The Country Bear Jamboree is affectionately know as “Walt’s Last Laugh,” but it appears that Big Al, Henry, Wendell, and the gang had the last laugh in Magic Kingdom.
That’s right — on the final night of the Country Bear Jamboree show before its closure on January 27th — Henry decided to make some mischief and stop working, while a large crowd gathered outside hoping to hear “Mama Don’t Whup Little Buford” and “Blood on the Saddle” one last time.
Disney is overhauling the Country Bear Jamboree, and when it reopens this summer, many of the elements of the show that has been at Disney World since the opening day in 1971 will disappear. Fans have been flocking to the Magic Kingdom for the past week to reminisce.
The show was supposed to close at 9 PM tonight, but Cast Members told us earlier in the evening that it was likely it would remain open later — and that was before the technical trouble. Shortly before 9PM, audience members inside the show told our reporters that at least one of the animatronics appeared to stop working. The line came to a standstill, while cast members told the crowd the bears were “nervous,” and wanted to make the last shows perfect.
But at 10:50 PM, with the park closing scheduled for 11 PM, hundreds of fans had been standing in line for more than two hours. Disney World typically allows guests who get in line even one minute before park close to experience the attraction.
However, Cast Members were forced to make an announcement at about 11PM that there would be no more shows. Our reporters said Cast Members working the attraction were on the verge of tears while talking to the disappointed crowd.
Despite all efforts to get the show up and running again, the Country Bear Jamboree has performed its final show before refurbishment. Cast members have been amazing tonight and we thank them for keeping guests informed and entertained! pic.twitter.com/JvTrA16Cw6
— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) January 27, 2024
Guests were given Nashville Letterpress-style posters for the NEW Country Bear Jamboree show set to debut this summer, as well as Lightning Lanes that could be used for another attraction at Magic Kingdom on Saturday.
The line is also being allowed to walk through the theater and take photos one last time before the overhaul.
We got the chance to have one last pass through the the theater tonight. Goodnight Country Bears! Thanks for hanging with us until the bear-y end! 🐻
See you this summer! ☀️ pic.twitter.com/AaynUx834C
— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) January 27, 2024
Attractions Cast Members at the Country Bears show have been the real MVPs tonight, entertaining the crowd with trivia games, jokes, and more — definitely helping us make the best of a bad situation! Other Cast Members re-opened a nearby snack cart for those waiting in line.
Longtime Disney fans feel a special attachment to the Country Bears show because the concept art for it was some of the last artwork seen by Walt Disney before his untimely death in 1966, and it reportedly gave him a good laugh, thus the nickname for the show, “Walt’s Last Laugh.” But the show was originally planned for a California ski resort that was never built by Disney, and the original concept included the bears dressed as a jazz band, and a circus band. Want to know more about this history, including a plan to have the bears performing outdoors in Frontierland behind waterfalls? Check out our post here.
Now, the Country Bears will be learning some new songs and performing a COMPLETELY new act. The new show takes inspiration from classic Nashville variety shows, and Disney even involved Nashville musicians to make the new arrangements for the songs.
@disneyparks Rehearsals are now under way! 🪕Country Bear Jamboree is getting new songs and a new act reinterpreting favorite Disney songs in 2024 🐻🎶 @Disney D23 #Disney #DisneyParks #DisneyWorld #MagicKingdom #CountryBearJamboree #NewShow #CountryMusic #Nashville #DisneyNews #DestinationD23
We can’t wait to see what the Country Bears gang has in store for us next! Keep following us here at AllEars for the latest Disney World news!
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I hope this is the ghost of Walt, hinting to the Disney management to stop changing everything at Disneyworld, I’m looking at you splash mountain, too. I feel bad for the people that stood in line to see the last shows, but this is par for the course for recent Disney. As many times as I have been to Disney, it seems the last few trips so many rides break down, and I don’t remember this happen often in earlier trips. Maybe it’s Walt’s way of saying,”leave my stuff alone!”
Man, I should’ve stayed until closing for this!