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The most famous 15-minute cruise around a miniature world is almost ready for its holiday close-up. Disneyland’s It’s a Small World Holiday opens Friday, and it’s a seasonal delight, a bright and wintry jaunt to the North Pole and then around the globe and back.

Closed from just before Halloween, the attraction has undergone nearly two weeks of round-the-clock work, with set dressing during the day, and maintenance and facade work at night. Hours before the boat ride was to be refilled with water on Monday afternoon, Disneyland team members gave me a walkthrough, providing me with a rare peek behind the scenes. As a devotee of Mary Blair and Rolly Crump, so much so that It’s a Small World is my favorite ride at the park, I was eager to see the attraction from a new perspective.

Here’s just some of what I learned as I strolled the dry waterway and took a brief jaunt into the ride’s attic, a maze of wooden paths with vintage automations and a handful of small openings into the magical world below.

If you’ve been on the ride during the regular season, you’ve glided right past the holiday fixtures without knowing it

Troy Romero, a Disneyland stage technician, left, and David Miller, director of entertainment tech services, give a tour of It’s a Small World Holiday.

(Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)

Disneyland teams of late have been focused on reducing ride downtime, and last year the It’s a Small World team was able to trim the refurbishment time from 18 days to 14 days. This was mostly accomplished by adding and shifting crew hours, but It’s a Small World is a delicate attraction, with the vast majority of its wooden set pieces dating to the mid-1960s. Navigating around such a fragile work is difficult, especially with much of the holiday version of the attraction stored on the ride itself.

That means that for most of the year, guests are gliding right past the Christmas-heavy overlays. They’re stationed behind the facades or tucked on the floor just under the elevated flume.

It’s a Small World Holiday is a Disneyland tradition that began in 1997.

(Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)

Snowflake lights that glisten near the start of the attraction, for instance, had been kept in the South America section until someone suggested simply laying them down when they’re not in use. It’s a simple fix that has saved hours of time lifting props over and around set pieces. Additionally, four snow animals in the finale were previously housed in Africa, but have been moved closer to their winter homes, eliminating the process of lifting the animals or dissembling and reassembling set pieces to traverse around the attraction. That also means less risk, both to the staff and the delicate scenery.

Reducing the closure period by four days may not sound like much, but David Miller, Disneyland’s director of entertainment tech services, says that equates to 74,000 more guests being able to ride the attraction.

Miss the old finale of the Main Street Electrical Parade? A piece of it lives on in the Asia section

Details from the Asia section of It’s a Small World.

(Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)

In 2022, Disneyland changed the finale of its Main Street Electrical Parade. Gone was a patriotic float at its end, one in which fireworks twinkled over a red, white and blue tapestry. Those fireworks, however, found a new home. They now reside in the Asia section of It’s a Small World Holiday. Look for them near the end of the room, off to the left above a translucent, glowing dragon.

“We want to make sure we’re leveraging what we’ve got,” Miller says. “So when our finale float changed, the fireworks were moved and brought over to help us celebrate the season.”

Guess the weight of the candy arch

A Christmas critter in It’s a Small World Holiday.

(Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)

One of the largest set pieces in It’s a Small World Holiday is the Christmas tree in the Europe section of the park, a towering monument of glowing candles and glistening ribbons that is replacing a chess board. The metal and aluminum tree is then raised in parts, all seven of them. The top is placed first, and each section is affixed underneath until it takes shape. A heavy piece, the back of the tree is wired up into the attic to ensure it stays in place.

But it’s not the heaviest set piece in the Europe section of the attraction. That would be the candy arch, detailed with candy canes, gingerbread and frosting. While Miller didn’t know its total weight, just the top of that arch is more than a ton. As one can imagine, moving it is no easy feat. It’s stored nearby, and slotted into place by a series of stitched-together chain motors. Theme park attractions often utilize tricks of old-fashioned theater, such as painted Styrofoam or hollowed-out wood. But not here. “It is built to withstand much,” Miller says.

“Funny thing, I heard one of the riggers say, if there was an earthquake, I’d run to the candy arch,” says Georg Schanz, an entertainment tech manager with the resort.

Numerous scents are piped in throughout It’s a Small World Holiday.

(Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)

Anyone smell gingerbread?

As boats glide under the candy arch, don’t be surprised if you start craving a cookie. That’s because Disneyland is piping in a gingebread aroma. There are at least five scents throughout It’s a Small World Holiday, says Schanz, but the gingerbread was the only one I detected, so you’re on your own to count the rest.

Elvis is back in the building

A small Elvis Presley toy stands on a surfboard with Lilo and Stitch.

(Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)

A guest favorite of It’s a Small World Holiday is the tiny Elvis Presley figure affixed to a surfboard featuring the characters of Lilo and Stitch. The Elvis toy only comes out for the holiday edition of the attraction. The figure was not part of the initial design of It’s a Small World Holiday, and was added, Miller says, by a stage technician.

