Country Bear Jamboree

Country Bear Jamboree
Attraction poster for the Disneyland version
Tokyo Disneyland
Name	Country Bear Theater
Area	Westernland
Status	Operating
Opening date	April 15, 1983
Magic Kingdom
Area	Frontierland
Status	Under construction
Opening date	October 1, 1971 (Original) Summer 2024 (Musical Jamboree)
Closing date	January 27, 2024 (Original)
Disneyland
Area	Critter Country
Status	Removed
Opening date	March 4, 1972 (Original) February 1986 (Vacation Hoedown)
Closing date	November 1985 (Original) September 9, 2001 (Vacation Hoedown)
Replaced by	The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Ride statistics
Attraction type	Audio-Animatronic theater presentation
Designer	WED Enterprises
Theme	Country Songs
Music	George Bruns
Duration	15:55
Host	Henry the Bear (Pete Renaday)
Required Ticket	E (Magic Kingdom) D (Tokyo Disneyland) E (Disneyland)
Audio-animatronics	24 (Magic Kingdom) 48 (Disneyland) 50 (Tokyo Disneyland)
Sponsors	Pepsi and Frito-Lay (1971–81) (Magic Kingdom) Wonder Bread (1975–1995) (Disneyland) House Foods (Tokyo Disneyland)
Wheelchair accessible
Assistive listening available
Closed captioning available

The Country Bear Jamboree (under the name Country Bear Theater) is an attraction in the Magic Kingdom theme park at Walt Disney World Resort and Tokyo Disneyland at Tokyo Disney Resort. The attraction also existed at Disneyland Park. All versions of the attraction are similar.

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 audience includes audio-animatronic animal heads mounted on the walls who interact with characters on stage.

Due to overwhelming 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.

History

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 version 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.

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]

On September 9, 2023, it was announced that the Walt Disney World version would receive a new show titled the Country Bear Musical Jamboree. ^[5]

Characters

Bears

The queue for the Disneyland version included fake doors in appropriate shapes for each of the bear performers.

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. Voiced by Peter Renaday.

Liver Lips McGrowl – Liver Lips gets his name from his very large lips. 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 is voiced by Jimmy Stoneman. On September 9, 2023, Disney Parks chairman, Josh D'Amaro, announced that Liver Lips McGrowl will be renamed to Romeo McGrowl when the attraction is reimagined to Country Bear Musical Jamboree at a later date. ^[6]

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. He is voiced by Bill Cole. 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.

Teddi Berra – Teddi Berra 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 voiced by Patsy Stoneman.

Ernest – Ernest is a brown bear who plays the fiddle. 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.

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 is voiced by Van Stoneman.

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. She is voiced by Cheryl Poole.

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 and is voiced by Tex Ritter from his hit album, Blood on the Saddle (1960).

The Sun Bonnet Trio

• Bunny – Bunny stands in the center of the stage. She is voiced by Jackie Ward. Because she and her sisters are triplets, they all have brown fur and wear matching blue bonnets and dresses.
• Bubbles – Bubbles stands to the audience's left between Gomer and Bunny, and is voiced by Loulie Jean Norman.
• Beulah – Beulah stands to the audience's right and is voiced by Peggy Clark.

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 he is now a deep burgundy red with a blonde goatee and a new hat.

The Five Bear Rugs

• Zeke – Considered the leader of The Five Bear Rugs, Zeke plays a banjo and taps on the dishpan with "a real ol' country beat". He is a grey bear with glasses who wears a tan top hat. He was voiced by Dallas McKennon from October 1971 until July 1975, when Randy Sparks rerecorded his vocals. McKennon's recording as Zeke can still be heard on the 1971 record and the 2003 CD. Zeke's solo song "Pretty Little Devilish Mary" was removed from the Florida version of the show in October 2012.
• Zeb – Zeb is brown bear with a light brown stomach. He plays the fiddle as well as wears a bandanna around his neck and a derby hat. He is voiced by a member of the Stoneman family.
• Ted – Ted is a tall, skinny bear who blows on the corn jug and plays the washboard. His fur is brown, and he wears a vest with a brown hat.
• Fred – The biggest of the five bears, Fred ironically plays the smallest instrument: a harmonica. He is a brown bear and wears blue jeans held up with suspenders as well as a striped red and white tie. To Ted's older brother.
• Tennessee – Tennessee Bear plays "The Thing" (an upright bass with only one string and a tiny bird sitting on it). He is blonde bear (brown in Tokyo Disneyland) and wears a bandanna around his neck. He is voiced by a member of the Stoneman family.

