Music of the Disney Parks: Listen to the Land

Attraction: Listen to the Land

Park: Epcot

Debut: October 1, 11982

When Living with the Land debuted on Epcot’s opening day, it was known as Listen to the Land. The two iterations of the attraction were nearly identical, except for one glaring difference. The infectious little earworm of a theme song, “Listen to the Land,” was removed from the experience. While this change may not be mourned to the same degree as the loss of Horizons or the original Journey Into Imagination, you’ll probably still catch devoted Epcot fans humming it to themselves while riding the newest incarnation of the attraction.

The song was penned by Bob Moline, who began working with Disney in the 1970s. The company’s Director of Marketing at the time happened to hear him performing in the Wine Cellar dining room of the Newport Inn. He was brought on board to write songs for Disneyland’s 20th anniversary, beginning a fruitful relationship that would lead to many memorable tunes, particularly when it came to Epcot. 

Among the songs he wrote for the park’s various pavilions were “Canada (A Lifetime Journey),” for the Canada Pavilion in the World Showcase, “Golden Dream” from The American Adventure, and “Energy (You Make the World Go ‘Round)” for Universe of Energy. While each of these has a sort of Hallmark-esque sound to them, Moline leaned into country and folk for “Listen to the Land.” Accompanied by an acoustic guitar,bass, and a children’s choir, it’s easy to picture the tune being performed around a campfire.

Though Imagineer Rolly Crump once suggested that he met with John Denver about potentially singing “Listen to the Land” for the attraction, this point is disputed by fellow Imagineer and Disney Legend Marty Sklar. He stated, “The song was written by Bob Moline, who also wrote (and sang) that song…John Denver did visit us once during the development of Epcot Center. It was an amazing day because he brought a friend with him: Buckminster Fuller! But we never connected with John Denver to record any of our songs.”

While Denver no doubt would have done the song justice, it’s hard to imagine a voice other than Moline’s on the track. It perfectly captures the optimism of the attraction, especially when the children begin singing along with him. 

As his son Justin recalled, “He always had that part of him that never grew up and could always connect to childlike wonder. I think that is where he drew a lot of his lyrical substance from, which you can hear in his songs like ‘Listen to the Land.’”

In a tribute by D23, his wife Sheri recalled their first trip to Epcot upon its opening. She stated that when the trip was over, they took a shuttle back to the airport with other park Guests. To pass the time, Moline began singing some of the songs he’d written for the park, little knowing that there was another notable Disney name on board. 

When the shuttle stopped, Disney Legend and songwriter Robert Sherman ventured back to Moline’s seat to shake his hand.

Music of the Disney Parks: Celebrate the Future Hand in Hand

Attraction: Epcot’s Millenium Celebration

Park: Epcot 

Debut: October 1, 1999

Walt Disney’s vision of tomorrow was fueled by an endless optimism rooted in his belief that human ingenuity and spirit could overcome any challenge we faced. It’s a spirit that lives on in attractions like the Carousel of Progress and Spaceship Earth. And it’s the reason that I believe Walt would have been a huge fan of Epcot’s Millenium Celebration and its theme of “Celebrate the Future Hand in Hand.”

As then president of Walt Disney World Al Weiss said, “Walt Disney once referred to Epcot as a ‘living blueprint of the future.’ And it is in that spirit that we welcome the world to celebrate the millennium at this, our discovery park.”

The event, which ran from October 1, 1999 through January 1, 2001, saw several major additions come to the park, including the Tapestry of Nations Parade, a nighttime spectacular called “IllumiNations 2000: Reflections of Earth,” and a somewhat controversial addition to the exterior of Spaceship Earth. 

With such a massive event, there was no question that there would be an accompanying song. It took its title from the celebration’s central theme.  Disney turned to composer Ira Antellis for the music. Cheryl Berman, who joined the Leo Burnett Agency as a junior copywriter and eventually became the company’s Chairman-Chief Creative Officer, provided the lyrics for the song.

Reflecting on her journey in the world of advertising, Berman compared it to characters from televisions Mad Men, stating, “I guess you could say I was Peggy Olson in the 70’s, when I walked into an agency called Leo Burnett. When I walked out 30 years later, I guess you could say I was Don Draper.” Along with her work for Disney, she wracked up an impressive number of accounts including McDonald’s, Hallmark, Coca-Cola, and Kraft. She also happened to have a talent for writing musical lyrics.

Ira Antellis had already established himself in the world of music, having created music for clients like Gatorade, 7Up, Mcdonald’s, and Sears. In addition to his commercial work, he produced multiple albums for the House of Blues, and penned songs for artists like Patti Labelle and Marc Anthony. 

