Credit: Jaimie Michaels, FlickrThere are certain corners of Walt Disney World that exist in a category all their own. Not the headline attractions, not the newest additions, but the places that have been quietly doing their thing for decades and have accumulated a following so loyal and so specific that any change to them — even a small one — gets noticed immediately. Country Bear Musical Jamboree is exactly that kind of place.
The show has lived inside Grizzly Hall in Frontierland at Magic Kingdom since 1971, making it one of the oldest continuously operating attractions at the park. It was originally conceived by Walt Disney for a ski resort project that never got built, eventually reimagined as an Audio-Animatronic country music spectacle that became one of the company’s defining cult classics. Disneyland ran its own version from 1972 to 2001. Tokyo Disneyland still runs one today with seasonal overlays. The Magic Kingdom version received a significant refresh in 2024 under the new name Country Bear Musical Jamboree, with a reworked setlist featuring country-style arrangements of Disney classics including “The Bare Necessities,” “A Whole New World,” and “Try Everything.”
Most of the familiar bears are still there. Henry, Big Al, and Ernest the “Dude” all made it through the update. But one bear in particular has developed a habit of disappearing — and she is gone again.
Teddi Barra Is Missing, Again
Teddi Barra, the fan-favorite bear who descends from the ceiling on her swing to perform “A Whole New World” alongside Gomer and Wendell, is currently absent from the attraction. The door in the ceiling from which she typically appears remains closed. Her voice still plays during the sequence and during the finale performance of “The Bare Necessities,” but her animatronic is not there. The show continues without her physical presence.
This is not the first time. Teddi Barra disappeared for approximately a week in September under identical circumstances — voice present, animatronic absent, ceiling door closed. She returned following that stretch without any explanation from Disney, which is entirely typical. Disney rarely comments on animatronic maintenance, and the working assumption both times has been that she is undergoing some kind of repair or servicing.
What makes this worth noting is simply that it has now happened twice in a relatively short window. For guests who have not seen the updated Country Bear Musical Jamboree and are specifically hoping to experience the full show as intended, Teddi Barra’s swing sequence is a genuine highlight. Her absence changes the feel of both the “A Whole New World” number and the finale in a way that is noticeable even to guests who do not know her by name.
Disney has not provided a timeline for her return, but based on the September precedent, the outage is likely temporary.
Frontierland Is in the Middle of a Major Transformation
The Teddi Barra situation is a small story inside a very large one. Frontierland at Magic Kingdom is undergoing the most significant overhaul in its history, and the pace of change over the past year has been considerable.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opened last summer following the transformation of Splash Mountain. Rivers of America, Tom Sawyer Island, and the Liberty Square Riverboat have all closed permanently to make way for Piston Peak National Park, a new Cars-themed area coming to the land. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is currently closed through 2026 for a significant refurbishment. And Villains Land, a large dedicated expansion featuring new attractions, dining, and retail built around Disney’s most iconic antagonists, is in active development for a future addition to the area.
Country Bear Musical Jamboree is one of the few constants in Frontierland right now, which is part of why even a minor animatronic outage gets attention from guests who are tracking the land closely.
How This Affects a Magic Kingdom Visit
For most guests, Teddi Barra’s absence is not a trip-altering situation. Country Bear Musical Jamboree is a sit-down, air-conditioned show with no wait times compared to the park’s major attractions, and the rest of the bear cast is fully operational. It is still worth seeing, especially for families who have never experienced it and for guests who want to catch it before Frontierland changes further around it.
That said, guests who are specifically fans of Teddi Barra or who want to see the complete show as designed may want to check current reports before heading in. Social media and Disney fan communities tend to track animatronic outages in real time, so a quick search before your visit will give you the most current picture of whether she has returned.
Given that her September absence lasted only about a week, it is reasonable to expect she will be back before long. But Disney moves on its own timeline, and the only certainty right now is that the ceiling door is closed and she is not on her swing. Keep an eye on it, and if seeing the full show matters to your visit, it is worth building a little flexibility into your Frontierland plans just in case.