Happiest Celebration vs Happiest Homecoming CDs

[Mouseketodd]

I've looked at the UD page about the Disneyland 50th Anniversary CDs.

Can anyone else weigh in on these collections? I wonder if the 2-disc edition (Happiest Homecoming) is worthwhile. I'm traveling to Walt Disney World in a few weeks, and don't have a big amount of cash to spend -- I want it to go as far and as well as possible.

If Homecoming has 'Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln' included, I'd like to know. I realize that it has all or most of the tracks included on Happiest Celebration... if the additional tracks that fill up the 2nd disc are basically parade tunes, I'd like to know that, too.

Also, "Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" ... is it offered on either or both of the CD editions in its attraction recording, or in a different rendition? I thought I read (Amazon.com?) that Happiest Celebration's was not the original version.

[Escapay]

The 2-disc edition is more or less a "Lite" version of the 5-disc set (which is worth the $100 price).

I've got both 2-disc sets (the one for Disneyland and the one for Walt Disney World), though I wish I had gotten the 5-disc set (which when first released was a park-exclusive and came with a gold vinyl LP).

IIRC, the 2-disc set doesn't have Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, and their version of "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" is different from the WDW one.

Escapay

[AwallaceUNC]

This post should help: http://www.ultimatedisney.com/forum/vie ... 1&start=21

-Aaron

[Mouseketodd]

Thanks for shedding more light on this -- especially Aaron's link to the other forum topic on this.

Adding this to Amazon's notes and reviews, I'm not sure I care about this.... I'd like Walt's opening remarks from the park dedication, but unless WDW (where my family and I are heading) allows the visitor to hear samples of the tracks, I don't think I want to part with my money! I want what I hear on the rides/attractions. I don't want to unwrap this and be disappointed with half the contents when I play it.

Anymore feedback? I think I'll need some persuasion. I do believe I'll be purchasing the CD "Walt Disney takes you to Disneyland."

[AwallaceUNC]

Do you want just the song versions of the rides... or do you want the complete audio ride-throughs of the rides? If you want the latter, those are (mostly) only found on a Musical History of Disneyland... I think the whole audio to Cinderella's Surprise Celebration is on WDW's 2-Disc soundtrack, though.

-Aaron

[Loomis]

Just worth mentioning here:

http://www.1313southharborblvd.com/1313main.htm

EXCELLENT resource for Disneyland sounds and music. Most of this stuff, as the site claims, will never be released on CD. There is at least a dozen CDs worth of material there (under Disneyland Attraction Audio).

Their "Disc 1" has:

- Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln (Pre Show) 9:01

- Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln (Main Show) 9:13

I haven't look properly, but I'm sure the other one is on there too.

[Escapay]

I think the whole audio to Cinderella's Surprise Celebration is on WDW's 2-Disc soundtrack, though.

It's cut down a bit, unfortunately. They cut out the bgm during the battle sequences with the heroes and villains, and I'm sure they cut out some of the bgm during scenes with the SW Queen/Witch.

Escapay

[Disney Princess Ariellen]

I own the 2-disc "Happiest Celebration on Earth" CD set from Walt Disney World, and I thought it was DEFINITELY worth the price of around $25. Here's what's on it:

DISC 1
1. "Remember When" LeAnn Rimes performs this song, which is the theme song for the Happiest Homecoming (Disneyland)/Celebration (everywhere else). It's very pretty; probably more relevant to Disneyland, where they play it after "Remember...Dreams Come True" (the fireworks) that to WDW, but since Disneyland is the park the celebration is for, I definitely support the song being on WDW's CD set.

2. "All Aboard" The loading call for the Walt Disney World Railroad. Short track, but special; it's a definite "sound of Walt Disney World" and is a good example of how the CD set really evokes the feelings of being in the parks.

3. "Welcome Medley" Music from a street performance where singers and dancers ride down Main Street, USA in a trolley and sing and dance to welcome them to the 'most magical place on Earth,' as they call Magic Kingdom in the song.

4. "The Tiki Tiki Tiki Room" The original version, as you can still hear at the Disneyland version of this attraction. A nice tribute track, since Tropical Serenade (WDW's Tiki Room, which I *believe* was a clone of the original from Disneyland) has now been 'updated' to the Enchanted Tiki Room: Under New Management and this song is no longer played in its entirety.

5. "Swisskapolka" The music you hear as you walk through the Swiss Family Treehouse.

