Attraction Theme Songs

Some of Disneyland’s attractions are globally famous, even among non-Disney fans. Maybe it’s the storytelling, visuals, tales from park visitors…and maybe it’s their catchy theme songs that never leave your brain. While virtually every attraction across the parks features music of some kind, a lucky few actually have specially composed theme songs, leaving guests humming the tune long after the ride ends.

Let’s tune into Disneyland’s iconic attraction theme songs, including a few from attractions long gone from the park. Close your eyes, crank up the music, and imagine you’re exploring the happiest place on earth…maybe even time traveling!

Note: this list doesn’t include attractions featuring songs from movies. For example, Peter Pan‘s “You Can Fly” or Alice in Wonderland‘s “Very Merry Unbirthday” are both featured in attractions, but the songs were composed for the films, not specifically for the rides.

ATTRACTIONS OF YESTERYEAR

“Magic Highways of Tomorrow” (Rocket Rods): This song is a little bit of a cheat to include in this list. Steve Bartek arranged and performed this song for the attraction, but it wasn’t completely original. Instead, this was a new adaptation of a Sherman brothers song from The Happiest Millionaire, originally called “Detroit”. Steve Bartek didn’t know he was adapting a song from the film, saying he was given a demo of the song and “tried to destroy it as much as they would allow”.

“Miracles From Molecules” (Adventure Thru Inner Space): It will probably come as no surprise to hear Walt turned to the Sherman Brothers to write this attraction’s theme. The Sherman Brothers wrote many, many of the film and park songs you love from the 60s! In this case, the brothers had an added challenge – to combine the excited tone of the attraction with the Monsanto Company’s mission statement, as Monsanto was the ride’s official sponsor.

“Swisskapolka” (Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse): Buddy Baker originally composed this polka song for Disneyland’s version of the attraction, which opened in Adventureland in 1962. The same score has been used in every version of this attraction across the world, including the still operating version in the Magic Kingdom.

“There’s A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow” (Carousel of Progress): Yet another Sherman Brothers masterpiece! The brothers actually composed this theme for the very first version of this attraction, which debuted at the 1964 New York World’s Fair. The vocals for both the lead character and the theme song came from Rex Allen, who also narrated many Disney nature documentaries. When the attraction arrived in Disneyland three years later, the theme song became an instant classic in the park.

TODAY’S LINEUP

“Grim Grinning Ghosts” (Haunted Mansion): Sorry if this song is already stuck in your head! Composers Buddy Baker and X. Atencio were tasked with giving New Orleans Square’s second attraction a theme as catchy as its neighbor, Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life For Me). Not only is the song catchy – it also sets the mood as the ride progresses. In the beginning, the song is slow and creepy, with just an organ playing the melody. It gradually gets bolder and fuller, as more instruments join in and the tempo speeds up. And by the graveyard, it’s the soundtrack to a full-on spirited party.

“It’s A Small World” (It’s A Small World): Imagineers initially imagined the national anthems of each country playing throughout the ride. However, the resulting sound was just a mess, so Walt tasked the Sherman Brothers with writing one song that could be translated from room to room and played on a loop. The brothers developed a ballad, celebrating peace, harmony, and brotherhood. Walt liked the song, but asked them to speed up the tempo into a cheerful celebratory anthem. The song proved so catchy the attraction was renamed after it – from Children of the World to It’s A Small World.

“The Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room” (Enchanted Tiki Room): Surprise, surprise…here comes another Sherman Brothers song! This theme has the distinction of being the first ever written for an audio-animatronic attraction, and the animatronic birds “sang” the song as the show progressed. Over the years the show has been shortened a bit, removing a few verses and lines, but the original melody, vocals, and spirit remain unchanged – and now plays in both Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom.

“Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life For Me)” (Pirates of the Caribbean): Last but not least comes my favorite attraction theme song! With music by George Bruns and lyrics by X. Atencio, this has to be one of, if not THE most recognizable Disneyland song ever created. Incredibly, this was X. Atencio’s first attempt at drafting lyrics. He was actually an Imagineer working on several different attractions – and took on Walt’s challenge to work on the song as well. The song has been largely unchanged since the attraction debuted in 1967, and has the distinction of being the final attraction theme Walt contributed to before his death.