I think while there's something to your argument with Cold War anxieties definitely playing a factor, I don't agree that it's what drives the dramatic theme. The way I see it, industrialized warfare and the outbreak of WWI worked as a catalyst to change western perceptions of how much more devastating war itself could be. Chemical warfare, automatic firearms, industrial methods of transporting troops, etc. all caught on film and shown to the world had a pretty dramatic effect I would posit. When the League of Nations failed to then stop the rise of Nazism and the outbreak of WWII, obviously the UN would act as the replacement for the League of Nations post-war. Granted, while I agree that the UN has no teeth and is generally ineffective, at the very least it helps foster the image of countries and nations attempting to work together and coexist peacefully, which in turn has become a cultural component of U.S. politics. The reason I disagree with your argument is that the dramatic theme of coming together and preaching world peace to the upcoming generations, is very much a pointed reflection of UNICEF, which again is the result of the first two world wars. So generally, while Cold War anxieties and even the Cuban missile crisis certainly played their part, I think they were less the direct inspiration for the theme, so much as they were likely seen as a continuation of 20th century strife. I also think that with the United States having expanded its imperial power after the war's conclusion, Americans in general became more aware of the world around them, further reflecting the influence that the UN had on the American zeitgeist of the 1960s.
Poseidon Entertainment ... if only you had put a little time and thought into your Comment! 😂 As a history guy ... love the way your minds work! Keep it up!
a) I think this is a fair challenge in terms of the impact of both the world wars as a wider influence, particularly with the UNICEF connection. b) Thank you for not only watching and the thoughtful comment but sharing the video, really means a lot!! 😄
One thing I'd like to point out is it's placement at the Disneyland's, in CA it is in fantasyland at the very back, (world peace is a fantasy?) And when they added toontown it was also in the back, so alot of little kiddies would walk past small world to see mickey mouse, and wonder what the ride is about. In Paris it is in a corner of fantasy with a grand tall tower and beautiful fountains, reminiscing on the themes of world beauty, Hong Kong is tucked away in a corner, feeling like a little utopia you found in secret, Tokyo is right next to the haunted mansion, so you have 2 extremes right next to each other (world of laughter world of fears) and Florida is located in a little tent, looking small at first but revealing itself to be massive, just like a imagine of a child or the rides small exterior and long ride time. Shanghai doesn't exist, just like world peace!
This is the content I need until Jenny Nicholson once again re-emerges from the Abyss only to disappear once again. Such and informative video! Love all your vids so far. 👏👏
I don't know about you, but the idea of Ariel and Dory singing about the dangers of nuclear war only makes the ride more entertaining in a dystopian kind of way.
Smashing the subscribe button for proper use of "Death of the Author." Seriously, the number of people who mix it up with "Separating the art from the artist" drives me up the wall. 10/10, would listen enthusiastically at a party.
I never realised what those creepy lyrics were until watching this. The fact the whole song is all bright and cheerful yet even the writers admit it’s about a war. Fascinating interpretation!! Plus those outfits are all very questionable and have NOT aged well.
Bro, for real. I'm Mexican and when I saw the little dolls dancing around with maracas and sombreros I physically cringed. 😭😭😭 I live in SoCal so I've been to Disneyland multiple times, but I had not gone on It's a Small World in a while and I did not remember things being like that.
Agreed I have ridden it twice in last 5 yrs but previous to that had not been to Disney and on that ride since early 90’s. It was designed by those exposed to the views of the late 1800’s of the globe by their elders growing up at a very stereotypical manner blended with their own adult views from a cold war perspective. Among those educated well, the world is exponentially viewed far less siloed in current day. The internet has made a much more ‘real’ global community, also mindsets in general have morphed beyond those of approx 125 yrs ago that influenced the display.
Disney is so much fun to see people deep dive into~ "what we're selling is not escapism but reassurance", such a great description of how Disney is so comfy and attractive--- even to adults. Thanks so much for the fun video~
I was oddly obsessed with this ride as a child, to the point where my parents refused to ride it with me due to being annoyed by the music. Hearing the history of the ride, I think a part of me understood the juxtaposition between anxiety and hope that the it portrayed, something you can find in much of the other popular art of the time period. Something about the bright optimism surrounding apocalyptic subjects present in Cold War era art gripped me even when I was too young to understand it. Growing up in the early 00's, it was a time capsule that felt uncanny, and took me many years to finally grasp why. Wonderful video, it's great to appreciate both the unsung artist behind so much of Disney's whimsy, and the big world that the small world was created for.
Dude, how do you not have a mil subs?? Seriously, I love the dynamic of some guy infodumping about stuff like this. I usually can’t watch videos like this, I get bored, but I watched this all the way through. Keep it up!
I love It's A Small World! It's one of my favorite rides and this analysis just gives me more reasons to love it and explains why I've always loved it. ❤️
I just binged though all of your videos after seeing the Twilight theme park one and I like the premise of talks like this happening in a party cause, eh, why not? New sub! Your vids r fun to watch! Also I think making the It's A Small World ride come to life corrupted and try to destroy Mickey in Epic Mickey makes more sense now too. I love and appreciate this ride even more!
