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Theme park music that makes you feel happy

Matt N

CF Legend
Hi guys. Music is a big part of theme parks, and when done particularly well, it can stir up some emotions at times. So I thought that with all currently going on in the world, we could all do with some happy feelings, and with that in mind, my question to you today is; what theme park music makes you happy? Is there any theme park audio that just makes you feel that little bit warmer inside as soon as you turn it on?

For me, I've got a few, but these two in particular stick out:
  • The first is this Katanga Canyon theme from Alton Towers; I don't know why, but hearing this has never failed to brighten my day. This track just always makes me feel happy, for some reason:
  • And I'd also have to say that hearing IOA's entry music never fails to make me smile. Perhaps it's because IOA is my favourite park and hearing this takes me back to all my wonderful times there, but it always makes me feel happy:
But what theme park tracks always make you feel happy?
 
Music that reminds me of Cedar Point as a teen in the early 2000s, this inspiring great joy and nostalgia:



And most 1980s pop. I think it was @Hyde who specifically mentioned how much CP used to play “Funky Town” in another similar thread?
 
Any Efteling or Disney area music to start with. However, special mention to the naff 1970s sci fi music of Space Mountain and tomorrow land.
 
As soppy as it sounds the Europa Park Suite theme makes my heart soar. It fits the park perfectly and is a big part of the entrance experience.
 
The Chiapas score entirely is some of the best theme park music out there today. But specifically the rave cave:

The Vogel Rok ride music too:
(A big +1 for the Joris music too, as posted by Howie)

Probably the biggest one though, although not heard any more, is the original Thorpe Park entrance music:
Pure bliss
 
Fluch von Novgorod (any of it)

And of course, I can't not mention The Towers Street Overture!

I'm with Matt on the Indiana Jones-esque version of the Katanga Canyon theme as well :)
 
And most 1980s pop. I think it was @Hyde who specifically mentioned how much CP used to play “Funky Town” in another similar thread?
Hah yes! Early 2000s Cedar Point had it on heavy rotation, playing through ring-tingy old speaker phones across the park.
 
My absolute favourite theme park music is Main Street USA at Christmas time. Could literally spend hours in Main street at Christmas with this loop playing in the background.

Other than that a huge fan of Nemesis music. Just fits the area and coaster perfectly. Sounds great in the AT hotel elevators too.

Strangely enjoy The Flume's old tune too. Extraordinary golf is pretty good to hear all the old AT theme songs.

CWoA's main theme is quite good too.
 
Yes! Good shout on the Flume music - always reminds me of this, does anyone else agree?


Similarly, I think I like this so much because it makes me sounds like theme park music.
 
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nothing immediately comes to mind as theme park music i particularly enjoy for casual listening.

but i can categorically tell you my least favourite.


the story goes I spent 2 seasons working on bubbleworks before it closed, and during one of my summers I didn't get rotated off it for 6 weeks. I was there for so long I worked out how many times I'd hear the same piece of music in an average day (the loop is just over a minute long, so I said 58 times an hour, from 10-6, minus a 45 minute break) which was a pretty impressive 450 times a day. 4 days a week for 6 weeks. That summer alone I heard the loop more than 10,000 times.

On one occassion I had a death threat in the station from a particularly difficult guest. I came home, had a bath. Whilst I was in the bath my little brother put his speaker by the door and played the loop for the entire duration I was trying to unwind.

I can appreciate theme park music, I love IMAscore's work etc, but I couldn't casually listen to any of it. That's not to say that theme park music hasn't made me emotional before, because the bubbleworks ost has definitely done that.
 
The one that always gets a huge smile on my face is the (relatively) new dispatch tune for Saw at Thorpe Park. It's from the official Saw soundtrack and when you're hearing that either in the station or in the train, even on my own I get this uncontrollable feeling of excitement that I never got before they added it in 2020-ish.
 
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