Rumor New Orleans Mini-Land and "Reimagined" Country Bear Jamboree

[Disgruntled Walt]

Just so I can be clear, what is it you mean about the "Big Thunder" stuff? What is proposed to change in Frontierland?

I shudder at any changes they would make. Modern Disney is creatively bankrupt and the new minds seem only concerned with what might offend someone.

There had been a rumor spread by a YouTuber that Frontierland as it exists right now would be rethemed to New Orleans to tie in to Tiana's Splash Mountain. The "Beyond Big Thunder" stuff is the Blue Sky concepts brought up at D23 (Coco, Encanto, Villains Land), being built north of Big Thunder.

My source said that Frontierland being replaced is not a thing. Country Bears may be affected by the relevancy people, but no decision has been made. Also said that the Beyond Big Thunder stuff is happening, though wouldn't say which of the three proposals is actually being worked on actively.

 

[Andrew25]

... it wasn't even a rumor. It was SPECULATION.

Amazing how one speculation video can be seen as factual.

 

[MagicHappens1971]

... it wasn't even a rumor. It was SPECULATION.

Amazing how one speculation video can be seen as factual.

It's somewhat of a rumor, see below.

This is hardly news…in fact, it’s part of the reason why a Coco area is being considered with its own Mexican dining.

ToTBellHop has consistently had accurate inside information. Moving from that to my opinion based on years of responding, reading and posting on these forums, the Country Bears are not safe. They will probably be reimagined.

 

[Walt Disney1955]

There had been a rumor spread by a YouTuber that Frontierland as it exists right now would be rethemed to New Orleans to tie in to Tiana's Splash Mountain. The "Beyond Big Thunder" stuff is the Blue Sky concepts brought up at D23 (Coco, Encanto, Villains Land), being built north of Big Thunder.

My source said that Frontierland being replaced is not a thing. Country Bears may be affected by the relevancy people, but no decision has been made. Also said that the Beyond Big Thunder stuff is happening, though wouldn't say which of the three proposals is actually being worked on actively.

Well I hope they don't touch the Bears. Some things have to be sacred at Disney. It is Frontierland for crying out loud! What is more Frontierland than CBJ? Not much. I am okay with them adding some things north of Thunder Mountain.

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

It's somewhat of a rumor, see below.

ToTBellHop has consistently had accurate inside information. Moving from that to my opinion based on years of responding, reading and posting on these forums, the Country Bears are not safe. They will probably be reimagined.

It's sad, but you're probably right. I feel like it's going to be completely changed by the end of the decade, if not sooner.

I still can't get over why they changed the three bonnet bears' faces from this:

(Tokyo animatronic pictured, but it used to look like this in WDW)

to this:

 

[MagicHappens1971]

It's sad, but you're probably right. I feel like it's going to be completely changed by the end of the decade, if not sooner.

I still can't get over why they changed the three bonnet bears' faces from this: View attachment 712696 (Tokyo animatronic pictured, but it used to look like this in WDW)

to this: View attachment 712697

I think the show is somewhat of a classic for those who visit WDW, and can't see the show going away as a whole, but I 100% see it being reimagined in the next 3-7 years. If they can lump it in with the Beyond Big Thunder plans, I would expect it to happen then.

 

[ToTBellHop]

It's somewhat of a rumor, see below.

ToTBellHop has consistently had accurate inside information. Moving from that to my opinion based on years of responding, reading and posting on these forums, the Country Bears are not safe. They will probably be reimagined.

I’ve never explicitly heard of CBJ changing. Only Pecos Bill.

 

[MagicHappens1971]

I’ve never explicitly heard of CBJ changing. Only Pecos Bill.

My apologies. I just meant that it’s not impractical to think that it will.

 

[ToTBellHop]

My apologies. I just meant that it’s not impractical to think that it will.

Oh, sure. I would imagine components are “problematic.”

I wouldn’t miss it…

 

[Brer Panther]

I have the uneasy feeling that if they ever actually did update the Country Bears, they would go all Food Rocks and replace some of the characters with new ones whose entire shtick is that they're some famous country musician as a bear. Y'know, like "Brad Grizzly", or "Keith Ursine" or "Bear-y Underwood" or whatever...

