville, Greenville-Spartanburg, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, and more. So if you are heading to Disney World from any of those places, be sure to check out its fares.
Do you plan on flying this summer? Be sure to keep an eye on DFB to see if any cheap flight deals are coming to an airport near you! We’ll also make sure you know about any deals going on to and from Orlando to help you with those Disney World trips, too!
When are you headed to Disney World next? Have you checked out our line of fun graphic tees to wear on your trip? We’ve designed some for the whole family – from infants to adults! Click here to check them out!
Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation.
Whether you’re a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever!
If you’re flying to or from Orlando for the first time (or the first time in a while), the experience can be stressful to say the least.
Orlando International Airport
With airport construction, more arriving and departing flights, and LOTS of people, navigating the airport and your travel experience can be overwhelming if you aren’t prepared. Luckily for you, we travel to Disney World all the time and are in the Orlando International Airport (MCO) probably more often than we’d like to admit.
When visiting MCO, there are always a couple things that shock us just a little bit, no matter how much we’re prepared. Whether we’re arriving to or departing from MCO, there are two important things to note prior to arriving — in order to avoid stress and being late for our flights. Let’s talk about it!
LONG Lines. Like, No Matter What.
No matter what day, month, or season it is, there are always security lines at MCO. They can set you back a few hours, so make sure to come prepared, especially if you don’t have TSA PreCheck.
Airport Crowds in 2021
MCO actually suggests arriving to the airport 3 hours ahead of time so that your chances of arriving late at your gate are lower. Similarly, plan to wait a while for food if you’ll be eating at one of the airport restaurants. The lines are generally very long there, too.
Full Parking Garages
If you’re driving to MCO for a departing flight, come prepared for a parking spot scavenger hunt. Parking is nearly always a challenge here, so be ready and don’t let it cause you to be late!
Parking Garage
Unfortunately, it is recommended that you arrive even earlier to account for the time spent searching for parking on top of the time spent waiting in security and check-in lines.
Well, there you have it! Although these situations will still likely be somewhat stressful, we hope they can be less stressful now that you’ve gotten the heads up to arrive earlier. We’ll continue to provide you with all the best Disney and travel tips, so follow along for more!
It’s up to you to decide who gains control over the galaxy in Funko Games’ new Star Wars Rivals Game. Ally yourself with the Light Side or the Dark Side of the Force and battle it out to gain territory across familiar locales. Players will need to forge strategies that make use of each of […]
Construction for the new nighttime spectacular continues on the lagoon at Universal Studios Florida. The existing platform is being taken apart.
Construction on Lagoon at Universal Studios Florida
The Universal Studios Florida lagoon remains partially drained as work on the platform supporting its nighttime spectaculars continues. A chunk of the platform has been removed.
The lagoon has been partially drained for some time — for construction workers to be able to access the deck — as work on a new nighttime spectacular begins.
Only a few feet of water have been drained for work in the lagoon. You can tell how low the water level has dropped by looking at stains on the rockwork and dock supports in the lagoon.
The platform is home to the mechanical systems for the water effects, including water screens and fountains, of Universal Studios Florida nighttime spectaculars.
Universal Studios Florida Receiving New Nighttime Spectacular
“Universal Orlando’s Cinematic Celebration” concluded its roughly five-year run in March to clear the way for a new experience. The show debuted in 2018 as a successor to “Universal’s Cinematic Spectacular: 100 Years of Movie Memories,” offering a visual spectacle of water projections, music, limited fireworks, and footage from various popular film franchises. For a brief time, a preliminary segment promoted the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, broadcast by NBC.
In previous reports, workers could be seen on the exposed deck handling various special effects equipment for the previous Cinematic Celebration show, which primarily utilized water screens. As of this week, all of those rows of equipment, including all of the water spouts, are completely gone. Much of the deck is now laid bare. The equipment may have been relocated for refurbishment or re-theme. Otherwise, this new show could be starting off with a clean slate.
While no official opening date or description of the new show has been announced, it is widely speculated that drones will play a major role in any future lagoon spectacular, to add a sense of extra bombast. Unlike Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando Resort is directly in the City of Orlando, which limits their ability to engage in excessive, loud, bright nighttime pyrotechnics. The fact that Universal is currently hiring a full-time Drone Operations Manager seems to support this theory.
Are you looking forward to seeing a new nighttime spectacular at Universal Studios Florida? Let us know in the comments below.
