"Suite of Dreams": A musical celebration for 100 Years of Magic

Making Music Magic:
Disney’s 100 Years of Magic a Musical Celebration

Walt Disney World Resort is a 47-square-mile music box crowned by a castle. To the delight of millions of guests across the decades, music has been as much a part of the Vacation Kingdom as Mickey Mouse, dating to 1971 when the first opening-day parade stepped off on Main Street, U.S.A.

And so it will be during Disney’s 100 Years of Magic celebration -- when Walt Disney World Resort makes more music magic in honor of the 100th anniversary of the birth of founder Walt Disney. What resonates from Disney’s music box will inspire, entertain and thrill guests coming for the celebration of a lifetime.

Dates for the 15-month gala are Oct. 1, 2001-Dec. 31, 2002.

“Because 100 Years of Magic is a celebration across all four theme parks, we asked ourselves, ‘What is something that ties all the parks together?’,” said Disney’s Steve Skorija. “The obvious answer was music.”

Adds Rich Taylor, vice president, Walt Disney Entertainment and Costuming: “Music is such a critical component for us. No other show element can trigger the emotions or recall special memories the way music can. It’s truly the heart and soul of our business, and is the emotional thread that connects all the new product we’ve created for the 100 Years of Magic celebration.”

According to Skorija, musical director for Walt Disney World Entertainment, a milestone event such as 100 Years of Magic rated milestone music. Planners knew the main theme had to connect to Walt and be a musical celebration “global” to the Vacation Kingdom -- yet be flavored with the unique “personalities” of all four parks.

Disney’s “Suite of Dreams” was born.

The 20-minute original orchestral piece consists of five four-minute movements. Movements take the themes of adventure (Disney’s Animal Kingdom), discovery (Epcot), fantasy (Magic Kingdom) and show business (Disney-MGM Studios). A fifth movement, the finale called “Share a Dream Come True,” is “like the anthem for the event, the ribbon around ‘Suite of Dreams’,” says Skorija.

“Suite of Dreams” may be experienced two ways during the celebration.

A two-CD set has been produced by Walt Disney Records and Walt Disney Entertainment that features “Suite of Dreams” and parade music. It will be available exclusively for purchase in Walt Disney World theme parks and resorts.

• Or, Disney guests can hear “Suite of Dreams” as parade tracks in the parks. “The idea is that a theme from ‘Suite of Dreams’ goes into each parade at all four parks,” Skorija says. “In the Magic Kingdom parade, for instance, we thread the fantasy theme from the ‘Suite of Dreams’.”

  Here’s a look inside Disney’s music box for the 100 Years of Magic celebration:

• Magic Kingdom (fantasy).
  Disney guests won’t believe their ears. Remarkably, selections from 65 Disney songs were pieced together to accompany the “Share a Dream Come True” parade of snow globe floats. Composer of the fantasy movement is Gavin Greenaway, Emmy award-winning composer for the Disney Millennium music. According to Ted Ricketts, music director for the parade, the music of “Share a Dream Come True” was conceived to be “majestically orchestral while maintaining the traditional Magic Kingdom happy and upbeat musical style.”

  Dynamic and heartwarming new musical themes created for the parade are featured along with 65 of the best-loved Disney songs in a counterpoint musical style inspired by Disney’s “Main Street Electrical Parade.”

  Threading 65 songs into one four-minute score “wasn’t easy,” Skorija says. “Share a Dream Come True” makes starts and stops along the parade route, inviting Magic Kingdom guests to share in the fun. Technicians devised a way to program music specific to each float during the “stops.” When the parade is rolling again, Skorija says, “everything plays.”

• Disney’s Animal Kingdom (adventure).
  This movement was composed by two-time Emmy award-winner John Debney of “Emperor’s New Groove” fame as well as Dan Stamper, Walt Disney Entertainment Emmy-nominated music director and Reed Jones, parade show director. The orchestration for “Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle” parade is the up-tempo, brightly whimsical work of composer Gordon Goodwin, Grammy nominee for the Big Phatt Band CD, “Swingin’ From the Fences.” The score for the parade also draws on high-energy songs that represent different areas of the world.

  Explains Stamper: “Mickey, Rafiki and friends lead a high-energy musical caravan through the Animal Kingdom celebrating the harmony between man and animals with high-energy rhythm, chants, songs and instruments from around the world.”

• Epcot (discovery).
  Gavin Greenaway, John Debney and Jonathon Barr brought their composing genius to the score for “Tapestry of Dreams,” a celebration of children, dreams and the legacy of Walt Disney. The first three musical minutes of “Tapestry of Dreams” is brand new. Then the music segues into a score created for “Tapestry of Nations” -- with dreamseeker musical treatments.

  “We overlay a dream sequence at the top of the parade and it creates a whole new musical statement: dreamlike, tinkly, lots of wind chimes,” says Skorija, music director and conductor for this parade.

• Disney-MGM Studios (show business).
  Befitting this cavalcade of resident Disney-MGM Studios stars in outrageously customized classic cars, composers Gordon Goodwin and Greg Smith honor Walt Disney’s 43-year moviemaking career. Music from more than 30 songs representing Disney characters, Muppets and “Star Wars” are heard by Disney-MGM Studios guests as the “Disney Stars and Motor Cars” parade rolls through the park, in the very shadows of a 122-foot-tall Mickey’s Sorcerer’s Hat, new icon of the park and centerpiece of the 100 Years of Magic celebration.

  “This parade,” musical director Dan Stamper says, “represents a glamorous symphonic salute to Walt Disney, featuring your favorite heroes and villains from the big and small screen.”

  All-new musical scores are a Disney tradition, Skorija notes.

  “Music was always important to Walt’s vision of entertainment. It played a leading role for Walt in putting all the animated features together.

  “Music is always everywhere at Walt Disney World. You can’t go into any park or resort without hearing music.”

  Making Music Magic:
  100 Years of Magic Celebration

  “Suite of Dreams”
  

  • Five four-minute movements, themed to each Disney park with the “Share a Dream Come True” final movement
  • Original music by various composers including two-time Emmy award-winner John Debney, Emmy award-winner Gavin Greenaway and Grammy award-nominee Gordon Goodwin
  • Twenty minutes in length
  • Available on Walt Disney Records CD in Walt Disney World parks and resorts
  • Mixed by Emmy award- and Grammy award-winning engineer Tommy Vicari, whose numerous credits include recording and mixing for Barbra Streisand, Quincy Jones, Christina Aguillera and Prince, as well as orchestra mixer, since 1996, for the Academy Awards Show

-- Posted October 3, 2001