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.

Other Animals

Melvin, Buff, and Max (left to right) at the Walt Disney World Country Bear Jamboree

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. He is voiced by Disney legend Thurl Ravenscroft.

Max – Max is the head portion of a whitetail buck and is voiced by Peter Renaday.

Melvin – Melvin, a bull moose head, is of the animal head trio. He often makes good-natured jokes and is voiced by Bill Lee.

Sammy – Sammy is Henry's raccoon pal who cuddles around Henry's top hat. He acts like a coonskin cap for Henry. He is voiced by Bill Cole. In the Country Bear Vacation Hoedown, Sammy gets replaced by a skunk named Randy.

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 theatre but at Disneyland they hung on the left side.

The Tokyo Disneyland and the Former Disneyland versions of the show houses 2 theatres. The Magic Kingdom version only houses 1 theatre.

The Show

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 show begins with Max, Buff, and Melvin telling Henry to get on with the show. Henry then asks Gomer to give him a "little intro", and the jamboree begins.

The Songs

Walt Disney World version:

• "Pianjo" (Don Robertson) – Gomer and Henry
• "Bear Band Serenade" (Lyrics: Xavier Atencio, Music: George Bruns) – The Five Bear Rugs, Gomer, and Henry
• "If You Can't Bite, Don't Growl" (Tommy Collins) – Ernest and the Five Bear Rugs
• "My Woman Ain't Pretty (But She Don't Swear None)" (Frankie Starr & Paul E. Miller) – Liver Lips McGrowl
• "Mama, Don't Whip Little Buford" (Burns & Haynes) – Henry and Wendell
• "Tears Will Be the Chaser For Your Wine" (Dale Davis & Leroy Goates) – Trixie
• "How Long Will My Baby Be Gone" (Buck Owens) – Terrence
• "All the Guys That Turn Me On Turn Me Down" (Plott & Powell) – The Sun Bonnet Trio
• "Heart, We Did All That We Could" (Ned Miller) – Teddi Barra
• "Blood on the Saddle" (written by Everett Cheetham, performed by Tex Ritter) – Big Al
• "The Ballad of Davy Crockett" (Tom Blackburn and George Bruns) – Henry and Sammy
• "Ole Slew Foot" (Howard Hausey) – Cast (minus Ernest and Trixie, who do not appear onstage, and Big Al, who reprises "Blood on the Saddle")
• "Come Again" (Tom Adair & George Bruns) – Henry, Sammy, Max, Buff, and Melvin

Tokyo Disneyland version:

• "Pianjo" (Don Robertson) – Gomer and Henry
• "Bear Band Serenade" (Lyrics: Xavier Atencio, Music: George Bruns) – The Five Bear Rugs, Gomer, and Henry (sung in Japanese)
• "Fractured Folk Song" (Kenneth C. Burns & Henry D. Haynes) – Henry and Wendell (sung in Japanese)
• "My Woman Ain't Pretty (But She Don't Swear None)" (Frankie Starr & Paul E. Miller) – Liver Lips McGrowl
• "Mama, Don't Whip Little Buford" (Burns & Haynes) – Henry and Wendell (sung in Japanese)
• "Tears Will Be the Chaser For Your Wine" (Dale Davis & Leroy Goates) – Trixie
• "Pretty Little Devilish Mary" (Bradley Kincaid) – The Five Bear Rugs
• "How Long Will My Baby Be Gone" (Buck Owens) – Terrence
• "All the Guys That Turn Me On Turn Me Down" (Plott & Powell) – The Sun Bonnet Trio
• "If You Can't Bite, Don't Growl" (Tommy Collins) – Ernest and the Five Bear Rugs
• "Heart, We Did All That We Could" (Ned Miller) – Teddi Barra
• "Blood on the Saddle" (Everett Cheetham) – Big Al
• "The Ballad of Davy Crockett" (Tom Blackburn and George Bruns) – Henry and Sammy (sung in Japanese)
• "Ole Slew Foot" (Howard Hausey) – Cast (minus Ernest and Trixie, who do not appear onstage, and Big Al, who reprises "Blood on the Saddle")
• "Come Again" (Tom Adair & George Bruns) – Henry, Sammy, Max, Buff, and Melvin (sung in Japanese)

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 that way until 1985 when it converted over to the Vacation Hoedown. The Walt Disney World version remained that way until its 2012 refurbishment when the set list was altered.

