Country Bear Jamboree

**The Country Bear Jamboree** is an attraction at the Disney Parks.

## History

### Backstory

The Country Bear Jamboree is a Dixieland-style musical revue which was founded one Ursus H. Bear (1848-1928). The show consists of several anthropomorphic bears. In 1898, they moved their main jamboree show in Grizzly Hall.

### Development history

The Country Bear Jamboree was originally conceived by Walt Disney for a *Disney's Mineral King Ski Resort* in Mineral King, California. Animators Al Bertino and Marc Davis together conceived of the Country Bears as a band of Dixieland bears to be featured at the resort. Following Walt Disney's death, plans for the resort fell through and the Country Bears were re-adapted for a proposed Bear Band Restaurant Show.

Ultimately, the Country Bear Jamboree was an opening-day attraction for Walt Disney World and was later replicated to be integrated into Disneyland. In Disneyland they were made part of the newly created, "Bear Country", a reimagining of the racist, "Indian Village" section of Frontierland. In 1988, Bear Country was transformed into, "Critter Country" due to the integration of the *Song of the South* (1946) themed attraction *Splash Mountain*.

Due to low popularity the attraction in Disneyland was shut down in 2001 and replaced with *The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh* which was themed to A.A. Milne's *Winnie the Pooh* stories as adapted by Disney. Imagineers attempted to preserve the Country Bears' presence in Disneyland via proposing a racing attraction known as the *Critter Country 500* which would have had the Country Bears participating in a soapbox derby race.

## Spin-offs

### Attractions

#### Big Al's

Big Al's is a shopping stand in the Magic Kingdom's Frontierland which is run by Big Al trying to cash into the tourist-trade. The shop is built from Big Al's former cabin which he turned into a shop, specializing in coonskin caps.

#### Mile Long Bar

In the Magic Kingdom the saloon building it was located in had the date 1878 written for the building's construction while the Critter Country version had the year 1902.

## Connections

### Adventurers Club

Certain Adventurers Club members indirectly referenced Melvin, Max and Buff during shows by saying to the Mongolian Yakoose, "Would you just go back to the Country bear jamboree?". This is a reference to how the Yakoose is also a sentient, taxidermy, mounted animal-head.

### Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

There is a sign in the queue for the Magic Kingdom's Big Thunder Mountain Railroad advertising the "Mile Long Bar" as being a feature in the Tumbleweed saloon *The Tall Tale Inn* run by folk-hero Pecos Bill. The Mile Long Bar was a saloon located adjacent to the Country Bears playhouse, the home of the Country Bears.

### Davy Crockett

In the show, the Country Bears sang the ballad of Davy Crockett from the Davy Crockett miniseries.

### Disney Springs

In Twenty-Eight and Main in the Marketplace Co-Op is a pair of moose antlers with a plaque which reads, "Max, Buff, & Melvin's Stuffing & Mounting Crafting Characters. Est. in 1971". During the Holiday seasons, a poster in Disney Springs is hung up for the Florida company, "Bunny, Bubbles and Buelah's Beautiful Bonnets". Bunny, Bubbles and Buelah are all characters from the Country Bear Jamboree.

### The Jungle Book

In the queue for the Country Bear Jamboree in Tokyo Disneyland is a posting from Baloo the sloth bear advertising that he is looking for a good home for a ten year old Mowgli.

### Main Street, U.S.A.

On Main Street is an edition of the Main Street Casting Agency which reads, "*Sought for Country Western Musical. Must play an instrument. Singing experience preferred. Trainers contact Big Al at C.B. Playhouse".*

### Marvel Comics

The Collector is in possession of the octopus Delores from the *Country Bears Vacation Hoedown* overlay of the *Country Bears Jamboree*. Given her inanimate state, it is likely that she is dead and preserved for the Tivan collection.

### Mickey Mouse Universe

Goofy has a letter from the country bear Big Al in the queue for Goofy's Sky School. The letter shows that Goofy uses moonshine as plane-fuel and that he buys from Big Al at the "Bear Brothers Backwoods Brewery". Ranger J. Audubon Woodlore made a cameo in the Country Bear Vacation Hoedown, telling Wendell to not eat in a park.

### Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Cafe

The Mile Long Bar's advert in the queue for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad identifies it as being part of Pecos Bill's Tall Tale Inn.

### Phantom Manor

In the Boot Hill cemetery of Thunder Mesa there is a wooden tombstone which shows an anthropomorphic bear that died the November 13 of 1865. Said bear bares a resemblance to the bears of the Country Bear Jamboree and is wearing a coonskin cap.

### Other

* **Splash Mountain**: Splashdown photos had a washboard in it made by *Brother Ted Washboards For clean country critters* based in Mineral King, California.
* **Winnie the Pooh**: Melvin, Max and Buff make a cameo in Winnie's dream in the Disneyland version of the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. In Pooh's confectionary kitchen were portraits showing Winnie the Pooh with Teddi Barra and Gomer. Also in Pooh's Corner is a building with, "Teddi Barra's Swinging Arcade" written on it side.

## References

1. ↑ https://external-preview.redd.it/65gAbReDlOn0usPg4Zgfxg85jEx5-1ybHI5lAMob6Yw.jpg?auto=webp&s=7297655faa6d95fd7952efadd8ca473f7c822c73
2. ↑ https://allears.net/2010/10/27/country-bear-jamboree-part-one/
3. ↑ https://insidethemagic.net/2020/09/magic-kingdom-mile-long-bar-kc1/
4. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhhPygc3B0Y
5. ↑ https://insidethemagic.net/2016/01/d-tales-14-hidden-disney-history-at-big-thunder-mountain-railroad/
6. ↑ http://www.fromscreentotheme.com/FunFindFridayMarketplaceCoOp1.aspx
7. ↑ https://allears.net/2018/11/12/everything-you-need-to-know-about-this-years-disney-springs-christmas-tree-trail/
8. ↑ https://blog.disneygeek.com/2018/04/18/tokyo-disneyland-country-bear-jamboree-bulletin-board-in-the-exit-area-several-pictures/
9. ↑ http://www.mainstgazette.com/2016/07/now-casting.html
10. ↑ http://jimhillmedia.com/columnists1/b/shelly\_valladolid/archive/2011/06/26/disney-in-jokes-make-goofy-s-sky-school-fun-for-animation-history-buffs.aspx
11. ↑ http://www.mainstgazette.com/2016/05/handle-of-hoe.html
12. ↑ http://findingmickey.squarespace.com/other-hidden-dl/critter-country/