It was not the pair’s first time working together for a Disney creation. Prior to the Millenium Celebration, they teamed up with David Pack to write the song “Remember the Magic” for Walt Disney World’s 25th anniversary, which ran from October of 1996 through January of 1998.Variations on “Celebrate the Future Hand in Hand” could be heard throughout the Millenium Celebration within Millenium Village and in the Tapestry of Nations parade. A gospel version of the song would appear on Disney’s official “Walt Disney World Millenium Celebration” album. The number would also reappear in the parks as part of the limited fireworks show Epcot Forever.

Music of the Disney Parks: Happy Song

Attraction: The Happy Ride with Baymax

Park: Tokyo Disneyland

Debut: September 28, 2020

When The Happy Ride with Baymax opened at Tokyo Disneyland in September of 2020, it was just one more example of a whip-ride at a Disney Park. Attractions like Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree and Alien Swirl Saucers predated it, themed after the Cars and Toy Story franchises respectively. 

What set The Happy Ride with Baymax apart was not only the fact that it was Disney’s first attraction themed to the film Big Hero 6, but it’s outstanding soundtrack. The attraction had a simple premise. As explained on the official Tokyo Disneyland page, “The brilliant young inventorHiro Hamada learned from his robotic personal healthcare companion Baymax that the first step in making people healthy is to make them happy, so he and Baymax developed this wild, musical ride that is sure to make everyone happy.” In keeping with the theme, each song on the soundtrack is an upbeat number that practically screams for you to get up and dance. If you weren’t so busy getting spun silly. The soundtrack featured six original songs:

1. “B.A.Y.M.A.X”
2. “A New Angle (New Perspective)”
3. “Happy Song”
4. “Ba la la la la la la la la”
5. “Koo Loo Lee”
6. “One Sweet Ride (Cool Ride)

Each track is so catchy and infused with so much energy that it would have been easy to gush about all six, but it didn’t seem like the best editorial decision. Forced with the painful task of selecting just one, I settled on “Happy Song” written by Matthew Tishler and Andrew Underberg.

A Canadian songwriter and producer, Tishler’s experience working with J-Pop and K-Pop artists made him a logical contributor to the project. Over the years he has worked with global sensations such as BTS, as well as pop stars like Olivia Rodrigo, Dove Cameron, and Nami Amuro. 

His work with Disney includes credits on Disney Channel programs like Lemonade Mouth, Shake It Up, Austin & Ally, and others. Disney album credits include High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, Descendants 3, and The Lodge.

Prior to his work on The Happy Ride with Baymax Soundtrack, Andrew Underberg had worked with Disney writing music for the Disney Channel comedy Bizaardvark. Outside of Disney, he has written songs for performers like JoJo Siwa and television programs like Team Kaylie.

Far from a one-off collaboration, Tishler and Underberg have also worked together on music for the Disney cartoon Hailey’s On It, the film The J Team, and music for various productions in the Barbie franchise. 

In August of 2023, an instrumental version of song made its way to the United States as part of the ambient soundtrack for San Fransokyo Square at Disney California Adventure. Three other instrumental versions of songs from The Happy Ride with Baymax were also included: “B-A-Y-M-A-X,” “A New Angle (New Perspective” and “One Sweet Ride (Cool Ride).”

Music of the Disney Parks: Hello, Everybody!

Attraction: The Golden Horseshoe Revue

Park: Disneyland

Debut: July 13, 1955

When the cast of the Golden Horseshoe Revue took their final bow on October 12, 1986, the show had the distinction of being the longest running musical of all-time. Not just at a Disney Park, but anywhere. With 39,000 performances, it was honored in the Guinness Book of World Records for its achievement.

Curiously, the show actually predates Disneyland by a few days. The park opened on July 17, 1955, but the Golden Horseshoe Revue debuted four days prior. The cast had staged a special performance in honor of Walt and Lillian Disney’s 30th wedding anniversary.

At it’s opening, the show starred Judy Marsh, Wally Boag, and Donald Novis, with Boag and Novis teaming to write its script. Music and lyrics were provided by Charles LaVere (who also performed as the show’s pianist) and Tom Adair, including the opening number, “Hello, Everybody.” 

Lavere, a jazz pianist, bandleader, vocalist, and composer, was a regular on the Fibber McGee and Molly radio show before eventually relocating to California in the late 30s. There, he began working on shows like Bob Hope’s The Pepsodent Show and performed with artists like Bing Crosby, The Andrews Sisters, Edgar Bergen, and others.

In 1955, he was contacted by Donald Novis about the possibility of working for Disney as part of a musical group in the Golden Horseshoe. He was hired along with others to play in the Golden Horseshoe’s band, but he also went on to write its music. 

