Tom's Honest Review of Country Bear Musical Jamboree

[@Floridapanthers2020]

The meaningful honest review of the year because this is what makes Walt Disney world stand out from others. The fact that they want to continue the legacy of the bears speaks volumes.

[@CountryRockBear1983]

Thanks to Mr. Corless!!!! They are the only reason I keep going, it’s an acceptable compromise!

[@mholme17]

I think my main take away is that country bears has the most soul of all Florida attractions, and thats crazy to think with it bot being the OG (cali being) and its not the original show either. Thanks for taking the time to review and re set up the desk after the lost footage!

[@legoman7695]

@@mholme17 you know country bears was in florida first right?

[@JamesTaylor-ik3ft]

Love your review. As an older man now (61), I remember my first trip to WDW in November of 1971. To explain the experience now to individuals or even my own children was difficult. It was truly magical, a complete family experience that lives in memories and pictures. Long before photo passes, when they had what was referred to as “Kodak Spots”. When your parents could let you and your siblings roam alone inside the park with just a time to meet later was fantastic. It was really, in a way for myself of feeling independent, we could pick rides we liked out of our ticket books and decide where we wanted to eat. I still remember the veranda restaurant in Adventure Land and ordering the Polynesian Hotdog. Your review and love of the Country Bear Jamboree is greatly appreciated, however, it got me to thinking of things I miss from the early years of the park. So I thought that I would mention a few that help shape who I was to become and some of my passions. I’ve been extremely lucky to travel immensely through my life, not just our great states, but many other wonderful countries. These two attractions had a great deal with my love of traveling. I remember the Circle-Vision 360 film of “America the Beautiful” and “If I Had Wings”. Obviously at this time a great deal of the rides were presented by, Monsanto and Eastern for those attractions. Riding on the top of the keel boats at night was a unique experience, particularly the camp scenes or coming up on the Haunted Mansion. Even later when Lake Buena Vista opened, it was entirely different experience. Dinner at Cap’n Jack’s Oyster Bar or the unique shops. Things have always changed and grown throughout the Disney Universe and will continue to do so. I do agree with you that I’m glad they kept Country Bear Jamboree as a significant part of the WDW heritage. To you and the staff at WDW News, best wishes.

[@BirdsNNVA]

I am 68, grew up with entrenched non-traveling Depression-Era parents who would not drive or fly to California or Florida. My experience of Disney was the Sunday evening “Wonderful World of Color” which i watched on our small black-and-white TV. I missed so much of this history, and have been trying to make up for it (as much as possible) given that i had a job with little vacation time. But so many things have been erased or delayed.

[@SuzanneA618]

I saw the new version of Country Bears last month. The kids around me in the theater loved it ❤🎉 They were having a blast 💖 And that’s what it really is all about ✨

[@vespista1971]

I would 100% buy a Country Bear button-up!

[@jaysbmx00]

YES. MAKE THE COUNTRY BEAR SHIRT.

[@BirdsNNVA]

The ORIGINAL country bear shirt, not the glitzed-up Nashville version.

[@turcj]

This was the most respectful update I have ever seen. Bravo to the team that worked on this.

[@sophiehanssel2017]

The Country Bears in general became one of my special interests after this attraction came out. I listen to the attraction's soundtrack a lot. Animatronics in general can become a special interest to autistic people like myself.

[@kbblue3]

I also cried the first time I saw the new show (which was Friday 11/8/24). I sat in the back row of a FULL theatre. Audience really did have to slide down all the way to the right to accommodate. The sight made me so emotional.

[@shaliseshaw9385]

Those Country Bear Jamboree plush figures are adorable. 🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🎸🎸🥁🥁🥁🎻🎻🎻🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎡🎡🎢🎢🎢🎢🎢🎠🎠🎠🎠

[@chloewildner167]

Found you during that prior Country Bear saga, so this feels like coming full circle! I’ve only seen the new show once, so I need more time to know how I fully feel about it, but so glad the bears are still in Magic Kingdom.

