| Country Bear Jamboree | |
| Imagedimensions: | 250px |
| Location: | Magic Kingdom |
| Also Known As: | Country Bear Musical Jamboree |
| Section: | Frontierland |
| Status: | Open |
| Soft Opened: | July 10, 2024 (Musical Jamboree) |
| Opened: | October 1, 1971 (Original) July 17, 2024 (Musical Jamboree) |
| Closed: | January 27, 2024 (Original) |
| Location2: | Disneyland |
| Section2: | Critter Country |
| Status2: | Removed |
| Opened2: | March 4, 1972 |
| Closed2: | September 9, 2001 |
| Replacement2: | The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh |
| Location3: | Tokyo Disneyland |
| Altname3: | Country Bear Theater |
| Section3: | Westernland |
| Status3: | Open |
| Opened3: | April 15, 1983 |
| Type: | Audio-Animatronic theater presentation |
| Designer: | WED Enterprises |
| Model: | Music hall |
| Theme: | Country music |
| Music: | George Bruns |
| Custom Label 1: | Show host |
| Custom Value 1: | Henry the Bear |
| Custom Label 2: | Audio-animatronics |
| Custom Value 2: | 24 (Magic Kingdom) 48 (Disneyland) 50 (Tokyo Disneyland) |
| Custom Label 3: | Sponsors |
| Custom Value 3: | Pepsi and Frito-Lay (Magic Kingdom, 1971–81) Wonder Bread (Disneyland, 1975–1995) House Foods (Tokyo Disneyland) |
| Accessible: | yes |
| Assistive Listening: | yes |
| Cc: | yes |
The Country Bear Jamboree is an attraction in the Magic Kingdom theme park at Walt Disney World Resort and Tokyo Disneyland at Tokyo Disney Resort. It was formerly located at Disneyland Park at Disneyland Resort. The attraction is also known as the Country Bear Musical Jamboree at Magic Kingdom (as of 2024) and the Country Bear Theater in Tokyo Disneyland.
The attraction is a stage show featuring audio-animatronic figures. Most of the characters are bears who perform country music. Characters rise up to the stage on platforms, descend from the ceiling, and appear from behind curtains. The theater includes three audio-animatronic animal heads mounted on the walls who interact with characters on stage.
Due to popularity, The Country Bear Jamboree was given a "spin-off" show which appeared during the 1984 winter season at Walt Disney World and Disneyland. It was called The Country Bear Christmas Special. In 1986 it was given a summertime version called The Country Bear Vacation Hoedown. This version was so popular at Disneyland that it became the park's standard edition until the attraction's closing in 2001. In 2002, a movie titled The Country Bears was released which was based on the attraction and its characters.
The Country Bear Jamboree was originally intended by Walt Disney to be placed at Disney's Mineral King Ski Resort in California which he was trying to build in the mid-1960s. Disney knew he wanted some sort of show to provide entertainment to the guests at the resort, and he knew he wanted the show to feature some sort of bear band. The project was assigned to imagineer Marc Davis.[1]
Davis, together with Al Bertino, came up with many bear groups, including bear marching bands, bear mariachi bands, and Dixieland bears.[2]
After Disney's death, plans for the show still carried on. The bears would be featured in the resort's Bear Band Restaurant Show, and it was decided that they would have a country twang. But while plans for the show progressed, plans for the ski resort did not. Instead, the Imagineers working on the project decided to place the show in Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom in time for its grand opening in 1971. Imagineer X Atencio and musical director George Bruns created songs for the bears to sing.
On October 1, 1971, The Country Bear Jamboree opened its doors in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. It received so much positive feedback that Imagineers immediately planned to make a replica of the show to be placed in Disneyland. The addition to the show in Disneyland inspired a brand-new land appropriately titled Bear Country. Because of the tremendous popularity of the show in Walt Disney World, excess capacity was added to the Disneyland incarnation in the form of two identical theaters, each housing a copy of the show in its entirety. The Disneyland clone of the attraction opened on March 4, 1972.
