How to Get the Wilderness Lodge Lobby Music
Fans of Disney’s Wilderness Lodge at Walt Disney World almost always comment on how much they love the themed music that is played in the lobby of the hotel. Many of us have asked the Wilderness Lodge staff if it’s possible to buy a CD of the music, but unfortunately they don’t sell one. A few people have been given various typed lists by the hotel’s front desk, but after looking at several of those lists, we can say they are not completely accurate. (It’s also likely the music has changed slightly over time.)
We wanted to compile a soundtrack of all the Wilderness Lodge music for our personal use. Armed with various lists that have been published online and/or distributed by Wilderness Lodge staff, we started doing some research. Over the course of many years we’ve emerged with the list of Wilderness Lodge music below. This list is the result of extensive detective work, and we’ve been helped by several MouseSavers.com readers: special thanks to Jim S, Jeff D, Tim M, Brian P, Len H and Kendra.
There are 29 tracks that have almost certainly been played at Wilderness Lodge (though some are apparently no longer in the rotation). Most of those tracks can be downloaded as MP3’s from Amazon.com, and then played on your computer, iPod, iPhone or other digital music player.
Jump to:
- Not Available for Purchase as MP3’s
- Out of Print
- Don’t Want to Download?
- Other Possible Tracks
- Notes
Tracks Available on Amazon.com
Introduction: The Open Prairie
Aaron Copland (from the ballet Billy the Kid)
Aaron Copland (from the ballet Rodeo)
Aaron Copland (from the music of the film Red Pony) Can be found on Copland: Music for Films
Appalachian Spring: 1. Very Slowly
Appalachian Spring: 10. Poco piu mosso
Aaron Copland (from the Appalachian Spring ballet)
Ferde Grofé (from Grand Canyon Suite)
John Barry (from the film Dances With Wolves)
The Last of the Mohicans (Main Title)
Trevor Jones (from the film The Last of the Mohicans)
Jerome Moross (from the classic film The Big Country). Can be found on The Wild West: The Essential Western Film Collection
How The West Was Won (Prelude)
Alfred Newman (from the classic film How The West Was Won). Can be found on The Wild West: The Essential Western Film Collection
Bruce Broughton (from the film Silverado). Can be found on The Wild West: The Essential Western Film Collection
James Newton-Howard (from the 1990s film Wyatt Earp). Can be found on The Wild West: The Essential Western Film Collection
The Magnificent Seven (Main Theme)
Elmer Bernstein (from the film The Magnificent Seven). Can be found on The Wild West: The Essential Western Film Collection
Dimitri Tiomkin (from the classic film Duel in the Sun)
Randy Edelman (from the film Angels in the Outfield)
Peter Kater (from the soundtrack of the television special How The West Was Lost)
Brian Keane (from the soundtrack of the PBS television miniseries The Way West)
John Williams (from The Green Album)
The Heiress Suite (selections)
Aaron Copland (from the music of the film The Heiress). Can be found on Copland: Music for Films
Not Available for Purchase as MP3’s
The music below is played in the Lodge but is available only on CD (which you can then rip and add to your iTunes or other MP3 library if you want):
Field of Dreams
James Horner (from the film Field of Dreams)
Out of Print
The music below is played in the Lodge, but unfortunately these albums are out of print. You might be able to buy a used copy through the links below.
Wagon Chase
James Newton-Howard (from the 1990s film Wyatt Earp)
The Map is Real? And On Fire!
Marc Shaiman (from the film City Slickers II)
Siyo Tanka
Tim Crawford and Paul Stavenjord (from Guardian Spirits)
Don’t Want to Download?
Most of the tracks above can be purchased on CDs. In fact, if you buy just six CDs, you’ll have around 2/3 of the music from this list. A few of them are very expensive to buy new, but they can almost all be bought used for less.