“Every once in a while there are little moments that can influence an attraction,” Miller says.

Watch the bells in the opening room

The bells inside It’s a Small World Holiday are outfitted with motion sensors.

(Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)

One of the most complex builds of It’s a Small World Holiday is actually its opening scene, which the team calls the “hello room.” Composed of mostly flat figures — toy soldiers, a rocking horse, doll-like characters holding balloons — it may not look like one of the most intense scenes to construct, but these are large wooden pieces that have to navigate places with low ceilings. This space alone takes three days to empty and repopulate.

Pay attention to the bells that lead out of the room and into the North Pole. Those operate only by motion sensors as a boat approaches.

A holiday adornment for nearly every doll — all 300 of them

The It’s a Small World dolls are ready for the holidays.

(Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)

The brightly lit finale — an explosion of whites and lights — is another tricky scene to construct. That’s because each and every doll in the room is touched up. Disney says there are about 300 dolls on the entire ride, and it feels like a large percentage are in this closing scene. “Every doll in here gets something,” Miller says of the grand finale room. “Whether it’s holly, a choir book or just a sparkle, every doll in here gets something.”

Consistency from year to year is important. That’s why the entire ride is 3D-scanned. The teams can call up a room to compare images from earlier editions. “It’s a lot like a real estate tour, where you see little point-to-points throughout the house,” Miller says. “That helps us make sure everything is where it’s supposed to be.”

Like a real estate tour? I know I’m ready to move in. We just may have to turn down the music, though.

This week in SoCal theme parks

Christmas decorations have arrived at the Disneyland Resort.

(Todd Martens / Los Angeles Times)

• Christmas is upon us. Disneyland’s holiday season begins Friday, although many of the decorations are already in place. Come the end of the week, however, there will be new foods to sample, and a number of returning shows. Don’t miss the terrific “¡Viva Navidad!,” or “World of Color — Season of Light,” back after a hiatus due to Disneyland’s 70th anniversary celebrations.
• Calling all Tinker Bell fans! “Tinker Bell’s Neverland Adventure: An Illuminated Adventure” opens Friday at South Coast Botanic Garden in Palos Verdes Estates. The illuminated night walk will take guests on a journey through numerous locales from the fairy tale, ranging from the rooftops of London to the Lost Boys’ secret hideout to Captain Hook’s pirate ship. The trail is designed for all ages.
• A new pass for Universal fans. Universal Studios Hollywood has introduced a new “Diamond Pass,” now its highest tier annual passport. Selling for $999, the pass has no blockout days and includes daily access to the park’s line-skipping express pass as well as a ticket to after-hours events Halloween Horror Nights and Fan Fest. The pass also includes access to an Universal VIP tour.

Tell us your stories. Ask us your questions.

Have a theme park tale to share? Whether it was a good day or less-than-perfect day, I would love to hear about it. Have a question? A tip? A fun photo from the parks to share? Email me at todd.martens@latimes.com. I may feature your note in an upcoming newsletter.

Ride on,

Todd Martens

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TO say this Hollywood star looked unrecognisable would be an understatement after she transformed into a giant severed hand for her annual Halloween bash.

The supermodel, famed for her bizarre costumes, disappeared inside the grotesque creation, with only her eyes and mouth giving the game away.

As usual, Heidi Klum pulled out all the stops dressing up as an enormous severed hand featuring glossy red nails, rings and an ultra realistic mangled wrist.

The 53-year-old’s face peered through a gruesome opening in the back of the hand, with streams of fake blood running down the prosthetic skin.

Two of the giant fingers housed her legs, which allowed the Project Runway host to walk in the crazy creation.

The elaborate outfit was a supersized replica of her own left hand, complete with recreations of her engagement and wedding rings.

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It even featured her tattoo of husband Tom Kaulitz’s name.

The musician was unable to join the festivities because he was on tour, but was was still represented in her costume.

Heidi spent around five to six hours getting into the creation and admitted carrying the enormous outfit was a challenge.

She said: “Hands down, the hardest thing is carrying it. It’s quite heavy.”

The Halloween queen unveiled the grisly look as she celebrated 25 years of her iconic celebrity parties.

This year’s bash took place at Cathédrale at New York’s Moxy East Village on Saturday night.

Famous guests included Little Mix star Jade Thirlwall, NSYNC’s Joey Fatone, Twin Peaks actor Kyle MacLachlan, Taylor Momsen, Paris Jackson and rapper Ice-T.

But while her latest transformation might take some beating, Heidi has plenty of experience making herself impossible to recognise.

Last year, she turned herself into a terrifying Medusa, with snakes crowning her head and green scales covering her body.

Tom joined her as a soldier who had been turned to stone.

In 2024, the couple opted for an extraterrestrial transformation, arriving as elaborate versions of E.T.

Perhaps her most famously bonkers outfit came in 2022, when she arrived as a giant worm.