6. "Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life for Me)" From the classic "Pirates of the Caribbean," of course. This isn't the ENTIRETY of the ride, but at over five and a half minutes, is lots more than just a quick cut of the pirate band singing the song. It's designed to be heard the way it would be as you go through the ride; condensed, but still very evocative. A highlight.

7. "Friend Like Me" Starts basically the same as the "Tiki Tiki Room" (though with the voice of Jerry Orbach as the French bird, Pierre), then is interrupted by Iago from Aladdin, who sings his own version of that film's Genie's big intro number about how the Tiki Room needs some modernization.

8. "Bear Band Serenade" One of the opening numbers from the Country Bear Jamboree show, in its entirety.

9. "Splash Mountain" Similar to Pirates, it doesn't run quite as long as the actual ride, but is still a very comprehensive (nearly 8 minutes; the ride runs 10) soundtrack to the ride. Very catchy songs, and even splashing sound effects at moments where the drops occur. Oddly, Brer Rabbit's solo version of Zip A Dee Doo Dah is BEFORE the ensemble version on the Zip A Dee Lady, whereas the reverse is the case on the ride itself. Still, excellent! The sounds of the splashes really add a lot to making you feel like you're there.

10. "Grim Grinning Ghosts" The famous theme from the Haunted Mansion...like Pirates and Splash, it's not ALL the sounds of the attraction, but more than just the singing bust scene. It has the entrance music and part of the Ghost Host's opening spiel, music from the ballroom scene, and the song with its lyrics as performed by not only the singing busts, but some of the other ghosts that you can hear singing along to the song in the cemetary. (The song is played in its entirety 3 times). The track ends with the voices singing the "If you would like to join our jamboree..." verse towards the end/exit area and Little Leota calling out "Hurry baaaaaaaack..."

11. "It's a Small World" Singing dolls...catchy melody bound to get stuck in your head...a 5 minute version that covers a few of the different languages that it goes through on the ride.

12. "The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh" Cute, cuddly, bouncy...pretty much the music as you hear it on the ride...possibly slightly shortened, I'm not sure exactly how long the whole ride is, but this is over 4 minutes and covers all the major scenes in the ride.

13. "Solo Pilot Blues" I haven't actually heard this one in the park, but I'd assume it would be by the Barnstormer in Toontown Fair. (It's listed as a Toontown Fair song and is sung by Goofy.) It's cute.

14. "The Best Time of Your Life" This song for a while was the replacement for "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" at the Carousel of Progress. The corporate sponser suggested the song be changed because it emphasized that NOW is the best time and encouraged consumerism...they were worried people wouldn't buy things now if they thought that tomorrow would have something even better to offer. (True story, heard it from Disney historian Jim Korkis.) ...yeah, people wanted "Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" back and they got it.

15. "Planetary Boogie" As performed by Sonny Eclipse, the AudioAnimatronic alien who performs in the dining area at Tomorrowland's Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe.

16. "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow." The song is sung through by several different performers on this track, which runs about two and a half minutes. I think that all of the recordings are from the CURRENT version of the attraction (the ending is, for sure), which is not the same as the ORIGINAL from the World's Fair/Disneyland, but it is still nice. The entire original version of the Carousel of Progress is on one of the CDs in the 6 CD Musical History of Disneyland box set. Check the Wonderland Music machine at Main Street Cinema, too, and see if there's a CD devoted just to that attraction. (That machine will burn legal copies of several out of print Disney CDs, some of which are soundtracks to attractions; it was $15.96 plus tax while I was on the CP if you would be interested!)

Now we leave Magic Kingdom and head to Epcot...the next few tracks are all 'extinct' EPCOT Center songs.

17. "EPCOT Entrance Medley" Futuristic-sounding music with "Energy, You Make the World Go 'Round" featured prominently. Not the same loop currently played at the entrance to Epcot, so this is a nice look at Disney history. (All of these extinct EPCOT Center songs are, really.)

18. "Tomorrow's Child" Theme song of Spaceship Earth before the ride was refurbished/altered. Really lovely song.

19. "Energy, You Make the World Go 'Round"
20. "The Universe of Energy"

Both of those are from the old, pre-Ellen DeGeneres/Bill Nye version of Universe of Energy, which was...rather dry and dull, but did feature some nice catchy songs that live on even if they are no longer a part of the show.

