Country Bear Jamboree is Closing, And Something NEW is Coming…
The Country Bear Jamboree is a musical variety show performed by animatronic bears that has existed at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World since its opening day in 1971. The show has undergone changes through the years, most recently being shortened by about 6 minutes, but as of January 27, 2024, Country Bear Jamboree has permanently closed. The last day of operation was January 26, 2024.
The beary good news is that a new show will be taking its place, with many of the same familiar fuzzy faces. The new show will be called The Country Bear Musical Jamboree, and it sounds like it will still be a fun variety show with a similar vibe. Scheduled to open in 2024, it will feature the bears singing country twists on popular Disney songs. The new Musical Jamboree will be in the style of “Opry-style shows of Nashville.” So far, Disney has only released one video of musicians recording “Bear Necessities,” so we don’t know the rest of the song lineup yet, but so far there has been a lot of excitement over it. Many of us are glad that rather than destroying this classic attraction, it is being given a loving refresh so that it may stand for generations to come!
Yes, folks, we only have high class stuff on this show…
Though the show has changed and been shortened through the years, it has retained its irreverent weirdness, old school charm, and out of the box humor. Sometimes when I watch the show, I wonder how it has lasted so long with jokes about blood, tears as the chaser for wine, and shooting poor little Buford! But mostly, I just love animatronics and music, so I’m happy watching Disney quality animatronic bears singing songs about just about anything! The fact that each bear is part of a larger story, all with their own sad tales and jokes, just makes it all the more memorable. There are definitely elements of this show that needed changing, and I’m so glad they will give it a refresh into something new.
Preserving Country Bear Jamboree History:
Below is a screenshot of Walt Disney World official website listing for this attraction taken on the last day of operation, before it is totally removed. Saved here for posterity and theme park history:
An exciting refresh is coming soon! Country Bear Jamboree will be undergoing a transformation. The attraction will close January 27 for refurbishment and will reopen in 2024. Learn more about the future of this iconic Frontierland experience.
This Hootenanny is a Real Hoot
Step inside the rustic theater known as Grizzly Hall and take your seat before the lights dim. Clap along as 18 Audio-Animatronics hillbilly bears play and sing during this 16-minute, foot-stompin’ cele-bear-tion. You’ll hear a medley of original and classic tunes—all performed by the zaniest critters in the woods.
Overflowing with humor, heart and a few surprises, this crowd-pleasing show features a down-home, southern sensibility you and your cubs will love.
Walt Disney’s Pawprints
Country Bear Jamboree is one of the very last attractions that Walt Disney personally helped develop. Originally planned for a never-built Disney ski resort in Mineral King, California, the show with the singing bears happily moved out to Florida in 1971 and has been performing daily at Magic Kingdom park ever since.
from Walt Disney World website, Country Bear Jamboree attraction page…
Country Bear Jamboree vlog & photos:
And here is a video of my last visit to see Country Bear Jamboree at Magic Kingdom in January 2024, also for posterity and to document this important part of Disney history.
–> link to video: https://youtu.be/ulF292y1Yko
Here are some photos as well:
Having existed at Walt Disney World since opening day in 1971, Country Bear Jamboree holds a lot of nostalgia for so many of us, and it has that charm of an original Magic Kingdom attraction. But thankfully, Disney imagineers have something new in store for us that will preserve that legacy, but freshen it up for generations to come! So let’s talk about what’s coming…
Coming Soon: Country Bear Musical Jamboree
Now that Country Bear Jamboree is closed permanently, what’s next?
The Country Bear MUSICAL Jamboree, scheduled to open late 2024, is the next evolution of the Country Bear attraction. Here’s what we know so far.
Disney has announced the name of the new attraction, and that the new attraction will feature a whole new lineup of songs. The Country Bears will perform Classic Disney songs in a fun, fresh style.
On January 9, 2024, Disney gave us a big update of what’s to come! They state that the new revamped Country Bears will open this summer, and the new soundtrack will pay homage to Nashville Opry style shows.
“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. Here’s a look at one of the clips we shared at Destination D23.”
https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2024/01/new-details-about-country-bear-musical-jamboree-and-more/
That’s all we know for now, but I’ll be keeping an eye on this and you know I’ll be there when the new show opens to bring you an update!
I’ve turned commenting on the website so you can comment below to share your favorite memories of Country Bear Jamboree, your favorite song, and how you feel about this change!
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