Country Bear Jamboree closing for lengthy refurbishment in August

[Pixiedustmaker]

Pooh's intrusion had more to do with the Pooh-push than anything to do with Toad. They wanted Pooh to be as popular as Mickey in those days, and in many ways (merch, etc), they succeeded.

There. I hope to never have to use pooh-push again in a sentence.

I would wager that Pooh was outselling Mickey Mouse before Pooh came to the Magic Kingdom, he certainly was selling more merchandise that Mr. Toad, though did they ever really sell any Mr. Toad merchandise? I'm sure that will change, at least in DLR, when they come out with the Toad movie.

 

[Pixiedustmaker]

Here lies toad
It's sad but true
He wasn't as marketable
As Winnie the Pooh

I wonder if this statue might disappear with all the work being done in the area. Rare for Disney to blatantly advertise their commercialism, outside of bus driver jokes.

 

[Tom]

I wonder if this statue might disappear with all the work being done in the area. Rare for Disney to blatantly advertise their commercialism, outside of bus driver jokes.

The pet cemetery is safe. Toad will remain.

 

[ellie-badge]

I would wager that Pooh was outselling Mickey Mouse before Pooh came to the Magic Kingdom, he certainly was selling more merchandise that Mr. Toad, though did they ever really sell any Mr. Toad merchandise? I'm sure that will change, at least in DLR, when they come out with the Toad movie.

I saw a shirt being sold in the gift shop adjacent to the exit of Mickey's Philharmagic a number of years ago (at least three). I regret not getting it when I saw it, because I'm a sucker for retro-esque t-shirts. I don't know if it's still available...

 

[aladdin2007]

I wish I had bought one too, I remember passing it in there several times and I kept saying no I'll get it next time.

 

[devoy1701]

I know this is just from wiki.... but I found this interesting....

"At Disney World, the Christmas Special stopped in 2005, but returned in 2012."

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Country_Bear_Christmas_Special

Would be nice if true!!

I'm just going to say...if this is true...my wife and I will be visiting for the first time in almost 2 years. Moves like this (or exclusives like this) are exactly the kind of things that I look forward to and expect from WDW to keep us as passholders and wanting to come back over and over.

 

[RSoxNo1]

I saw a shirt being sold in the gift shop adjacent to the exit of Mickey's Philharmagic a number of years ago (at least three). I regret not getting it when I saw it, because I'm a sucker for retro-esque t-shirts. I don't know if it's still available...

The problem with this and many of the other vintage shirts is that the fabric is incredibly thin. I bought this shirt and a jungle cruise shirt as well and the quality is awful. I'm wearing it in the tribute video I made with @marni1971's footage
http://www.wdwfanboys.com/blog/mr-toads-wild-ride-tribute-video/

 

[dxwwf3]

The problem with this and many of the other vintage shirts is that the fabric is incredibly thin. I bought this shirt and a jungle cruise shirt as well and the quality is awful.

I agree. I don't understand why they make all of the retro shirts seemingly the same way. I bought the Haunted Mansion poster shirt from about 2 years ago, and it's a thicker shirt that doesn't get ruined after one washing. Same thing for the recent Dole Whip shirt. It was made very well.

 

[flynnibus]

maybe the retro shirt is supposed to be worn already

 

[unkadug]

maybe the retro shirt is supposed to be worn already

Perhaps they really are!

 

[MarkTwain]

Perhaps they really are!

What if the shirts aren't retro... they're just the actual shirts from the 1970s!

 

[copcarguyp71]

DANG! We leave October 17th

 

[pumpkin7]

i hope they don't get rid of Buff, Max and Melvin just to save on a few seconds of show. i mean, they introduce the show and get it all started. they don't do much more than that do they? plus i like watching them moving about during the show... or is that something i just made up? do they blink and stuff?

 

[Walt Disney1955]

You're right. I have to agree that Mr. Toad was much more popular than CBJ. The bears have most likely stayed due to corporate nostalgia. CoP and Tiki Room have stayed for the same reason. It will be interesting to see which one goes first because as one is put down, the others will follow. I bet CoP will go first, Tiki Room second and CBJ will be the last to go. I always try to look on the bright side of these changes.

Why get rid of any of them? All three are directly from the mind of Walt. Well, the Bears were an early draft before he died, but still. No offense but I can't stand our attention deficit society these days. For those that don't like the bears, skip them. There is a huge fan base for this attraction. The theatre itself - including the waiting area - is smaller than many stores in WDW. It doesn't take any space up, nothing that small could go in its place and it fits in perfectly with the Frontierland theme.

If some dumb teenager is bored by it and would rather text or listen to Nicky Minaj then so be it, we don't care about those people at WDW. The bears are classic characters and classic songs and the 40+ years they have been there they are rooted in tradition and loved by many generations. The exact point of CBJ is that it is from a bygone era. In 1971 that was a bygone era too. That is the point.

 

[Pixiedustmaker]

The bears are classic characters and classic songs and the 40+ years they have been there they are rooted in tradition and loved by many generations. The exact point of CBJ is that it is from a bygone era. In 1971 that was a bygone era too. That is the point.

I certainly love the CBJ, and hope they bring back the Christmas Show, and I even liked the Vacation Hoedown. Its a testament to the show that the ride has been going for 40+ years while being relatively neglected. I have to think that Walt would have wanted the Imagineers to update the show at least every decade in terms of adding different routines. What would prevent the Imagineers from running the classic show, and then have the bears do a different show in the same "costumes"? Maybe they could go a la Star Tours 2.0 and do five different shows or show combinations.

As they ditched the Christmas Show, for iffy reasons IMHO, I think that the goal is too put the show on life support, let it whither on the vine, so that lower turnstile clicks will allow them to put in a store with a straight face. Too bad they didn't consider the fact that guests love the show, and happily watch something from 1971 again and again.

 

[JimboJones123]

Bears came up at lunch today and I let the kids know there would be changes.

"Like the terrible Tiki Room ones?"

The CBJ just keeps being the show that won't go away, and TDO HATES it.

So sad. Too bad.

 

[pumpkin7]

Any updates on the bears yet? What's going on behind those closed doors?!?!

 

[Clever Name]

Any updates on the bears yet? What's going on behind those closed doors?!?!

The voice of Nicki Minaj was heard emanating from the CBJ theater. It's unknown if that was part of the new show or just a workman gettin' down to the rap beat.

 

[The MaD Hatter]

Given Disney's recent concerns about childhood obesity, I heard they shut down CBJ to put Big Al on a diet. If that doesn't work, then look for him be a contestant on the upcoming season of The Biggest Loser.

In all seriousness, I hope they're giving all the bears some TLC and don't do anything to mess with the show. It would also be nice if the finally brought back the Christmas show this year, although I'm sure that'll happen right after they bring back the Adventures Club, Horizons, and the original Imagination pavilion.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Why get rid of any of them? All three are directly from the mind of Walt. Well, the Bears were an early draft before he died, but still. No offense but I can't stand our attention deficit society these days. For those that don't like the bears, skip them. There is a huge fan base for this attraction. The theatre itself - including the waiting area - is smaller than many stores in WDW. It doesn't take any space up, nothing that small could go in its place and it fits in perfectly with the Frontierland theme.

If some dumb teenager is bored by it and would rather text or listen to Nicky Minaj then so be it, we don't care about those people at WDW. The bears are classic characters and classic songs and the 40+ years they have been there they are rooted in tradition and loved by many generations. The exact point of CBJ is that it is from a bygone era. In 1971 that was a bygone era too. That is the point.

I love it when you go off on a rant!

Go get 'em!