UPDATE: Sharp-eyed reader Magic Joe spotted a missing track, an alternate version of “Ihr Kinderlein Kommet” from the Music Box Christmas album, and I’ve added it below. Al’s track listing has it sequenced right after the Felix Slatkin version of the same tune, but that seemed like overkill to me, so I found it a new home toward the bottom of the playlist. If you don’t want to renumber the last six tracks in iTunes, replace them with the ones below and the sequence will be preserved. The PDF of the album cover art has been updated too!
For the benefit of new readers, I’m rerunning one of my most popular posts: “The Fabulous Sounds of Christmas at Disneyland.” Scroll down and you’ll find MP3s of every song on Disneyland’s Main Street, U.S.A. Christmas music loop. Happy holidays!
Several years ago, MiceAge.com’s Al Lutz posted an article (since updated – click HERE!) with a complete listing of the songs played on Disneyland’s Main Street, U.S.A. at the holidays. Even better, he dug up exactly which album each song came from. However, because Disneyland’s Christmas music loop was created around 1972, most of the tracks on it are from albums that are long out of print and have never been released on CD.
As a former college radio DJ and record shop rat, I zealously took on the challenge of tracking down every single song in the Main Street Christmas loop. Starting in the spring, I spent six or eight months combing local record stores, trawling the web, and stalking eBay. Along the way I may have overpaid for a couple of records, but I also enjoyed the thrill of discovery every time I came upon another rare gem.
After I’d collected all the albums (some of which, I realized, may once have been in my Lawrence Welk-loving grandma’s record collection), I had to digitize the songs with a complicated setup involving my record player, a 4-track recorder and my computer, since they hadn’t invented those USB turntables yet. Some of the records were not in the greatest shape, so a few of the songs have quite a bit of authentic hiss and pop that was impossible to filter out.
Next I spent an inordinate amount of time sequencing the songs so that they flowed seamlessly and there were no duplicates of songs or artists back to back (tricky to do when there are two versions of “Jingle Bells” and of “White Christmas,” plus five songs by the same artist). I’m not sure now why I didn’t go with the actual in-park sequence that Al documented…. I guess the me of six years ago thought she knew better than whichever cast member slaved over the very same task back in 1972!
The last project was creating packaging for my new compilation album, which I’d dubbed The Fabulous Sounds of Christmas at Disneyland! I used the various Christmas albums’ art as inspiration and found these blank CDsdesigned to look like 45s, with plastic grooves in the top and everything!
I was so pleased with the results that I made copies of my album for everyone I knew who was even remotely interested in Disneyland and/or Christmas, and it’s become an annual tradition to search out new people on whom to inflict my pet project.
Which is why this year I’m giving The Fabulous Sounds of Christmas at Disneyland! to all of you! Posted below are all the songs, plus a PDF file of the cover art, if you feel like burning the album to a disc. To grab the MP3 file, right-click on the song title and select “Save Link As…” or its equivalent. Note that the songs on my version are not arranged in the order in which they play at Disneyland—for that sequence you’ll have to check out Al’s article. But I did include a bonus track not found on the original Main Street Christmas loop…
And for all you Walt Disney World fans, I’ve noticed that the loop played in the Magic Kingdom at Christmastime sounds an awful lot like Disneyland’s, so maybe this album will work for you too!
The Fabulous Sounds of Christmas at Disneyland
1. White Christmas – Lawrence Welk
2. The Christmas Tree – David Rose
3. Zu Bethlehem Geboren – A Music Box Christmas
4. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer – Ed Sullivan Presents Music of Christmas
5. Twelve Days of Christmas – David Rose
6. Silver Bells – Raymond Lefevre
7. Caroling, Caroling – Hollywood Pops Orchestra
8. Still, Still, Holy Melody – A Music Box Christmas
9. I’ll Be Home for Christmas – Lawrence Welk
10. Jingle Bells – Raymond Lefevre
11. The First Noel – Ed Sullivan Presents Music of Christmas
12. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen – Lawrence Welk
13. Lobe Den Herren – A Music Box Christmas
15. Deck the Halls – Lawrence Welk
16. Petit Papa Noel – Raymond Lefevre
17. Ihr Kinderlein Kommet – Felix Slatkin
18. White Christmas – Ed Sullivan Presents Music of Christmas
19. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing – A Music Box Christmas
20. Carol of the Bells – Hollywood Bowl Symphony Orchestra
21. The Christmas Song – David Rose
22. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer – Lawrence Welk
23. O Tannenbaum – A Music Box Christmas
24. Christmas Waltz – David Rose
25. Jingle Bell Rock – Hollyridge Strings
26. Ihr Kinderlein Kommet – A Music Box Christmas
27. Deck the Halls – Felix Slatkin
28. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing – Lawrence Welk
29. Jingle Bells – A Music Box Christmas
30. Do You Hear What I Hear? – Ed Sullivan Presents Music of Christmas
Brian Iannessa
February 19, 2015Number 12 on the tracks, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, does not appear on Al’s track list. He does, however, list “The First Noel” from a Music Box Christmas as a track that you do not show on your list.