@@MikeFromTheParty That's alright though I still recommend watching the gameplay or at least looking at the concept art for it! I'm a bit sad they toned down the creepiness in the final version
I can't believe you don't have more subs like i did a double take when i couldn't see the 'K' after the number! 10/10 content keep it up pls, always love finding a great new theme park youtuber
So fun fact, the twilight one I filmed and released first but the audio was crap so I had to take it down and reupload. But this was the first one I came up with so still feels right being the first one on here!
I never realized people saw the It's a Small World ride as creepy. It was my favorite ride when I was a kid and I still loved it when I came back as a teenager. Sitting in the boat rocking slowly around the canal makes everything seem like it'll all be okay and that the world isn't imploding on itself, if only for a few minutes. I don't know what about it drew me in when I was little, but I do know that I appreciated it exponentially more as a teen living in the era of social media where you can so easily know every horrible thing happening across the globe. I think I cried last time I was there. If I visit Disney World again in the future (or Disneyland, haven't been there before), It's a Small World is a ride I must go on.
I discovered your account last night and flew through everything. 17:38 - you absolutely have won me over. Looking at IASW as a prayer for peace literally changes everything, lol. I'm used to Disneyworld's ride, and I can only ever remember waiting for it to be over. Now I wanna take my husband and recite this vid word for word while we wait in line lol. Thank you so much for the brilliant video(s)!
Glad I managed to win you over! If you have a 20 minute line for it's a small world you have the perfect amount of time to recite this and pass the time 🤠
17:27 Ironic that The Sherman Bros wrote this song about peace given that they hated each other to the point of not speaking to each other in their later years
Thank you for this little retrospective. .. for a ride that predates my life, I had given very little thought about a ride that I thought was designed for small children. Not quite a fantasyland ride, but placed at the backend of the park (disneyland) ... I enjoyed the dive into the Modernist Design Style of Mary Blair, which also connects to some of the remaining modernist elements of the original Tomorrowland. Less is more. And the inclusion of these animated characters are on the more side. It is interesting to consider the current relevance of an attraction that has been in the park ... and the fact that this was it's lasting location after the temporary exhibit at the Worlds Fair. Who goes to World's Fairs now days? Is It's a Small World an timeless attraction or one that has seen it's best days?
Thanks for sharing! I think from my perspective it's probably less timeless than most rides in Disneyland but (with the exception of some of the cultural depictions that could be tweaked) I quite like how much a product of its time it is and don't think it makes it a necessarily worse experience than its more timeless counterparts.
How about Sum of All Thrills being about the War on Terror and drone warfare? I mean, it was a simulator sponsored by an arms manufacturer with a name fit for a comic book villain´s corporation, Raytheon.
Sooooo I'm a Gen X'r. Duck and cover films were STILL being shown in schools. At noon every Friday the air raid siren would test. I was in a small town in Texas in the mid 1990's where they were STILL doing this. You betchca this ride is a product of that. I still ride it for its simplicity and optimism. Even after Walt had the Sherman Bros. write it. It was written at a slower tempo. Walt changing the tempo to be more "UP beat" The rest as they say is HISTORY! I met and sang (video selfie) the refrain of the song with Robert Sherman @ the IAAPA Expo in Las, Vegas in 2009. A really nice man.
Well if the flood lights come on in that ride to reveal the giant sterile white show room with big black curtains dividing each smaller scenes I would believe the world is ending untill I left the show building lol
As an avid Small World fan, this makes sense. The new threat of World War III has brought me to a new low, and I fear this every day. So, with "it's a small world," it is like a shining hope that the world may get better, which was the same mindset during the Cold War Era.
My parents took me and my siblings to the 1964 world's fair in NYC. I was 3. All I remember is the boat ride through a tunnel, and there were little girl doll my size up on the ledges singing that earworm song (a song for 3 year olds), and twirling. I was a little girl of the early 60s and dolls were gold, and there they were, there they were singing about a small world and twirling like dolls little girls of my time loved. I was with my mom in the boat, and I remember being delighted. My mom says I was enthralled. Fast forward 20 some years, and I am a young soldier in the US Army, fighting the Cold War in Europe. Fast forward 40 more years, I'm a postdoctoral level educated person, disabled and semiretired. Learning about the Cold War is a hobby of mine. Do you know what you've done? You've helped my three year old self connect with my 62 year old self. THANK YOU.
Another explanation is Disney copied the idea from Tivoli Copenhagen. So perhaps the song was inspired by the cold war, but not the ride. Great vids, very enjoyable.
I think that it's a small world should have been placed in Tomorrowland instead of Fantasyland, because it's the hope for the future we should all get along, not a fantasy.
Are other people NOT currently worried about the concept of nuclear winter?????? Cause that still feels like it's kinda currently happening still.......
I think you're right, but it's just less top of mind now as it would have been in the early/mid 60s. But hey, I'm looking forward to my next Disney trip to truly worry about nuclear weapons whilst riding it 🙃
@@Cosmiicllama Well let me back this up for you, The ride was originally made for Unicef (a company about saving children) in the Worlds Fair. It would be pretty woke to see something so whimsical as something actually “about war”. You can keep your opinions though.
Like im not even trying to be mad or blame you haters but, im just saying of what small world really is for. However, i know the ride is annoying for some of you because of the song, or creepy cause of the dolls, It's different for us. Can y'all stop saying that we shouldn't like small world? Seriously let us like whatever we want to like.
