Mellow Music from Disney World & Beyond!
If you’re stuck at home and want some relaxing music that’ll help you focus on work, studying, or just decompress. If you want a way to mentally transport yourself back to Walt Disney World, Disneyland, or the international parks, this list of mellow background music is for you!
This might already sound familiar. We have several posts about the Disney’s great BGMs, and how these loops are often overlooked, despite being essential to establishing the proper mood and atmosphere of each land in the parks. Most recently, we covered this topic a year ago in Our Most Played Disney Parks Music.
However, a lot has changed since then…and we wanted to return with another list of great Disney music you can legally stream for free from YouTube that will help you calm down, get focused, and take a vicarious trip to the Disney Parks. (That’s promising a lot, but this music can actually deliver on *all* of those things!)
Main Street Background Music (WDW, DLR & DLP) – The most recent version of the Main Street BGM, which was updated in 2012 to add “Married Life” from Pixar’s Up, plus over a dozen new tunes, arranged and recorded specifically for Main Street, U.S.A., will join many of the existing songs.
Main Street Evening Background Music (Disneyland Paris) – Disneyland Paris has two background music loops for Main Street (three if you count Christmas), with this more relaxed and sentimental evening loop played from 4 pm until park closing.
Pandora: World of Avatar Atmospheric Music (Animal Kingdom) – Like the land itself, this orchestral atmospheric music is cinematic and soaring, and feels like something out of a blockbuster film. At the same time, it’s incredibly relaxing and reminds me of late nights spent soaking up the ambiance in Pandora. If I close my eyes, I can almost see the bioluminescence!
The Land Area Music (Epcot) – Put this on and imagine sitting in a rocking chair on the front porch of the farmhouse in Living with the Land. For some reason, it reminds me of being back at home in Michigan, sitting outside on an early fall day.
Original Journey Into Imagination Area Music and Ride Audio (Epcot) – This one is different from the rest of the list because it features attraction dialogue and more than just atmospheric music. I’m able to put this on “in the background” and still focus on whatever I’m doing, but your mileage my vary. The bigger issue for me is that hearing this is more bittersweet than relaxing and uplifting.
Disney Springs Area Music Loop (Walt Disney World) – For the longest time, I strongly disliked this playlist and its contemporary remixes of Disney songs. Honestly, I’m still not entirely sure whether I like this or just like how it reminds me of time spent at Disney Springs. That’s somewhat troubling, because we listen to this a lot.
Full Soarin’ Queue Loop (Epcot & DCA) – This soaring score is beautiful, uplifting, and truly embodies the spirit of Soarin. Even in normal times, that would be enough to earn it a spot on the list. Now, there’s something especially serene about the idea of hang-gliding over Malibu, Los Angeles, Yosemite, etc., feeling the wind on your face, and smelling those delightful scents!
The Living Seas Music Loop (Epcot) – Venture back in time to SeaBase Alpha with this loop, which is both soothing and inspiring. Want to vicariously live out your dream to become a marine biologist through your kid? Put this on while they learn to nudge them in the right direction! 😉
New Orleans Square/Rivers of America (Disneyland) – This is the music played along the Rivers of America waterfront (basically, the Fantasmic seating area) in New Orleans Square. It’s a great mix of Dixieland Jazz.
Disneyland Esplanade Area Music – The ultimate curated playlist of movie and attraction music that embodies a day at Disneyland. From the Fantasmic exit music to Winnie the Pooh, this background music has some incredible range and is one of our absolute favorites.
Sunshine Plaza Playlist (Disney’s California Adventure) – I am unabashed in my love for the Golden State–California is far and away my favorite place in the United States. While Sunshine Plaza was a pretty poor representation of California, this background music was its high point. This curated list of the songs that best exemplify CA is great for cruisin’ down PCH, hiking in Griffith Park, watching sunset at Santa Monica Pier…or sitting at home, longing to do those things.
