I have been going to Walt Disney World and the Magic Kingdom since I was three years old. I have been a big fan of the Country Bears since childhood. I have seen all versions of the show from the original to Vacation Hoedown to the Christmas show. I have even been lucky enough to go to Tokyo Disneyland and see their Country Bear Show, where the country bears are hugely popular and they keep the attraction in pristine condition. So I was excited when it was announced that the Country Bears would be getting a refurbishment and a brand new show.
One of the neat things when you walk into the lobby of Grizzly Hall now is multiple displays showing off some of the “history” of the Country Bears from their albums to song lyrics to instruments to souvenirs from their tours. It’s a neat little extra thing to check out when you’re in the lobby waiting for the show. It is very restless reminiscent of the Tokyo Disneyland version of the attraction.
The Country Bear Musical Jamboree is the new show in Grizzly Hall where the Country Bears put their own spin on songs from Disney and Pixar movies. One of the things you will notice immediately if you have been a fan of the show and have seen it in the last few years is that the Bears look better and run better than they have in years. There is no more clicking or other sounds. They move like they’ve never had before and that is one of the nicest things about the show. It means a lot to see them running this well.
Henry is there as usual, welcoming you to the show as the show kicks off with the new “Country Bear Musical Jamboree” song featuring Henry and the Five Bear Rug. And we go right into Trixie with Bubbles, Bunny, and Beulah backing her up on “Try Anything”. The show runs the gambit from “A Whole New World” with Wendell And Teddi Berra to Romeo McGrowl singing “Kiss The Girl”. I don’t think they could’ve picked a better song for Big Al than “Remember Me” and of course, that big old softy can’t even make it through the song without crying. The finale is to no surprise “The Bare Necessities” and it works so well. One of the highlights of the show for me is to see how well and how often Max, Melvin, and Buff are integrated into the show singing and talking while hanging up on the wall.
My only complaint about the show is that all the female bears either duet or in the case of Bubbles, Bunny, and Beulah now just sing back up to Trixie. I wish one of them just had a solo number. It is a very quick show, which I think is good to for keeping young kids engaged. I did love that so many people were singing along to the songs or clapping and laughing at the jokes. It is clear the Imagineers who worked on this update have a real love for the Country Bears and did an amazing job and keeping the Country Bears around, hopefully for many more years to come.
As someone who has grown up watching the Country Bears since I was three years old. I love the show. It was so wonderful to see the Bears in such great condition and what with such a fun new show. I can’t wait to go back and see it again and again. And now that they’ve been updated maybe we can bring back the Christmas show or a new version of it, wouldn’t that be nice?
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Barry joined Thrillgeek in 2016. He has been a journalist for over 20 years. He is one of the co-hosts of the Thrillgeek Podcast, Editor and Digital Content Coordinator here at Thrillgeek. When he is not going to the theme parks, traveling with his wife, Cyn or playing with their dogs. He is playing drums, going to concerts, trying some of the amazing food or enjoying many of the amazing performing arts we have in Orlando.