 

[Walt Disney1955]

I have the uneasy feeling that if they ever actually did update the Country Bears, they would go all Food Rocks and replace some of the characters with new ones whose entire shtick is that they're some famous country musician as a bear. Y'know, like "Brad Grizzly", or "Keith Ursine" or "Bear-y Underwood" or whatever...

So in other words it would suck. I agree.

 

[Indiana Stone]

Could the current Frontierland be mildly re-themed to the Midwest/Mississippi region and maybe even St. Louis as the gateway to the west? Then having the bayou next and a passage to a new Frontierland may be a little less jarring than going from the Northeast to New Orleans?

 

[Elijah Abrams]

Could the current Frontierland be mildly re-themed to the Midwest/Mississippi region and maybe even St. Louis as the gateway to the west? Then having the bayou next and a passage to a new Frontierland may be a little less jarring than going from the Northeast to New Orleans?

That could work. I would be up for that.

 

[Dutch Inn '76]

Y'all. The Country Bears show sucks. I don't want them to get rid of it, but would have no problem with a complete rework, or even adding Louis, or Gilbert Gottfried or whatever IP they think they just have to shove in.

I still don't know why they picked on The (fabulous) Tiki Room, but left CBJ unscathed.

 

[BlakeW39]

Personally I can't get into the hillbilly aesthetic of CBJ. The show has no appeal for me. But the parks need capacity so I see no reason to replace it. And it obviously has some artistic value if so many people are worried about its potential departure.

 

[Andrew25]

Personally I can't get into the hillbilly aesthetic of CBJ. The show has no appeal for me. But the parks need capacity so I see no reason to replace it. And it obviously has some artistic value if so many people are worried about its potential departure.

If it was an IP or something that drew more people outside of just nostalgic fans, it would help improve capacity by filling out all of those empty seats.

 

[Bocabear]

Y'all. The Country Bears show sucks. I don't want them to get rid of it, but would have no problem with a complete rework, or even adding Louis, or Gilbert Gottfried or whatever IP they think they just have to shove in.

I still don't know why they picked on The (fabulous) Tiki Room, but left CBJ unscathed.

Country Bears did have some seasonal overlays over the years which were cute, but they stopped doing them years ago...Then trimmed the entire original show down to make it shorter... CBJ was not left unscathed....
Maybe a whole new show, revamped theater with in-theater effects, and design in the seasonal overlays from the start... Without losing the character and charm of the original...That would be fun and more relevant in this day and age... but a few added characters around the room, perhaps some digitally mapped projection effects....

 

[BBarker34]

Country Bears did have some seasonal overlays over the years which were cute, but they stopped doing them years ago...Then trimmed the entire original show down to make it shorter... CBJ was not left unscathed....
Maybe a whole new show, revamped theater with in-theater effects, and design in the seasonal overlays from the start... Without losing the character and charm of the original...That would be fun and more relevant in this day and age... but a few added characters around the room, perhaps some digitally mapped projection effects....

With all the talks of CBJ being “outdated”, it really makes you wish Disney never did away with the seasonal overlays…

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

Country Bears did have some seasonal overlays over the years which were cute, but they stopped doing them years ago...Then trimmed the entire original show down to make it shorter... CBJ was not left unscathed....
Maybe a whole new show, revamped theater with in-theater effects, and design in the seasonal overlays from the start... Without losing the character and charm of the original...That would be fun and more relevant in this day and age... but a few added characters around the room, perhaps some digitally mapped projection effects....

I wonder if they even still have the capability to do the seasonal overlays. Like, is there a switch somewhere that they flip? Do they still have the tapes that the animatronics run on? Is there any former CM out there who knows this?

With all the talks of CBJ being “outdated”, it really makes you wish Disney never did away with the seasonal overlays…

I've been wishing this since I last saw the Christmas version as a 7-yr-old in '04 or '05 and loved it!

 

[BBarker34]

I wonder if they even still have the capability to do the seasonal overlays. Like, is there a switch somewhere that they flip? Do they still have the tapes that the animatronics run on? Is there any former CM out there who knows this?


I've been wishing this since I last saw the Christmas version as a 7-yr-old in '04 or '05 and loved it!

I saw the Christmas Special back in 2001. Don’t remember a lot from that trip but I do remember seeing that show. I love the Christmas Special and would do anything to see it be brought back. The Vacation Hoedown too, which is personally my favorite version of the Country Bear Jamboree.