A Musical History of Disneyland

Post by **Luke** » Fri Jul 07, 2006 1:09 am

Listening alone required nearly eight hours. Clearly, this was not an ordinary CD review subject. Repeat listens, reading, photography, research, and extensive formatting all factored into the mix, too. It took nearly a year from when I first promised a review would be coming "soon."

But after all the time and effort, I'm happy to announce my disc-by-disc, single-page review of the deluxe 6-disc <b>A Musical History of Disneyland: 50th Anniversary</b> collection is now online and ready to be read:
http://www.ultimatedisney.com/amusicalh ... yland.html

In all fairness, listening to this 5-star collection can't really be considered work. Writing about it in a critical, learned way definitely is, but the set itself is anything but a chore to listen to. Still, please read it so that everything that went into it was somehow worth it beyond letting me revisit my Disneyland trip from a year ago and pretending that various extinct attractions aren't really gone.

Timon/Pumbaa fan · Post by **Timon/Pumbaa fan** » Fri Jul 07, 2006 11:15 am

Loomis and Dave Wadding have been waiting for this day for a loooooooong time.

Great review Luke! Until you got to the POTC selection, you managed to get my mind off of seeing POTC: DMC!

Which I WANT TO SEE NOW!!!

BrandonH · Post by **BrandonH** » Fri Jul 07, 2006 11:21 am

That was an incredible review, Luke! Just looking at the detailed track lists and reading your descriptions made me tear up in joy. I would get this set even if it was just six CDs in jewel cases, but the book, record, and packaging are some fine bonus items. This is going on my family Christmas list for sure.

Bill W · Post by **Bill W** » Fri Jul 07, 2006 12:03 pm

Great Work! Fun to read your thoughts. I bought the set from Disney Direct shortly after it came out and listen to it often. The definite highlights are Tiki Room, Pirates, Haunted Mansion, and Splash Mountain. I also find the Buzz Lightyear track to be very entertaining.

BrandonH · Post by **BrandonH** » Fri Jul 07, 2006 2:38 pm

As far as I can tell, the going price for a new copy of the set online is about $80. If anybody sees something better, please post the information.

pinkrenata · Post by **pinkrenata** » Fri Jul 07, 2006 6:55 pm

Phenomenal review, Mr L! I hope everyone appreciates the time and effort that went into this entertaining and thoroughly informative review.

Loomis · Post by **Loomis** » Fri Jul 07, 2006 8:22 pm

Oh my god! Oh my god! It finally happened!

Thanks, Luke! A thoroughly entertaining read! I don't think I have any excuses left to NOT buy this collection anymore.

My only decision now is whether to buy the general release version through the regular retailers, or try and hunt down the limited edition on eBay. (I DO have a record player - two in fact).

Great job, L.

HappyPug · Post by **HappyPug** » Fri Jul 07, 2006 8:32 pm

I bought this when I was over there and never regretted it.
I was there the day it came out so the lady said I got the Gold Record but im scared to open it.
The CDs are the best.
Especially the original Haunted Mansion Holiday.
I loved that version.
Memories.

Tokyo Disneylands Holiday Nightmare will be fun and fresh.
I'll be there in September seeing Madonna so must stop by
Tokyo Disneyland and of course visit the Hightower Hotel at Disneysea.

CJ · Post by CJ » Fri Jul 07, 2006 9:43 pm

Wow! That review was definitely worth the wait. An excellent and thorough job, Luke. Now, I know for sure that I want this set. Hopefully, I will be able to afford it in a few months.

musicradio77 · Post by **musicradio77** » Sat Jul 08, 2006 7:52 am

I don't have the "Musical History of DIsneyland" boxed set, but I do have the entire Disneyland CD collection featuring all the songs from every Disney attraction taken from 1313 South Harbor Blvd. website.

AwallaceUNC · Post by **AwallaceUNC** » Sat Jul 08, 2006 10:56 am

What an incredible review, Luke. You've thoroughly and succinctly covered all that needs to be covered on this set and your take on its contents is spot-on. I just wish I had my set here with me as I was reading it, as the review was getting me extremely excited both for the audio (some of which I admittedly haven't listened to because I want to wait until I experience it first hand) and even more so, my fast-approaching Disneyland trip! This is a must-read for any Disney parks fan and it adds <i>tremendously</i> to UD's coverage of the theme parks. Thanks a lot for all the time you spent on bringing this fantastic review to us!