Can you shed some light?
Love your blog, by the way!
Carrie
February 20, 2015That is interesting… I made my album based on Al’s first post, and I know he did revise it a few years later. I think what I need to do before next Christmas is look at his revised post and see about revising my album. Thanks!
Sazam
December 22, 2014woaw! just found this page and…. WOAW! I’m so amazed and grateful to you for all this work, you enlighten my Christmas this year!!! thank you so much!!
Carrie
December 23, 2014Glad you like it!
Aubrey
January 10, 2014I was looking at your track listing in comparison to Al Lutz’s and it seems that you have “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” by Laurence Welk, which Lutz does not have, and Lutz has “The First Noel” from A Music Box Christmas. Is there some sort of mixup? Thanks! 🙂
Carrie
January 15, 2014Possibly. Al Lutz revised his track list after I made my album, so I’ll have to check it out and see if it matches with mine. Thanks!
Cora
March 29, 2013Hi Carrie
You have made my dreams come true! I just about cried when I found this page with the entire list of songs and mp3 files. I’ve been trying to collect the songs too, without much luck. Thank you so much for sharing and for all of your hard work. You have no idea how much this collection means to my family and I … no, I think you do know!
Thanks again to a fellow Disney/Christmas kindred spirit.
Carrie
March 29, 2013Well I’m so glad to help! Everybody needs a little Christmas in March (that is probably not a thing… but it should be!).
wingobingo
January 20, 2013i’ve died & gone 2 heaven
thankyou soooooo much, i just looove this stuff
a homemade Christmas ultra-lounge!!!
here in the UK it’s like..impossible to find these goodies
why doesn’t Capitol release this stuff, it’s my ultimate dreamy mix
of Disneyland, Capitol & the mystical & magical Christmas in the wonderful USA
can’t thank you enough mwaaah mwaaah x
hmmmm can’t get it to download at the moment, but i shall keep trying!!!
merry Christmas 2014 🙂
Carrie
January 20, 2013Yay! Glad to help bring some ultra-lounge to your UK Yule! Have you tried right-clicking on the DOWNLOAD link and then selecting “Save as” or “Download Linked File As”? That’s working for me… Hope this helps!
Alan D.
December 23, 2012Thank you so much for having this entire loop album available for download. I have this on my MP3 player and burned a CD. Your cover art is wonderful for the jewel case too. I have really been enjoying this album all Christmas season. Many thanks and Merry Christmas to you!
Carrie
December 24, 2012I’m happy to hear you’ve enjoyed the album! Merry Christmas!
Scott
December 5, 2012Thanks for compiling this wonderful collection. I even had one of those Verbatim vinyl cdrs in the closet! FYI I submitted the cd to gracenote via itunes. Hopefully the tracks names will populate for you.
Carrie
December 5, 2012Very cool! Did you get the new track too?
Scott
December 5, 2012Yes, I did get the new track. Already listened to it twice this morning.
Carrie
December 5, 2012Fabulous!
alison
December 4, 2012spectacular! and yes, i think it’s close to the same thing we have here in florida. thanks so much!
Carrie
December 4, 2012Good to know!
Elizabeth
December 4, 2012Thanks! 🙂
Lauren Boxx
December 4, 2012This is so great! Thanks so much for all of your hard work!!!!!
Carrie
December 4, 2012Enjoy! 🙂
Dan
December 4, 2012Well done! Thanks so much, Carrie (she’s lovely AND talented, folks!) Warm Holiday wishes to you – Dan
Carrie
December 4, 2012LOL! Glad you like it!
Hope
December 3, 2012YAY! I’m glad you re-ran this. I was just thinking about it this weekend.
Carrie
December 3, 2012I figured there might be some new readers who were interested—glad to hear a long-time reader is too! 😉