[Question] Best TDL and TDS BGM CD's?

[Jord]

Hi there,

i'm looking for the best cd's featuring TDL and TDS park bgm. I've looked on Amazon Japan but there are a LOT of these kinds of CD's available. Can anyone point me to the best cd's featuring the most complete collections?

[stingybreadboy]

Re: Best TDL and TDS BGM CD's?

I, too, am a fan of Disney park music, and TDR certainly puts out quite a bit! Are you looking specifically for background music? Most CDs from Disney Music Japan (Avex) cover parades and shows, a few focus on specific rides (Pooh's Hunny Hunt, It's a Small World, Haunted Mansion-Haunted Holiday) and only a couple feature real bgm of the parks: Tokyo DisneySea Aquasphere Theme Music and Tokyo DisneySea Mermaid Lagoon Music Album. There have been a couple CDs that feature wedding themed bgm from the Mira Costa and Disney Ambassador hotels and one with music from the Ambassador.
There have also been four box sets released over the years (usually on TDL anniversaries) that contain a decent mix of parade, show, event, ride, and even BGM!

Treasures of Fantasy (1996)
Treasures of Fantasy: Dreams & Adventures (2003)
Dream (2008)
Happiness (2013)

Dream and Happiness are relatively easy to find (eBay), but they carry a hefty price, over $300 typically. Hope this helps!

[Fukai]

Re: Best TDL and TDS BGM CD's?

I have a lot of background loops from Disney Parks: these are typically 45 minutes to well over an hour and none that I know of have ever been officially released.

[Jord]

Re: Best TDL and TDS BGM CD's?

Thank you for the replies. I forgot to mention that I already have a few TDR CD's; I got The DisneySea Music album that has a few excellent tracks like the Sindbad song, Compass of the Heart as well as a few 'parade cd's like the Eastern Wonderland 2010 and the Happiness is Here CD's.

Stingybreadboy, I have seen a lot of CD's that focus on a single ride like the ones you mentioned so I guess it will be hard to specifically find the park bgm I want. I'm looking for things in the veign of these: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNENT-O6pGY which I suspect are the loops Fukai mentions. Have these been released on CD?

The Tokyo DisneySea Mermaid Lagoon Music Album you mentioned did peek my interest however, thanks for that one.

[stingybreadboy]

Re: Best TDL and TDS BGM CD's?

There hasn't been an official CD release of the instrumental versions of Disney songs that are played at the entrance to the parks but there have been tracks released in various collections. The second disc in the Treasures of Fantasy set ("Feel the Magic") contains three Main Entrance BGM songs. The first two are from the Disneyland Band: A Wonderful Day Like Today (not a Disney song, but from a musical "The Roar of the Greasepaint") and A Marching Band (which is a marching band version of the 1950s' Mickey Mouse Club opener "Meet the Mouseketeers"). Little Wooden Head, from Pinocchio is the third one.

If you're also looking for turn-of-the-20th-century Main Street versions of songs, there are a few CDs that offer a track of BGM. Walt Disney World Resort in Florida Official Album (2001) contains Fortuosity, from "The Happiest Millionaire." The new official albums from both American parks (2013) contain one each. Married Life from "Up" is on Disneyland's and Flitterin' from "Summer Magic" is on Walt Disney World's.

On the "Happiest Celebration on Earth" CD from Walt Disney World (2005) you'll find an Epcot Entrance Medley that is a 3:22 minute sliver of bgm.

If you like the musical score from The Little Mermaid, you'll enjoy the Mermaid Lagoon Music Album. The twelve tracks feature music from that area's entrance, rides, stores, and (sadly gone) show from Mermaid Lagoon theater.

[Jord]

Re: Best TDL and TDS BGM CD's?

First of all, thank you for your long and clear answer.

It's really too bad that there hasn't been an official release of those entrance songs. A bit puzzling too, considering how many CD's have been released with TDR music. I really appreciate you detailing the various snippets that can be found on the different collections but I'd rather go for CD's considering an entire track list that suits my tastes in stead of buying a CD for just one bgm song.

One CD that has peeked my interest obviously is the Mermaid Lagoon album. I'n not even that big a fan of the movie but I love the music and Mermaid Lagoon has to be one of the most beautiful ports of call of Tokyo DisneySea. However, while I usually do my Japanese CD shopping on Amazon Japan it seems that they only have it used and I'd rather buy it new. Are there any other websites you guys can recommend me or does DisneySea itself still sell it?

Another CD that seems interesting to me is the Tokyo Disneyland Music Album. There are several variations of it but let's pick this one for example:


Amazon.com: Tokyo Disneyland Music Album: Music

It has a nice track list but what are these tracks actually like? Are they the same tracks as the one you hear in the rides? (I'm guessing the Chim-Chim-Cheree is the arrangement you hear in the Dumbo ride?)

[stingybreadboy]

Re: Best TDL and TDS BGM CD's?

The album you've linked is from 2001. There have been 2 more released, one in 2008 and one in 2013.
This one contains tracks that are not on the later editions, as their attractions/shows have been retired, such as the first three tracks from Mickey Mouse Revue (where Mickey's PhilharMagic now lives) and Meet the World (now Monsters Inc., Ride and Go Seek).

Tracks 12, Chim-Chim-Cher-Ee, and 13, It's a Small World are calliope music from Cinderella's Carousel.

The rest of the tracks are from their respective rides with tracks 18-22 being from Toontown-Mickey's and Minnie's Houses. Three of them are bgm you hear in these areas and the two answering machine tracks are what you'd hear on each of their telephones.

If you like the live entertainment of Tokyo Disneyland, the 2008 Tokyo Disneyland Music Album contains a track from the Disneyland Band (I mentioned the song, A Wonderful Day Like Today above) and a track called Bicycle Piano, playing the Mickey Mouse Club March. The latter was taken from a collection of tracks called Street of Fantasy, (the 11th disc from the Treasures of Fantasy: Dreams and Adventures set). It's now relatively hard to find, however.

If you like bgm from Frontierland (TDL's Westernland) there is a CD from Disneyland Paris called Frontierland en Musique. You can find it occasionally on eBay. And there is The Music of Cars-Land CD that features bgm and songs used in Disney California Adventure park.

[Fukai]

Re: Best TDL and TDS BGM CD's?

The problem with releasing these long loops of background music is that Disney has licensed them only for use in theme parks, and not for release on CDs. These are separate licensing issues with separate fees involved. Disney doesn't want to pay the licensing fees for the enormous amount of songs that are on a 90 minute background loop when the album itself would have limited appeal.

[Jord]

Re: Best TDL and TDS BGM CD's?

The problem with releasing these long loops of background music is that Disney has licensed them only for use in theme parks, and not for release on CDs. These are separate licensing issues with separate fees involved. Disney doesn't want to pay the licensing fees for the enormous amount of songs that are on a 90 minute background loop when the album itself would have limited appeal.

Too bad but I guess it makes sense. Oh wel, it will make me enjoy the music more when I'm in the park.