Through The Years With The Country Bears

The Country Bears have been a staple for Disney fans since they debuted at Walt Disney World Resort in 1971. While they made their debut at Walt Disney World Resort, this wasn’t where the destination for the bears originally. Instead, there was originally an idea for another home for the Country Bears in the 1960s. Ahead of D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, Disney has shared a look at the Country Bears through the years. This look back comes as they have just opened their new show at Magic Kingdom.

Walt Disney initially came up with the idea for a bear band project in 1965–1966 and assigned long-time Disney Imagineer, Walt Disney Productions animator, and Disney Legend Marc Davis, to create the show for the proposed Disney ski resort in Mineral King Valley in part of what is now Sequoia National Park in California. However, Walt didn’t just want any ordinary bears. He envisioned an attraction with bear entertainers from the nearby Sequoia that could talk, laugh and perform! Although the Mineral King Ski Resort was eventually canceled, the concept of the bears lived on and was later included in the plans for Disney World as a musical attraction.

To give the bears their own personalities, they were “bear-stowed” with unique characteristics, voices and mannerisms that matched their silly looks. Some of the bears’ designs were even influenced by music selected by Marc and fellow Imagineer Al Bertino. Several different styles of music were experimented with, but ultimately the country music theme set the stage for the first ever Country Bear Jamboree show at Disney World. The attraction debuted with classics like “The Ballad of Davy Crockett” and original songs such as “The Bear Band Serenade” and “Come Again (Come on In).”

Since their first knee-slappin’ performance, the bears proved to be one of the most popular attractions in Magic Kingdom, prompting Imagineers to bring the Country Bear Jamboree attraction to Disneyland Resort in 1972. The ever “growl”-ing popularity of the Country Bears eventually led Country Bear Jamboree to be re-created for the opening of Tokyo Disneyland in 1983, the first ever international Disney park.

The Country Bear Jamboree show at Magic Kingdom and Disneyland Park was changed for the first time ever to a seasonal Christmas special in November 1984, and the Country Bear Christmas Special would run annually from just after Thanksgiving to the New Year. The holiday show, marking the first time an attraction with Audio-Animatronics figures was completely reprogrammed, featured a country Christmas spirit with festive costumes and holiday decorations, plus new songs along with traditional favorites such as “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” and “Winter Wonderland.” To spread the holiday cheer, the show later premiered at Tokyo Disneyland as the Jingle Bell Jamboree for the 1991 holiday season.

In February 1986, a brand-new version of the show, Country Bear Vacation Hoedown, opened at the Country Bear Playhouse at Disneyland, and a few months later in Grizzly Hall at Magic Kingdom in May 1986. The show took guests alongside the Country Bears as they hit the proverbial vacation trail, from soaring mountains to sunny beaches, singing tunes such as “The Great Outdoors” and “On the Road Again.” The Country Bear Vacation Hoedown ran from just after New Year’s Day to Thanksgiving, replacing the original Country Bear Jamboree. In 1994, a version of the show, known as the Vacation Jamboree, debuted in the Country Bear Theater at Tokyo Disneyland.

Fast forward to 2024, and the newly reimagined Country Bear Musical Jamboree show is now open in Magic Kingdom at Disney World, making the bears more lovable than ever! With all of the bears we’ve grown to love, the show combines Nashville-style interpretations of classic Disney tunes such as “Try Everything” and “A Whole New World,” from the Walt Disney Animation Studios films “Zootopia” and “Aladdin” respectively, in various genres of country music including Americana, bluegrass, pop-country, rockabilly and more to give us a performance that is just as silly and fun-filled as shows in the past. They even have some flashy new outfits inspired by classic country singer culture, and the all-new original song “Country Bear Musical Jamboree” created just for the attraction! 

What do you think of the Country Bears? What is your favorite thing about them? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!