For more Universal Studios news from around the world, follow Universal Parks News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. For Disney Parks news, visit WDWNT.
Adding to the trend of live-action releases from Disney, the reimaging of Moana is now an official project, with Dwayne Johnson famously announcing the movie on the shores of O’ahu earlier in the year. Though recent news may have confirmed that Auli’i Cravalho would take on the live-action version of her animated character, the star took to Instagram to set the record straight.
When I was cast as Moana at 14, it wonderfully changed my life and started my career. In this live-action retelling, I will not be reprising the role. I believe it is absolutely vital that casting accurately represents the characters and stories we want to tell.
I’m truly honored to pass this baton to the next woman of Pacific Island descent to honor our incredible Pacific peoples, cultures and communities that help inspire her story, and I look forward to all the beautiful Pacific representation to come. Mahalo.
Let’s take a close look at “it’s a small world” from its inception to its current state in multiple parks around the globe. We’ve broken down the full history of this iconic ride, the “happiest cruise that ever sailed.”
“it’s a small world”
The attraction was originally created by Walt Disney in support of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and its message of peace and unity has resonated with guests of all ages for over 60 years.
Themed for world cooperation and togetherness, the original iteration of “it’s a small world” actually premiered at the 1964 New York World’s Fair. The attraction was extremely popular during the event. When the fair ended, the attraction was moved to Disneyland in Anaheim, California, where it remains one of the park’s premiere attractions.
“it’s a small world” has shown millions of children about different cultures around the world, and its aim is to promote peace and unity between nations. The attraction attempts to remind guests that we are all connected to one another. Walt Disney specifically considered this purpose for display at the New York World’s Fair.
“it’s a small world” Globally
“it’s a small world” is a water-based boat ride located in the Fantasyland area at various Disney theme parks worldwide, including Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California; Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida; Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Paris. It is also the largest indoor attraction at Hong Kong Disneyland.
The only Disney resort property in the world that does not have this attraction available is Shanghai Disneyland.
The Beginning
The idea for “it’s a small world” came to Walt Disney in the early 1960s, as he was looking for a way to promote peace and understanding between children of all cultures. When he first conceived the ride, it was called “Children of the World.” He was inspired by the United Nations, which had been founded just a few years earlier, and he believed that a theme park attraction could be a powerful way to teach children about the importance of tolerance and cooperation.
Walt Disney himself described the attraction as follows:
Our musical fantasy features the songs and dances from youngsters from more than one-hundred nations. Each singing in his own, native language. Now, when the current World’s Fair ends, all four of our shows: The Magic Skyway, The Carousel Theater, Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln, and “it’s a small world” will find a permanent home at Disneyland, U.S.A.
Pepsi-Cola’s ‘Last-Minute’ Request
Of the four attractions featured at the World’s Fair, “it’s a small world” was the last project Walt Disney undertook. After being contacted by Pepsi-Cola, who at the time was partnered with UNICEF, Walt agreed to create one final showcase for the event. With only a year to work, Pepsi-Cola asked Disney to create an attraction that would provide a “salute to UNICEF and all the world’s children.” Walt Disney rarely backed away from a challenge, and agreed to the project before speaking to his team.
Afterwards, Walt Disney met with his Imagineers, who were already busy with work on the other three attractions they planned to ship to New York in time for the fair. Rolly Crump, one of the primary designers for the World’s Fair attractions, described the meeting:
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!
Walt Disney explained to the Imagineers that he wanted the boat ride to feature the children of the world, as part of the UNICEF pavilion sponsored by Pepsi.
Imagineers worked closely with UNICEF to develop the attraction, and Walt Disney even donated a portion of the proceeds from its opening to the organization. To go alongside the attraction, Disney also created a 120-foot “Tower of the Four Winds” which represented the “boundless energy of youth” for the UNICEF pavilion’s entrance. At 12-stories high, it was designed to be seen from all over the fair. It is designed a similar art style to “it’s a small world” and uses the same vibrant color palette. It’s name is derived from the fact that all the moving pieces are powered by wind. In addition to its towering height, it also required a 60-foot underground foundation to keep it stable.
To help advertise the new attraction at The New York World’s Fair, Disney filmed an episode of “The Wonderful World of Color” called “Disneyland Goes to the World’s Fair.” You can view it on the Internet Archive here. The episode shows “it’s a small world” and the UNICEF pavilion work around the 32-minute mark. (If you’re a Carousel of Progress fan, the showcase for this is just before.) The ride-through for “it’s a small world” begins at the 37-minute mark.
