What music defines Disney for you?

Princesca

<3 Pink sugar heart attack! <3
Joined
Jun 14, 2011
The talk of musicals in another thread got me thinking about Disney music - also that and caffeine are the only reasons I'm vertical at the moment.

So I wanted to ask - what Disney songs or soundtracks, parks or movies either one, define Disney for you and put you in your Disney happy place?

:charac2::rockband::music:
 
So I wanted to ask - what Disney songs or soundtracks, parks or movies either one, define Disney for you and put you in your Disney happy place?

In the mornings, as I am waking up with coffee, I typically listen to more instrumental music and not the typical thumpa, thumpa music at other times. I have 4 Disney albums that I would include in my "morning" rotation. I have the Dinosaur Original Soundtrack, Disney's Music From The Park, Disney Millennium Celebration Album and the Star Wars: The Force Awakens soundtrack.

When I am at WDW in October I am hoping to find a few more CDs to buy and add to my list. I just can't seem to find any good Disney albums on Amazon, let alone on Prime Music.
 
So I wanted to ask - what Disney songs or soundtracks, parks or movies either one, define Disney for you and put you in your Disney happy place?

I'm such a huge fan of Disney music. It's hard to narrow it down. I sing and play piano and have been singing Disney all my life way back to my Mickey Mouse record player in the 70s all the way through my already well worn score to Frozen. But, I guess if I had to pick what music defined Disney for me, it would be the Sherman brothers music. Between their film work and the theme park songs they just capture that Disney magic. Gonna have to head to the piano now and sing through some favorites. :rolleyes1
 
Great topic! :thumbsup2

There's only one and one specific Disney song that does it all for me in one blow.

Yes, other ride or park music tracks makes me smile too. But the track that has the biggest place in my heart is: Dancin' (a catchy rythm). :love:

It was for many years the parade music to Disneyland Paris' Wonderful World of Disney Parade. :yay:

But for Epcot fans, you've probably heard the track too. :dogdance:

It was also the theme music to Characters On Holiday, the double decker that went around World Showcase and made various stops for meet and greet! :smickey:

I know every word, every beat and cheer in that song. :earsboy:

I remember first time I saw the Characters On Holiday bus... It was years after the Disney Parade at DLP had been discontinued. Well, I flew to my feet... Started singing along from the top of my lungs and ran singing after the bus! :mickeyjum

I thought the characters would fall off laughing... The bus eventually stopped and Mickey headed straight for me and gave me a big High Five and a hug! :smickey:

:tinker:
 


For me, it's the music to Soarin'. I listened to the whole queue loop yesterday at work, and at one point was like... hey, I know that song! It was the theme to Battlestar Galactica. ROFL.

But the music that plays in the actual attraction just lifts my heart. If I close my eyes, I can almost imagine that I'm there...
 
Anything by Alan Mencken, most of them with lyrics by Feldman. He is a brilliant composer. He uses the subtle technical parts of a composition to the story. I pick up something new every time I listen to a soundtrack he wrote. The villain song in Frozen, Love Is An Open Door, is an excellent example. For one thing, they never actually say that Hans loves Anna. They say that love is the open door...for him to exploit her loneliness for his own gain. He says as much later, in fact.

The romantic lines of the song are all sung by Anna, with Hans singing lines that are, at best, responding to her with what he thinks she wants to hear. For instance, this exchange: Hans "we finish each other's..." Anna: "sandwiches!" Hans: "That's what I was gonna say!". Really, now.

And, the real relationship between the two is hidden in the pitch, timing, and the key. The song is purposely written flat. That makes it sound...just a little off. When they echo each other they are just a little slow, just a little awkward. There's a beat or more before the one responds to the other, and they usually do so on a dissonant key. That's on purpose, to show how badly matched they really are, and that the relationship is an illusion.

Compare that duet to the duet at the end of First Time in Forever. The sisters hadn't seen each other in years. They were both scarred by years of neglect and had no reason to feel a connection to each other. Yet, they are perfectly in sync. They echo each other exactly, and the harmony is heartbreakingly beautiful. This speaks to the love that is still there, that ultimately wins out over the fear they were taught. This is mirrored in the scene at the ball, where they both go "mmm chocolate" at once. The song just underscores that.

And I could write books detailing this kind of story-telling brilliance in every single song he wrote. But this is my favorite current example :)
 


Oh... such a good question! And so many to choose from.

Beauty and the Beast soundtrack always gets me signing along. The Beautiful Briny from Bedknobs and Broomsticks. And lots from Mary Poppins.

