Ready to get your feet stompin' with a bunch of singing bears? Country Bear Jamboree is a country-western musical that'll have you singing along in no time. The classic Magic Kingdom attraction temporarily closed Jan. 27, 2024, to make way for a new version of the show, now known as Country Bear Musical Jamboree, which opened July 17, 2024. Learn more about the show's history and what we know about the new version!
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The History of Country Bear Jamboree
Back in the 1960s, Walt Disney wanted to build a ski resort inside California's Sequoia National Park. He had all sorts of plans for Disney's Mineral King Ski Resort, including a show with musical bears. Imagineer Marc Davis worked on the concepts for the bear show. Unfortunately, Walt died shortly after presenting the plans for the ski resort, and the resort was never built. However, Imagineers wanted to keep the idea of the bear show and use it for a Disney Parks attraction!
Country Bear Jamboree debuted in Magic Kingdom on opening day — Oct. 1, 1971 — and has remained in Frontierland for over 50 years. More than 20 animatronics are featured in the 10-minute show, which runs continuously throughout the day.
The singing bears were such a hit in Florida that the attraction was replicated in Disneyland Park in California in 1972. It even inspired a new area of the park called Bear Country. The original show in Disneyland was replaced by Country Bear Vacation Hoedown in 1986. The bears ended their run at Disneyland Park in 2001 and were replaced by The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh ride.
The Country Bear Jamboree is still available at Tokyo Disneyland (since 1983) and Magic Kingdom Park, where a new version has premiered this summer!
To take a look at the original version of the Magic Kingdom show, check out our YouTube video:
Refurbishment and New Show
Country Bear Jamboree closed temporarily on Jan. 27, 2024, at Magic Kingdom to make way for a new show that debuted July 17, 2024. The new iteration features the bears we love such as Henry, Big Al, Trixie and more. They perform some of their classic songs along with brand-new covers of Disney tunes — with a little Western twist! The show includes easter eggs for fans plus a wide variety of country music genres such as bluegrass, pop-country, Americana and rockabilly. One of the new songs? "The Bear Necessities" from "The Jungle Book," of course!
Here's a look at who's who in this brand-new show!
- Ursus H. Bear - decided to create a place to celebrate America's musical heritage. In 1898, he opened Grizzly Hall, inviting musical bears to perform. The performances quickly became popular for their "wild and wooly good time."
- Henry - Years later, Ursus's grandson Henry took over as the host. He helped create the current show and co-wrote the opening song with the Five Bear Rugs.
- Five Bear Rugs - The Five Bear Rugs band includes Zeke, Zeb, Ted, Fred and a bear named Tennessee. Can you spot Zeb's son, Oscar, at the bottom right of the stage? He's even holding a Big Al plush!
- Trixi - The one and only Trixie has finally found her niche and now sings with triplets Bunny, Bubbles and Beulah.
- Bunny, Bubbles and Beulah - Originally called The Sun Bonnets, these girls swapped their bonnets for Stetsons when they started singing with Trixie. They've performed worldwide, including a sold-out show at Royal Ursa Hall.
- Teddi Barra - Equally impressive is Teddi Barra, known as The Jewel of the Dakotas. She shot to fame after being discovered in an ice cream parlor.
- Wendell - Wendell, who struggled as an athlete, found his calling when Henry invited him to join the Country Bears. Since then, he's been a proud member of the group. He's especially excited to sing a love song with Teddi, although his old friend Henry isn't too happy about it.
- Enerst the Dude - Ernest the Dude is one of the most stylish bears at Grizzly Hall, always traveling with his full wardrobe. For those keeping track, he carries 17 trunks containing 30 coats, 40 pairs of slacks, 60 shirts, 20 hats and one and a half pairs of underwear.
- Terrence, aka Shaker - Terrence, also known as Shaker, used to be a famous theater star until he fell from a balcony during "Romeo and Juliet." Since then, he traded his theater tights for a guitar and developed a unique dance move. Despite his unconventional looks and single status, Terrence is now aiming to start a career in movies.
- Romeo McGrowl - Speaking of embarking on a new journey (for all those Liver Lips fans), Romeo is gearing up for his next phase in rockabilly singing.
- Gomer - As the resident piano player, Gomer has also experienced a transformation. He was classically trained from a young age, with "Night on Bear Mountain" being his favorite composition before he switched to country and western music.
- Big Al - And, of course, no Country Bears lineup would be complete without Big Al! Music runs deep in his veins, and he's been strumming the guitar since he was a cub. Before Disney World was even a thought, he was the beloved singer and storyteller in the swamp. After wrapping up his 25th Farewell Tour in places such as Paris (Texas), Hollywood (Florida) and London (Ohio), Big Al stands as a true legend.
The Country Bear Musical Jamboree opened July 17, 2024. Here's the new version from our YouTube channel:
Country Bear Jamboree Fun Facts
- Country Bear Jamboree was the first Magic Kingdom attraction to be replicated at Disneyland Park.
- A Christmas version of the show ran at Disneyland Park from 1984-2001 and at Magic Kingdom Park from 1984-2006.
- Next time you're on Disneyland's The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, check out the reference to Country Bear Jamboree; you'll see the heads of Max the Deer, Melvin the Moose and Buff the Buffalo right before you venture inside the Hunny Heaven room!
- Disney used many famous voices for the show's characters, including Thurl Ravenscroft's voice for Buff the Buffalo, who you might recognize from Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean and The Enchanted Tiki Room.
- Speaking of voices, the show's host, Henry, is voiced by Peter Renaday. The actor's voice resonates inside the Hall of Presidents and has been featured in former attractions including 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Snow White's Enchanted Wish!
- You can buy a Country Bear Jamboree record album! The album was released when the attraction opened at Magic Kingdom Park in 1971.
There you have it, the secret history of Country Bear Jamboree! Who's your favorite bear (or other animal) from the show? Are you looking forward to the new version? Let us know in the comments below!
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