Sounds of Magic Kingdom
An auditory tour of all six areas of "The Most Magical Place On Earth"
It’s a truth universally acknowledged that the most frustrating part of being a long-distance Disney park nerd is knowing that you’re likely hundreds or thousands of miles away from Spaceship Earth, Cinderella Castle, or one of the other iconic weenies (sorry, I had to) on property.1
Social media and a culture enmeshed in the allure of instant gratification make getting to the Disney parks look easy, but that’s not the reality for a majority of folks. I could just book a last-minute trip, pack my bags, and hop on a plane to MCO, but that doesn’t mean that I should. The many facets of life (otherwise known as “adulting”) always take priority.
That’s why I try my darnedest to find ways to keep the magic of Disney alive in my day-to-day life. There’s a handful of ways in which I achieve this, but one of the easiest and most accessible means of doing so involves an element of the park and resort experience that always stop me in my tracks — the music.
Today, we’re focusing on the park that started it all for Walt Disney World — Magic Kingdom. With six distinct thematic areas to explore, the average park guest would be able to hear a variety of music that spans across decades and narratives. One moment might be marked by the slow strum of a banjo and the next by the infectious drum beat of the jungle. No matter where one might be, there’s music to be heard.
I’ll be sharing the audio loops that are found throughout the park but if we really wanted to (and perhaps I will in future posts), we could take a scalpel to each area to further pin-point and define the stories and themes that exist within the six unique sections. There’s so much to hear that this could be an entire series (wink) but for now, let’s simply enjoy the sounds of Magic Kingdom.
Park entrance
Main Street U.S.A.
Adventureland
Frontierland
Fantasyland
Tomorrowland
All together now!
I hope that wherever you are, you feel a little bit closer to the magic after playing one of these videos. Not only do they transport me back to Magic Kingdom, but they also give me a greater appreciation for the ambiance when I’m actually there.
It’s so nerdy, but I actually keep an ear out for my favorites parts when I’m strolling through the different areas of the park. That musical connection paired with the thematic environment and storytelling just enhances the experience and allows me to take it all in and savor the moment, however fleeting it may be. That, my friends, is magic, noted.
See ya real soon,
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Coined by Walt Disney, a “weenie” is a structural icon that catches one’s attention from afar and gives them enough information to draw them in closer. You might be familiar with some weenies, such as Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom and the Tree of Life at Animal Kingdom.
Have you read The Geography of Nowhere by James Howard Kunstler? He talks about Disney some in the book and I feel like the music would be an interesting way to expand on some of the thoughts he lays out in his book about how Disney creates these immersive lands!