Due to the huge popularity of the Disneyland and Magic Kingdom versions a third version of the attraction was planned to open at Tokyo Disneyland on April 15, 1983. The Tokyo Version also houses two identical theaters, like the Disneyland version. However, unlike Disneyland, the trophy heads of Max, Buff and Melvin hang on the right side of both identical theaters (in the same arrangement as Magic Kingdom's).
On August 24, 2001, it was announced that the Disneyland location would close on September 9 to make room for The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.[3]
On August 21, 2012, the Walt Disney World version of the Country Bear Jamboree closed for a nearly two-month-long refurbishment. All the characters in the show received new skin, fur, and costumes. The songs "Pretty Little Devilish Mary" and "Fractured Folk Song" and some of the dialogues were removed, while other songs were shortened. The show is now 4 to 5 minutes shorter than it was before. The shorter version of the show opened on October 17, 2012.[4]
In September 2023, it was announced that the Walt Disney World version would receive a new show titled the Country Bear Musical Jamboree.[5] In June 2024, Magic Kingdom announced that Country Bear Musical Jamboree would open on July 17, 2024.
Henry – The Master of Ceremonies of the show, Henry is a welcoming and friendly brown bear. He wears a grey top hat, starched shirt front, and a string tie. In some parts of the show, he plays a yellow guitar. It is implied that he and Teddi have some sort of backstage romance. In addition to being the leader of all the bears, he is often depicted with Wendell and Sammy the Raccoon as his sidekicks. He is the grandson of Ursus H. Bear, who founded Grizzly Hall, the venue the bears perform at in Florida.
Gomer – Gomer is a bear who never sings but instead plays his piano, which has a honeycomb on top of it. He is considered Henry's right-hand bear. He was originally brown, but during the Florida 2012 refurbishment his appearance changed and was given dark burgundy fur with a blonde goatee and a hat. In the Country Bear Musical Jamboree, his fur was once again changed to black, which reflects his original concept art by Marc Davis.
The Five Bear Rugs
Baby Oscar – Oscar appears with The Five Bear Rugs, but plays no instrument, though in the original show he would "beep" his teddy bear twice at the end of a few songs. In fact, he never says a word. He is a brown bear and always has his teddy bear to keep him company. In the 1971 album, it is mentioned that Zeb is his father.
Wendell – Wendell is a hyperactive golden brown bear who plays the mandolin. He wears a blue bandanna around his neck and a light brown hat. He also has a massive overbite and buck teeth. Wendell was originally portrayed as Henry's sidekick, having two duets with him. Wendell's role in the Florida version of the show was severely reduced during the October 2012 refurb when "Fractured Folk Song" was removed, and is no longer mentioned by name. In the Country Bear Vacation Hoedown, Wendell's vacation photos imply he has a wife and son.
Romeo McGrowl (originally named Liver Lips McGrowl) – He is a brown bear and plays the guitar. Since Florida's 2012 refurbishment, he has a messy, unkempt head of long hair in the Florida version of the show. He got his original name, Liver Lips, due to his large pronounced lips, meant to caricature musicians who "croon". In September 2023, it was revealed that he would be renamed Romeo McGrowl when the attraction was reimagined to Country Bear Musical Jamboree in Magic Kingdom.[6] Henry often calls Romeo "Mac", a nickname based off his last name. His original name continues to be used by Tokyo Disneyland in their Japanese Country Bear Jamboree, Jingle Bell Jamboree, and Vacation Jamboree shows.
Trixie – Trixie is a very large brown bear who wears a blue bow on her head, a blue tutu around her waist, and holds a blue handkerchief in her left hand. It is also implied that she has a slight crush on Henry.
Terrence (aka Shaker) – A tall bear with tan fur, Terrence wears a hat, a yellow vest (Since Florida's 2012 refurb), and plays the guitar. He gets his nickname from his signature dance move where he sways his hips back and forth. The original WDW animatronic achieved this effect by shaking the entire platform Terrence was on at the base, causing the curtains to shake violently as well. The Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland versions of Terrence added an independent hip-swaying mechanic separate from Terrence's legs and torso, allowing the hips to sway much further without shaking the entire animatronic's base.