Christmas Special

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. ^[8] 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 Songs

• "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" - Gomer and Henry
• "Tracks in the Snow" - Henry and the Five Bear Rugs
• "Oh, What a Christmas" - Wendell
• "Hibernation Blues" - Trixie
• "Deck the Halls" - The Five Bear Rugs
• "Rock & Roll Santa" - Liver Lips McGrowl and Gomer
• "Blue Christmas" - Terrence
• "Sleigh Ride" - The Sun Bonnet Trio, Max, Buff and Melvin
• "Hungry as a Bear" - Ernest and the Five Bear Rugs
• "The Christmas Song" - Teddi Barra and Henry
• "Another New Year" - Big Al
• "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" - Henry, Sammy, and the Sun Bonnet Trio
• "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" - Max, Buff and Melvin
• "Winter Wonderland" - Cast (minus Ernest and Trixie, who do not appear onstage)

Tokyo Disneyland version:

• "Jingle Bells" - Gomer and Henry (sung in English)
• "Tracks in the Snow" - Henry and the Five Bear Rugs
• "Oh, What a Christmas" - Wendell
• "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" - Trixie (sung in English)
• "Deck the Halls" - The Five Bear Rugs
• "Rock & Roll Santa" - Liver Lips McGrowl and Gomer
• "Blue Christmas" - Terrence
• "Sleigh Ride" - The Sun Bonnet Trio, Max, Buff and Melvin
• "Hungry as a Bear" - Ernest and the Five Bear Rugs
• "The Christmas Song" - Teddi Barra and Henry
• "Auld Lang Syne" - Big Al (sung in English)
• "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" - Henry, Sammy, and the Sun Bonnet Trio (sung in English)
• "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" - Max, Buff and Melvin
• "Winter Wonderland" - Cast (minus Ernest and Trixie, who do not appear onstage)

Vacation Hoedown

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. ^[9] 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. ^[10]

The Songs

Disneyland and Magic Kingdom versions:

• "The Great Outdoors" - The Five Bear Rugs and Henry
• "Life's No Picnic Without You" - Trixie
• "On the Road Again" - Wendell
• "We Can Make It to the Top" - Liverlips McGrowl
• "California Bears" - The Sunbonnet Trio, Gomer, Max, Buff and Melvin
• "Two Different Worlds" - Terrence
• "Rocky Top" - The Five Bear Rugs
• "Nature" - Ernest
• "Singing in the Rain" - Teddi Barra and Henry
• "Ghost Riders in the Sky" - The Five Bear Rugs
• "I Lost My Way to Your Heart" - Big Al
• "Thank God I'm a Country Bear" - Cast (minus Ernest and Trixie, who do not appear onstage)

Tokyo Disneyland version:

• "The Great Outdoors" - The Five Bear Rugs and Henry
• "On the Road Again" - Wendell
• "Achy Breaky Heart" - Trixie
• "Over My Head Over You" - Terrence
• "California Bears" - The Sunbonnet Trio, Gomer, Max, Buff and Melvin
• "We Can Make It to the Top" - Liverlips McGrowl and the Sunbonnet Trio
• "Singing in the Rain" - Teddi Barra and Henry
• "Mountain Music" - Ernest, Henry, and the Five Bear Rugs
• "I've Been Working on the Railroad" - Big Al
• "V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N" - Cast (minus Ernest and Trixie, who do not appear onstage)

Musical Jamboree

On September 9, 2023, it was announced at Disney's Destination D23 event that the show would receive an overhaul in Summer 2024. The new Country Bear Musical Jamboree will be inspired by Nashville musical revues, with the bears performing classic Disney songs, including "The Bare Necessities", reinterpreted in various genres of country music. ^[11]

Legacy

• Chuck E. Cheese restaurants were inspired by the Disneyland versions of Country Bear Jamboree and the Enchanted Tiki Room in producing their own animatronic musical shows. ^{[12] [13] [14]}
• In 1977, the Phantasialand theme park in Brühl, Germany would receive "Die Klimbimski-Show." The stage design in setup and detailing was inspired by the Country Bear Jamboree, though it contained a cast of monkeys, bears, and birds as performers. It was the first animatronic show to be produced by German manufacturer Hofmann Figuren. After closing in 1985, this show would be refurbished and relocated to Avonturenpark Hellendoorn where it operated from 1989 up through 2003 as the "Hellendoorn Magical Monkey Show." ^{[15] [16]}
  • Hofmann would later create more shows inspired by Country Bear Jamboree including "The Koala Country Show" for Dreamworld in Queensland, Australia (1982), ^[17] as well as "Le Niglo Show" for Nigloland in France (1991). ^{[18] [19]}

See also

• The Country Bears – 2002 movie based on the attraction, which retains the bears Henry, Ted, Zeb, Fred, Tennessee, Trixie, and Big Al, albeit changing their characters a bit.
• List of former Disneyland attractions
• Tokyo Disneyland attraction and entertainment history
• List of Disney attractions using Audio-Animatronics

References

1. Barnes, Brooks (October 19, 2012). "Despite Fans' Fears, Disney's Country Bears Remain Corny". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved July 3, 2020.
2. Thomas, Bob (1976). Walt Disney : an American original. Los Angeles: Simon & Schuster. p. 379. ISBN   978-1-368-02718-2. OCLC   1027963382.
3. "Disneyland cuts bears". The Fresno Bee. August 26, 2001. Retrieved September 13, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
4. "The Country Bear Jamboree is Back - New Shorter Version". October 18, 2012.
5. Smith, Thomas (September 9, 2023). "New Country Bear Disney Songs, Pirates Lounge, Hatbox Ghost Coming to Magic Kingdom". Disney Parks Blog. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
6. "Country Bear Name Change Coming as Attraction Reimaginined". wdwnt.com. September 9, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
7. "Five Things You Might Have Missed in Critter Country at Disneyland Park". July 16, 2014.
8. Bright, Randy. Disneyland: Inside Story. Abrams.
9. Geryak, Cole (December 20, 2018). "Disney Extinct Attractions: Country Bear Christmas Special and Country Bear Vacation Hoedown". The Laughing Place. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
10. "Country Bear Vacation Jamboree Tribute". January 27, 2015.
11. Silagyi, Kyle (September 9, 2023). "BREAKING: Original Country Bear Jamboree Being Replaced by Disney Music Show at Magic Kingdom". WDW News Today. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
12. "Pizza Time's Vaudeville Theatre" (PDF). Western Foodservice. March 1979.
13. Storey, Ken (May 26, 2020). "Chuck E. Cheese might be trying to hide who they are, but Orlando still owes a lot to this mouse". Orlando Weekly. Archived from the original on October 16, 2020. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
14. The Rise & Fall of Showbiz Pizza Place & Chuck E. Cheese Pizza Time Theatre , retrieved June 22, 2023
15. The Strange and Defunct Attractions of Phantasialand , retrieved June 21, 2023
16. Avonturenpark Hellendoorn (NL) am 24.07.1992 , retrieved June 21, 2023
17. Defunctland: The Awful Wiggles Dark Ride , retrieved June 21, 2023
18. Nigloland - NigloShow (version 2022) #Nigloland #Niglo35 #Nigloland2022 , retrieved June 21, 2023
19. "Catalogue". www.hofmann-figuren.de. Retrieved June 21, 2023.

External links

• Magic Kingdom – Country Bear Musical Jamboree
• Tokyo Disneyland – Country Bear Theater
• WDW Radio Country Bear Jamboree History, Stories and Trivia
• All Ears Net Country Bear Page
• Yesterland Country Bear page
• WDWHistory Country Bear Page