Disney’s Country Bear Jamboree is Closed After 52 Years & Getting a Makeover
The nostalgic Disney ride Country Bear Jamboree is officially closed. It will eventually return but will be a very different show than you might remember. It was an opening day attraction at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom and one of the final attractions that Walt Disney himself oversaw in its early stages before his death in 1966.
The Country Bear Jamboree was an audio-animatronic stage show featuring characters Henry, Big Al, Liver Lips McGrowl, Trixi, and The Sun Bonnets. While the show has been a beloved piece of Disney history, it hasn’t been without controversy. Much like Splash Mountain, likely part of the reason it is being refurbished is due to its contentious song lyrics.
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For instance, the Sun Bonnets sing the line “All the guys that turn me on turn me down,” which some don’t believe is Disney-appropriate. Some lyrics in the song “Mama, Don’t Whip Little Buford,” are “Mama, don’t whup little Buford. Mama, don’t pound on his head. Mama, don’t whup little Buford. I think you should shoot him instead.”
Now, Disney is changing up the show and adding more of its intellectual properties (IP) into it, hoping to draw in a new audience. Reportedly, the song “The Bare Necessities” from The Jungle Book will be included in the new show, so it may still be bear-themed.
YouTube
Disney said about the refurbishment, “If you’ve been too busy trottin’ through the wild west and have missed the news, the Country Bears are getting ready to put on a new show that pays homage to the Opry-style shows of Nashville. While the Country Bear Musical Jamboree will include easter eggs from the beginning to the end, including a familiar tune fans may remember, the bears will sing new, reinterpreted Disney tunes in different genres of country music – like bluegrass, pop-country, Americana, rockabilly and other styles.”
Walt Disney Pictures/Everett Collection
It won’t take long and the attraction is expected to open back up this summer. In addition, Splash Mountain’s re-theming to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will open late 2024. Are you excited to see the changes to both of these attractions?
Collecting Disney
August 2021
Celebrate the magical world of Disney collectibles
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