A Nerd at Christmas - Christmas Music to Love, Part 3: Main Street, USA and the Perfect Christmas Playlist

Video from Disney Theme Park Audio YouTube Channel

Perhaps I am biased as a fan of Disneyland Park, but to me, nothing beats that moment of walking under the train tunnel at the park entrance and entering Main Street USA, the iconic representation of turn-of-the-century Americana. The whistle of a train directly behind you, the clang of a trolley bell in front, the clip-clop of horses’ hooves, and off in the distance, an incongruent Bavarian castle that remains magical nonetheless… and the music. On any given day one can walk in and hear “Bicycle Built For Two,” “Goodbye My Coney Island Baby,” “Elegance,” or a number of many other old-timey tunes and feel truly transported. This same feeling seems to be only escalated during the holiday season. Although a tree now blocks the castle view upon entry, the spirit of the season and the scent of Peppermint from the Candy Palace, joined with David Rose’s “The Christmas Tree” brings about a sense of cheer reminiscent of a childhood dream of Christmas past, or even one only imagined in dreams.

A busy Christmas season day view, as seen from the upper level of the Omnibus. ©Craig D Barton

This playlist, comprised of instrumentals (Unless you count the “La-la-la-la-la” in Lawrence Welk’s arrangement of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer) from a handful of artists and Christmas albums, has a distinction of being a work that comes entirely from OUTSIDE of the Walt Disney Company. Yet, in the selection and sequencing, it feels right at home on Main Street, from the tinkling chimes of a music box to a full orchestral arrangement, with a mixture of timeless sounds in-between. Finding the source content of some of these tracks would be difficult, as many recordings are out of print. However, others are available for purchase or streaming (Ed Sullivan, Rita Ford, and David Rose’s albums show up in a Spotify search, for example, as do a few of the Lawrence Welk tunes, even if the album is different), allowing the user to piece together their playlist. But in all truth, the beauty of this one comes from the complete, just over 60 minute assembly of tunes that just go together quite wonderfully.

(Note: I’ve included the list of tracks and albums that comprise this loop at the bottom of this piece. A special thank you goes out to Kirsten Wahlquist, who compiled many a list of Disney Parks loops on her former website, Disney Music Loops, which can currently be accessed here.)



To many who have not visited Disneyland at Christmas, my attachment to this list may be hard to understand. It’s still a good list, but perhaps it doesn’t capture the magic for all as it does for me. And that’s okay. Just like so many other of my favorites, I speak about what touches my heart, and hope that the music I speak of finds others in agreement as well. This list invokes memories of walking down Main Street, in and out of shops, watching candy being made, and waiting for “A Christmas Fantasy” parade to begin its nightly run.

The music from this parade brings another earworm, along with a slew of happy holiday memories as well! ©Craig D. Barton

As I began to write this, I realized there’s a bigger reason this loop hits home to this Disneyland purist. Walt Disney said himself: “Disneyland will never be complete as long as there is imagination left in the world.” For better or for worse, Disneyland IS constantly changing. Traditions we held dearly, whether attractions, entertainment, dining, or even character appearances come and go. New traditions are made, but we also cling dearly to the ones we already have. According to the aforementioned Disney Music Loops site, the Main Street Christmas Loop has been running since 1972 – longer than I have been on this earth. And it’s remained the same. It has become a tradition of home. When I’m not there, I can play it and remember those memories. At the time of this writing, Disneyland is currently closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When I need to feel a bit of that tradition and familiarity, I listen to these songs and close my eyes….

I’m walking down Main Street With my wife and daughter late at night. Most of the crowd has left for the day as we cherish the moments in a nearly empty Town Square. I see the Christmas tree lit in Walt Disney's apartment above the Main Street Fire Station...



Goodnight, Walt. ©Craig D. Barton

... I hear “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” playing as I look up in the window, and I know even if it’s closed this year, I’m there too… if only in my dreams.  

Main Street Christmas Loop Sequence, Song, Artist, and Album List: