The Country Bear Jamboree has been a staple of the theme parks for decades. The original opened in Disneyland, and a similar show has been performing at the Magic Kingdom for over 50 years.
However, following new initiatives to remove anything perceived as culturally insensitive, the Country Bear Jamboree has been under a refurbishment for months. It is now open and features a completely new show.
I went to the show recently, and here’s what to know about it.
The Show Overall
Photo: Tristen Rider
The show as a whole has lost a lot of its original character that made it so charming and funny. The Bears used to sound like they were actually performing to you, in their own voice, with their original songs.
There wasn’t too much background music, harmonies, or fancy speakers. It was just them swaying along to their music and moving in a clunky way that made it fun to watch. Now, the show features the Bears singing classic Disney songs.
Though the songs aren’t bad and leave most guests bopping their heads along with the music, it doesn’t quite feel authentic to what the Country Bears were.
Strengths
Photo: Tristen Rider
The new upgraded animatronics of the show are excellent. The Bears move in a realistic fashion, arms swaying and head moving along with the music.
There are also multiple effects added – the most noticeable being Ernest’s fiddle catching fire and smoking during his performance of Supercalifragilisticexpealidocious. His arm moves extremely fast, matching the rhythm of the playing and creating an awesome show.
The transition from Ernest to Wendell, who is traditionally the most ridiculous of the bears, is excellent. Wendell starts singing “I can Show You The World” from Aladdin in a twangy southern accent and the juxtaposition against the expected smooth vocals of the song is hilarious.
Weaknesses
The show relies a bit too heavily on pop music sound at times, forgetting that it’s supposed to primarily be a western/country theme to fit Frontierland, the area in which the show resides. It sometimes sounds overproduced, with perfect pitch and background instrumentation that make the sound too “full.”
At times, it feels like there’s not a bear singing at you – it sounds like a song you’d hear on the radio. This will please most visitors, but Disney fans yearning for the authenticity of yesteryear will be disappointed.
There are many nods to the previous version of the show, but most feel a bit out of place and inauthentic. At the grand opening performance of the new show, everyone was clapping along loudly. At times, they’d cheer at certain elements. Others fell flat, which left a weird hush over a crowd full of Country Bear fans.
Final Thoughts
I’m very happy that the Country Bear Jamboree survived Disney’s persistent closure of previous attractions. Though the newest version doesn’t feel as authentic as the old one, it’s still great to have the Country Bears at Disney World.
The show runs continuously throughout the day, making it easy for visitors to pop in and see them without having to wait in line at all. These experiences are what make Disney World fun and interesting. At the end of the day, I’m sure most guests will love the new show.