In terms of the parks, I still get a lump in my throat listening to the Fantasmic soundtrack. And 'It's time to remember the magic' from the Magic Kingdom parade in 2001... such happy memories of that particular trip to Orlando.
 
The opening theme song from the TV show "The Wonderful World of Color" From when I was a little kid to hearing in in the World of Color fountain show, it is the definitive reminder of "Disney" to me.
 
This is a strange one, but my real love for Disney started on my first trip to WDW in 2014. On that trip I remember a really amazing night in HS when we went to see Fantasmic and while we where waiting for it "You'll Be In My Heart" from Tarzan played, ever since then that song takes me right back to that night and cheers me right up.
 
I LOVE the soundtracks from the Battlestar Galactica series!!! Bear McCreary is a wonderful composer. *sigh* I miss Battlestar Galactica.

You and me both.

Adama: Starbuck, what do you hear?
Starbuck: Nothing but the rain.
Adama: Then grab your gun and bring in the cat.
Starbuck: Boom, boom, boom!
 
Anything by Alan Mencken, most of them with lyrics by Feldman. He is a brilliant composer. He uses the subtle technical parts of a composition to the story. I pick up something new every time I listen to a soundtrack he wrote. The villain song in Frozen, Love Is An Open Door, is an excellent example. For one thing, they never actually say that Hans loves Anna. They say that love is the open door...for him to exploit her loneliness for his own gain. He says as much later, in fact.

The romantic lines of the song are all sung by Anna, with Hans singing lines that are, at best, responding to her with what he thinks she wants to hear. For instance, this exchange: Hans "we finish each other's..." Anna: "sandwiches!" Hans: "That's what I was gonna say!". Really, now.

And, the real relationship between the two is hidden in the pitch, timing, and the key. The song is purposely written flat. That makes it sound...just a little off. When they echo each other they are just a little slow, just a little awkward. There's a beat or more before the one responds to the other, and they usually do so on a dissonant key. That's on purpose, to show how badly matched they really are, and that the relationship is an illusion.

Compare that duet to the duet at the end of First Time in Forever. The sisters hadn't seen each other in years. They were both scarred by years of neglect and had no reason to feel a connection to each other. Yet, they are perfectly in sync. They echo each other exactly, and the harmony is heartbreakingly beautiful. This speaks to the love that is still there, that ultimately wins out over the fear they were taught. This is mirrored in the scene at the ball, where they both go "mmm chocolate" at once. The song just underscores that.

And I could write books detailing this kind of story-telling brilliance in every single song he wrote. But this is my favorite current example :)

Thank you for that - so interesting!
 
For me, it's definitely CLASSIC Disney hits that put me in my "happy Disney place!" Some that instantly put me there include "The Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room," "When You Wish Upon A Star," "A Spoonful of Sugar," and "Yo Ho! (A Pirate's Life For Me)."

I'm also a fan of some of the great songs from Disney's Renaissance period in the 90's like "Under The Sea," "Hakuna Matata," and one of my very, very favorites, "Be Our Guest." So many great songs!
 
The Philharmagic attraction at MK has the music that defines Disney for me. Of course that is a medley, so if you mean just one song it would have to be "A Whole New World".
 
In addition to the music from Soarin', I was reminded today that Wishes is definitely a soundtrack that puts me in Disney mode!
 
I work at a major grocery store, and until recently, I had two coworkers that just didn't pull there weight...and it was very stressful. Having to wear a chef coat for my position, I have a chest pocket...where I keep my mp3 player. I have a playlist on Spotify called "Disney Magic." It's full of music from all of Disney history...and I listen to that playlist from the time I clock in until I clock out. It's my happy place. :)

To say all of Disney music is my defining music may be a cop out, but it's true. :)
 
To me the soundtracks to the Walt era films (Snow White to Jungle Book) define "Disney" to me.
 
When I arrive at work in the morning, I like listening to classical Disney: a mixture of the "Circle Sessions" albums (piano versions of the classic songs played in Carthay Circle) and "Disney Fairy Tale Weddings." Helps with my writing. :)

I have one LONG Disney playlist that I play on my way to a Disney event or when I need a pick-me-up. Its a collection of Disney greatest hits -- and while I love the films scores, I like when a lesser heard (by me) melody from the Parks comes up.

My least favorite Disney album purchase is their electronic/dance album, "D-Constructed." I love dance music, but its horrid. It did help me get through the Star Wars 10k though.
 
This has long been one of my favorites. I first heard it at the Imagination pavilion in EPCOT -- a long time ago, :jester:

 

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