Country Bear Jamboree is not usually on the list of must-do attractions at Walt Disney World. However, this original Magic Kingdom attraction has retained a strong cult following since it first opened with the park in 1971 and has changed very little since then. Until now.
Recently, the beloved show closed for a major re-theme and is set to reopen its doors to guests on July 17th. The show is currently open for Cast Member and media viewing only, which means I was granted a special sneak peek into what the new Country Bear Musical Jamboree has to offer. And while I believe the changes will cater to a wider range of guests, longtime fans may have a bone to pick with Disney for taking some changes a little too far.
The Bears Are Back And Better Than Ever
The Walt Disney Company has always been known for their cutting edge technology, especially in their parks. Imagineering, Disney’s blend of traditional engineering combined with boundary-pushing innovation and creativity, is responsible for keeping the parks on the forefront of technological advancement. So whenever attractions like Country Bear Jamboree start to fall into disrepair, it can look bad on the company.
Thankfully, Disney has invested heavily into giving the bears a much needed makeover, inside and out. The Cast Member I spoke to at the entrance informed me that the majority of the animatronics were brand new and that they had all been given new fur and costumes. While I could tell Disney had done a lot to update the bears, well-known characters still retained their signature looks and mannerisms, which I think hardcore fans of the original Country Bear Jamboree will appreciate.
The Humor Still Hits… Sort Of
One major draw of the original Country Bear Jamboree was the comedic aspects of the show. It’s hard to describe to someone who hasn’t seen it in person, but watching Liver Lips McGrowl sing about how his woman “ain’t pretty, but I ain’t too” and seeing good ole Teddy Barra descend from the ceiling while the other animatronics swoon over her has a certain brand of absurd humor attached to it that really seemed to grow on people.
There were still just as many laughs during the new show, at least in my theater, but the type of humor the show is going for has changed. There’s some good callbacks to the original show, namely involving Big Al, but the more ludicrous jokes have all but vanished, replaced with moments that make it obvious they are supposed to be laughed at. Kids and families will definitely have more fun with it, but since a lot of the campy humor is gone, time will only tell how old fans will react to this change.
Disney’s Musical Jamboree
The biggest and by far the most controversial change made to the show is the music. The original Country Bear Jamboree was certainly a product of its time, featuring songs like “All the Guys That Turn Me on Turn Me Down,” “Momma Don’t Whip Little Buford,” and of course, Big Al’s song “Blood on the Saddle.” With titles like these, you can imagine that unsuspecting families at a children’s theme park might have been a little scandalized.
Disney decided to play it safe with the re-theme, turning to its own extensive library of songs to create countrified versions of well-known classics like “A Whole New World,” “Kiss The Girl,” and “Bare Necessities.” While this change is good for the attraction over-all since it will probably see an increase traffic from everyday guests, Disney’s decision to scrap the more adult-centric music has already turned off a lot of fans to the new version of the show. Arguably, the charm of the old show lay in its ability to exist despite its less-than-politically correct nature and lack of popular Disney IP.
With some Disney fans still complaining about the recent re-theme of Splash Mountain to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, the new Country Bear Musical Jamboree has, thankfully, yet to see the same amount of backlash. Let’s hope it stays that way.
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