| Critter Country | |
| Theme: | Land of bears and other animals |
| Park1: | Disneyland |
| Status1: | Closed[1] |
| Opened1: | March 4, 1972 |
| Park2: | Tokyo Disneyland |
| Status2: | Operating |
| Opened2: | October 1, 1992 |
Critter Country is one of the "themed lands" at Tokyo Disneyland run by The Walt Disney Company and The Oriental Land Company. It originally opened as Bear Country at Disneyland Park in 1972, with the Country Bear Jamboree (1972–2001) as its centerpiece. In 1988 it was renamed Critter Country to prepare for the park's opening of Splash Mountain (1989–2023). Critter Country in Disneyland will be renamed Bayou Country in November 2024.[2]
Critter Country was originally named Indian Village.[3] [4] From 1956–1971, this section of Frontierland was a showcase of Native American culture, including the arts and architecture of several regions, a multi tribal dance show, and the Indian War Canoes. The area was rebuilt as Disneyland's seventh themed land, Bear Country, which opened on March 4, 1972.[5] [6] The new four-acre land, which cost $8 million to build, was Disneyland's first major expansion since the 1969 opening of The Haunted Mansion in New Orleans Square.[7] Located in the northwest quadrant of the park, Bear Country was themed to the forests of the Pacific Northwest. Country Bear Jamboree, which opened three weeks later, was the new land's centerpiece attraction.
Bear Country was also home to the Golden Bear Lodge, an eatery which was renamed Hungry Bear Restaurant in 1977, the Mile Long Bar refreshment center, Teddi Barra's Swingin' Arcade, and Davy Crockett's Explorer Canoes.
Bear Country was renamed Critter Country in 1988 in anticipation of Splash Mountain's opening in 1989.[8] [9] Critter Country was inspired by a quote from Disney's 1946 film Song of the South, which Splash Mountain was based on: "Where the folks are closer to the critters and the critters are closer to the folks." The land maintained some of its bear themes while incorporating other critters with their huts, nests, and burrows scattered throughout. Some of the land's shops were renamed; for example, Ursus H. Bear's Wilderness Outpost became Crocodile Mercantile (which itself became Pooh Corner in 1996). Country Bear Jamboree closed in 2001 and was replaced two years later by The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.
Various types of trees have been planted to create a forestry atmosphere. Critter Country is small in comparison to Disneyland's other lands. The area features a pathway that wraps around the footprint of the upcoming Tiana's Bayou Adventure, starting near The Haunted Mansion and terminating in a series of shops nestled against the Tiana's Bayou Adventure structure. In addition, there is another pathway alongside Hungry Bear Restaurant that leads to Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge.
In June 2020, Disney announced that they would be reworking Splash Mountain to a new ride based on Disney's 2009 animated film The Princess and the Frog, which was later revealed to be titled Tiana's Bayou Adventure. Disney stated that the project had been in development since 2019 and is being overseen by Walt Disney Imagineer Senior Creative Producer Charita Carter while Splash Mountain's original creator Tony Baxter returned as a creative adviser.[10] [11] Splash Mountain closed on May 31, 2023.[12]
In July 2024, it was announced that Hungry Bear Restaurant will be rethemed to Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree.[13] At the D23 fan event in August 2024, it was announced that Disneyland version of Critter Country would be renamed to Bayou Country.[2]
See also: List of Tokyo Disneyland attractions. When Splash Mountain opened at Tokyo Disneyland, Critter Country was specifically created for it. The other attraction in this area is Beaver Brothers Explorer Canoes (formerly Davy Crockett's Explorer Canoes in Westernland). Because of the land's small size and the popularity of Splash Mountain, Critter Country is extremely crowded throughout the day. Characters from backstory material written for the American versions of Splash Mountain to explain how Chickapin Hill came to be flooded are visualized within Tokyo's Critter Country, with the Beaver Brothers having built a dam that was destroyed by an exploding moonshine still owned by saloon owner Rackety Raccoon.