MK Country Bear Jamboree is getting new songs and acts

[Charlie The Chatbox Ghost]

Does anyone know if Peter Renaday was contacted to try and play Henry and Max? I saw a video of him voicing Henry in fall of 2022 and he still sounds really good. It’s a shame that he wasn’t involved considering he has such a great legacy voicing Disney theme park attractions?

Link to that video? I'd love to see!

 

[Dranth]

Racking my brain here trying to figure out what ROE stands for- it's probably super obvious but I'm missing it. Is it a fireworks show or parade?

Reflections of Earth

 

[Charlie The Chatbox Ghost]

Reflections of Earth

Oooooh duh! Yeah, losing Illuminations was tragic. Epcot of all places shouldn't be an IP park. Magic Kingdom? Makes sense, because its what people think of when you say "Walt Disney World." Epcot should've stayed a mainly edutainment-based park that explores history, technology, and cultures around the world.

 

[zipadee999]

Does everyone agree that Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious is the best part of the new show?

 

[Charlie The Chatbox Ghost]

Does everyone agree that Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious is the best part of the new show?

I might be biased... but yes! It feels like most like the original and even features new features of the animatronics to have a new type of gag not seen in any version of the show before.

 

[celluloid]

Totally disagree here, the novelty hasn't worn off for me. Songs are still stuck in my head and whenever I can I rewatch it.

That's fun and happy to hear it.

We just have posters saying at least they they did not remove the show completely.

Did the original show's songs never get stuck in your head?

Using already popular songs that you can hear other versions of through the very same park and in some cases for decades around the resort and media would make some being stuck as ear worms an easier sell.

 

[celluloid]

I might be biased... but yes! It feels like most like the original and even features new features of the animatronics to have a new type of gag not seen in any version of the show before.

I found the same. The dynamic was more akin to the three dimensional nature of the shows before.

 

[MK-fan]

Link to that video? I'd love to see!

I mean it would’ve been cool to have him play both characters and I know he was 88 at the time but from the looks of it, he still gots it. This kind of reminds me of the story of Paul Winchell “OG voice of Tigger”. He had played the character since the beginning and he was off and on playing the character during the 90s due to problems with his voice. When they were producing The Tigger Movie, he was supposed to return but his voice was too scratchy and they opted for Jim Cummings instead. I’m sure he was sad he couldn’t play his character in his own film. When Imagineering got word of this while they were creating the Winnie the Pooh ride for Magic Kingdom, they invited him to do the voice in the ride and he obliged. It was the last time he would play him.

 

[Tom P.]

Disney fans: Disney should stop cramming songs from Disney movies into Disney park attractions.

Also Disney fans: Disney should take the song, Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah, from the Disney movie, Song of the South, and cram it into this attraction.

In fairness, there are many people in Disney's current hierarchy who I would like to tell to cram it...

 

[Charlie The Chatbox Ghost]

Did the original show's songs never get stuck in your head?

Oh, they totally did, I would get them stuck and start humming them all the time. But that's also because I'm a theme park nerd and a huge fan of the bears. I'm sure the original show's songs became earworms for MANY people, especially in the 70s-90s, but nowadays the theater was pretty empty until they announce the retheme. The last time I saw the original show, it was near empty despite being mid-day, and it was so hard to hear most of the dialogue over the aging speakers and click-clacking of the animatronics. This refresh was really needed and will hopefully make more people fans of the bears, leading them to go down the rabbit hole (bear den?) and discover all the other versions of the show and fall in love with them too. It's kind of a Trojan horse situation right now.

Also: I definitely would've loved some deeper cuts or at least songs that aren't used anywhere else. Rainbow Connection could replace A Whole New World (as much as I love Wendell's strained crooning), I Won't Say I'm in Love could replace Try Everything, etc etc. The Leader of the Club had a great setlist they posted, I'd much prefer that list (though perhaps keep Kiss the Girl and You've Got a Friend in Me)

 

[Charlie The Chatbox Ghost]

I mean it would’ve been cool to have him play both characters and I know he was 88 at the time but from the looks of it, he still gots it. This kind of reminds me of the story of Paul Winchell “OG voice of Tigger”. He had played the character since the beginning and he was off and on playing the character during the 90s due to problems with his voice. When they were producing The Tigger Movie, he was supposed to return but his voice was too scratchy and they opted for Jim Cummings instead. I’m sure he was sad he couldn’t play his character in his own film. When Imagineering got word of this while they were creating the Winnie the Pooh ride for Magic Kingdom, they invited him to do the voice in the ride and he obliged. It was the last time he would play him.

