The Disney Theme-Park Background Music Bracket -- Round One, Day Three

Ready to paint the roses red?

Now, fair is fair: that photo implies a bit more of a flashback than I have in mind for today’s quartet of matchups in the first round of the Disney Theme-Park Background Music Bracket. But one of the big pieces of music you’ll be voting on is a medley themed to a subset of attractions in Fantasyland. Plus, a black-and-white photo is always nice to look at, I feel.

Anyway, are you ready for some more relaxing music and possibly less relaxing votes? Let’s get into it.

(1) Fantasyland Dark Ride Suite vs. (16) Expedition Everest loop: As promised, the first matchup today involves a suite of music that is essentially a combination of ride audio from the big rides in the Fantasyland area at Disneyland, encompassing Peter Pan’s Flight, Alice in Wonderland, Pinocchio’s Daring Journey, and Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, and not in that order. And it also includes some Asian-tinged music to fit the Expedition Everest queue, which I don’t want to give too much short shrift, but…also, I would vote for the Dark Ride Suite. Sometimes, you just want to feel like you’re experiencing these rides as a child all over again.

But that’s me — what do you think?

Fantasyland Dark Ride Suite

Expedition Everest

(8) Cars Land loop vs. (9) Star Tours loop: The Star Tours loop I was able to find is fairly short, but is reflective of much of what you’ll hear in Star Tours music — please note, we’re not considering the music in the Galaxy’s Edge area, in part because it’s a lot less notable, if you were to ask me. Basically, this vote is simple: do you vote for automotive-themed music primarily from the 1950s and 1960s, or the music of John Williams? I will lean to the latter, but maybe you’re an aural gearhead. (If such a thing exists.)

Vote!

Cars Land

Star Tours

(4) Disneyland Hotel - Adventure Tower loop vs. (13) Steakhouse 55 loop: Now, I know that I’ve already stated in this bracket that I vastly prefer the music of Adventureland to most areas within the Disney parks. And while that’s true — and you might safely presume I’d vote for the music of the Adventure Tower at the Disneyland Hotel — in this specific matchup, I’m actually voting for the music loop for the now-defunct restaurant Steakhouse 55.

I never actually had the pleasure of dining at Steakhouse 55, though I’ve gone plenty of times to the still-standing Goofy’s Kitchen, a character buffet that adjoins the old-fashioned steakhouse. But I have listened to the jazzy and laid-back music reflective of the restaurant almost as many times as I’ve listened to the Adventure Tower loop. And here’s the thing: I love the music in the Adventure Tower, but I can find similar music in other venues within the resort. Not so with the Steakhouse 55 loop. Do you dig it? (Because of jazz, you see.)

Disneyland Hotel - Adventure Tower

Steakhouse 55

(5) Rivers of America loop vs. (12) Liberty Square loop: Rivers of America will be getting my vote here, and I can very specifically tell you why. If you’re not patient enough to listen to the 55-minute loop of music for Rivers of America, at least do yourself a favor and skip ahead to the extended rendition of “After You’ve Gone” that begins at 39:19. Aside from its tonal shifts between bouncy and mournful, there’s just something exciting in the many different ways that the musicians find new emotional notes in the familiar theme (that was once used for a 40s-era package film from Disney Animation).

Rivers of America all the way.

Rivers of America

Liberty Square