Some Disney music announces itself right away. A song begins, the lyrics start, and we know exactly where we are.
A film score works a little differently. It can be heroic, emotional, funny, mysterious, or heartbreaking before a character ever says a word. We recognize it almost immediately, even if we do not always stop to think about where it came from or how it started.
That was the heart of Disney Music Presents: The Art of the Score, a Walt Disney Archives Stage presentation at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event 2026 featuring composer Michael Giacchino.
What struck me most was the diversity. This is the same composer behind the bold superhero style of The Incredibles, the Parisian charm of Ratatouille, the emotional heartbreak of Up, and the tension and sacrifice of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Those worlds could not feel more different. Yet each one has a musical identity Disney fans recognize almost instantly.
The Art of the Score at D23 2026
The Art of the Score was not a movie announcement panel. It was something more focused. The presentation gave D23 fans a closer look at how music supports story, character, and emotion across Disney, Pixar, Lucasfilm, and Marvel.
Michael Giacchino appeared in conversation with music journalist and film music historian John Burlingame. Together, they looked back at the creative process behind some of Giacchino’s most recognizable work.
For Disney fans, that is what makes this session worth watching. The music of The Incredibles does not sound like Ratatouille. Ratatouille does not sound like Up. Up does not sound like Rogue One. Each score has its own world, its own feeling, and its own purpose. That range is the story.
Scores We Recognize Before We Think About Them
Disney Music Presents: The Art of the Score is one of those D23 sessions that may not grab the same headline as a movie reveal or parks announcement, but it explains why so many Disney moments stay with us.
Michael Giacchino’s Disney work is instantly recognizable because each score belongs so clearly to its story. The music tells us when to laugh, when to worry, when to hope, and when to feel the weight of a moment. That is what makes this panel worth watching.
The Art of the Score reminds us that Disney music is not only about songs we sing along with. Sometimes the most powerful Disney music is the theme we feel before we even realize we are listening.
