Country Bear Jamboree

Since Walt Disney World’s opening day on October 1, 1971, The Country Bear Jamboree has been entertaining guests every 20 minutes with a foot stomping, hand clapping ho-down like no other. Unfortunately, through the years, I have observed that crowds have begun shrinking inside the Grizzly Hall. I have 2 theories for this:

1. People saw the Country Bears Movie and were so turned off they want to avoid this attraction like the plague.
2. People see the 15+ minute run time and panic that they’re being lulled into another snoozer.

Well, I’m here to tell you, this show is neither of those. As a matter of fact, the only similarity between the movie and this attraction are the names of the characters. The bears don’t look the same and the pace of the show will keep your interest. Don’t believe me? Here, let me introduce you to a few of my friends:

Henry: Henry is the host of the show. He’s here to introduce the musicians and give a helping hand with vocals or back-up guitar for a few of the acts. Henry keeps the show flowing and makes sure everyone stays on course.

Melvin, Buff, & Max:  A moose, a buffalo, and a deer. They all hang around Grizzly Hall and have never missed a single show…probably because they’re mounted to the wall. These three add comic relief and, although they may not always be politically correct, their jokes are lighthearted and only mildly offensive in a rated “G” sort of way.

Gomer:  Think tall, grey, and quiet type. Gomer accompanies the acts on piano. He never says a word, but he knows every song. Keep an eye on his lemonade…

The Five Bear Rugs (plus Gomer): Meet Zeke and Zeb and Ted and Fred and a bear named Tennessee. Positioned front and center on the Main Stage, these guys will get your toes tappin’ and your hands clappin’ in no time. The little guy in the corner is Baby Oscar…he always seems to get the last word, er, squeak in.

Trixie: She’s got a mighty heart and a mighty big song to sing…I’ll let Buff finish the rest.

Liver Lips Magrowl: Unique in many ways, Liver Lips sings a little ditty about the love of his life with some not too flattering lyrics to show how much he cares for her.

Wendell: This Derby wearing, mandolin playing little brown bear sings a duet with Henry that offers up some, cough, parenting advice to Momma on how to handle her troublesome cub.

Bunny, Bubbles, and Beulah: The Sun Bonnet Trio from Tampa are three young triplets who sing their tale of love never found.

Swingin’ Teddy Beara: Dropping down from the ceiling, Teddy Beara swings to and fro on a trapeze while singing of lost love.

Big Al: With a guitar that’s out of tune and a voice to match it, Big Al makes quite a presence on the stage. He only knows the words to one song, but he know them well, and you will too when his act is done.

As the show wraps up, all the acts come back onto stage to sing the big finale.  I can’t say it enough, regardless of your reason, if you’ve never seen the Country Bear Jamboree…SEE IT! Next time you’re waiting on that fastpass for Splash Mountain or Big Thunder Mountain, rather than wasting your time wandering through the gift shops and spending all your hard earned money, why not mosey on over to the air conditioned Grizzly Hall and give the bears a chance. You might just find yourself having some rip-roaring fun with the whole family.

This entry was posted on September 20, 2012 at 8:00 AM and is filed under Columns. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.