Originally, “it’s a small world” was imagined by WED Enterprises. This stood for Walter Elias Disney Enterprises. It took 11 months for the project to complete for the UNICEF pavilion, and once the New York World’s Fair closed, “it’s a small world” was carefully dismantled piece by piece and relocated to Disneyland Resort. The Magic Kingdom version of the ride took 18 months to construct.
The Designers
Mary Blair
Mary Blair, a famous female artist working at The Walt Disney Company at the time, made significant artistic contributions to the ride’s design and overall aesthetic. She was responsible for the attraction’s child-like design and color palette. Blair is known for having worked on a number of classic Disney films, including “Fantasia,” “Dumbo,” “Saludos Amigos,” “The Three Caballeros,” “Cinderella,” “Alice in Wonderland” and” Peter Pan.” She was known for her bold, colorful, and stylized work, which often incorporated elements of surrealism and art deco.
In her design work for “it’s a small world,” Blair used bright primary colors “straight from the tube” similarly to how a child might approach artwork, and used bold hues alongside one another that were highly contrasting and uncommon at the time. Her artwork was widely acclaimed; she was compared in her visionary style even to legendary artists such as Matisse. Blair was inducted into the Disney Legends Hall of Fame in 1991.
The “it’s a small world” dolls, with their larger heads and small features, were similar to a series of Hallmark cards designed under the Walt Disney label by Mary Blair in the 1940’s. While the dolls were modeled after Blair’s work, the animated dolls were actually designed and sculpted by Blaine Gibson. Walt Disney was personally involved with Gibson’s work on the dolls’ facial design; each animated doll face is completely identical in shape.
In addition, one doll within each iteration of the attraction is modeled after Mary Blair herself, with one of the most notable instances of this occurring in the Magic Kingdom version of the ride.
Pictured above is the doll from “it’s a small world” in Walt Disney World modeled after artist Mary Blair. She is situated in the Western European section of the attraction beneath the Eiffel Tower. The next time you take a cruise, make sure to look out for her.
Roland “Rolly” Crump
Rolly Crump was in charge of designing the toys and other supplemental figures on display in the attraction. He began his career at Disney in 1952 as a substitute artist, or “in-betweener” in the animation studio. He later became an assistant animator, working on films including “Peter Pan,” “Lady and the Tramp,” “Sleeping Beauty,” and “101 Dalmatians.”
In 1959, Crump joined WED Enterprises, which later became Walt Disney Imagineering. He was one of the key designers for many of Disneyland’s groundbreaking new attractions and shops, including the Haunted Mansion and Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room. He also served as a key designer on the four Disney attractions featured at the New York World’s Fair, including “it’s a small world” and the “Tower of the Four Winds.” He is pictured above posing with the the small-scale model of this tower.
Crump was known for his creative and whimsical designs, which often incorporated elements of art nouveau, surrealism, and pop art. He was also a talented sculptor, painter, and musician. He retired from Disney in 1992. He recently passed away on March 12, 2023 at the age of 93. He was inducted into the Disney Legends Hall of Fame in 2004.
During work on “it’s a small world,” Rolly emulated Mary Blair’s work and design process, utilizing his own attraction to pop art style and bold colors. Though he was one of the co-designers of the project, when collaborating with Blair on “it’s a small world” for the New York World’s Fair he largely followed Blair’s lead. This is particularly evident in the attraction’s façade in Disneyland, as this was created by him. Rolly also designed the large animated clock addition at the entrance after the ride was moved to Disneyland that sends puppet children on a parade.
Marc Davis
Marc Davis, arguably one of the most influential animators of all time at The Walt Disney Company, was also involved in development of this attraction. He was one of Disney’s “Nine Old Men,” the famed core group of animators who worked on some of the studio’s most classic films. He was largely in charge of the Walt Disney World and Tokyo Disneyland development of “it’s a small world.”
Davis began his career at Disney in 1935 as a substitute animator on “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” He quickly gained notoriety within the company, and by the early 1940s he was one of the studio’s leading animators. Davis is best known for his work on some of Disney’s most iconic female characters, including Cinderella, Aurora, Tinker Bell, and Cruella de Vil. In addition, his work on characters including Bambi, Br’er Rabbit, and the Cheshire Cat helped to define what many consider the staple “Disney aesthetic” we know today.
