6. Adventureland

Adventureland's entrance music loop is just plain fun. The earthy, upbeat score is a perfect fit for the land's entrance. (It transitions to jazz standards as the 1930s theme takes hold past the Tiki Room, uniting Jungle Cruise and the Modern Marvel: Indiana Jones Adventure into the same time period). While the simplicity and ease of the entrance loop may be at odds with the more dramatic and cinematic score deeper in the land, it's a perfect retro throwback to the early days of the park.

7. Paradise Pier

When Disneyland's second gate opened, it didn't exactly leave its first guests satisfied. We took a walk through the dark days of Disney's first theme park failure in Declassified Disaster: Disney's California Adventure. Among the park's greatest sins? Rather than bringing to life a historic, idealized California (the way Disneyland's lands take guests to long-lost times and places infused with fantasy), the park was a spoof of modern California, with Paradise Pier acting as a 21st century thrill boardwalk playing the Beach Boys, The Mamas and the Papas, and more.

After a five year reimagining, Paradise Pier was lightly reskinned as a turn-of-the-century Victorian boardwalk of Edison bulbs, elegant seaside architecture, and other historic accents. But believe it or not, the music did much of the legwork as the music loop above proves, skillfully creating an early 1900s feel. After all, as odd as it is to think about, Paradise Pier and Main Street, U.S.A. were set in approximately the same era! 

During a second facelift of the land in 2018, it became the unusual Pixar Pier, strangely doubling down on the Victorian architecture, but also dividing into four "neighborhoods" themed to modern Pixar films. It's an unusual mix made all the more unfortunate because the background music above was replaced with instrumental scores from Pixar films. We at least wish Disney would've re-orchestrated them to sound like turn-of-the-century music. But at least we can still listen to the old Paradise Pier loop at home.

8. Buena Vista Street

Another victory from California Adventure's reimagining? The absolutely stunning Buena Vista Street – a new entrance land custom built for the park and perfectly capturing its new identity of celebrating California's history.

Themed to a 1920s Los Angeles alive with the bustling electric optimism of the West Coast, the land's music isn't too different from the best loops at Disney's Hollywood Studios. But especially at California Adventure, there's something transformative about the music set against the Red Car Trolley dinging its way up and down the street, the Carthay Circle Theater ahead, and the elegant '20s department stores lining the avenue. 

9. New Orleans Square

According to many Disneyland loyalists, New Orleans Square is Walt's magnum opus – the most beautiful classic land you'll find at any Disney park. And with two of the world's most iconic attractions in its lineup (Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion), it's easy to understand why. There's nothing like relaxing on a wrought-iron, vine-covered patio along the Rivers of America drinking a non-alcoholic mint julep and enjoying the sounds of live jazz bands.

The land's background music loop, too, will make you want to dance the night away. It's cool, slick, and jazzy, keeping guests tapping their toes as they walk through the land's intricate backstreets. 

10. Innoventions

Though Epcot's Innoventions music packs a '90s punch, the electronic influenced score is simply nostalgia at its finest. Quite different from Tomorrowland's sci-fi chirps and fast-paced score, this music is somewhat more contemplative and inspirational; a perfect fit for what Future World was in the '90s.

Major reconstruction in the center of Future World is likely to demolish the old, parenthetical Innoventions buildings entirely. It's likely that a new, more appropriately-21st century music loop will replace this one (which, admittedly, doesn't jive with the park's mish-mashed pavilions). The weird thing will be seeing what replaces it... Most fans agree that Future World's problem is that it's once-united pavilions are now pulled apart. Some are character-infused; some are headlined by brainless, vaguely-scientific thrills; others are still left in their tired '90s states. Just as it's hard to see how they can ever be united again, it's hard to imagine what music could feel cohesive among such a spread.

11. Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge

It's hard to imagine a more iconic score than that composed for Star Wars by famed Hollywood composer John Williams (also behind the brilliant and iconic scores of Harry Potter, Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones, E.T., Jaws, and many more). Disney even teased that Williams had composed a custom score just for Galaxy's Edge. So imagine the surprise when fans stepped into the Star Wars-themed land to hear... well... nothing. Don't misunderstand – the land is mapped into many audio zones... but none play the music you're expecting. The land's entrance portals play gentle, mystical chimes; the village of Black Spire Outpost is mostly filled with the sounds of merchants and ships landing and taking off...

Given Disney's determination to keep Batuu highly realistic, it makes sense... A cinematic movie score wouldn't be blasting through a "real" impoverished alien village, right? But the lack of the expected songs has frustrated some fans. The compromise? Inside Oga's Cantina is DJ R3X (the beloved Droid who was our pilot on the Lost Legend: STAR TOURS), who plays remixed songs that just sound like Star Wars. During the land's first two months at Disneyland, the DJ's music has been expanding through the land's sound zones to play over radios set around the planet – perhaps Disney's in-universe solution for fans negative response to the unorthodox silence.