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Credit: Brett Kiger via FlickrWalt Disney World fans and cast members said good bye to a beloved attraction this week, although they didn’t get quite the farewell they expected as the performers of the Country Bear Jamboree decided to start their hibernation early.
Magic Kingdom was the first park to open at the Walt Disney World Resort in 1971, and although Walt Disney wasn’t alive to see his Florida park come to life, he had a hand in designing several attractions at Disneyland that would eventually make their way to the Orlando counterpart, ensuring some of his presence still exists today. One of those attractions is the Country Bear Jamboree, which has existed at Disneyland, Walt Disney World, and Tokyo Disney. In 2001, Disneyland said goodbye to the bears for good while Disney World and Tokyo Disney continued various versions of the show.
However, on January 26, the Country Bears performed their last concert at Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland until later this summer when they’ll debut with a brand new show featuring songs from popular and iconic Disney films. The makeover was announced back in September at the Destination D23 event, revealing that the bears would take on hit Disney songs with a variety of country, bluegrass, and folk variations. When the attraction’s final performance date was finally announced, crowds began filling in the theater to sing and clap their hands with Henry, Big Al, Trixie, and the Sun Bonnet Trio along with several other iconic bears.
On the show’s last day, the line trailed past the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction and featured a standby wait of over an hour for the first time in decades. Videos quickly surfaced across social media with various performances and lively crowd reactions and interactions, but the fame came at a price. Towards the end of the day, the animatronics started freezing mid-performance, including a scene where Henry (the host of the Jamboree) refused to move, and various other issues. Eventually, as shown in this TikTok video posted by @hollyrunsdisney, cast members would announce that the bears had decided to “take an early hibernation,” thus shutting down the attraction prematurely.
@hollyrunsdisney Yesterday was the final day of the Country Bear Jamboree 🐻 around 8:15 the last group went in for what would be the final showing. Myself and others than waited for almost 3 hours before we were told the bears would not run another show. The Cast Memebers were amazing during that time, and I’m just thankful for the experience I had while waiting for this announcement. See you all again after this hibernation. #countrybearjamboree #countrybears #frontierland #disneyworld #disney #wdw #magickingdom #annualpassholder #wdwap #countrybearsclosing ♬ original sound – Holly Maddock
In the video, you can hear the emotion and apology in the cast member’s voice as she announces to the waiting crowd that they won’t be able to attend an actual Country Bears performance. “You all are the troopers. You have been here for hours. I appreciate you so much. We have been doing everything we can inside, but these bears have gone to sleep, they are hibernating. We are so sad to inform you we are not going to be able to run anymore shows of Country Bear Jamboree.”
However, despite the upsetting announcement, the cast members rallied the guests with an offer of touring the theater, allowing them to take photos in the hall with what sounds like PhotoPass cast members instead, ready to scan tickets and MagicBands. In another video, this one posted by @londonann14, the cast members perform a show of their own, reciting some of the songs from the attraction with the guests as they make their way through the theater.
@londonann14 Honestly it is when everything goes wrong that my favorite memories are made #disney #disneyworld #wdw #country #bear #countrybearjamboree #song #singing #dancing #fyp #fy #fypシ #magic #magickingdom ♬ original sound – London
The cast members definitely deserve all the praise they’re getting in the comments and throughout other social media platforms as they dealt with a disappointing and upsetting situation as best as they could. It’s clear that they weren’t expecting to say “good bye” to the bears so soon either, but the show’s age and desperate need for a prolonged refurbishment became crystal clear on its final day. While the decision to revamp the show with a variety of recognizable Disney songs has been controversial, there’s no doubt that the bears are due for some serious rest, relaxation, and refurb.
Are you excited for the new and improved Country Bear Jamboree, or will you miss the original? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!