21. "Test Track Medley" This is pretty much the music that you hear as you wait in line for Test Track...not really a ride known for its soundtrack, but it's still kind of cool to have the music on the CD. (This obviously isn't extinct, since the ride is still there.)

22. "It's Fun to Be Free" Back to Exctinct EPCOT. The theme song of the World of Motion pavilion, which was plowed to make room for Test Track. I like that this track and the one before it are next to each other on the CD.

23. "Listen to the Land" Another dearly departed EPCOT song...it used to be played on the boat ride in The Land pavilion, which was called "Listen to the Land." The ride was renamed "Living with the Land," the song went away. It's another really really catchy one, though, and it's nice that it lives on.

That's the end of CD 1; this is really long, so I'll do CD 2 in another post. Oh, and CD 1 ends up running a total of just over an hour and 17 minutes.

[Disney Princess Ariellen]

Disc 2- Walt Disney World Happiest Celebration on Earth Official Album

1. "Kitchen Kaberet Medley" Includes "The Boogie Woogie Bakery Boy," "Ham and Eggs," and what I think is the most famous song from this show, "Veggie Veggie Fruit Fruit." Not the entirety of the show, which was the predecessor of Food Rocks (not represented on this set, or anywhere that I know of), which has since been cleared to make room for "Soarin'," but a nice sampling of the highlights of another extinct EPCOT attraction.

2. "Soarin'" This ride has SUCH a beautiful score, and I'm pretty sure that it appears here in its entirety and isn't trimmed down. Again, it's cool from a Disney history perspective that this track follows the Kitchen Kaberey track since they occupy the same space. I like the tribute to the park's past and present.

3. "One Little Spark" A CLASSIC. The original, much loved and sorely missed version of the song from "Journey Into Imagination" as performed by Dreamfinder and Figment before they decided "Let's close that ride and let Kodak design the replacement...and do a terrible job...so that we need to come back and try to fix something that's been damaged beyond repair." Um...sorry for that mini-rant. This is one of the greatest, catchiest Disney theme park songs ever, in my opinion. And Figment is EPCOT/Epcot's signature character.

4. "Magic Journeys" The theme song from the 3D movie of the same name that used to play in the Journey into Imagination pavilion and later in Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom...Captain Eo, and later Honey, I Shrunk the Audience took over the space in Journey into Imagination; "Legend of the Lion King" replaced the show in Fantasyland before it gave way to Mickey's PhilharMagic. A haunting melody.

5. "Makin' Memories" A catchy little ditty about photography through the years that used to play around the Journey into Imagination pavilion. (Kodak was the sponser, after all...still is, actually.) Cute and peppy.

6. "Destiny" Theme song that plays as you exit Mission: SPACE. It's a pretty song; I have sentimental attachment to it since one of my best friends on my college program worked at this attraction.

7. "Space" Another instance of "what you just heard is what's there now, here's what used to be in that spot." This is a clip from Horizons, the ride that was once where Mission: SPACE is now. It's from the space sequence of the choose-your-own-ending part of the ride.

8. "New Horizons" The Horizons theme song, featuring the message "If we can dream it, then we can do it." Short, but pretty...I think this used to be the music you heard waiting in line for the ride? It's been gone so long now, I don't remember. (In a perfect world, we could have Mission: SPACE AND Horizonos...)

9. "Canada (You're a Lifetime Wonder)" First World Showcase track! Very pretty song from the CircleVision movie "O Canada." Since it's about Canada, there are verses in English and French. Several Cast Members from Canada that I met liked the song better than the movie itself.

10. "Impressions de France" Selections from the movie of the same name in the France pavilion. The CD covers nearly 10 minutes of music from the 18 minute movie, and all the music is art music by French composers. Very beautiful; first time I ever heard of music from this show being released on CD.

11. "Golden Dream" The beautiful song from the American Adventure pavilion. Gorgeous.

12. "Hooray for Hollywood" I'm not familiar with this particular version of the song, but this is the first track representing Disney-MGM Studios. Not really sure if this version is still heard in the park, and if so, where, but still, a fitting intro to this park.

13. "The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror" Not as close to a ride through experience as some of the other ride tracks on the collection...this only runs a minute and forty two seconds...it does feature the Twilight Zone Theme and the sound of an elevator, music from when you go through the "Fifth Dimension," the drop sound effect, and the repeat of the Twilight Zone theme from the end of the ride.