Buena Vista Street Background Music (Disney California Adventure) – The new music that replaced the Sunshine Plaza playlist is also pretty good–just decidedly different.
Cape Cod (Tokyo DisneySea & Beyond) – Soothing seaside sounds from Duffy’s hometown at Tokyo DisneySea. You should also recognize this music if you spend a lot of time upstairs at Columbia Harbour House in Walt Disney World. (I love the Christmas BGM even more, but that’s sadly not available online, at least not to my knowledge.)
Port Discovery (Tokyo DisneySea & Beyond) – More soothing seaside sounds, but with imbued with more futurism and optimism…which shouldn’t be surprising since a lot of this loop is ported over from EPCOT Center.
Space Mountain Queue (Walt Disney World) – One of my most strongly-held “unpopular opinions” is that Magic Kingdom has the best version of Space Mountain. The Star Tunnel music is one huge reason why. (Plus the queue, load area, and post show.)
Mediterranean Harbor Porto Paradiso Music (Tokyo DisneySea) – We’ve only stayed at Hotel MiraCosta once, but when we did, we left our room’s windows cracked all night so this delightful background music would wake us up in the morning. This reminds me of that and rope dropping Tokyo DisneySea, my favorite theme park in the world and place I want to first visit once this is all behind us…
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Which Disney Parks music does the best job of mellowing you out? Anything that is particularly effective at helping you focus on work or studying? Are you one of the oddballs who uses Disney music to exercise? Any of these that you love or hate? Do you agree or disagree with my favorites? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
My favorite Disney BGM is for Canada at World Showcase. I often pause while walking through there if it’s at just the right spot in the playlist. I don’t know the name of the song I like most, but I think it’s leftover from the soundtrack of the first O Canada 360 film (the one before the Martin Short one).
I also adored it one time I was in Tomorrowland, Magic Kingdom & I heard them playing music from long gone attractions like my childhood fave “if you had wings” and the old theme from Carousel of Progress, “The Best Time of Your Life”. It made me feel like time travel is real.
Thanks for posting these links Tom. Was not aware some of these existed.
Staying POSITIVE and looking forward to the day when I can return to my Disney parks!
The Space Mountain Star Tunnel music is what got me hooked on the park BGM loops. I will stop in the Star Tunnel, even in an empty queue, just to listen to it.
I also listen to Pandora just about every night. It’s especially nice with the ambience night sounds that someone added to it.
The right BGM with the perfect combination of Hue lights can really transport you to any park.
I love that New Orleans Square/Rivers of America BGM. It’s probably my favorite.
I really enjoyed this especially the pandora loop! I haven’t listened to Disney music when I exercise but I actually put on Disney park walkthroughs on my TV that I have discovered on you tube when I’m on my treadmill. That way everyday I get to walk through a different Disney park. My favorite time of day is now on my treadmill!
I love this list. Some I already enjoy, the others I will add.
May I suggest an addition. For my walk/jog trips, I have been listening to the soundtrack for Magic Happens-the new parade at DL. I fell in love with the parade and I can’t wait to see it again. I’m not sure if my love of the soundtrack is because it is superior music, or if I’m just so nostalgic about my one and only trip to Land that happened about 10 days before the shutdown.
I’m supposed to be at WDW right now and I’m easing my pain with background music for everything I do
I love BGM/Loop music at the parks. So many great ones but here are my most immersive BGM/Loops available on YouTube:
Castle parks: Frontierland, Tom Sawyer Island, Splash Mountain, Thunder Mountain, New Orleans Square, Toontown, Main Street all versions, Liberty Square, current Tomorrowland, entrance music, Grandma Saras
Other Parks: Soarin, Horizons, pre 1998 Imagination Pavilion, Living Seas, Kitchen Kabaret preshow, TDS Cape Cod, New York Deli, American Adventure, Innoventions, Tree of Life, Wilderness Lodge, Grand California Polynesian, Paradise Pier 2012
I periodically go on searches for these kind of background music/scenery clips, and I’ve been on the hunt again lately. I’m always looking for some good stuff for background music if I’m working (had a few times working most of the night last year on some things that were due for work and was looking for a lot of these). I do find it difficult though to find a good combination of good music with good video or images for the background. I prefer video, but would take perhaps a good slideshow. I tend to play these on my TV too, so the problem especially with some of the old ones is that I don’t want a static image on my screen for an hour. Disney Parks did a few good sunrise videos, but unfortunately they could use much better audio. I will have to give all of these a shot and find more to add into the rotation.
