“At Country Bear Hall you could be different and still fit in.”
Country Bear Jamboree
Country Bear Jamboree at Magic Kingdom in Disney World is certainly a unique experience. The show centers around animatronic bears who talk, sing, and play instruments to a usually giggling audience. Admittedly, as we progress further and further into the 21st century, the show has become more niche and a relic of the old days of the Disney Parks. This is likely why Disney is closing the show temporarily to give it an update. Disney hopes Country Bear Jamboree will become a headliner when it reopens — but will it actually?
The attraction will close on January 27th, 2024 with the new premiere later this summer. The show that comes out will look pretty different than the one that exists now.
©Disney
Disney Imagineers have promised a new act that will have the bears sing pop-country, rockabilly, Americana, and bluegrass. Although the iconic bears are returning, they will also sport new outfits and a new flare. Per Disney, “When the [new] show debuts, the bears will be reinterpreting favorite Disney songs in different genres of country music. Imagineers are envisioning the new experience as a homage to the classic musical revues in Nashville, and they’re working with Nashville musicians to get the authentic country sound.”
The new show takes inspiration from classic variety shows from Nashville and even has real Nashville musicians involved in the new musical arrangements. For example, we already know we’ll see a rockabilly version of “Bare Necessities”!
As is, Country Bear Jamboree is a light-hearted “country-and-western musical revue” that caters more so to an older crowd with big-time throwbacks and teetering-on-mildly-risqué innuendos. A staple at Magic Kingdom since 1971, Country Bear Jamboree was in much need of some TLC.
©Disney
Disney Imagineers have promised, “The music is going to be amazing, and the show will still have the fun and friendly tone that we all love about the Country Bears.” It will feature easter eggs to the previous show as well as new, reinterpreted Disney songs in a variety of country music genres. So how will this new version play with the new era of Magic Kingdom guests?
Country Bear Jamboree
The current iteration of the show is pretty accessible and a little outdated (thus its accessibility). In fact, the version at Disneyland in California was removed decades ago and has largely been forgotten. So Disney fighting for this attraction at Magic Kingdom says a lot about their faith in this new version to succeed.
At the end of the day, this new show is a gamble. If Disney delivers a fantastic new entertainment option that gives audiences a good time with fun music, it surely will garner attention. However, if the show disappoints, you could start to hear rumblings of angst about how Disney made a mistake in changing a Disney World classic. Sure, the Country Bear Jamboree has lost its shine over the years, but it still has a sect of parkgoers that truly appreciate it. Messing with that and not delivering on a new show could spell trouble for the attraction in the big picture.
Country Bears in Frontierland
Disney Imagineers have been delivering a lot of great things to Disney Parks all over the world recently so we have faith in this new version of Country Bear Jamboree and can’t wait to watch it! In the meantime, follow us here at Disney Food Blog for updates as well as all the latest Disney World news!
NEW Country Bear Jamboree Show Opening Summer 2024!
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Their funniest song is not PC enough for Iger’s Disney, so I am sure it will be history — “All the guys who turn me on turn me down.”
I wish they would bring it back to Disneyland. It has always been my favorite attraction. It never grows old.
Seems like avoiding Frontierland is a must for awhile but still going to the Harbor House to eat.
Huge relief that the Bears will remain and the attraction isn’t being replaced with something entirely new. It’s wonderful to retain some originals in the park.
I hope that at least these two performers, now deceased, will still remain in the show: Tex Ritter and Thurl Ravenscroft.