-Aaron

DaveWadding · Post by **DaveWadding** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 12:07 am

BrandonH wrote:As far as I can tell, the going price for a new copy of the set online is about $80. If anybody sees something better, please post the information.

They had it at Costco last year for like $65 (which is a shame because I didnt have the money to spend)...if I see it around again (it was around Fall/Christmas IIRC) I'll make sure to post about it.

Post by **Luke** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 9:07 am

Thanks everyone for the kind words! They really mean a lot to me and are a nice reward after the many hours of toil.

Brandon, I've added some other UD-affiliated links to etailers around the net at the bottom of the review. It looks like $80 is about the best you can find it for now.

I've also updated the review to reflect that apparently the record is not included in the general retail versions; only the ones at Disney parks and such. I can't confirm that myself, but comments I have heard from others suggest that it is true. So, if the 33 is a make-or-break deal from you, you may not want to risk it. Of course, if you don't have a record player, I'd say you're just as good getting the CD separately, but that's not soo cheap for a 35-minute album.

BrandonH · Post by **BrandonH** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 4:47 pm

Well, I bit the bullet and bought this set from Overstock.com. Sorry I didn't use any of the UD links, Luke, but they had the lowest price.

For anyone who has bought from them before, how long do they usually take to ship items? I placed the order on the weekend, but the merchandise has not reached the postal service yet.

Post by **Luke** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 4:03 pm

BrandonH wrote:Well, I bit the bullet and bought this set from Overstock.com. Sorry I didn't use any of the UD links, Luke, but they had the lowest price.

That's why -- like I said in the previous post -- I included a link to buy the set Overstock at the bottom of the review...

I'm all for saving money, too.

BrandonH · Post by **BrandonH** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 4:22 pm

I just saw the Overstock link today, and I'm kicking myself for not doublechecking before I placed the order.

I did remember to go through UD for the Star Trek: TAS set, so you'll get a little ka-ching in November from that.

Post by **Luke** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 4:53 pm

No biggie and thanks!

BrandonH · Post by **BrandonH** » Sun Aug 20, 2006 12:40 am

Over the past 24 hours, I listened to all six discs of the set, and it is simply fantastic! Kudos to Disney for including 10-20 minute tracks that are complete presentations of rides and shows both new and old. Some of the extinct attractions were new to me, while others allowed me to relive fond memories. The stereo soundfield is incredible on these discs, and the left/right placement matches the reality of the attractions quite faithfully. If you have the option of listening with headphones, it will enhance your experience.

My favorite tracks include:

Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln (mostly for the awe-inspiring performance
of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" at the end)
Alexander's Ragtime Band
Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye
Pirates of the Caribbean
The Haunted Mansion
Country Bear Vacation Hoedown
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
When You Wish Upon a Star
Roger Rabbit's Cartoon Spin
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Medley
Adventure Thru Inner Space
Star Tours
The Submarine Voyage Thru Liquid Space
Space Mountain (original version)
Remember Dreams Come True
The Main Street Electrical Parade
Fantasmic!

Another nice feature of the set is that each disc is crammed to the max with music. There are no blank spaces between tracks, which adds to the flow of music.

My one quibble with the set is that there is next to no dialogue for the Lucasfilm rides. The Williams music stands on its own, of course, but some of the Indy and Rex lines are just as classic as the Ghost Host narration to me.

A Musical History of Disneyland gets my highest recommendation to fans of great music and Disney magic. It made me want to go back to the park, watch The Haunted Mansion film again, and buy more Disney books, so it definitely plucked my Disney-fanboy string.

Post by **Luke** » Sun Aug 20, 2006 3:13 am

BrandonH wrote:My one quibble with the set is that there is next to no dialogue for the Lucasfilm rides. The Williams music stands on its own, of course, but some of the Indy and Rex lines are just as classic as the Ghost Host narration to me.

I agree with you. Both of those tracks were lacking in relation to how much fun the rides are, due chiefly to the lack of dialogue. Glad to hear you enjoyed the set so much!

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