I have a trip in December (hopefully) and before all the chaos was trying to think of ways to make the time go faster and the music loops have been one of my favorite ways to keep it going. Like you mention in the other post, the current Tomorrowland one fills me with all the memories of the Peoplemover. I put it on when working or when walking and it just gives me that little taste of the parks. And of COURSE the Star Tunnel from Space Mountain!!!! 🙂
I’ve been listening to the Disneyland Esplanade Loop at my desk at least once or twice a week, just to keep my spirits up. Great way to boost the positive vibes and make the day feel a bit brighter. Will have to check out a few of these other ones to mix things up a bit.
Thank you for the music…
I needed a smile & your post did the trick. I have WDW & Universal Studios reservations for December for myself & two nieces. Been planning for over a year. WDW’s a long way from Australia & not exactly on the cheap side, particularly when you factor in the exchange rate, so it was to have been a once-in-a-lifetime trip. Ah well, the best laid plans…
Very disappointing if it doesn’t happen but given that the vaccine cavalry may not arrive for some time (if at all) we need to do whatever it takes to bring this beast under control. Which may include a long WDW delay (it’s so crowded at Christmas). At this point in time the Oz government is prepared to not allow us to travel outside the country for the rest of this year, if that’s what it takes.
Today I’m lucky enough to have a job and to be WFH. I have the Porto Patadiso music playing quietly, It instantly transported me back to childhood: Lady and the Tramp 🙂
Thanks again!
Thank You Tom
This is great.
I pulled up the Pandora background loop during the kids lunch this afternoon. They loved it and started sharing some of their favorite Disney vacation memories. Definitely a boost on an otherwise downer of a day. Cheers.
Thank you Tom!!!! Listening to the Soarin’ Loop. Brings back memories of times with family and friends. For now we’re soarin’ in place. Hope everyone continues to listen to those with experienced scientific and medical advice. Stay safe and sound. We’ll get through this.
This is the best! Thanks for posting Tom.
Huge THANK YOU!!!
Love this! I’m still going into work every day (which is amazing as far as a paycheck goes), but the vibe is definitely weird and strained. This is all wearing on everyone – sometimes in unexpected ways I think. The background music is really nice to put on when I’m trying to focus (ie not obsessively read and think about news articles)! I also have been enjoying listening to music from rides on a playlist I found on Spotify!
I know lots of people have been disappointed over the canceling of trips and uncertainty over how Disney will logistically handle things. I feel like I’ve read many comments disparaging how “not magical” things are or will be in the parks going forward. All I can say is, if you put on the Main Street USA loop and look at some pictures from a recent trip, you’re going to feel a twinkle of that magic!
i really miss that postcard entrance plaza for DCA and golden gate bridge for the monorail. it was so much cooler than the hollywood studios clone.
Hey Tom, do you know of anywhere that you can find the Hollywood Studios loop that plays outside of the main entrance? It’s big band arrangements of Disney songs.
I’m not Tom, obviously, but I think I can answer this one for you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYQuIx_XcJM. This is one of my favorites!
Thank you!!
Am I the only one that just wants to cry when I listen to this music? I’m having a hard time accepting that we won’t be there for mother’s day.
This is the sweetest thing! Thank you so much for sharing! It brings some brightness into these crazy times! We miss Disney SO much!!!!! Your blog helps us still feel connected! THANK YOU!! Stay safe and healthy!