The Sun Bonnet Trio
Ernest the "Dude" – Ernest is a brown bear who plays the fiddle. His nickname, "Dude", refers to his dandy appearance and personality, and is used in the context of the original definition of "dude" (a city dweller unfamiliar with life on the range). Ernest always takes his entire 17-trunk wardrobe everywhere he goes. He wears a derby and a red polka-dot bowtie around his neck. He was voiced by Van Stoneman from October 1971 until July 1975, when his vocals were rerecorded by Randy Sparks. Stoneman's recording can still be heard on the 1971 record and 2003 CD.
Teddi Barra – Teddi Barra is a unique bear because she never appears on stage. Instead she descends from a hole in the ceiling on her swing, which is decorated with pink roses. She is a brown bear and wears a blue hat with a pink feather (In 2012 of the Florida version of the show, she received a new violet sequined hat) as well as a long pink boa around her neck. She is implied to have a backstage romance with Henry.
Big Al – Big Al is the fattest bear. He is grey with a light grey belly (Though his fur was changed to brown in 2012 in the Florida version of the show) and wears a tan hat and a red vest. He plays an always out-of-tune guitar.
Rufus - Rufus is in charge of changing the scenery and the lights. He is never seen, only his loud footsteps and his heavy breathing as he climbs the stairs to fix something that has gone wrong are heard. While he does not appear in the original version of the show, he appears in all subsequent versions.
Ursus H. Bear - Ursus H. Bear was the founder of Grizzly Hall. He lived from 1848 to 1928, having passed before the time of the original show. The center stage proscenium of Grizzly Hall features a plaque decorated with a Victorian style portrait of Ursus, dedicated to his legacy. In the Country Bear Musical Jamboree, it was revealed that Henry is his grandson (identically resembling Ursus in appearance).
Buff – Buff is considered the leader of the mounted animal heads and is also the largest. He is the head portion of an American bison.
Max – Max is the head portion of a whitetail buck.
Melvin – Melvin, a bull moose head, is one of the animal head trio. He often makes good-natured jokes.
Sammy – Sammy is Henry's raccoon pal who cuddles around Henry's top hat. He acts like a coonskin cap for Henry. In the Country Bear Vacation Hoedown, Sammy gets replaced by a skunk named Randy.
Randy - A skunk who appears in the Vacation Hoedown version of the show. At several points during the show, guests can hear some of the bears yelling about a skunk that got backstage, and eventually Randy finds himself on top of Henry's head. When confronted, Randy says he simply wanted to get into show business, and Henry invites him to join in the show's finale.
Webster - A penguin who appears in the Country Bear Christmas Special alongside Shaker. In the English versions of the show, Webster is frozen in a block of ice and doesn't speak, instead just rattling around every now and then as Shaker asks him to sing. In the Japanese version, Webster is thawed out and sings with Shaker.
Dolores - Another animal companion to Shaker, Dolores the octopus is found in the Country Bear Vacation Hoedown. She has a romantic relationship with Shaker, but in the English version of the show, it doesn't work out. In the Japanese version, she is a more cartoony octopus as opposed to the original realistic design, and she sings a love song with Shaker.
At Disneyland, Max, Buff, and Melvin currently reside in The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, which replaced the Country Bear Playhouse in 2003 (which had closed nearly two years prior). They hang above the entrance to the "Hunny Heaven" room, but riders must turn around in order to see them. The set of Max, Buff & Melvin featured there were the static non-Animatronic figures found in Mile Long Bar.[7]
At the Magic Kingdom and Tokyo Disneyland the three trophy heads of Max, Buff and Melvin hung on the right side of the theater (closest to Trixie / Henry & Sammy). At Disneyland, the configuration was flipped, with the three being hung on the left side (closest to Ernest / Big Al).
