The Sound of Music Doesn’t Play at Disney

BURBANK — Walt Disney Co. producers and executives say trademark children’s songs such as “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah” aren’t serenading callers on hold; they’re annoying and distracting them.

Deborah Hill, a producer for Disney, said the hold music isn’t conducive to business.

“When I call up, I want to get an executive, not a children’s song,” she said. “I had to laugh. But it’s really a bit irksome.”

About a month ago, the silent hold at Disney was replaced by tunes from “Beauty and the Beast” to promote the recent animated film.

The play list soon was expanded to include “Heigh Ho,” “Let’s Go Fly a Kite,” “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo,” “The Mickey Mouse Club Song” and “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?”

A number of producers and studio executives say the songs disrupt concentration and generally interfere with getting their job done.

“Everybody’s complaining. Unfortunately it’s the first topic of conversation when you pick up a call, instead of the business at hand,” said one Disney producer who requested anonymity.

Disney producer Dawn Steel, who is often put on hold while her office transfers calls to her car and home, said: “I find the sound of ‘Zip-a-Dee-(expletive deleted)-Doo-Dah’ profoundly annoying.”

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