A Disney Pandemic Playlist

Apologies for disappearing for the last month. You’d think with all this “free time” in quarantine I’d be able to crank out at least a few new posts. Unfortunately, it’s not so much a challenge of timing as it is a challenge of topic. What does a Disney fan blogger write about when the world is battling a pandemic? Won’t most topics feel, well, irrelevant at best and completely insensitive at worst? I debated adding to the endless list of “at-home” entertainment options that are now gloriously and overwhelmingly available to us these days. There are plenty of Disney-related options already available on this site for that. So instead, I decided to focus on music. More specifically, which Disney songs are relevant and inspiring in our current situation? Turns out there are quite a few. Today’s post offers twelve songs for your Disney Pandemic Playlist.

1. Be Prepared – The Lion King

We certainly embraced the title of this one with gusto during the early days of the pandemic, right? Remember all the social media photos of empty shelves at the grocery stores?

Granted the song is really about Scar’s evil plan to kill his brother the king, but it carries a bold, confident tone with a relevant top-level message. Perhaps some of us were living a little too “just in time” then we should have been when this whole thing started. Going forward we’ll be stronger for having learned or relearned the important lesson of planning ahead.

2. Just Around the Riverbend – Pocahontas

Moving from being prepared to fostering courage, Just Around the Riverbend reminds us to stay strong in life’s winding journey. I love how this song challenges us to keep moving forward even when the path is unclear. The journey can be both scary and exhilarating.

It’s kind of like Dory’s “just keep swimming” with an extra kick.

3. Into the Unknown – Frozen 2

Sticking with a similar theme with a more recent release date, Into the Unknown from Disney’s Frozen 2 feels particularly relevant at the moment. I think facing the biggest pandemic in 100 years is pretty much like going “into the unknown” don’t you?

I love how Idina Menzel sings this message in such a powerful, motivational way. Heading into the unknown is a daunting task for all of us. This song almost makes you want to throw your hands up and run bravely into the future, doesn’t it?

4. Mother Knows Best – Tangled

Next is this fan favorite from Tangled.

“You want to go outside?” Lady Gothel asks Rapunzel before breaking into song. “It’s a scary world out there,” she continues later.

Yes it is, but this song reminds us in a humorous way that risks of all shapes and sizes are a normal part of life. It’s how you respond to them that matters, even if this positive aspect isn’t necessarily covered in the manipulative Lady Gothel’s version.

Oh, but you really should listen to your wise, tired, wearing multiple hats and doing-the-best-she-can mother.

5. Part of Your World – The Little Mermaid

You probably saw this one coming, right? It literally includes the line “I want to be where the people are.”

Perhaps it rings a little too true during a pandemic when so many of us are isolated at home. The lyrics can get a little deep (no pun intended) if you let them. I’ve included it here because it’s natural to miss aspects of our “normal” life before the pandemic. It’s also okay to wait with rising anticipation for this challenge to be over, because it will be some day.

Oh, and I may have also added it to this list because it is super fun to belt out Part of Your World when no one else is around.

Seriously. Try it.

6. In a World of My Own – Alice in Wonderland

Not nearly as familiar or soaring as Ariel’s theme song, Alice’s In a World Of My Own earned a spot on my pandemic playlist for different reasons. “If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense,” Alice states before singing her thoughts.

She goes on to sing about how in her own world flowers would talk to her “for hours.”

Give me a few more weeks and I may feel the same way.

In all seriousness, Alice yearns for isolation because it would allow her to create the world just the way she wants it. Not a bad idea if you think about it

7. The Bare Necessities – The Jungle Book

Another Disney favorite with a relevant message is Jungle Book’s The Bare Necessities. This situation has given all of us the opportunity to reevaluate what’s really important. Hopefully, when it’s over, we’ll let go of some of that extra stuff we don’t really need.

Obviously the peppy lyrics of “forget about your worries and your strife” is a bonus too.

Go ahead and throw a little Hakuna Matata on your Disney pandemic playlist too if you need to double up on the “no worries” lesson.

8. Dig a Little Deeper – The Princess and the Frog

Perhaps less popular than the other songs in this post, Dig A Little Deeper also earned a spot on my Disney Pandemic Playlist. It’s a fun little tune about being true to yourself under any circumstances.

Works for me. You can check out Disney’s video here.

Oh, and it starts with lyrics about how nobody cares what you look like or what you’re wearing, which definitely works for life in quarantine!

9. Let’s Go Fly a Kite – Mary Poppins

Last I checked, flying kites still fit within the social distancing parameters. In fact, you pretty much have to be a certain distance from others in order to fly a kite successfully anyway. Something about flying a kite and help your mood lift too.

Here’s a particularly inspiring live version of the song sung on the streets of London several years ago. It’s pretty much impossible not to smile at this one.

10. Go The Distance – Hercules

Yes, it’s a bad pun on social distancing and technically we’re not supposed to go anywhere physically, but the song’s double meaning here is both humorous and inspirational. The next few days, weeks or months of this uncertainty may be tough, but you’ve got this!

Here’s a link to a recent live version from Good Morning America with incredible voices and tons of drama. Google Michael Bolton’s version if you need a different kind of smile.

11. Try Everything – Zootopia

Speaking of staying the course against the odds, let’s move on to Try Everything by Shakira. I suppose it could also refer to too much snacking from your quarantine stash or tackling new learning opportunities online, but it’s really more about giving yourself the grace to make mistakes and move on.

Oh, and it’s set to a super catchy beat.

Perfecto.

12. it’s a small world – Disney parks attraction

I’ll end my playlist with a Disney song that’s from the parks instead of the movies. I caught myself thinking of these lyrics the other day:

“It’s a world of laughter, a world of tears. It’s a world of hope and a world of fears. There’s so much that we share, any time we’re aware. It’s a small world after all.”

Pretty much, right? Here’s a jazzed up version with video clips from the “it’s a small world” attractions from around the world.

And with that I’ll wrap up. I hope you enjoyed this Disney pandemic playlist, or at least found a few reasons to smile while reading it. Anything else you’d want to add? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Stay strong my friends and add a little (Disney music) magic to your world!