The 20 Best Pieces of Music Played in Walt Disney World

For those that don’t know, I am a collector of Disney’s background music in the parks and resorts. I think the ambiance of the sounds and music as you walk the parks definitely enhances the experience. Think about it, do you honestly know what songs play while walking Universal Islands of Adventure? Probably not, but you know that in Frontierland you get that nice blend of old-old school western tunes mixed in with some of Disney’s classic songs. And everyone I know can recognize the tune when you are walking into the Haunted Mansion.

You know what this means. Another list. Yep, I’ve assembled a list of the best music that has been heard on the Disney parks, past and present. They range from classics, to nice versions of Disney movie music, to even some music you most likely have never heard of. I’ll even throw in some music not originally meant for Disney, but totally helps the experience listening to it while visiting the area. And here we go, the 20 best moments of Disney theme park music.

Honorable Mention: Japanese Pavilion’s Area Music
Of all the lands in the World Showcase, this pavilion has the best music as it contains the best variety, and the closest association to said country.



#20: Clouds Gather
Park: Animal Kingdom
Area: Oasis (Front of Park)

Since Animal Kingdom is indeed a park in Disney World, I am inclined to give it an entry on this list. Actually funny story, Hollywood Studios does not have a single entry on this list. Clouds Gather is a very simple, very relaxing tune that starts you off while walking through the quietest area in the park. It’s a nice tune to listen to while observing the abundance of birds and reptiles a few yards into the Animal Kingdom. It’s actually so calm you sometimes won’t even be able to hear the tune. But when you do, it sets the mood right.

#19: Splash Mountain Medley
Park: Magic Kingdom
Area: Frontierland

Part of what makes this ride a hit is the music, which was definitely the best part of the movie that nobody watched a.k.a Song of the South. The mix of Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, How Do You Do, and Laughing Place while engaging in the surprisingly-long ride definitely adds a nice charm to the attraction. And when the music becomes sinister, you know you are inches from the infamous drop.

#18: Haunted Mansion Theme
Park: Magic Kingdom
Area: Liberty Square



Grim Grinning Ghosts is a fun track, but it’s the creepy and subtle sinister tune of the Doom Buggy as you are loading into the ride is what sets the tone, theme, pacing, and mood of the entire attraction. Consisting of just a few notes and lasting no longer than two minutes, this is one of the few cases in Disney in which the ambiance is too much for little kids, resulting in many kids crying and some even leaving the attraction altogether before even beginning the fun ride.

#17: Behind the Waterfall
Park: Magic Kingdom
Area: Tomorrowland



(No idea why they used those images, just listen to the song)

From the 1980s leading up to almost 10 years ago, Tomorrowland had a totally different soundtrack full of futuristic, relaxing, and unique tunes that gave the area its retro-futuristic feel that is not accomplished today anymore. Behind the Waterfall is one of the best examples, as it blends simple instruments and created a very simple sound that never grows too loud, nor does it ever step out of pace. New age music is the perfect genre for Tomorrowland, and Behind the Waterfall is a case of good new age.

#16: Camp Minnie-Mickey Loop
Park: Animal Kingdom
Area: Camp Minnie-Mickey

Unless you have nothing better to do, odds are you won’t notice the music coming from the speakers in this area—because all we have here is picture taking with the characters and Festival of the Lion King, one of the best stage shows in the history of Disney. But if you stop for a little and pay attention, you’ll hear familiar Disney songs being played on a light acoustic guitar as if it was being performed around a campfire. Ranging from the Mickey Mouse theme to music from Winnie the Pooh, these acoustic remixes of the familiar Disney songs are by far the best music you’ll hear in Animal Kingdom. There is nothing overwhelming or outstanding about them, but it is one of the highlights in an otherwise dismal part of the park.

#15: Sleepwalk (The Ventures version)
Park: Typhoon Lagoon
Area: Lazy River



Now, Typhoon Lagoon overall is the best park in terms of background music. Its excellent mix of Beach Boys, unsung 60s classics, and surf rock (the most underrated genre in all of music) convinces me to visit there, and just lie on the lazy river for hours just to soak up the tunes. Throw in some Dick Dale, Lively Ones, Tornadoes, and especially the Ventures, and you have essentially a flawless soundtrack for the water park. It is just a total shame that most of you have no idea who these bands are. Next time you visit, give the place a good listen, and I can guarantee you’ll find at least 10 good songs—or at least 5 songs you’ve heard in Pulp Fiction.

