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, I can say they are not completely accurate. (It's also likely the music has changed slightly over time.)

I wanted to compile a soundtrack of all the Wilderness Lodge music for my personal use. Armed with various lists that have been published online and/or distributed by Wilderness Lodge staff, I started doing some research. Over the course of many years I've emerged with the list of Wilderness Lodge music below. This list is the result of extensive detective work, and I've been helped by several MouseSavers.com readers: special thanks to Jim S, Jeff D, Tim M, Brian P and Kendra.

There are 29 tracks that are almost certainly played at Wilderness Lodge. Most of those tracks can be downloaded from iTunes, and then played on your computer, iPod, iPhone or other digital music player.

I have compiled an iMix list of Wilderness Lodge music that will save you time in finding the tracks.

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Tracks Available on iTunes Through the iMix

"Introduction: The Open Prairie"
"The Open Prairie Again"
"Street in a Frontier Town"
"Prairie Night/Card Game"
Aaron Copland
(from the ballet Billy the Kid)

"Buckaroo Holiday"
Aaron Copland
(from the ballet Rodeo)

"Walk to the Bunkhouse"
Aaron Copland
(from the music of the film Red Pony)

Selections from Appalachian Spring
(I picked two sections I believe are played in the Lodge for the iMix)
Aaron Copland
(from the Appalachian Spring concert suite)

"On The Trail"
Ferde Grofé
(from Grand Canyon Suite)

"The Buffalo Hunt"
"Ride to Ft. Hayes"
John Barry
(from the film Dances With Wolves)

"The Last of the Mohicans" (Main Title)
"Top of the World"
Trevor Jones/Randy Edelman
(from the film The Last of the Mohicans)

"The Big Country" (Main Title)
Jerome Moross
(from the classic film The Big Country)

"How The West Was Won" (Main Title)
Alfred Newman
(from the classic film How The West Was Won)

"Silverado" (Main Theme)
Bruce Broughton
(from the film Silverado)

"Wyatt Earp"
James Newton-Howard
(from the 1990s film Wyatt Earp)

"The Magnificent Seven" (Main Theme)
Elmer Bernstein
(from the film The Magnificent Seven)

"Duel in the Sun" (Main Theme)
Dimitri Tiomkin
(from the classic film Duel in the Sun)

"The Wave"
Randy Edelman
(from the film Angels in the Outfield)

"Sand Creek Memories"
Peter Kater and R. Carlos Nakai
(from the soundtrack of the television special How The West Was Lost)

"Creation"
Brian Keane
(from the soundtrack of the PBS television miniseries The Way West)

"Theme for Earth Day"
John Williams
(from The Green Album)

Not Available for Purchase on iTunes

The music below is played in the Lodge but is available only on CD (which you can then add to your personal iTunes library if you want):

Selections from The Heiress Suite
Aaron Copland
(from the music of the film The Heiress)
Can be found on Copland: Music for Films

Out of Print

The music below is played in the Lodge, but unfortunately these albums are out of print and not on iTunes. You might be able to find a used copy somewhere.

"Wagon Chase"
James Newton-Howard
(from the 1990s film Wyatt Earp)

"Field of Dreams"
James Horner
(from the film Field of Dreams)

"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 four CDs, you'll have about half of the music from this list:

• 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 6 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")

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 iTunes through the links below.

"The Wild Ride"
"A Land Filled with Wonder"
Mark Isham
(from the film A River Runs Through It)

"Mountain Dance"
Dave Grusin
(from Mountain Dance)

"Appalachian Morning"
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 I don't believe it is played at the Lodge. Several readers have written to tell me 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 I definitely can't recall hearing it at the Wilderness Lodge. A reader pointed out to me that this really should be the Copland piece from Red Pony.

Grofé's "Grand Panorama" appears on many lists. I 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.

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 I 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 I believe the John Williams piece is the correct one.

"Mountain Dance" was not on any of the original lists I 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 I 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, I am 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 I wouldn't swear to it.

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