- Aaron Copland: Billy the Kid and Rodeo Suite / Ferde Grofé: Grand Canyon Suite – contains 6 tracks from the list (4 from Billy the Kid, plus “Buckaroo Holiday” and “On the Trail”)
- The Wild West: The Essential Western Film Music Collection – contains 5 of the tracks from the list, plus other recordings from soundtracks and composers who appear on the list
- Dances With Wolves soundtrack – contains 2 tracks from the list
- Copland: Music for Films – contains 2 tracks from the list (“Walk to the Bunkhouse” and “Heiress Suite”)
- The Last of the Mohicans Soundtrack – contains 2 tracks from the list (“Main Title” and “Top Of The World”)
- Copland Conducts Copland: Lincoln Portrait, Appalachian Spring, Billy The Kid – contains 2 tracks from the list (the two Appalachian Spring excerpts), plus contains a different recording of the Billy The Kid tracks on the list.
Other Possible Tracks
The tracks below may have been played at the Wilderness Lodge, based on information deduced from various lists or personal reports (see notes below). They can be downloaded from Amazon or iTunes through the links below.
Mark Isham (from the film A River Runs Through It)
Dave Grusin (from Mountain Dance)
Paul Winter Consort (from Earth: Voices of a Planet)
Notes
One list suggests “Prairie Night” is the version by Bill Frisell, from the album Have a Little Faith. However, that is an avant-garde jazz interpretation of the piece and we don’t believe it is played at the Lodge. Several readers have written to tell us they agree that the traditional Copland version of this track, from Billy the Kid, is the one played in the lobby.
“Walk to the Bunkhouse” appears on one list and it has been suggested it is the Mark Isham composition from the soundtrack of Of Mice And Men. The soundtrack has a song called “The Bunkhouse” but we definitely can’t recall hearing it at the Wilderness Lodge. A reader pointed out to us that this really should be the Copland piece from Red Pony.
“Grand Panorama” appears on many lists. We can’t find any evidence that Grofé wrote anything called “Grand Panorama” and it is not a part of Grand Canyon Suite as the other lists suggest. However, it’s possible the Wilderness Lodge soundtrack includes an additional selection from Grand Canyon Suite. Update: MouseSavers reader Len H suggests that it may be a track from a production music company called “Grand Panorama,” by Bruce Campbell (no relation to the actor) and after listening to it we think he’s right. Unfortunately, production music isn’t sold via normal channels. It’s designed for licensing for film & TV projects. But you can listen to a few versions of the track sold by Ring Musik, Tele Music and Upright Music (you may have to click the track labeled “Grand Panorama”).
Some lists have “The Wild Ride” from the The Magnificent Seven, but a reader correctly points out that “there is no ‘Wild Ride’ track in The Magnificent Seven or even The Return [of the Magnificent Seven].” He suggests it should be “The Wild Ride” from A River Runs Through It, and points out that one list mentions a track called “Land With Wonder,” which could be “A Land Filled with Wonder” from the same film. Another reader says: “I have listened to the Main Theme song from The Magnificent Seven… and that song is definitely played in the Wilderness Lodge. As there is no other song from The Magnificent Seven soundtrack mentioned, I think it’s safe to say that the album is not listed incorrectly, but rather the song title.”
“Earth Day” appears on some lists, and some have said this is the version by Joe Roccisano (from the album The Shape I’m In), but that is a traditional jazz number and we don’t believe it has ever been played at Wilderness Lodge. It sounds more like something you might hear at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn. A reader reports the list he was given has a track called “A Theme for Earth Day,” and we believe the John Williams piece is the correct one.
“Mountain Dance” was not on any of the original lists we consulted, but a Cast Member who works at Wilderness Lodge tells me she is sure it’s played in the lobby. This song was used in the soundtrack of the film Falling in Love.
“Appalachian Morning” appears on some lists. It’s a nice piece but we don’t recognize it from the Lodge.
“Dodge City (theme)” appears on some lists. The movie soundtrack is available only on an out-of-print CD. After acquiring it, we are certain the main theme is not played at the Lodge. One of the other tracks, “Dodge City It Is!” sounds like it possibly could have been played at Wilderness Lodge, but we wouldn’t swear to it.