#14: Star Tunnel
Park: Magic Kingdom
Area: Tomorrowland



This is an example of status replacing quality. The song is repetitive indeed, and doesn’t quite leave the loop it created after a mere 45 seconds, but it sets the tone perfectly for the classic attraction Space Mountain. And replacing this track with anything else would result in riots across the board. Oh and a good shout out to the music at the entrance, its also repetitive but still a classic nonetheless. Too bad the ride’s recent update hasn’t been that great,

#13: Celestial Soda Pop
Park: Hollywood Studios
Area: Honey I Shrunk the Kids Playground



This fantastic tune got its start in the quirky Wonders of Life before the attraction ceased to exist, leading to the song moving over to another park where it lays quietly in a playground few kids know about. Celestial Soda Pop is a song that could have also fit perfectly in Tomorrowland because of its blend of new age with Disney bubbly innocence and very relaxing pace. It is a great song to listen to while relaxing and waiting for the next adventure.

#12: The Living Seas Theme
Park: Epcot
Area: The Living Seas

One of the great musical tragedies in the history of Disney World was the removal of the Living Seas and replacing it with Nemo. I love Nemo, the movie, and the music, don’t get me wrong—but it is nothing when compared to Living Seas. The background tunes of the Living Seas was so relaxing, I used to love working at the ice cream cart across from the pavilion just so I can get a whiff of its soothing sounds. The song blends sounds of the seagulls (not the annoying ones) and the oceans with a very melancholy blend of strings and synthesizers. I will never understand why this music just totally disappeared.

#11: Impressions
Park: Disneyland Paris
Area: Space Mountain Area



I can guarantee you most of you have not heard this track. But, the Space Mountain over in Paris has a very Victorian and Jules Verne feel to it, and this song represents both theming with its heavy use of strings and horns, giving the attraction and the overall area a much more epic feel. It could have come straight from a blockbuster movie, but instead this was written for a blockbuster ride. However, it longer exists in Paris, as now its just a mere memory.

#10: Soarin’ Queue and Exit
Park: Epcot
Area: The Land



Of all the rides made within the last 10 years, Soarin’ is perhaps the one that delivered the strongest surprise. A ride introduced in the awful California Adventure made its way over Epcot and became an instant smash hit and remains the most popular attraction in the park. But part of its mammoth success is its accessibility to children and also because of its legendary music. Even waiting in line, you can’t help but be mesmerized by its music. Mixing in movie themes of past films with Jerry Goldsmith’s incredible music; the ambiance while waiting for Soarin’ nearly makes up for the extremely wait time, as its such a delight to listen to from the first second to the last.

#9: A Pirate’s Life For Me
Park: Magic Kingdom
Area: Adventureland



No list about Disney music is complete without the catchy, hilarious, and simple “Pirates Life for Me.” Backed by fun vocals and good instrumentals, this one-minute song perfectly describes the vulgar and unpredictable life of a pirate, while at the same time turning murdering thieves into sympathetic rascals. Any song that reduces a deadly 1700s terrorist group of people into fun-loving drunkards deserves extra credit.

#8: Bayou Banjo
Park: Magic Kingdom
Area: Adventureland



But topping the song about Pirate antics is the very low-key banjo track that plays while waiting to board the attraction. As if it’s played by a pirate rotting in prison, this song consists of one banjo playing a familiar tune that you can actually hear in Frontierland sometimes. While passing by the prison cells and unused ammunition, this song calmly plays and sets the somber mood of the consequences of being a pirate---and getting caught.

#7: Someone’s Rockin’ my Dreamboat
Park: Disneyland
Area: Adventureland



The Ink Spots never meant for this recording to hit a Disney park back in the 1940s, but nonetheless it found its way into the queue of the Jungle Cruise ride—perfectly setting the mood of the quirky attraction. While the African Queen atmosphere sets the timeframe of the ride, this song represents the music that played in that time period. It’s a great song, and it’s the perfect song to compliment the Jungle Cruise. It’s a shame Magic Kingdom doesn’t have the same soundtrack.

#6: Spaceship Earth (1994 Version)
Park: Epcot
Area: Spaceship Earth

All the old-school Disney fans have their choices on which Spaceship Earth they think is best. Some claim the original 80s version was best, while I am sure nobody would pick the version playing now. For me, I think the Jeremy Irons version was the best and the music in this version worked best too. The music changed multiple times along with the ride, progressing and becoming more complex as communication improved and technology advanced. Spaceship Earth has always been a personal favorite of mine regardless of which version it is, from its technological feats to its beautiful message about uniting the world. But it’s the 1994 version that musically best represents the flagship Epcot attraction.

