The Country Bear Jamboree is truly a classic favorite among Magic Kingdom guests. Who can resist those twangy, knee-slapping tunes? Whether you’ve seen the show once, or 100 times- there are some interesting tidbits about the show you may not know. Here are 5 fun facts about the Country Bear Jamboree.
- It is one of the oldest running attractions at Walt Disney World and one of Walt Disney’s last projects. The Country Bear Jamboree opened right along with the Magic Kingdom on October 1, 1971. Although Walt Disney passed away before ever seeing the finished attraction, he did have a part in imagining and conceptualizing it.
- It was originally supposed to be located inside of a ski resort. The Attraction was designed to go inside of a ski resort. Disney had plans in the mid-1960s to build a large ski resort located in Sequoia National Park, California. The resort was set to have a 5 story hotel, ski slope, tennis courts, general store and, you guessed it, a musical attraction featuring country bears! The plans were announced by Disney at a press conference on September 19, 1966. Sadly, Walt Disney passed away on December 15, 1966, and plans for the resort were eventually canceled. Lucky for us, the Imagineers kept working on the animatronic bear show!
- It first debuted at Walt Disney World and was replicated at Disneyland. The Country Bear Jamboree attraction was such a big hit at Walt Disney World, it was duplicated at Disneyland Resort and opened March 4, 1972. Unfortunately, the Disneyland attraction closed permanently in 2001, but you can still visit the original at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom!
- The Country Bears had a Christmas show. In 1984, Disney added a Christmas theme to the popular show, including holiday songs and outfits! The show ran at Disneyland until 2001 and at Walt Disney World until 2006.
- There is still a piece of the closed Disneyland attraction hidden in ‘The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh’. In 2001, the Country Bear Jamboree attraction in Disneyland was replaced by another bear- Winnie the Pooh. Although ‘The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh’ replaces the Country Bear Jamboree, the talking taxidermy heads of Melvin, Max and Buff can be seen if you turn around in your ride vehicle right before the entrance of the Hunny Heaven room.
Hopefully, you learned something new about this iconic and classic attraction!
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Mandi is a frequent visitor of Walt Disney World and a platinum Annual Passholder. Mandi grew up visiting WDW every year with her Disney addict grandparents and parents. She is also a huge Star Wars fan! When Mandi is not planning Disney trips or writing for Disney Addicts, she is working as a hairstylist in Western New York. Follow her on Instagram @mandis_magiclife
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