Country Bear Jamboree 2024 Closure DATE – Details on New Show Coming!
The beloved Country Bear Jamboree at Magic Kingdom invites guests into Grizzly Hall for a 16-minute musical celebration with a cast of singing bears. The attraction, which was one of the very last that Walt Disney himself personally helped develop, features 18 Audio-Animatronic bears, a medley of classic and original tunes, and humorous moments.
Last year it was announced that Country Bear Jamboree would be getting a refresh that would introduce some new changes.
Keep reading for everything you need to know about Country Bear Jamboree's closure, including a new closing date coming up soon, and what to expect when it reopens!
Country Bear Jamboree to Undergo Changes
Country Bear Jamboree will be temporarily closing to introduce new songs and a new act in 2024. When the updated Country Bear Jamboree show debuts, the bears will be singing favorite Disney songs in different genres of country music like bluegrass, pop-country, Americana, rockabilly, and more.
Notable from this poster is the change of the name of Liver Lips McGrowl to Romeo McGrowl. This makes sense since Liver Lips is often considered a derogatory term, more thoughts on these changes below.
This updated show pays homage to the Opry-style shows of Nashville, and Imagineers are working with Nashville musicians to make sure they get the authentic country sound.
The updated show will still feature the same fun tone it currently does, along with its famous characters like Trixie, Big Al, and others, but it will be undergoing a refresh. There will be tributes to the original show included throughout the updated version, as well as one song familiar to audiences that will remain. Below is the concept artwork released with the announcement showing a new look for Henry the Bear:
You can see a behind-the-scenes look at a recording session for the show that Disney shared below:
When Will Country Bear Jamboree Close and Reopen?
Country Bear Jamboree will be closing starting January 27, 2024 to add the new changes. The show is slated to reopen in summer of 2024, though an exact opening date has not yet been shared.
We will likely see the reopening of Country Bear Jamboree as a promotion for travel for summer 2024 which also lines up nicely for the return of free dining at Walt Disney World. Read all my thoughts on if free dining is worth it in my discount breakdown.
Why is Disney World Changing the Country Bear Jamboree?
Like with any beloved classic attraction, many guests are often resistant to change and I admit that I tend to be one of them at first. While I am excited to see large-scale changes like Tiana's Bayou Adventure and sensible improvements to remove scenes of prejudice from the Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Caribbean, I do understand the exasperated sentiment shared by Disney fans with yet another announcement regarding an attraction change.
So what was wrong with Country Bear Jamboree? Well, the first issue we see addressed right out of the gate is the change of the name of Liver Lips McGrowl to Romeo McGrowl. This is a no-brainer as the term liver lips is considered derogatory at best with racist undertones at its worst. I am all on board with this name change and it sounds like a character refresh is coming along with it. While I do hope he still plays guitar and impersonates Elvis, I am excited to see what this personality change might present. I imagine it will be hilarious if they follow the true tone of the attraction.
As for the songs, we are getting an entirely new show but at least one song will remain. I wonder which one it will be? I have a feeling Blood on the Saddle won't be the one that makes the cut, sorry Big Al. We do know the new show will include Easter eggs from the past show which is something fans will have fun looking for. The clip Disney shared focused on the new Bare Necessities song which does sound fitting for the attraction although I will be disappointed if all the songs are merely just the bears singing Disney songs. So far, that seems to be the case but I am hopeful we will see some humor injected into these songs.
I have always appreciated the classic attractions of Disneyland and Walt Disney World that were created based purely on imagination and NOT inspired by any Disney films. But we know this is a part of a recent push from Disney to further incorporate IP (intellectual properties) into the parks which many guests do enjoy seeing and connecting with. But I will always lament the loss of these oddball, goofy attractions like Country Bear Jamboree.
Half the fun of watching Country Bear Jamboree was watching the reaction of first-time guests to this show. Since Walt Disney World attracts many first-time guests as it's traditionally the ‘once in a lifetime trip' theme park, this was a common occurrence. The current soundtrack for Country Bear Jamboree pushes the boundaries of what is deemed acceptable to hear in a Disney park and this often results in the entire audience falling out of their chairs in laughter. Hence, the image below. Another song I don't think will be the one that makes that final cut!
At the end of the day, Country Bear Jamboree is good-natured satire poking fun at Southern culture and stereotypes. Will we see this similar tone carry over into the new show? Or will this just be a mashup of Disney songs with a country edge? I think we can expect a combination of both since Disney has reassured guests the same tone of the show will remain. I am curious to see how this show will be updated to align with more modern audiences while still retaining its humorous satire.
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