Note: List does not include Gomer, Ted, Fred, and Baby Oscar, as they never speak in any of the shows. Also, list doesn't currently include Japanese voice actors.
| Character | Country Bear Jamboree | Country Bear Christmas Special | Country Bear Vacation Hoedown | Country Bear Musical Jamboree |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henry | Peter Renaday | A.J. LoCascio[8] | ||
| Buff | Thurl Ravenscroft | Fred Tatasciore | ||
| Max | Peter Renaday | Mike West | Steven French | |
| Melvin | Bill Lee | Frank Welker | Roger Craig Smith | |
| Zeke | Dallas McKennon (1971–1975), Randy Sparks (1975-onwards) | Harry Middlebrooks | Chris Thile | |
| Zeb | Unknown Member of the Stoneman Family | Curt Wilson | Larry Franklin | |
| Tennessee | Unknown Member of the Stoneman Family | Lee Dresser | Mike Bub | |
| Wendell | Bill Cole | Dave Durham | Chris Thile | |
| Liver Lips / Romeo McGrowl | Jimmy Stoneman | Dave Durham | Robert "Big Sandy" Williams | |
| Trixie | Cheryl Poole | Suzanne Sherwin | Emily Ann Roberts | |
| Terrence (aka Shaker) | Harry Middlebrooks | Mac McAnally | ||
| Bunny | Jackie Ward | Lori Johnson | Tania Hancheroff | |
| Bubbles | Loulie Jean Norman | Diane Michelle | Rachel Robinson | |
| Beulah | Peggy Clark | Holaday Mason | Cindy R. Walker | |
| Ernest the "Dude" | Van Stoneman (1971–1975), Randy Sparks (1975-onward) | Mike Weston | No Vocals - Fiddling Performed by Larry Franklin | |
| Teddi Barra | Genia Fuller Crews | Allison Russell | ||
| Big Al | Tex Ritter | Peter Klimes | TBA | |
| Sammy | Bill Cole | Bob Gardner | Isaac Robinson-Smith | |
| Randy | Frank Welker | |||
| Rufus | N/A | Fred Tatasciore | ||
The show is a continuous string of short country songs sung by the various bears. As each bear sings their song, a curtain opens to reveal them, except in the case of Wendell, Gomer, and the Sun Bonnet Trio (all of whom rise from the center stage), and Teddi Barra (who descends from the ceiling).
The set list for the Tokyo Disneyland version is the original set list for the Walt Disney World and Disneyland versions when the show first opened at both those respective parks. The Disneyland version remained unchanged until 1985 when it converted over to the Vacation Hoedown the next year. The Walt Disney World version remained unchanged until its 2012 refurbishment, when the set list was altered.
In 1984, the Disney Imagineers created the Country Bear Christmas Special. The show debuted at Disneyland at the Disneyland Resort and at Magic Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort in the winter of 1984, while marking the first time an attraction at any Disney theme park to ever receive a seasonal overlay.[9] The show later premiered at Tokyo Disneyland at the Tokyo Disney Resort as Jingle Bell Jamboree during the 1988 Christmas season.
The Disneyland version continued to play every holiday season with its last show playing in 2000 before the attraction closed permanently.
The Walt Disney World version continued to play every holiday season until 2005.
The Country Bear Vacation Hoedown was a summer overlay for the attraction. In Disneyland, it opened in February 1986 replacing the original show. That May, the Magic Kingdom version followed suit.[10] On July 15, 1994, the show opened at Tokyo Disneyland as Vacation Jamboree. It remained at Magic Kingdom until February 1992 when the original show returned. At Disneyland however, the Hoedown remained until the Country Bear Playhouse closed on September 9, 2001.[11]
On September 9, 2023, it was announced at Disney's Destination D23 event that the show would receive an overhaul. The new Country Bear Musical Jamboree is inspired by Nashville musical revues, with the bears performing classic Disney songs, including "The Bare Necessities", reinterpreted in various genres of country music.[12] A soft opening preview was held on July 10, 2024.[13] It officially opened on July 17, 2024.[14]
A version of the show's set list was made available on music streaming platforms on July 17, 2024. It features full versions of all the songs in the show except Remember Me. Additionally, A Whole New World is an earlier recording with Thile singing in his regular voice as opposed to doing a voice for Wendell, and Fixer Upper is instrumental.
See main article: The Country Bears. In 2002, Walt Disney Pictures released a live-action feature film based on the attraction, starring Christopher Walken, Daryl Mitchell, Diedrich Bader, Alex Rocco, and Haley Joel Osment as the voice of Beary Barrington. It was Disney's second theatrical film based on one of their theme park attractions and the third overall film based on an attraction following the television film Tower of Terror (1997) and the theatrically released Mission to Mars (2000).