Although he never saw the Florida Project to completion, Walt Disney had more input on what would become the Walt Disney World Resort than many fans know. However, one of the last attractions to have his personal touch was made unrecognizable as the Country Bear Musical Jamboree shocked many longtime Disney fans.
Originally known as The Country Bear Jamboree, the attraction closed its doors one final time in 2023 before making way for the new reimagining. Although Henry, Trixie, Big Al, Wendell, and the Five Bear Rugs are still clawing out a tune, their setlist has changed to suit a more modern audience.
Related: Disney Company Faces Worst Update in 5 Months, Bob Iger Unable To Stop Downfall
A group of audio-animatronic bears singing country music covers of classic Disney songs isn’t exactly shocking. However, fans aren’t too thrilled that the attraction, dubbed “Walt’s Last Laugh,” has been so dramatically changed.
Chaos for the Country Bears
If you know anything about Disney’s very vocal fanbase, they get exceptionally protective anytime an original attraction is tampered with. Like the Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise, and “it’s a small world,” the Country Bear Jamboree was one of the many opening day attractions at the Magic Kingdom.
Although the animatronics definitely showed their age, and a technical overhaul was long overdue, fans aren’t exactly clapping their paws and stomping their claws with the new version. A recent post on r/WaltDisneyWorld had many guests voicing their opinions and mourning the loss of a Disney classic.
Country Bear Jamboree Musical Full Show (Spoilers)
byu/waldesnachtbrahms inWaltDisneyWorld
After watching the full footage of the ride provided in the original post (found here), the comments flooded with nostalgic and unimpressed spectators. Although these are all very familiar and very popular songs, many guests are dissatisfied with the new setlist.
Down below, u/mermaidcardigan makes a very logical argument with the following statement:
“I don’t hate all the song selections, but why not use songs that thematically already make sense? I think ‘Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,’ ‘Bare Necessities,’ and ‘You’ve Got A Friend In Me’ make sense. They can all fit into the Frontierland vibe with some fiddling. There are so many other Disney songs that I think would make more sense for them to sing. Why couldn’t Trixie and the Sun Bonnets sing ‘Almost There?’ Especially with the new Tiana overlay in Splash Mountain. Why is Big Al singing a song from ‘Coco?’ I think a better song for him would be ‘Oo-de-Lally’ from ‘Robin Hood.'”
Underneath, u/ArrowEnjoyer makes a comment that should resonate with any ’90s Disney fan after something similar happened at the Enchanted Tiki Room. The user writes,
“Mark my words, twenty years from now, people will look back on this the same way we look back on the Enchanted Tiki Room Under New Management.”
To which u/helpmeredditimbored replies with,
“At least this new bear show doesn’t have Gilbert [Gottfried] shrieking at you – so it’s got that going for it.”
Joking aside, most of the fans posting their grievances all agree. They’re upset because the attraction has evolved with the audience, and u/mmuoio says it best when they add,
“At the end of the day, kids are going to enjoy this version because they know the songs, plus the audio sounds improved. The original had gotten so muffled and clacky that it was hard to hear.”
While that’s probably the truest statement in the thread, there is still one matter to untangle. Walt’s last gift to the parks has been permanently altered, as the footage below points out.
End of an Era
@delloliod #greenscreen #greenscreenvideo it’s me, im disney adults #waltdisneyworld #countrybearjamboree #disneyparks #waltdisney #waltdisneyworldresort #disneyadult
@delloid might take a brief shot at Disney Adults, but the creator isn’t wrong. “Walt’s Last Laugh” has indeed been replaced by a Disney sing-along. That said, the argument can still be made that the more contemporary songs have a wider audience than the ones that came before.
Related: Disney’s Hollywood Studios Faces Another Major Closure
Unless you are an armchair Disney historian like this writer or have extensive experience in the realm of country music, chances are you might not be as familiar with “Blood on the Saddle” by Big Al or “All the Guys That Turn Me On Turn Me Down” by Bunny, Bubbles, and Beulah. Even so, The Country Bear Jamboree has become another casualty in Disney’s wave of modernization.
Are you a fan of the new Country Bears? Tell us what you think in the comments below!
