News Country Bear Jamboree is getting new songs and acts

PiratesMansion

Well-Known Member
On a personal level, I totally agree with you on the nostalgic appeal of the current songs. That the show feels like a relic of another era is a major part of why I love it (the same goes for the Tiki Room).

At the same time, I don't really see what better outcome we fans of CBJ could realistically have hoped for. In its current form, the show simply does not appeal to enough guests to be deemed popular. Tastes have changed, and those of us who still really love the show constitute a small minority. Disney had every incentive to scrap it entirely. I for one am very, very relieved they're taking a middle road.
But this is premised on the idea that people weren't attracted to the show as is, thus justifying a change. If that's the case, my question becomes: does anyone feel like Disney actually made an honest, good faith effort to attract anyone to the current show at any time in recent memory? If not, I think it's a little disingenuous to say that the audience just wasn't there. Was Disney honestly trying to attract an audience, or just hoping for an excuse to change the show?
 

Animaniac93-98

Well-Known Member
But this is premised on the idea that people weren't attracted to the show as is, thus justifying a change. If that's the case, my question becomes: does anyone feel like Disney actually made an honest, good faith effort to attract anyone to the current show at any time in recent memory? If not, I think it's a little disingenuous to say that the audience just wasn't there. Was Disney honestly trying to attract one, or just hoping for an excuse to close it?

They cut down the show to run it more frequently and increase the number of guests it could accommodate per hour.

Doesn't sound like something struggling to bring people in.
 

LittleBuford

Well-Known Member
But this is premised on the idea that people weren't attracted to the show as is
They weren't. That's not an idea, but a reality. In its heyday, the show was an E-Ticket with a queue long enough that they even had to repurpose some shops to accommodate it. Those days are long gone.

If that's the case, my question becomes: does anyone feel like Disney actually made an honest, good faith effort to attract anyone to the current show at any time in recent memory?
The bears still feature in merchandise, and they even put in the occasional appearance in the parks as characters. I'm not sure what you expect Disney to do to encourage attendance of a show that simply isn't popular anymore.
 

LittleBuford

Well-Known Member
I hate to be so focused on semantics, but it says that the Country Bear Jamboree is sticking around, not the bears themselves. I take that to mean the show, not the characters.
The passage in question reads:

Our Imagineers are always looking at ways to bring more magic to our guests through experiences and stories they know, but contrary to rumors, Country Bear Jamboree is not going into hibernation any time soon. In fact, we’re looking forward to celebrating its 50th anniversary on Oct. 1, 2021 at Walt Disney World Resort, with Henry, the Five Bear Rugs and the rest of the gang.​

The assurance they offer that the show isn't "going into hibernation any time soon" is that it'll still be around for the 50th, which is hardly a guarantee of longevity beyond the very short-term future.
 

PiratesMansion

Well-Known Member
The bears still feature in merchandise, and they even put in the occasional appearance in the parks as characters. I'm not sure what you expect Disney to do to encourage attendance of a show that simply isn't popular anymore.
The thing is, this is framed as if it's them trying, but it's really not. That a company has merchandise for an attraction (particularly one as merchandising-focused as Disney) doesn't really mean anything. That MK puts out characters is nice, I guess, but I'd say is more indicative of WDW management's weird character priorities than a slight against CBJ's popularity.

The non-FP+ attractions, all of them, have basically been treated as themed waiting rooms for people who would rather be doing the other attractions from at least 2014 onward. Basically ALL of those attractions have either been closed for longer than necessary (HOP whenever a new president is installed, WDWRR, TSI immediately post-covid reopening) or have faced serious rumors of closure over the last decade (COP, CBJ, ETR). That's not effort-that's the ops people deciding they don't matter, treating them as such, and being 'shocked' when guests start to do the same and stop showing up.
 

LittleBuford

Well-Known Member
Lot's of assumptions on the parts of some posters about the attraction's popularity, datedness etc

It's been running for over 50 years. One would think there's more to its longevity than just Disney not bothering to change it, as they have tried before, more than once.
It's hardly an assumption. We can all tell the difference between an attraction that's routinely full and one that isn't.

I say this as a huge fan of the current show. One of my other personal favourites, Voyage of the Little Mermaid over at Hollywood Studios, is likewise no longer popular. I hope it returns, but I can't blame Disney if they decide to scrap it.
 

