“We Need a Little Christmas Now”: Where to Find the Jolliest Holiday Tunes at Walt Disney World

All my life, the Christmas season has been my favorite time of year. On November first I start celebrating the most wonderful time of the year by unearthing my Christmas garb from the closet and cuing the holiday tunes. While I love spending time at Disney World during the holidays, I sometimes miss the Christmas music available 24/7 at home. Luckily for my fellow holiday fanatics, Disney World celebrates “that time of year,” as Olaf would say, with plenty of merry melodies.

Main Street USA

An unadulterated Christmas spirit greets guests as soon as they enter Magic Kingdom. Toy soldiers guard a magnificent tree covered with ornaments and popcorn garlands. Warm, instrumental renditions of classic Christmas songs, such as "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", play from park open until park close, the perfect soundtrack to complement the whimsical décor. This music evokes childlike wonder, much like the Magic Kingdom at any time of year, welcoming guests old and young to experience Christmas through the lens of innocence. Graced with this lovely music, Main Street USA is a true holiday haven.

Sunset Boulevard and Echo Lake

Much like the retro decorations scattered throughout Hollywood Studios, the park’s music recalls a vintage era. Nostalgic hits like "Man with a Bag" serenade guests as they gaze at the lights along Sunset Boulevard. These melodies transport one to the 40s and 50s, the golden age of Christmas music, allowing guests to experience yesteryear's yuletide cheer. Even though I hear many of these classics on the radio, I still relish this magical music, the cherry on top of Hollywood Studios' idyllic Christmas atmosphere.

Alien Swirling Saucers

During the holiday season, reinvented Christmas classics alternate with Alien Swirling Saucers’ traditional galactic tunes. Although this isn't the ride you'd typically associate with the holidays, this humble overlay is the dose of Christmas music Toy Story Land needs.

Author's Note: Speaking of Christmas in Toy Story Land, my family always says Matt Maher's bouncy, playful rendition of "Jingle Bells" would fit wonderfully in this land. :)

Epcot

Epcot always boasts unique music from the whimsical techno bops of Creations Shop and the swelling anthems of Worlds Celebration, Discovery, and Nature (or Future World, as I will always know it). Epcot’s holiday sounds are equally infectious. Throughout the entire park, lighthearted holiday ditties sprinkle Epcot with Christmas joy. This musical holiday overlay is the perfect soundtrack for strolling through the Festival of the Holidays.

As a bonus for World Showcase, every evening the Candlelight Processional, an annual tradition in which a celebrity narrator tells the Christmas story while a mass choir and orchestra sing and play holiday hymns, bedecks the American Adventure with glorious music. Any guest can catch snippets of the show throughout the American Adventure pavilion or enjoy the music while sampling festival food from the pavilion’s holiday kitchen.

Grand Floridian

Grand Floridian celebrates the season with Victorian flair and classy canticles. As one explores Disney World’s flagship resort, one can bask in the comfort of sentimental Christmas hymns. While these songs aren’t one-of-a-kind, they create a cozy atmosphere for the holiday season.

Discovery Island

As much as I love Christmastime, constant holiday tunes can grate my nerves. For anyone else who needs a break from classic Christmas songs from time to time, Discovery Island’s holiday soundtrack is the perfect compromise: here, you can listen to unique takes on Christmas classics without being bombarded with the same old songs over and over again. This style of music blends marvelously with Animal Kingdom’s theming as well. Next time you find yourself not being able to stand the ever-present holiday soundtrack, I recommend a stroll through Discovery Island.

When you need a little Christmas at Disney World, where can you find your favorite holiday medleys?