[@jamesdemetriades2242]

The minute the attraction reopened, I was waiting for Tom's review! Excited to get this started!

[@kamillsap3155]

My third….probably last comment. This might well be my favorite of all your reviews ever! What I love the most about it was that you challenged us to view changes like this in a positive way….reminding us of what this can mean for the future of the bears (and any classic show or ride that is reinvented “well” in the Disney universe). Change can be good…if it’s done right. And we never have to totally let go of what was great in the past, thanks to our access to everything historical now thru the internet. Thanks Tom! “These are my bears” 🥰 🐻🥰

[@koopa159]

Well worth the wait. Thanks Tom. Now, if only the bears could come back to Disneyland.

[@ZebraLens]

I love the background for the opening monologue, I was actually tricked into thinking you were standing in the attraction lobby 😅💯💯💯👍👍👍👏👏👏👏

[@fisherman_algo]

I cracked up laughing after clicking this and seeing 1 hour and 2 minutes XD never change Tom

[@Justin-pk8eq]

Lmao same here

[@pattibrennanboe4796]

I have been to WDW many times but never stopped in to the Country Bears Jamboree until this last visit a few weeks ago, I loved it! Thanks for your review it was good to get a better understanding of the history.

[@klutzz85]

The most important Honest Review of the year!

[@Delundon]

Fantasy Springs and Tiana would like a word.

[@BostonRho]

As an original first visit at 11 in 1977 . Tom you are right had me in tears last few minutes of this ❣️You will be happy to know my 6 year old grand daughters ride I wrote about yesterday was figment 😊 New generations falling in love ❤

[@kentslocum]

Ironically, Tiana's Bayou Adventure made me go "down the rabbit hole" on Splash Mountain and Song of the South. Before Splash Mountain was announced to be replaced, I had never watched Song of the South or cared much for the history of the attraction. But by trying to destroy Splash Mountain, Disney ended up making me a bigger fan of Splash Mountain than I had ever been.

[@lilliandonaldson8121]

I've been since 1972 and I really enjoyed this. It isn't cringy anymore. It's fresh. The clicking. Had to lol when you mentioned that.

[@MattStandley589]

I have no nostalgic ties to the Bears. I did not grow up with them and the first time I saw the show was last year before they shut down. That being said, I absolutely loved the new show. We had a packed house, everybody was clapping and laughing, and I left with a huge smile on my face. 10/10 renovation IMO

[@johnvanosdol606]

Country Bear button up shirt? Yes please!

[@mozyxp]

I too want a country bear shirt.

[@michellee1190]

I would totally get a Country Bear shirt if it’s anything like the feel and fit of the Tower ones. PARTICULARLY if it’s based on the slides from “All the Guys Who Turn Me On Turn Me Down”.

[@vespista1971]

Blood on the Saddle comeback at the end would’ve been perfect. Also, I always thought Little Buford was a badly behaved dog. Not that Mama should shoot the dog either, but I didn’t ever think it was about a kid lol… The only thing I’m really salty about though, is that Bunny, Bubbles & Beulah have been relegated to backup singers. And their song was one of my favorites- especially with that silly slide show… always made me laugh. But hey, at least we got to keep our Country Bears!

[@garydtm]

I too would like to continue to grow my WDWNT wardrobe and a Country Bears shirt sounds like a great way to do it.

[@jayinamdar2768]

I'm so glad you put this out, pretty much how I feel about the new show😊 keep up the great work at wdwnt

[@jenniferasher8807]

My grandpa always said “Blood on the Saddle” made him cry. It is truly a real song. ❤❤

[@davidriffey6500]

This is super fascinating! Can y'all do more historical vlogging? Like Tom's trip abroad was cool, but I wanted to hear more of his prospective on the history of Disney and theme parks in general.