LittleBuford

Well-Known Member
The thing is, this is framed as if it's them trying, but it's really not. That a company has merchandise for an attraction (particularly one as merchandising-focused as Disney) doesn't really mean anything. That MK puts out characters is nice, I guess, but I'd say is more indicative of WDW management's weird character priorities than a slight against CBJ's popularity.

The non-FP+ attractions, all of them, have basically been treated as themed waiting rooms for people who would rather be doing the other attractions from at least 2014 onward. Basically ALL of those attractions have either been closed for longer than necessary (HOP whenever a new president is installed, WDWRR, TSI immediately post-covid reopening) or have faced serious rumors of closure over the last decade (COP, CBJ, ETR). That's not effort-that's the ops people deciding they don't matter, treating them as such, and being 'shocked' when guests start to do the same and stop showing up.
What steps do you think Disney should take (or have taken) to encourage attendance of the show?
 

PiratesMansion

Well-Known Member
What steps do you think Disney should take (or have taken) to encourage attendance of the show?
Not treating it as a themed waiting room (i.e. implied filler between 'bigger and better' attractions that the lines are too long for, or you can't get a Genie/FP for), but as a compelling attraction in its own right, would have been a start.
 

LittleBuford

Well-Known Member
Not treating it as a themed waiting room (i.e. implied filler between 'bigger and better' attractions that the lines are too long for, and you can't get a Genie/FP for), but as a compelling attraction in its own right, would have been a start.
OK, but how? What are they doing, in your opinion, to treat it as a "themed waiting room", and what should they do to present it "as a compelling attraction in its own right"?
 

Brian

Well-Known Member
The passage in question reads:

Our Imagineers are always looking at ways to bring more magic to our guests through experiences and stories they know, but contrary to rumors, Country Bear Jamboree is not going into hibernation any time soon. In fact, we’re looking forward to celebrating its 50th anniversary on Oct. 1, 2021 at Walt Disney World Resort, with Henry, the Five Bear Rugs and the rest of the gang.​

The assurance they offer that the show isn't "going into hibernation any time soon" is that it'll still be around for the 50th, which is hardly a guarantee of longevity beyond the very short-term future.
Well, in fairness to both sides of the debate, the whole article was predicated on a rumor put forth by unscrupulous news today that it was turning into a Toy Story marionette show. They weren't writing the article through the lens we are reading it now.

That said, I don't think that if there were plans to remove the attraction now (as we discuss this topic), such a broad statement as "Country Bear Jamboree is not going into hibernation any time soon" wouldn't be made, as it implies that there are no plans, blue sky or otherwise, to close it being considered. Otherwise, why make such a broad statement?

If there were indeed plans in the works to make it a Disney country music revue or something else being seriously considered, why not say something less definitive and matter of fact? I don't think they made such a definitive statement, knowing it wasn't true, just to stick it to Tom.
 

WondersOfLife

Blink, blink. Breathe, breathe. Day in, day out.
Biggest fan of CBJ right here... I'm okay with this.

The bears are meant to make you laugh. Given we now live in the IP era and there has been no going back for a long time now... I think this is the best scenario for keeping my favorite theme park characters around. I'm thinking country parody versions of Disney songs should actually be a hilariously funny good time, if they're true to the original characters.

Somebody mentioned "everybody wants to be a cat," but I'm just saying... "Everybody wants to be a bear" would be pretty fun...

I'm all for it. Thank you Disney for keeping the bears.


Now let's bring back Dreamfinder and a new Cranium Command plz and thx.
 

LittleBuford

Well-Known Member
Well, in fairness to both sides of the debate, the whole article was predicated on a rumor put forth by unscrupulous news today that it was turning into a Toy Story marionette show. They weren't writing the article through the lens we are reading it now.

That said, I don't think that if there were plans to remove the attraction now (as we discuss this topic), such a broad statement as "Country Bear Jamboree is not going into hibernation any time soon" wouldn't be made, as it implies that there are no plans, blue sky or otherwise, to close it being considered. Otherwise, why make such a broad statement?

If there were indeed plans in the works to make it a Disney country music revue or something else being seriously considered, why not say something less definitive and matter of fact? I don't think they made such a definitive statement, knowing it wasn't true, just to stick it to Tom.
I don't recall reading the statement at the time it was published, but if I had, I wouldn't have taken its assurance to be broad; I would have thought, "Phew, at least the show will be around for a couple more years!" That said, I agree that the statement was vague enough to give rise to differing interpretations. A major reason why I wouldn't have read it as optimistically as you is that I've long felt the show's demise was inevitable. That's why today's announcement is, all in all, good news from my perspective.
 

