Several weeks ago the classic Disneyland attraction with the catchy theme song, It’s a Small World, shut down for its annual holiday season transformation. Unfortunately, it did not reopen on schedule, due to flooding that occurred in the attraction when it was being prepped for reopening. Initially it sounded like the flooding was quite significant and it could keep the ride closed for months. But due to a herculean effort behind-the-scenes, it now appears that It’s a Small World will not only reopen earlier than expected, it will reopen in time to still celebrate Christmas.
It’s a Small World is now expected to open as early as next week according to a report in the OC Register. This, after crews have been working literally 24/7 following the flooding incident on November 10 in order to get the ride back into functioning shape.
When It’s a Small World was being refilled with water on November 10, ahead of a planned reopening on November 12, there was a leak somewhere that was not discovered for several hours. This led to a massive flood underneath the attraction which is where most of the machinery that runs It’s a Small World is located.
The work started with a massive dehumidifier, described as the size of an Autopia car, that was lowered into the machine room and left running for 48 hours straight. Following that, a survey was done to see what machines needed to be repaired, and what pieces needed to be replaced.
One item in favor of the work, is that nearly every Disney theme park resort in the world has a version of It’s a Small World, meaning they also have many of the same machines. Disneyland was able to reach out to the other parks in its search for replacement parts. These were then shipped overnight so there would be no delay in getting them.
Normally any sort of significant work that needs to be done on a ride is done overnight, so the noise doesn’t interfere with guest experience. It’s a Small World at least had the benefit of being largely enclosed and behind a massive façade. But work still had to find a way to contend with the rest of the park.
It seems that reports that the repair could have taken several months were ultimately accurate. If the work had been done on a normal schedule, that’s what would have happened, but by moving on a 24/7 schedule the cast members were able to get it all done in about three weeks.
Fans of It’s a Small World, and especially It’s a Small World Holiday, will certainly be happy to see the attraction back in action again. Since Disneyland Resort was still closed a year ago the holiday version of the ride hasn’t been available since 2019. Congratulations, and a big thank you, are in order for everybody who worked so hard to get It’s a Small World up and running again in time for the holiday season.