[@fifthrider]

The value of Country Bears is (a) you can keep the basic attraction and just change it up. It will live forever as long as you don't let it go stale. (b) We need walk-on attractions. If Disney rationalizes that everything needs to be an E-ticket with a long line, then they're probably just trying to justify more LightningLane sales. Meanwhile many of us guests look at the long lines of other rides and find value in a nice, cool, indoors walk-on like Country Bears or Tiki Room. if you champion for the arguments that Country Bears is outdated, you are providing them fuel to take it away. No one wins. ( golf clap )

[@ginatroop8461]

I love this comment! Theme parks absolutely need a variety of attractions. Us and the kids LOVE rides, but kids (and adults) needs breaks. It was amazing to grab a rootbeer float and dole whips and relax in the tiki room last visit. Everyone had gone in sweaty and cranky, but ame out ready for more. It's another reason I'm sad about Tom Sawyer Island. When kids start losing it you could head over... one napped on a bench, others ran through caves... Families need different paces and levels of intensity to stay sane at the parks! Going to miss the bone yard for the same reason. 😞

[@mymasmith7848]

Yes, they need the rides and attractions for All Ages and Abilities. Also indoors in AC and seated for a little minibreak. The Country Bears is one I can take my elderly mom to and she would love it. The attraction was closed for this refurb when I went with darling daughter, but she loves Tiki room so I think she would also love Country Bears. She is autistic and can't stand most of the thrill rides.

[@scottfan4]

Yes please bear shirt! Also, you and Nana rope dropped the last day. You two were first in line. I was right there with you. 😅

[@josueelombre931]

I love that the three heads are utilized way more. Plus the new energy of this show is way better than the so called original show (highly edited show).

[@bradrriddle]

54:43 It's nice to know that someone else also understands that today's "Figment" is NOT the same as the original. Whenever I think of the people who stand in a two-hour line for a popcorn bucket, I wonder if they understand what they may have missed--that they're settling for a lesser character than what used to be.

[@francesw.6774]

When I get to WDW for my next visit, I'll appreciate the Country Bears much more after watching this show. Thanks, Tom.

[@alej8902]

Excellent review as always 👏🏻👍🏻 Thank you so much Tom!

[@kamillsap3155]

Great job! I’m so excited to see this in December!! CBJ was a fav of our family in the 70’s…we had the LP so I still have most of the old songs memorized! 🤣

[@CECmass0325]

I’d buy 5 of the country bear button ups…one for every day of the work week

[@SafetySpooon]

While I never cared at all about "The Bears". I would never dunk on it, because I know there are people who love it - the same way that I LOVE the Tiki Room *AND* It's a Small World - and *other people* hate *those*. I m glad they kept the Bears for those who love them, just as I hope they always keep the Tiki Room for people like me.

[@lilliandonaldson8121]

Love the tiki. It is my ringtone. Love small world carousel of Progress and HM. Always must do attractions each time.

[@ClarenceJones-bw2hd]

Momma Don't Whoop Little Buford... After you said what you said about the old song not being original Disney songs I Googled that one. Boy, was I shocked by the rest of the lyrics! Woah!

[@CountryRockBear1983]

Blood on the Saddle too. Oh and I’m not a Mr change anything person but I do understand some of the decisions I get it. As with the song by the Sunbonnets and Devilish Mary. But for those who do miss it all those song are on KZbin and iTunes and other music sites even Spotify you can build the full show. There was blood on the saddle and blood all around And a great big puddle of blood on the ground A cowboy lay in it all covered with gore And he never will ride any broncos no more Oh, pity the cowboy, all bloody and red For the bronco fell on him and bashed in his head There was blood on the saddle and blood all around And a great big puddle of blood on the ground

[@ClarenceJones-bw2hd]

@@CountryRockBear1983 Yes, I see. It's just surprising when you see all the lyrics of the songs. It's just helpful to understand why only smaller bits of the songs were in the show. The wee bits I did hear back in the day I found them to be funny.