JustInTime

Well-Known Member
Biggest fan of CBJ right here... I'm okay with this.

The bears are meant to make you laugh. Given we now live in the IP era and there has been no going back for a long time now... I think this is the best scenario for keeping my favorite theme park characters around. I'm thinking country parody versions of Disney songs should actually be a hilariously funny good time, if they're true to the original characters.

Somebody mentioned "everybody wants to be a cat," but I'm just saying... "Everybody wants to be a bear" would be pretty fun...

I'm all for it. Thank you Disney for keeping the bears.


Now let's bring back Dreamfinder and a new Cranium Command plz and thx.
THIS.
 

PiratesMansion

Well-Known Member
What are they doing, in your opinion, to treat it as a "themed waiting room", and what should they do to present it "as a compelling attraction in its own right"?
It is nakedly obvious that WDW currently, clearly prioritizes ALL attractions that have FP/Genie/whatever over those that don't, and has for some time. In doing so, they have, intentionally or not, devalued EVERY attraction that doesn't have FP (please forgive me for using FP only from this point onward, it's just faster that way). When so many things have FP and so few don't, the message clearly becomes to the guest that the FP attractions are the ones that 'matter' and the ones that don't have FP are just filler. And there's no way WDW, with its survey wizards, doesn't know that. If it cared, it would have done something more to attract an audience to these shows instead of being like "oh yeah, we also have..." with these attractions as they have over the past decade.

If you want people to value these attractions, you don't so transparently treat them as the second class citizens of things to do in your parks, for people who aren't quick enough/smart enough to nab the FPs for the attractions that sell themselves. If your actions as an operator are subconsciously telling guests that these are lower tier experiences, or experiences of lesser value, that's how they'll treat them. When's the last time they made a serious effort to market these attractions, or feature them as anything other than "oh, these are historical" for five seconds in a documentary? To even try to center these attractions in the conversation in ANY capacity? They haven't. Through their actions, they've as good as dismissed them to the average guest, and then act surprised when people don't treat them as worthwhile things to see.
 

doctornick

Well-Known Member
It is nakedly obvious that WDW currently, clearly prioritizes ALL attractions that have FP/Genie/whatever over those that don't, and has for some time. In doing so, they have, intentionally or not, devalued EVERY attraction that doesn't have FP (please forgive me for using FP only from this point onward, it's just faster that way). When so many things have FP and so few don't, the message clearly becomes to the guest that the FP attractions are the ones that 'matter' and the ones that don't have FP are just filler. And there's no way WDW, with its survey wizards, doesn't know that. If it cared, it would have done something more to attract an audience to these shows instead of being like "oh yeah, we also have..." with these attractions as they have over the past decade.

If you want people to value these attractions, you don't so transparently treat them as the second class citizens of things to do in your parks, for people who aren't quick enough/smart enough to nab the FPs for the attractions that sell themselves. If your actions as an operator are subconsciously telling guests that these are lower tier experiences, or experiences of lesser value, that's how they'll treat them. When's the last time they made a serious effort to market these attractions, or feature them as anything other than "oh, these are historical" for five seconds in a documentary? To even try to center these attractions in the conversation in ANY capacity? They haven't. Through their actions, they've as good as dismissed them to the average guest, and then act surprised when people don't treat them as worthwhile things to see.
They are literally about to open a large walk through attraction at Epcot and have spent money in recent years opening up non Genie+ stuff like Awesome Planet and the Canada movie. So I don’t think this is really a correct assessment
 

Brian

Well-Known Member
I don't recall reading the statement at the time it was published, but if I had, I wouldn't have taken its assurance to be broad; I would have thought, "Phew, at least the show will be around for a couple more years!" That said, I agree that the statement was vague enough to give rise to differing interpretations. A major reason why I wouldn't have read it as optimistically as you is that I've long felt the show's demise was inevitable. That's why today's announcement is, all in all, good news from my perspective.
I'll certainly say that I wouldn't expect CBJ (in its current form) to be around forever. But I absolutely felt that in the wake of Disney's increased attention to social issues, it's demise was accelerated. Prior to that shift in attention and priorities, I felt maybe it would last another 10-15 years. After the shift, frankly, I'm surprised it lasted this long.
 

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