Disney Shares First Look Inside New Country Bear Musical Jamboree

May 20, 2024 in "Country Bear Musical Jamboree"

Posted: Monday May 20, 2024 11:11am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Disney has shared a look inside the new Country Bear Musical Jamboree opening this summer at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom.

In the video, we go behind-the-seams with Sara Landesberg, an Audio-Animatronic Costumer with Disney Live Entertainment who is helping bring these new show to life. Sara works coordinating the different teams that come together to create a complete garment, hat, or any item that ends up being center stage for the jamboree —including every single rhinestone that is hand-placed across the big-frills costumes.

Bunny, Bubbles, and Beulah — and the rest of 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.

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Comped6 days ago

I saw it about 2 weeks ago and was disappointed. Everything felt pretty rushed, and only one or two songs even got close to working for me personally. The group I was with commented that "the costumes look cheap", although I tried to assure them that almost certainly was not the case. A lot of segments felt like an attempt by Disney to perhaps advertise a new country album, more so than fitting concept of the show and country music into the Disney canon. Which is funny because Disney definitely has a history of taking songs from one medium and putting them into another, most notably jazz during the '90s - but always with a little bit more care than whatever happened with the orchestration of most of these songs. Very disappointing. A huge letdown musically, even more so than when I saw the taped performances when it originally opened. Used to be a show I would see probably at least once a month, now I probably won't go back until they redo it or close it permanently.

tanc6 days ago

Saw it back on Nov 8th, great show! The updates are phenomenal, while the original is preserved in Tokyo, the new look of everything is spectacular in WDW.

JD8011 days ago

I saw it for the first time two weeks ago. Loved it.

EagleScout61012 days ago

Or they could've had the gag of them running around backstage like they did from the skunk in Vacation Hoedown

zipadee99912 days ago

They could’ve at least played backup for some of the other bears like they did with Ernest in the OG show

Steamboat7112 days ago

The Five Bear Rugs were done dirty in this new show. Bear-ly any showtime.

Charlie The Chatbox Ghost12 days ago

From what I've heard, they tried to keep Sammy as a hat, but couldn't get it to work with Henry's new cowboy hat. Having him behind the amp was a compromise to keep him in the show instead of cutting him altogether.

TrainsOfDisney12 days ago

Yes…. Although the 2 have been plopped together so much they are practically the same song now! Haha.

Mike S12 days ago

Do you mean You’ve got a Friend in Me?

TrainsOfDisney12 days ago

I saw country bears yesterday - overall I like it. “Try Everything” is too modern sounding and is the worst of the updates - the other songs sound country enough that they work. Friend Like me is strange too…. Not sure why he’s playing a modern electric guitar… they should have kept the raccoon cap as that was pretty iconic and would have worked well with friend in me as well. But overall the show feels like the same country bears and I’m very happy they survived!

JohnD19 days ago

I saw it last week. I liked it for what it was. It's clever and current. I liked that they found a way to bring back the fiddle portion. Of course I'll miss the old show. I wish they could have kept the Bear Band Serenade as a connection to the old show in introducing the Five Bear Rugs.

Charlie The Chatbox GhostOct 14, 2024

I'd be shocked if they still have either costume, but I'd LOVE to see Henry and Teddi.

Cmdr_CrimsonOct 13, 2024

I know they have updated the bears outfits for M&G's but, couldn't they bring out the rarest of the bears like Henry for example..They had made one for Disney on Parade..Along with the Sun bonnets. But, if turns out..There was a Teddi Beara character as well...Shame they aren't out..

Ghost93Oct 13, 2024

Zip A Dee Doo Dah would be a great fit for the Country Bears. But I don't blame Disney for cutting it. After 2020 there was a renewed scrutiny for anything remotely connected to SOTS and if the song was part of the show there would be clickbaity articles and Twitter users complaining about it and condemning the company for profiting off of SOTS.