Disney’s Country Bear Jamboree — A Complete History

In the past 40 years, Walt Disney World has gone through many changes. It’s grown far beyond what we saw in 1971, from a single park to four, two hotels to more than 20, and entertainment, dining, and attractions that expand beyond the confines of the theme parks. And during that time, while there were many additions, we also lost some classic favorites.

But in the more than four decades since opening day, some of our favorites have remained. While many of those have been rehabbed, refurbed, re-updated, and expanded in many ways, there’s one that remained nearly identical to the way it was on October 1, 1971, that is, until recently.

During its run, the Country Bear Jamboree has had very minimal changes. Some sideshows and other things have shifted and updated, but for all intents and purposes, it’s stayed relatively true to form in its corner of Frontierland since day one.

Country Bear Jamboree was one of the very last attractions Walt Disney himself helped develop. The idea for the bear band attraction first came about thanks to the 1960 Winter Olympic Games, where Walt Disney orchestrated the pageantry. Following the Olympics, he was inspired to develop a ski resort in California’s Sequoia National Forest.

Disney Legend Marc Davis, first an animator and later turned Imagineer, developed early concept art for a bear band attraction. Davis had his idea loved by Walt Disney. However, along with the ski resort idea, it never came to fruition. The concept was held onto, though, and was later implemented for the opening of Walt Disney World in 1971, where it has continued to run shows ever since.

Using the roots of Disney animation combined with their self-invented Audio-Animatronic technology, Disney Imagineers were able to create this real crowd-pleasing show. In addition to Marc Davis’s efforts, Disney Legend Xavier “X” Atencio developed the script and lyrics for the opening song, “Bear Band Serenade.” Animator and story artist Al Bertino assisted with timing and story pacing.

Together, Davis and Bertino collaborated and selected the country tunes for the show. Composer-conductor and Disney Legend George Bruns conducted the Country Bear Jamboree soundtrack. You’ve probably recognized some familiar talents that lent their voices to the cast of critters, like Disney Legend Thurl Ravenscroft, known for being one of the singing busts and the narrating voice as you ride through the Haunted Mansion, voiced Buff the buffalo.

Mark Davis was known to bring humor and gags into the attractions like the Haunted Mansion, and Pirates of the Caribbean. Certainly, his mark is all over the Country Bear Jamboree. One of the stories that’s always told about the Country Bear Jamboree is that it has sort of an affectionate name of being Walt’s last laugh. Often, you’ll hear from people who worked with Disney that “if Walt liked something, he loved something.” There’s a story about Mark Davis taking drawings and showing these to Disney. And how he reacted not long before he died. Disney fell in love with the concepts that Davis and Bertino were doing and was excited to move forward with it.

The Country Bear Jamboree concept art was one of the last things that Walt Disney actually had a chance to see before he passed away. When Davis showed it to him, there was a story that Disney “belly laughed.” And that’s why it’s referred to as Walt’s last laugh. 

From a business perspective, this attraction had two corporate sponsors, Frito Lay and Pepsi Cola. There was even a hidden reference within the show. If you listen to Henry’s dialogue at the beginning, he talks about “refraining from hibernating. And we all enjoyed the show because we got a lot to give.” That was actually referenced to an old Pepsi slogan, which was: “You’ve got a lot to live, and Pepsi’s got a lot to give.” And that reference remained in the show until recently!

On opening day, it debuted as an E-Ticket attraction, which indicates how popular they anticipated the attraction to be. It was so popular that not long thereafter, it was decided to be added to Disneyland. The Country Bear Jamboree was the very first attraction to debut in Walt Disney World and then get copied for other parks, first in Disneyland and then Tokyo. In 1972, it opened in a land that they ended up calling Bear Country, which has now been renamed Critter Country.

The Disney World Grizzly Hall Theatre holds 350 guests, but it was never enough. The line curving out into shops caused a lot of chaos in Frontierland. So, when it was adapted for Disneyland, they actually built twin theaters so it could have double the capacity. 

However, the Disneyland audience didn’t quite respond to the Jamboree with the same gusto that the Disney World version received. In September 2001, the Country Bear Playhouse was replaced with the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.

The backstory of the attraction is that Ursus H. Bear wakes up from his hibernation early, and realizes that these trappers and loggers have abandoned this union hall. He gathers all of his musically inclined friends and they decide to sort of put on a celebration down home. And we are their guests. And if you look outside, you also see a date on top of the Union Hall, and it’s 1898. And this ties in very importantly to the story of Frontierland because Grizzly Hall is at the crossroads. The story of Frontierland really begins in Liberty Square, and just like Manifest Destiny, guests move west and we follow America’s journey, expanding from east to west. So if you notice the dates on the buildings as you leave Liberty Square, 1787. They increase until you get to Grizzly Hall at 1898. As you head further into Frontierland, they go back down because this is where East meets West, and West meets East, right here at Grizzly Hall.

 

There are 24 audio-animatronic figures in there, including 18 bears. The MC was Henry, voiced by Pete Renaday, who, for a lot of people who are familiar, especially with some of the older attractions, was really prevalent in things like Great Moments with Mister Lincoln and Winnie the Pooh. All of the individual bears have a different personality and different looks and contribute different tunes and songs to the act. 

• Five Bear Rug band: Zeke, Zeb, Ted, Fred, and Tennessee
• Trixie
• The Sun Bonnet Triplets: Bunny, Bubbles, and Beulah
• Teddi Beara
• Wendell
• Ernest the Dude
• Romeo McGrowl
• Terrance (AKA Shaker)
• Gomer
• Big Al

The Country Bear Jamboree definitely got a festive upgrade with the Country Bear Christmas Special! It’s fascinating how they transformed the show into a holiday extravaganza, complete with festive costumes, decorations, and a whole new setlist. I love how they included classics like “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” and “Winter Wonderland” to really get that cozy, holiday vibe going.

And they didn’t just keep it in the U.S.; they spread the cheer all the way to Tokyo Disneyland with the Jingle Bell Jamboree. It’s amazing to think about how they reprogrammed the Audio-Animatronics for the first time to create a whole new experience for guests. The bears decked out in holiday gear must have been quite the sight!

The Country Bear Vacation Hoedown was such a clever way to shake things up, taking the beloved bears on a fun-filled vacation. It’s like they packed their bags and decided to explore all the classic vacation spots, from mountains to beaches, and invited everyone along for the ride. With songs like “The Great Outdoors” and “On the Road Again,” it’s no wonder this version became a fan favorite.

It’s interesting how they scheduled the show to run from just after New Year’s to Thanksgiving, giving guests a taste of that vacation spirit throughout the year. Of course, Tokyo Disneyland got in on the action, too, with its own twist, the Vacation Jamboree, in 1994. It’s like the bears went international with their vacation plans!

The new 2024 Country Bear Musical Jamboree sounds like an absolute blast, blending Nashville flair with Disney magic. It’s a fantastic idea to have the bears covering iconic Disney songs like “Try Everything” from Zootopia and “A Whole New World” from Aladdin in a variety of country styles. Whether you’re into Americana, bluegrass, pop-country, or rockabilly, there’s something for everyone!

The bears rocking new outfits inspired by classic country stars is such a fun touch, adding that extra sparkle and showbiz flair. And an all-new original song, “Country Bear Musical Jamboree,” just for the attraction? That’s the cherry on top! It’s great to see how they’ve kept the show fresh and engaging, ensuring that it’s just as silly and fun-filled as ever. It’s like the bears have gone full-on country superstar!

Is the Country Bear Jamboree a “must-do” for you? Let us know in the comments below!

Post a Comment