[@Dragon0647]

Tom is the king of wdw

[@Nonfiction79]

I missed seeing the original Country Bears in-person, but I love the Bears and I love seeing them survive and thrive. I hope we will continue to see updates to the show about every 5-8 years or so with new songs and old songs returning.

[@moremonday]

I just saw this new show 2 weeks ago! I laughed, sang along, and cried. I had a smile throughout the entire time. I was so overjoyed by this show. I loved the old one, but its time was up. I did this over tianas. Been waiting a long time for your review.

[@michaelgreenslade7260]

The largest part of the heritage of Country bears is that it is the only remnant of Mineral King park ski resort. One of Walt’s last things he was personally planning.

[@trevornickel7746]

I would 100% buy a Country Bear button up

[@ErikaEmody]

I’m just gonna miss turning to husband and us singing together, “There was blood…” it’s a ritual. It’s what we do. all that to say, looking forward to experiencing that new show.

[@SakuraShadow59]

I grew up with the CBJ at Disneyland, and the bears have long been my favorites. I was crushed when the bears were taken away, but managed to get to WDW once to see them. That Disney is willing to keep the Bears alive for another generation speaks to how important they are, and even if I'm not super into the new show, I'm glad that the Bears still exist here in the US. I'll take what I can get.

[@NoMoreNamesLeftAgain]

Country bear shirt!! Yes please!!!!

[@averyeml]

I absolutely adore the Japan queue area. Those pictures are a small detail that makes it feel cozy and homey, like when I’d visit my grandparents in Alabama and see all the trinkets at their house (or more cynically, the vibe that Cracker Barrel always desperately wanted to have). This new version at WDW seems to have struck a good balance of bringing in IP and bringing in that same loving cozy detail.

[@TexasTakes]

I absolutely loved the new show. I say this before the video is over so it will be interesting to see Tom's review.

[@charliemacsart]

I'd buy and wear a Country Bear button up and/or t-shirt from Carousel of Products!

[@blattman13]

The little dangling things on the hat are called dingle balls

[@cynthiaa5160]

I saw it and it’s ok. I miss the old one but I’m nostalgic. I understand updating it but I can’t forgive them removing the Bear Band Serenade. It’s legitimately one of the best attraction songs ever.

[@lilliandonaldson8121]

I'm nostalgic but this is a much needed and well done update.

[@mymasmith7848]

I think they should keep the Country Bears forever and every ten years refresh the song selections.

[@MoiveGuy24]

I love your honest review! I do miss the original country bears, and the fact that they had to change it because I’m sure people got offended by something stupid as do a lot of people get offended at everything at Disney and have to ruin it for the rest of us, but I loved the original show the best! I also love your Honda mansion shirt! You should definitely make a country bear jamboree button up shirt

[@kingdoo21]

Great review, lovely review. But also low-key hilarious when your voice raises and your hand starts getting very emphatic indeed and you start sounding like an old Soviet leader denouncing the West but instead it's "The bears feel like the characters they have always been!"

[@ItzAdrian02]

I thought having the name as musical revue than jamboree would be better to stand out as not the original but then you mentioned the tourists at Florida are least knowledgeable so they likely wouldn't know what revue was. Ps. Tokyo Disneylands lobby is a carbon copy of disneylands lobby. They took the interior of disneyland and the exterior of magic kingdom

[@jgkidd82]

Love these reviews! 😊

[@CLIFFLIX]

If you made a shirt that "only" had mulitple different images of "Liver Lips McGrol" specifically on it?...I'd buy two!

[@sdboutet]

Thanks for the review! Can't wait to review it myself next week.

[@danielspencer1923]

The CBU 🤣🤣🤣

[@HeatherDuncan-og8us]

Great review! I miss the old show but I have to admit that I don't totally hate the new version.

