Disney Goes To The Bears, The Country Bear Jamboree Reimagined
Have a knee-slappin' good time at the Country Bear Musical Jamboree.
OLGA THOMPSON, ©2024 DISNEY, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Country Bear Oscar, below, is one of the newest voices to come to the Country Bear Musical Jamboree, Walt Disney World’s reimagining of the classic Country Bear Jamboree that reopened at Magic Kingdom in July 2024. Oscar holds a plush featuring Big Al, one of Jamboree’s original and most popular characters, who is still in the show.
The show’s title is a nod to the performances staged at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, and that’s not the only country music tie-in found at Walt Disney World. For Jamboree’s update, Disney hired country stars Mac McAnally, Emily Ann Roberts, Allison Russell and Chris Thile to reinterpret Disney songs into various country music genres.
OLGA THOMPSON, ©2024 DISNEY, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
“It was an honor to work on a show with such a legacy,” said Jake Ellis, principal audio media designer for Walt Disney Engineering. “One of the first memories I have at Walt Disney World was sitting on my mom’s lap at Grizzly Hall and watching the Country Bears perform.”
The original Jamboree, which opened in 1971, was one of the last attractions Walt Disney personally helped develop. During the refresh, Imagineers wanted to keep the ethos of the animatronic bears, but rethink the songs to create a more diverse and multigenerational appeal.
“Where better to look than the Disney catalog for those songs?” he said.
The Country Bears still perform in Grizzly Hall. Longtime fans of the show will appreciate the many Easter eggs that are sprinkled throughout.