#5: Impressions of France
Park: Epcot
Area: France Pavilion

Of all the attractions that desperately needs a facelift and a change, France’s Impressions of France is the flagship and dominating ultimate example. Not because its bad, but actually because its such a great ride that has become extremely dated—and a new look would benefit greatly. What I do ask however is that they do not change the music at all. Mixing and blending samples from nearly a dozen pieces of European classical music, Impressions of France is a spellbindingly beautiful array of music that perfectly fits with the images presented in the massive screens throughout the 15 minutes. Beautifully composed and beautifully scored, and flawfully edited into the movie.

#4: Old Mill Stream
Park: Magic Kingdom
Area: Frontierland

Frontierland right now has the best music in all of Magic Kingdom, as soon as Tomorrowland changed their soundtrack. This area has a nice blend of relaxing western tunes that lasts a total of 59 minutes, which makes it one of the longest loops in all of Walt Disney World. Every track is a delight to listen, as it has the nice Disney touch without becoming too sugary-pop. To me the best song coming from that area is Old Mill Stream, which can be heard in Tom Sawyer’s Island. This is an instrumental version of a very old song, and to be honest it’s a case of a song I can call flawless. The mix of strings, banjos, and very (very) light percussion makes for 3 minutes of pure happiness.

#3: Elsewhere
Park: Magic Kingdom
Area: Tomorrowland



Tomorrowland’s new age music of the 80s and 90s is at its best with this track; 5 minutes of pure musical nirvana. You can almost picture the retro style of Tomorrowland as you hear the song swing from one rhythm to the next without skipping a beat. Composed by Vangelis (Chariots of Fire, Blade Runner, Missing), a master electronic composer, this is one of the first cases of Disney using a song made by a well-known professional composer. The song is among the most relaxing I’ve ever heard, as it calms without becoming boring. This song best represents the mood of Tomorrowland before Buzz, Stitch, and Monster’s Inc. took over.

#2: Soarin’ Over California
Park: Epcot
Area: The Land



The ride (in the middle of production, before the music) drove Jerry Goldsmith to tears, and this was without the soundtrack. He said he would compose the score for free, as the ride planned to combine two of his favorite things: flying and music. This is arguably his swan song as he died a few years after the attraction debuted. And what a swan song it is. The attraction goes through a variety of themes and volumes (depending on the scene) as an overarching theme blends it all together. The ride could not work at all without this song, as the song is outstanding by itself but is lifted to new heights of awe when blended with shots of California. Unlike most music that gets mildly repetitive after multiple listens, the song to Soarin’ never ages, never gets old, and temporarily transports you to one of the best attractions in any Disney park.















#1: Illuminations: Reflections of Earth
Park: Epcot


It starts with the pounding drums. Starts slowly then builds up. The velocity continues. Then, the strings burst with the horns and the rest is Disney history. What was supposed to be a one-year event turned into a staple of Epcot as Illuminations is arguably the most popular fireworks show in the planet right now. Fantasy in the Sky was replaced; Hollywood Studios lost their fireworks without issue, and Wishes got replaced last summer and not much happened. But if you get rid of this Illuminations, prepare for the riot of your lifetime. And most of the success of Illuminations can be traced back to the soundtrack, which is hands-down the best music ever played in Disney speakers.

Illuminations is 9 minutes of controlled instrumental mayhem. Consisting of a 71-piece orchestra accompanied by a 30-person choir, and composed by Gavin Greenaway (good friend of Hans Zimmer, hence some of the similarities), this is arguably the biggest musical project made by Disney. After a dramatic intro, the song slows down nearly to a halt as viewers see the progress of the planet. The song intensifies in rhythm and volume as we approach the climax. And then that climax, in which all the music and instruments are brought together for one epic finale. At the 8 minute mark, you will receive chills down your spine as we approach the final rousing number, and the plethora of fireworks that burst the night sky and delight all the visitors.

Nothing represents nighttime Disney quite like Illuminations, and there’s no piece of music that matches the magic, togetherness, and pure beauty of Walt Disney World. As a matter of fact, no piece of Disney music is used more often than Illuminations, as it’s been used in ABC, news stations across the board, the 250th anniversary of Pittsburgh, the inauguration of Obama, and even in the immigration welcoming videos in the Orlando airport. This isn’t just a great orchestral score, it’s the best Disney has released, and an overall work of art.

P.S. The worst song to occur on Disney property.