For his part, Tom Adair had already established himself as a successful songwriter, penning numbers for artists like Tommy Dorsey, Bing Crosby, Dinah Shore, and Frank Sinatra. For the Golden Horseshoe Revue, he provided the lyrics for LaVere’s music. Over the years, he would also write songs for Sleeping Beauty, The Mickey Mouse Club and The Country Bear Jamboree.

While the show featured popular songs like “(Won’t You Come Home) Bill Bailey,” and established Disney tunes like “The Ballad of Pecos Bill” LaVere and Adair contributed several original pieces. 

Though Judy Marsh was the show’s original female lead, Betty Taylor would be the woman most associated with the Golden Horseshoe Revue and the role of Slue Foot Sue. She’s also the featured performer on the Disneyland album Slue–Foot Sue’s Golden Horseshoe Review. On the record, she performs “Hello, Everybody” with Donald Novis. 

A noted actor and tenor, Novis previously worked with Disney as the man who sang the Academy-Award nominated “Love is a Song” from the animated feature Bambi. He was also an uncredited performer on the Lady and the Tramp track “Peace on Earth.” 

 He remained with the Golden Horseshoe until 1964, when he was replaced by Fulton Burley. As members of the cast, Boag, Taylor, and Burley would all go on to be named Disney Legends. The song (and the rest of the Golden Horseshoe Revue) would be immortalized on screen when it aired in a 1962 episode of The Magical World of Disney to celebrate the show’s 10,000th performance. The number was also included on the 2015 album The Legacy Collection: Disneyland.

Music of the Disney Parks: Dancin’ (A Catchy Rhythm)

Attraction:  La Parade Du Monde Merveilleux Disney

Park: Disneyland Paris

Debut: March 30, 1998

Parades have been a part of the Disney Parks experience since day one. When Disneyland opened on July 17, 1955, it was a massive event that included a television special featuring personalities such as Art Linkletter and future president Ronald Reagan. A grand parade was part of the ceremonies, starting a tradition that remains a keystone of the Disney experience some 70 years later.

One of the mostly fondly remembered parades of Disneyland Paris was La Parade Du Monde Merveilleux Disney (The Wonderful World of Disney) which opened in the spring of 1998. In it’s original incarnation, it featured a wide range of characters from films like Steamboat Willie, Mary Poppins, Peter Pan, Aladdin, and many more.

The parade was anchored by the theme song “Dancin’ (A Catchy Rhythm)” composed by Vasile Sirli and Jay Smith.

Born in Romania, Sirli began playing piano at an early age before attending the  Music and Plastic Arts Lyceum of Timișoara before going on to the National University of Music Bucharest. He later became the editor of Editura Muzicală, and then moved into a career scoring incidental music as well as film scores. 

In 1986, he moved to Paris, France, where he continued to work in music, composing for radio, television, and film. 

“One day I was called by the Artistic Vice President of Disneyland Paris,” Sirli said. “He said, ‘I want to meet you tomorrow, and if you have any ideas for the music for a new parade for Disneyland, let me know!’”

As he recalled, the park was nothing but a field at the time. He provided a sample of his music and even played a demo for the Artistic Vice President of the park, at which point he was offered a job for Disney.

Speaking of “Dancin’ (A Catchy Rhythm),” he says that Jay Smith approached him about a song for the parade, and requested that he specifically compose it. He has been very happy with the song’s longevity and how it has become an essential part of many Guests memories when it comes to Disneyland Paris. 

The lyrics for the song were provided by Jay Smith, who had studied at Butler University and worked as a choreographer and show producer for Walt Disney World from 1983-1989. After that, he became the Manager of Show Development at Euro Disney (now Disneyland Paris). He later assumed the role of Director of Show Operations at the park, before moving onto VP of Entertainment for the park, which is the position he held when working on La Parade Du Monde Merveilleux Disney.

Though the parade closed in 2007, its theme has remained beloved by every fan who got to experience it live. It’s such a staple of the Disneyland Paris story that it resurfaced again during the COVID-19 epidemic. With parks around the world closed, over 160 different Cast Members contributed video from home performing the parade’s dance routines to “Dancin’ (A Catchy Rhythm).” 

Mat Davies, a former Cast Member at the park recalled, “Seeing photos of me dancing in the parade with so many great people, I decided to set up a Facebook group to see if there would be any interest in creating a lockdown version of ‘The Wonderful World of Disney Parade’ which ran at Disneyland Paris from 1998 to 2007.” 

The result was like a dose of happiness in dark times, as reflected by the fact that his “Lockdown Edition” video of the parade has been viewed over 37,000 times.