Former Walt Disney Imagineer provides more insight into the changes coming to the Country Bear Jamboree

Sep 09, 2023 in "Country Bear Musical Jamboree"

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New Country Bear Jamboree 2024 poster

Posted: Saturday September 9, 2023 7:04pm ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Ethan Reed, a former Walt Disney Imagineer, has shared some additional background information on the work that has gone into the just-announced changes coming to Walt Disney World's Country Bear Jamboree at Magic Kingdom.

New Country Bear Jamboree 2024 poster

Ethan says that he originally pitched the idea in 2004 and was the conceptual Creative Director on the project from 2018 through 2020 until it was put on hold due to the pandemic.

Speaking today during the announcement at Destination D23, Disney Imagineer Chris Beatty said that when the new show debuts, the bears will be reinterpreting favorite Disney songs in different genres of country music. Imagineers envision the new experience as a homage to the classic musical revues in Nashville, and they're working with Nashville musicians to get the authentic country sound.

Disney says the Country Bear Jamboree will still have the fun and friendly tone fans enjoy with the same famous characters like the loveable Trixie, Big Al, and others.

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TrainsOfDisney11 hours ago

It’s a theatrical fog machine. A liquid is heated up to cause a vapor and that vapor is released as a cloud of “smoke” There are also haze machines, like the kind used in theaters - they want an even haze to build up rather than a puff of smoke so they break up particles that fill the room with a light haze. Then there is “low lying fog” which has the same effect as the old dry ice effect. The fog is cooled so it hugs the ground - this effect is used in the frozen show during let it go for example.

Mike S11 hours ago

Considering it might’ve been IP or nothing… The animatronic upgrades are amazing and the artists did a really good job with the material. Using “Fixer Upper” rather than other more popular choices from Frozen was a good call. My only real complaint is that in addition to “Come Again” at the end I wish they could’ve kept the original intro song as well.

Castle Cake Apologist18 hours ago

To my knowledge, "smoke" machines don't produce actual smoke. They're the same as fog machines. Using actual smoke would be hazardous.

Cmdr_Crimson18 hours ago

I would think it's the same kind of fog smoke used in Dinosaur when your time machine vehicle goes back in time...

J.E.Smith1 day ago

By the way, is Ernest's smoke an actual smoke machine or dry ice? Some people are curious if it's actual smoke that it doesn't set off the fire alarms

Ukdisneyguys1 day ago

Hope ok to post, as struggled to upload last time but we recently went to Sequoia National Park and saw an American black bear and as this chat looks at The Country Bear Jamboree, if anyone is interested video is embedded below! The animatronics make him look just like them haha!

The Chatbox Ghost2 days ago

The highlight of the show is 100% the AA quality. It’s insane how amazing and reliable these new AAs are, as far as I’m aware there’s been no errors at the fault of the AAs, just that power outage. The fiddle scene is also the highlight of the show itself. Love that my favorite bear is getting his dues!

lightningtap3472 days ago

Just left. It was okay. I really liked the look of it and the movement of the bears was top notch. The fiddle scene was also great. That's about it.

MarissaBullock2 days ago

I like the vibe of this show, so I'm super glad that there will be new songs

The Chatbox Ghost2 days ago

Even better, forgot that was right there. Then the exit space for the CBJ could be decorated like Tokyo’s and DL’s, with all the stage doors and photos and such.

The Chatbox Ghost2 days ago

I would love some plushes like they have in Tokyo, and definitely more shirts. The one they made for the new show is underwhelming and the last one we got before the original closed… well, “Grizzy Hall” speaks for itself.

Cmdr_Crimson2 days ago

Or the pin shop that hugs the side of the attraction..

zipadee9992 days ago

Even if they don’t want a fully-fledged gift shop, they could at least start selling CBJ merch at Big Al’s. If they started selling it there, they could test the waters, and if it proves popular then they could consider a gift shop

The Chatbox Ghost2 days ago

I still can’t believe they’d make a Big Al plush for the show and NOT sell it as merchandise. Teddy bears for the Country Bears seems like a no brainer. Maybe they’re testing to see how the show is received (which so far seems generally positive)? Maybe the Pecos refurb will turn the area around the exit of the CBJ into a gift shop?