Credit: Disney Parks BlogHenry, Wendell, Zeke, Big Al, and all the rest of the Disney park bear band are set to give their final performance this month, but the new Country Bear Jamboree has much more in common with its original concept than fans might think.
Yesterday, Inside the Magic covered the reactions to the news that the beloved opening-day attraction would shut down to make room for a new, Nashville-inspired rendition of the original show. While the news was met with a generally negative response, the new Country Bear Musical Jamboree might not be the drastic redesign it appears to be.
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Although the upcoming modernization might give a new coat of paint to a classic attraction, the idea set forth by the Walt Disney Imagineers has more in common with the attraction’s original design and intent that fans want to accept. Looking back, the bears aren’t leaving; they’re just changing their setlist.
Putting the “Country” in Country Bear Jamboree
The Country Bear Jamboree is an audio-animatronic musical revue that has been with the Walt Disney World Resort since its opening day, and it has since been a tribute to classic country music and a testament to the power of Disney Imagineering. That said, some fans fear that the country music inspiration will be neglected in the upcoming redesign, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
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Remember what Henry, our host bear in the big top hat, says at the beginning of the show?
“Howdy folks! Welcome to the one and only, original Country Bear Jamboree, featuring a bit of Americana—our musical heritage of the past.”
Our “musical heritage of the past” plays a massive part in the original show. Songs like Shaker’s rendition of Buck Owens’ “How Long Will My Baby Be Gone,” Teddi Barra’s cover of Jean Shephard’s “Heart, We Did All That We Could,” and Big Al’s sorrowful rendition of “Blood on the Saddle” were instrumental (no pun intended) to the experience.
The Disney Parks Blog made the following statement regarding the upcoming changes to the classic attraction.
“If you’ve been too busy trottin’ through the wild west and have missed the news, the Country Bears are getting ready to put on a new show that pays homage to the Opry-style shows of Nashville. While the Country Bear Musical Jamboree will include easter eggs from the beginning to the end including a familiar tune fans may remember, the bears will sing new, reinterpreted Disney tunes in different genres of country music – like bluegrass, pop-country, Americana, rockabilly and other styles…”
Speaking as a Tennessee native, Nashville has almost always been known as the capital of country music. So why wouldn’t the Country Bears want to utilize its influence for an all-new show?
Furthermore, many artists behind the original show’s soundtrack were performers on the Grand Old Opry, referenced in Disney’s announcement. By that logic, it feels like Disney is going out of its way to stick to the original attraction’s design and intent with this “new” direction.
That all being said, a proper critique won’t be feasible until the attraction reopens this summer. From what Disney has stated and what we know about the original attraction, we can take comfort in knowing that the updated version will still be utilizing the same elements that inspired the original, but giving a new voice to our furry friends in the process.
Do you think the Country Bears should be left alone? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!