[@thedman1696]

They should have made Splash Mountain into a Country Bear ride too

[@fattestedtravel]

I’m wearing a Country Bear Shirt as I watch

[@fotostephen]

I love the country bears....I was scared about the "new" show, but after seeing it, I really enjoyed it. It definately needed to be updated and Disney did a great job

[@AmyDunham-q5s]

Great video Tom. Thank you.

[@EEvtg]

Great review! I'm glad you also brought up Pirates again because that Redhead scene is still so so rough lol. Also idk if I'd consider "Liver Lips" a slur, I think some people thought it's racial, but it's actually referring to McGrowl being an alcoholic... still understandable why they changed it, even if it'd only be offensive to alcoholics lmao #BringbackGreatMovieRide

[@WDWNT]

It’s also a racial slur though

[@EEvtg]

@@WDWNT Ah ok, I had never heard that! It's good they changed it

[@nancynickos5611]

We would buy a country bear jamboree shirt.

[@BirdsNNVA]

“Papel cortado” is how you refer to the colorful cut-out Mexican banners.

[@amydoran9987]

I saw the new show over the summer. I loved it.

[@jeffreyhilliker9592]

I thought that they did a great job on the bears. The only odd thing was the Aladdin song in it other than that it works pretty well. Zippidity do da never would happen but would be amazing

[@SusanStypa]

I’ve been waiting for this video…I love the new show…my big nitpick is it is too short. They combined a few of the character/numbers where they were solos before to cut down on time. I was worried about the songs…they did them beautifully with the c&w spin on them…they work! The “country bear musical jamboree” song …I was singing it my whole trip 😊. Again, you and your whole crew do a fantastic job of all Disney news and your channel is my Disney bible. When others say “oh, did you hear this, did you hear that about Disney”…my immediate follow up question is “where did you hear that”? If it’s not on your channel…I’m immediately suspect 🤔🤔🤔

[@LeslieCalling2024]

Love the music in the updated Country Bear Musical Jamboree. I would absolutely buy a shirt if you could please make a long sleeve button up shirt. As a female, I would wear it as a jacket with a white tank under it. For me, I don't like the short sleeve shirts. So glad you like it. I sure wish I could also get a poster like the one in your video.

[@Shilly_JD]

I really Loved the new show. I appreciate the adaptation and updated bears, songs, and jokes. Even if you don't love it... better this than no "Country Bear Musical Jamboree". ♥ There was no line on the morning of September 10, 2024. The first time I would have seen "Bears" would have been in 1973, and I’ve seen it multiple... times since.

[@NerdPrideSF]

Great review, well worth the wait! Didn’t know that Tex Ritter is John Ritter’s father(or forgot if I had lol) how fun they have 3 generations in the entertainment industry. And music licensing would make sense! They closed GMR due to not wanting to pay for movie rights & music rights can be really pricey!! And couldn’t agree more about how amazing it is to see Country Bear animatronics that are closer to A100/0 figures than Chuck E Cheese!! Well deserved & hope the lore is expanded tbh. Hungry Country Bears character meals, Henry & Teddy-Barra as walk around characters would also be great. Can’t wait to see the show in person

[@imthewalrus2379]

Having just seen the new show, I have to say that I think Tom’s review is spot on. I was nervous to hear that the new show was going to be all Disney songs. But you can tell that the people who worked on the new show have the same love that a lot of us do for those bears. They obviously researched all three of the older shows and put some thought into songs and scenarios that would work for each character. And then add in the work that they did in the lobby, it does a much better job setting up the show for those who’ve never seen it and provides some great Easter eggs for the fans. Heck, thinking about the backstory of the bears that they’re showing off now, maybe some day they’ll try another movie that hits more of the right notes than the first one (pun completely intended).

[@karebear3152]

I fully agree that CBMJ succeeded miles above TBA. Thank you for sharing your thoughts of the new show, Tom!

