After an 11-day refurbishment, “it’s a small world” at Disneyland Paris is reopening with brand-new costumes and wigs for some dolls.
The Walt Disney Imagineering and Creative Costuming teams of Disneyland Paris set out to recreate how the costumes looked when the ride opened in 1992. They analyzed 1992 documentation and photographs so they could match the colors and materials of the originals. Some fabrics could be taken from the originals but others had to be entirely recreated. Materials range from velvet to satin to cotton.
This work didn’t simply happen during the 11-day closure (January 20 – January 31) but over the course of three years. Two years were dedicated to research and one year to dressmaking.
The dolls getting new looks are in the final scene, where they all wear gold, pastel, and white costumes. No fewer than sixty items of clothing were created by a team of 13 dressmakers, wigmakers, and milliners. An average of 3 meters of fabric was used per figure and 4 meters of wool per wig.
Imagineers inspected each stage of production — including the choice of fabric, prototype, and finished costume — to ensure high quality and authenticity. The costumes have to be durable since the figures of “it’s a small world” are constantly in motion. The maintenance team worked with the costumers to make sure the new apparel didn’t get in the way of the ride’s mechanics.
“Guests will be able to rediscover the final scene of the attraction looking just as spectacular as when it opened!” said Anne-Cécile Houron, Stage Finishing Designer, in a press release.
The Creative Costuming teams aim to replace more of the doll costumes in the coming years, as well as continue maintenance work on all of the figures in Disneyland Paris attractions.
“it’s a small world” at Disneyland Paris reopens on February 1.
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