Walt Disney Studios Courtyard Music Revealed in New WDI Behind-the-Scenes Video

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Walt Disney Imagineering has pulled back the curtain on one of the most carefully crafted elements of the new Walt Disney Studios courtyard at Hollywood Studios: the background music. A new behind-the-scenes video features Brett, Senior Creative Director of Music at WDI, walking through the recording process and explaining exactly how music becomes a storytelling tool that guides guests through the space. With the courtyard opening May 26, this is a fascinating early look at the level of detail going into the experience.

Quick Summary

• WDI has released a behind-the-scenes video on the recording of background music for the new Walt Disney Studios courtyard at Hollywood Studios
• Brett, Senior Creative Director of Music at Walt Disney Imagineering, explains how varying tempos and sound effects guide guests through different areas
• Music volume is deliberately adjusted between zones to draw guests’ attention as they move through the space
• Disney’s extensive film catalog plays a central role in the music selection
• The Walt Disney Studios courtyard and Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live! open May 26, 2026
• The Magic of Disney Animation building opens later this summer with Olaf Draws!, Enchanted Art Gallery, and more

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How WDI Uses Music to Tell Stories

Background music at Disney parks is never random, and the new Walt Disney Studios courtyard is no exception. Brett describes music as one of Imagineering’s most powerful storytelling tools — not because it hits you over the head, but because it quietly shapes how you feel and where your attention goes.

The team uses varying tempos and sound effects to establish the mood of each zone within the courtyard. But perhaps more interesting is the deliberate adjustment of volume between areas: as guests move from one space to another, the music mix changes to draw their attention, essentially using sound as an invisible guide through the layout.

“Background music is such a powerful storytelling tool, because it really sets you in the environment,” Brett says in the video. “Sound effects and music helps to guide our guests through spaces, and we do that by using various tempos, by using various effects.”

Drawing From Decades of Disney Films

The music selection for the courtyard draws heavily from Disney’s decades-long catalog of animated films — and Brett makes clear the team had a genuine blast with the curation. With 80-plus years of animated film music to choose from, the selection process is both a creative exercise and a treasure hunt.

“Wow, I can’t believe they played that song,” Brett says of the playlist, giving a strong hint that the courtyard’s music loop will contain some genuinely unexpected selections alongside the expected classics. He adds: “I’m hoping they have as much fun listening to it as I have making it.”

That kind of passion from the music team tends to produce remarkable results. If you are the kind of Disney guest who pays attention to park music — and a lot of us are — the Walt Disney Studios courtyard soundtrack is going to be worth stopping to appreciate.

What Opens on May 26

The Walt Disney Studios courtyard itself opens on May 26, 2026, alongside Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live! — a new live show that runs eight times daily from 10:15 am to 5:10 pm.

The Magic of Disney Animation building, which will house the courtyard’s biggest experiences, opens later this summer. That building will contain Olaf Draws!, the Enchanted Art Gallery, Once Upon A Studio Theater, the Drawn to Wonderland Playground, and character meet-and-greets in the Off the Page! area. No specific opening date has been announced yet for the building itself.

Why This Behind-the-Scenes Look Matters

WDI does not often share this level of detail before a new area opens. Releasing a video that specifically highlights the music recording process — and the philosophy behind it — signals how seriously Disney is approaching every element of the Walt Disney Studios courtyard experience.

The fact that the soundtrack is being built with this kind of intentionality, zone by zone, with deliberate volume transitions and a hand-curated selection from across Disney’s film history, suggests the courtyard is going to reward guests who slow down and pay attention. This is not just a walkthrough space — it is designed to feel like a full sensory experience from the moment you step in.

May 26 is a week away. Between the Walt Disney Studios courtyard, Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live!, and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets all opening the same day, it is shaping up to be one of the biggest days Hollywood Studios has seen in years. Stay tuned to DisMornings for live coverage as it all comes together.

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