If you’re already familiar with Live365 and all the Disney goodness it can bring into your life, stop reading here and we’ll catch ya tomorrow. ;) This is for my Disney loving friends who aren’t familiar with this little game-changer.
I don’t know about you, but nothing can trigger Disney nostalgia and frighteningly specific memories for me quite like background tracks from Walt Disney World. I can be completely stressed from being away from home for a month, but I hear a 30 minute Fantasyland background track, and I’m back on the balcony at Pinnochio’s Village Haus with my Sarah Bess relaxing after a long day of crazy guests. When “Surrey with the Fringe on Top” or “Flitterin'” comes on from Main Street, I can practically smell the popcorn. If I hear just the right Epcot track at just the right time, I just start crying for no reason. Happy sad. I feel nostalgic, homesick, and a little giddy all at the same time.
The problem with these beautiful tracks is that you can’t just buy them on Amazon. They never play on Pandora. Enter Live365!
Live365 is an online radio- Pandora without the algorithms, if you will. This can be good and bad, because I for one, love “thumbs downing” a song on Pandora and never having to hear it again. The amount of Disney stations alone this site offers is crazy, so it’s taken me a while to cultivate my favorites to share with y’all:
MouseWorld Radio 1 : http://www.live365.com/stations/torg0
MouseWorld Radio 2 : http://www.live365.com/stations/cardinalsplayers
MouseWorld Radio 3 : http://www.live365.com/stations/dpr2
Reedy Creek Radio : http://www.live365.com/stations/chickenhair
Admittedly, I mainly listen to these for hours on end while I blog and edit. I open the four stations above in Google Chrome so each tab notifies me what the other stations are playing. 90% of the time, I find myself listening to MouseWorld Radio 2, which seems to mainly play background tracks to Main Street USA, Tomorrowland, Epcot, and a whole lot of the Electrical Light Parade, though this may just be a coincidence to when I’m tuning in. MouseWorld Radio 1 and Reedy Creek Radio are good for when I’m in the mood to hear the monorail spiel, or background track to Splash Mountain and other rides, but there always seems to be some cross-over tracks between the MouseWorld stations.
Just like Pandora, you can listen to these stations for free, but you’ll get ads every 2-3 tracks. I was so annoyed by the frequency of commercials that I think I bought my subscription after only listening for an hour. *I* think it’s worth it, but again, this is something I use daily.
Well, I guess that’s it for my dirty little Disney music secret. Are you a Live365 fan? Have you found a better way that works for you finding your favorite Disney music?
Don’t forget Magical Mouse Radio!! :)
This is one of my favorite topics, the special kind of magic that is Disney background music! I’m a big fan of Live365 and I also enjoy http://www.d-cot.com when there is a specific track or area I want to listen to on-demand. Much like you, the background music has a frighteningly powerful way of transporting me to happy memories in the parks. I find myself listening to it while working or just for fun and sometimes for the sole purpose of relieving some stress :)
Thank you – I’ve been rocking station #2 all day while working!!
I listen to the Radio 2 and Reedy Creek Radio at work constantly. I also listen to Magical Mouse Radio on Live365 http://www.live365.com/stations/beourguestmike … their Background Loop Tuesdays are especially great!
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!
Ever since dtuneslive went down last year I have been without a good Disney radio station to listen to. Rockin’ some Reedy Creek right now!!!!!
I like Live365 (except for all the ads), I usually listen to http://www.SubsonicRadio.com while at work, they have several streams and will play through iTunes or Windows Media Player (no ads!)
Thank you! Totally forgot about this gem! Wanted to listen the other day and couldn’t remember the name! You rock!