14. "Star Tours" This one is four minutes long and includes some music from the 'briefing' before the ride loads, a pretty good amount of music from the ride itself (not the whole thing, but a significant portion...covers all of the main Star Wars themes used in the ride). There's also some dialogue from Captain Rex on here, which is great fun.

15. "Playhouse Disney" Forty seconds, some sort of main Playhouse Disney theme. I've never seen the Playhouse Disney show, so I can't tell you any more about this one.

16. "Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular" Close to nine minutes of music from this show...the opening sequence when Indy dodges the spikes and runs from the giant boulder and the main Indiana Jones theme are featured.

17. "Tree of Life Theme" Disney's Animal Kingdom music, played...around the Tree of Life. This is another one of those 'setting the mood' sorts of tracks that makes you feel like you're going into the park again.

18. "Beauty and the Bees" One of the more unusual tracks...a choir of buzzing bees playing "Beauty and the Beast." One of the tracks played in the Tree of Life 'waiting room' before the 3D movie "It's Tough to be a Bug." (The lobby has a lot of posters for Broadway shows altered to include silly bug-related puns and melodies from many of those shows are chirped and buzzed while you wait, thanks to the wonder of sound effects.)

19. "It's Tough to Be a Bug" A short track; the 'grand finale' of the 3D movie of the same name. Silly, fun, clever lyrics.

20. "Diggin' in Dinoland" You can hear this somewhat kiddie song by the Boneyard in Dinoland, USA...the title pretty much gets to the point; it's about...digging for dinosaur bones in Dinoland.

And I don't know why we go back to MK for one track at the end, but the CD ends with

21. "Cinderella Surprise Celebration" The castle stage show that has been replaced with Cinderellabration for the Happiest Celebration on Earth, but the rumor mill sounds like this show will return when that Celebration ends. As Escapay said, it's not a recording of the entire show (the track runs 9 minutes), but the show's big original song is played at the beginning and the end. This is really cute, you get to hear Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and Cinderella. The introduction, princess medley, laughing place, and finale are the main highlights.

And...that's the end! CD 2 runs a bit over an hour and sixteen minutes.

Sorry this was so long, and I hope C3PO and anyone else who was curious about what was on the set found this helpful. I wanted to be thorough about what's on here and have it make enough sense that however many or few times any of you have been to WDW, everyone would be able to 'get' where everything came from.

[Mouseketodd]

Check the Wonderland Music machine at Main Street Cinema, too, and see if there's a CD devoted just to that attraction. (That machine will burn legal copies of several out of print Disney CDs, some of which are soundtracks to attractions; it was $15.96 plus tax while I was on the CP if you would be interested!)

I knew Disneyland sold some vintage recordings as CD-on-demand products. I plan to order some, including the one of "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln" and The Mickey Mouse Club highlights. And, I want to purchase the "Summer Magic" soundtrack and send it to my mom for Mothers Day.

Are you saying that Walt Disney World offers the same thing? (And, what does your 'CP' stand for in the above quote?). That would be great!!!! With our imminent trip to WDW, purchasing my vintage wish list there would be cheaper -- as in no shipping from California!

And, thanks for your thorough listing of the 2-disc CD set!

[Disney Princess Ariellen]

I knew Disneyland sold some vintage recordings as CD-on-demand products. I plan to order some, including the one of "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln" and The Mickey Mouse Club highlights. And, I want to purchase the "Summer Magic" soundtrack and send it to my mom for Mothers Day.

Are you saying that Walt Disney World offers the same thing? (And, what does your 'CP' stand for in the above quote?). That would be great!!!! With our imminent trip to WDW, purchasing my vintage wish list there would be cheaper -- as in no shipping from California!

Yes! I THINK that the CD selection is the same at Disneyland and WDW, too, though I only got a brief glance at Disneyland's list when I was there. I know that 'Disneyland attractions' is a category in the WDW machine; I think that they have Mr. Lincoln among them; the only one I'm remembering for certain at the moment is America Sings.

I forget if I mentioned it already, but the machine is in the Main Street Cinema at WDW.

And oh, I'm sorry about the abbreviation there! CP stands for College Program...I was a merchandise Cast Member at Epcot from May 2005 until January 5 of this year.

And, thanks for your thorough listing of the 2-disc CD set!

You're welcome! I love that set; it's a good one. I hope you have a fantastic time at WDW!!!