Damn, he's still got it! Heartbreaking they didn't use him- though perhaps they contacted him and he declined. I think I read somewhere though that they didn't contact him. I would've loved if he at least did Henry's speaking lines and the new VA (do we have a full cast list yet?) did the singing.

 

[Mr Ferret 75]

Does everyone agree that Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious is the best part of the new show?

I would argue for Remember me . But I respect your choice.

 

[Streetway]

That would spell the extinction of the original show for good. Many of us were willing to sacrifice CBJ Lite, but I don't think we would give up the full '71 show that easy.

Remember, the idea for musical jamboree goes all the way back to the 2000’s and almost happened, and Japan wanted it first.

 

[Streetway]

but let's be honest- all the best parts would be cut (Mama Don't Whoop Little Buford, Blood on the Saddle, All the Guys That Turn Me on Turn Me Down, etc.) in an effort to be more family friendly, so at that point, you might as well just do a new show.

I think, and still do, that blood on the saddle could’ve come back In place of the second “remember me” repriese big al does.

 

[Sir_Cliff]

This sort of framing always seems weird to me. They’re robots. That there are robots in a certain form isn’t at the heart of the experience. A major problem with the creative direction of the parks is that they overly self referential.

I see it as analogous to Figment.

You could argue that it would be better if he no longer existed rather than have a lesser/bastardised version as in the current attraction. After all, he is just a robot. In that scenario, you could enjoy him in his original glory on YouTube videos and he would likely survive as an image like the robot butler from Horizons or the characters from Kitchen Kabaret as a representation of Epcot's past.

Another perspective is that it is better that Figment still exists as a character in the park because he's both a worthwhile character to keep alive and it also keeps alive the possibility they can do something better with him.

I think there are valid arguments in favour of both perspectives, but overall I'm happy the Country Bears weren't completely extinguished from the park. Whether people love the current version of the show or not, they can still enjoy the characters who remain broadly similar and they remain a part of the park rather than just a part of its history.

 

[Charlie The Chatbox Ghost]

I think, and still do, that blood on the saddle could’ve come back In place of the second “remember me” repriese big al does.

I agree, but I think current Disney suits are too afraid of anything risky, so they played it safe. At least the show is still good.

 

[celluloid]

The last time I saw the original show, it was near empty despite being mid-day, and it was so hard to hear most of the dialogue over the aging speakers and click-clacking of the animatronics. This refresh was really needed and will hopefully make more people fans of the bears, leading them to go down the rabbit hole (bear den?) and discover all the other versions of the show and fall in love with them too. It's kind of a Trojan horse situation right now.

as pointed out that is what is sad aboutncurrent expecations. It is another way of saying be grateful we have them at all instead of a show that could have been better than what we have
So often the upkeep issues get brought up. The entire resort, with Mk often taking the biggest hit has been in bad shape since 2011. The clacking and faded speakers became issue in more recent years. There could have been plussing and .

A Trojan horse (or extra finger for those in art) is a good way to describe it, but sad the horse is not better painted and finished.

 

[Streetway]

I agree, but I think current Disney suits are too afraid of anything risky, so they played it safe. At least the show is still good.

I feel like that’s a thing that could be “patched in” in like a year or two

 

[Streetway]

Also side note, “take it to the top” from vacation hoedown is a certified banger

 

[bwr827]

This sort of framing always seems weird to me. They’re robots. That there are robots in a certain form isn’t at the heart of the experience. A major problem with the creative direction of the parks is that they overly self referential.

People sure seemed very concerned with the exact appearance and physical presence of said robots. In addition to the music concerns.