Pictured above is some of Marc Davis’ concept art for “it’s a small world.” He was responsible for creating characters and scenes, as can be seen in the artwork above. Additionally, Davis created content for all four of Disney’s attractions at the New York World’s Fair, including work on the dinosaurs for Ford’s Magic Skyway and the figure of Abraham Lincoln for the State of Illinois.
Marc Davis worked on a number of Disney attractions, including the Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean. He retired from Disney in 1978, but continued to work as a freelance artist and designer until his death in 2000. He was inducted into the Disney Legends Hall of Fame in 1989.
Alice Davis
His wife, Alice Davis, also chipped in for “it’s a small world.” A celebrated professional in costume design, she went from a top fashion leader in a lingerie company to creating costume pieces for The Walt Disney Company. She was responsible for making the costumes for the dolls on the attraction. Alice had to invent the art of costuming audio-animatronic figures, as well as set up a method for dressing and refurbishing their costumes. These same techniques and systems are still in use today by Disney parks all globally.
The Ride
When the ride first opened at Disneyland on May 28, 1966, Walt Disney invited children from around the world to come help dedicate the new attraction. They each brought a container of water from rivers and seas of their homelands and added it to the ride’s flume in Anaheim.
“it’s a small world” is a slow-moving boat ride heralded as “the happiest cruise that ever sailed.” It takes guests on a journey through an indoor pavilion decorated with dolls and elaborate crafts themed after different parts of the world. As guests travel, they see children from all over the world singing and dancing in traditional costumes.
Within the attraction, every room has a moon and a sun, referencing the lyrics “There is just one moon and one golden sun.” It is meant to represent unity amongst all people as we all live under the same celestial bodies.
The turrets and gold ornaments on the exterior of the Disneyland attraction are actually made from real 22-karat gold leaf. The original plan was to simply paint the exterior gold, but Imagineers figured out that the paint would fade and oxidize quickly enough that the cost to upkeep it would be more expensive over time than simply covering the façade with real gold.
Additionally, the American section of “it’s a small world” did not exist in the 1960’s version of the ride, as the World’s Fair was hosted in the United States and Disney did not include a section for the host country. During a recent overhaul of the attraction, the United States was added to the ride as well as several Disney characters in each of their respective locations. This revamp was received with mixed reviews from fans.
Boat and Propulsion Patents and Engineering
The company Arrow Development was involved heavily in the design of the passenger boats as well as the propulsion system within the attraction. Two patents filed by Arrow Development and assigned to The Walt Disney Company show passenger boats and vehicle guidance systems with features nearly identical to those later utilized on the Disneyland installation of the ride. Arrowhead Development is attributed to manufacturing the Disneyland installation as well.
The ride is a beloved classic, and it continues to be one of the most popular attractions at Disney Parks around the world.
The Memorable Song
The theme song for “it’s a small world” is actually the second draft of music selected for the ride. The first prototype was a concept of melding the world’s national anthems together as guests travelled through the different nations. This resulted in a cacophony of anthems all running over one another, which Walt Disney disliked.
He then asked the Sherman Brothers, the same composers behind “There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow” and “The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers” to create a song that would unite the children of the world throughout the boat ride, which resulted in the memorable music we still hear today.
Former Disney CEO Michael Eisner made the claim back in 1985 that the “it’s a small world” theme song of the same name was the most played song of all time. He argued that few other songs are played for 16 hours a day on a continuous loop in five different theme parks across the globe. Robert Sherman Jr. added, “Since 1983, there has not been a moment when “It’s a Small World” wasn’t playing in at least two locations on the globe. Who else can claim that?”
The song is a simple but powerful message of hope and unity, and it has become one of the most well-known Disney songs of all time.
Take a look at our full ride video from Magic Kingdom here.
Depending on which iteration of the ride guests visit around the world, sailors will see a myriad of differences amongst the scenes. The video above depicts the attraction found in Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. Take a look at some of the other versions around the world using the videos below.
Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California
This version is also host to the Wondrous Journeys Nighttime Spectacular, featuring projections on the front of the attraction façade. Check it out below.
This show uses the same projection technology used on Sleeping Beauty Castle and Cinderella Castle, among other iconic structures in Disney Parks.
Disneyland Paris
This version of “it’s a small world” closed in November 2021 for an extensive refurbishment, and just reopened on May 5, 2023.
Yesterday, we celebrated our friends 
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