The Most Educational Attraction in Walt Disney World
May 3, 2011
It’s time to announce the winner of my little made-up contest for The Most Educational Attraction at Walt Disney World. And the imaginary trophy goes to…
It’s a Small World, Magic Kingdom
One lucky commenter did guess this attraction, and she wins an invisible prize! In fact, she even guessed my reasons for selecting It’s a Small World, which are:
- It’s a Small World (hereafter denoted as IaSW) is a family-friendly ride for all ages; thus, even young children can enjoy the educational benefits.
- IaSW shows children examples of many different cultures from across the globe. You can note fashions—like clogs or kimonos—and architectural landmarks such as the Eiffel tower or the Sydney Opera House.
- Beyond showing children examples of human culture and development, IaSW also features the flora and fauna of the different countries and continents. Parents can discuss the unique animals of Australia—and the scientific reason why they are unique on this continent–and point out why the penguins are featured in the South America room.
- IaSW is a great tie-in attraction for the entire World Showcase portion of Epcot. Learning happens when connections are made in the mind, so a magical thing I’ll call educational synergy occurs when combining a visit to Epcot with a ride on IaSW.
- Children can learn that there are other people in the world—people that are different from them in many ways, but also very similar in others. This is a fantastic lesson to teach inside a park filled with visitors from around the world.
I could go on and on about the educational benefit of this delightful ride, but I simply must stop writing about it, as the song is now quite stuck in my head.
And now YOU have the same problem!
Good choice (and I think Walt would agree, too)! I know the music gets on some people’s nerves, but I just love how it teaches about different cultures and the diversity of the world in an upbeat, nonjudgmental way.