Completely encased in the ridged costume, Heidi appeared on the end of a fishing line in a look that became a viral sensation.

Her previous Halloween creations have also included Jessica Rabbit, Princess Fiona from Shrek and a skinless human body.

It was a potential nightmare scenario. Starting left tackle, Elijah Paige, had been scratched in pregame warm-ups at Penn State. And in his place stepped a true freshman in his first start at USC, forced to find his way in a White Out, surrounded by a hostile crowd of 114,000 strong.

But when Vlad Dyakonov learned he was stepping in, a couple of hours ahead of kickoff, his coaches were surprised by how little it seemed to faze him.

“Some of us [coaches] were like, ‘Does he realize what he’s getting himself into?’” coach Lincoln Riley said, with a grin. “He didn’t flinch, man.”

You could say the same, generally, about USC’s entire front through the first half of this season. After years of shallow depth, unfortunate injuries, and transfer misfires at the position, USC’s offensive line has been the stabilizing force propelling its high-powered attack to a 6-1 record.

USC running back King Miller carries the ball as the offensive line blocks during a win at Penn State on Oct. 10.

(Isaiah Vazquez / Getty Images)

That’s a testament primarily to offensive line coach Zach Hanson, who, in his fifth season, has now fully rebuilt the room in his image.

“He’s a very steady guy,” Riley said of Hanson. “He’s not a guy who fluctuates a lot day to day, so our players kind of feed off of that. There’s a steadiness to our group.”

USC is also entering the brutal back half of its schedule with that group as healthy as it has been all season. As the Trojans take to the road Saturday looking to build momentum off the big win over Penn State and subsequent bye week, they’ll have all five starters available along the offensive line against Wisconsin. Paige is set to return, as is left guard Hayden Treter, who missed the last two games.

It comes at an ideal time, considering the pass rusher they’ll have to contend with Saturday. The Badgers have just eight sacks as a defense this season, but boast one of the best pass rushers in the Big Ten, senior Sebastian Cheeks. Cheeks leads the conference with 28 quarterback pressures.

Few teams, though, have been better than USC through seven games at protecting the quarterback. The Trojans’ starting offensive line has only given up one more combined pressure (29) than Cheeks has accumulated himself this season, while only allowing seven sacks in seven games.

“We’re a unit,” center Tobias Raymond said. “So everyone is feeding off each other.”

USC offensive lineman Elijah Paige blocks during a game against Oregon at the Coliseum on Sept. 26.

(Ben Liebenberg / Getty Images)

With Cheeks and a handful of other fearsome pass rushers approaching on USC’s upcoming Big Ten slate, right tackle Justin Tauanuu said the Trojans used the bye week to get back to the basics up front.

“Going against great players like that, you have to go back to fundamentals,” Tauanuu said. “Fundamentals will triumph over everything else.”

USC hasn’t looked like a line in need of much instruction this season. Jayden Maiava has faced pressure on just over 20% over his dropbacks, which ranks 10th among all quarterbacks nationally. It’s also a considerably lower rate of pressure than any USC quarterback has faced in recent years. The previous low, under Riley, was 30.5% with Miller Moss at quarterback in 2024.

Part of that success is Maiava’s penchant for getting rid of the ball quickly. But his protection has certainly been a critical aspect of his success this season. Because when pressure has managed to reach him, the USC senior has been much less effective as a passer. According to Pro Football Focus, Maiava has a completion rate of just 39% under pressure versus 79% when he has a clean pocket.

Blitzes also haven’t bothered USC’s passing attack much, either. Another product of the line’s impressive performance to date. Maiava has essentially had the same amount of time to throw when blitzed (2.7 seconds) versus when not blitzed (2.78 seconds).

Creating room in the run game has been a different story. USC has been considerably less effective on the ground this season than in recent years — a fact that Riley said was front of mind during the bye. The Trojans rank ninth in the Big Ten in rush yards per attempt (4.33) and 10th in rush plays of 20-plus yards (5).

“We definitely can run the ball better,” Riley said. “We’re gonna need to run the ball better. Good is not good enough for us.”

As a whole, though, it’s hard to imagine USC being in a better place up front this season. Especially considering where the position stood at the start of Riley’s tenure. The coach tried, at first, to build the room through the transfer portal and saw mixed results. After that, injuries ravaged an otherwise thin room.

But now the depth Hanson has built over the past few years is paying off. USC has already weathered injuries, including a season-ending injury to last year’s starting center, Kilian O’Connor. Meanwhile, several highly touted linemen are still currently buried on the depth chart, among them five-star freshman Keenyi Pepe, whose progression Riley said has been impressive.

“If you just kind of look at the makeup of it, we don’t have transfers,” Riley said. “We have a lot of guys who were kind of homegrown in this program. We have a good healthy young group. Zach has obviously had a big role in putting that whole group together.”