[@fifthrider]

So the button-up is Tom's "Tower of Bearor" shirt? ( I'll see myself out. )

[@ChicagoPaul76]

According to the Imagineers who were at the D23 opening event Al is crying because its his final performance before retiring. Someone also said that there's something in the queue area indicating it's his final performance. And yes for the Country Bear shirt.

[@WDWNT]

It’s always been his final performance

[@ChicagoPaul76]

@@WDWNT Hmmm, did not know that.

[@CaramelAppleonMain]

I just ordered noise activated birds from Amazon and I am delighted that they make the clicking sounds the entire time they go off. My family gets it, if a bit annoyed each time they go to the bathroom and the birds go off!

[@ilythedude]

yeah this sums up my opinion pretty well

[@BirdsNNVA]

I agree that the shows are too short! It still peeves me to go to my beloved Tiki Room and get jolted by the missing scenes.

[@The_AGL_Group]

Tom, can you fix the Honest Reviews playlist on the channel? It only has 4 so there's a LOT missing including Toontown, Runaway Railway, Disney Wish, Avengers Campus, Beauty and the Beast, this, TRON, the Starcruiser reviews, etc...

[@WDWNT]

The Honest Review playlist has now been updated. Thank you for making us aware of this!

[@The_AGL_Group]

@@WDWNT You're welcome! If you choose, you can toggle the sort option to be by upload date so the chronological order irons out the additions, but either way, thanks for making the playlist more comprehensive and easy to pull up! Now it'll be a lot easier to keep track of ones to rewatch since the KZbin search keeps getting clogged with more nonsense.

[@michaelmestre1437]

Yes to the shirt!!!!

[@lukebrandal2118]

I loved the new updated show, but as a musician, there were a couple moments that stuck out to me and took me “out of the magic.” There are two times where the instruments in the track don’t match the instruments the bears are playing. In “Kiss the girl” Henry starts off the song with an acoustic guitar, but the track is clearly an electric guitar. Then in “you’ve got a friend in me” and in the finale, Henry is playing an electric guitar, modeled after a Fender Telecaster through a tweed amp, but the track is playing an acoustic guitar. This is just a small thing that most people wouldn’t notice, but it takes me out of the immersion every time something like this happens.

[@MikePortmanJ]

Totally agree. Great show but too short. Listening to the album is more fun than the short show.

[@SweetReed17]

I wouldve loved just a bit more comedy. Like if when it was Al's turn to play he started to play Blood on the Saddle "There was Bloo- -" "No Al! We're doing a different show this time, REMEMBER..." "Oh yeaaah...Reeemeeeemmmberrrr meeeeee" Just a little reference wouldve been a fun nod.

[@kamillsap3155]

So doesn’t it make since to convert Pecos Bill’s into the Hungry Bear BBQ? ….there is no BBQ in MK right?……but there is in Epcot, HS, and AK. 🤔

[@CountryRockBear1983]

Yes!!!!!!

[@RoastBeefSandwich]

seems like Pecos Bills is staying as it is for a while at least since they just revamped the menu

[@josieferrandino9742]

I just thought about this, but this version of the show is both a continuation of the original Bears, but also a spiritual successor to the Mickey Mouse Revue. For those that don't know, the revue was an animatronic show in fantasyland featuring Mickey & Pals, The Three Little Pigs, Snow White and the Dwarfs, Alice, the Three Caballeros (now at Epcot), Cinderella, Prince Charming, and her Fairy Godmother, the Br'er trio from Song of the South, and a host of other characters including the Duck triplets, Baloo and King Louie, and Ludwig von Drake. It featured Mickey conducting a revue style show of classic Disney songs such as Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf, The Silly Song, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo, and Zip-a-dee-doo-dah (yes Song of the South had two attractions and only ever operated at the same time in Japan). While a very different execution and probably unintentionally done, it's pretty cool that these two attractions live on together as an amalgam of the two concepts.

[@ReyaadawnMTG]

We can't stop here.....we're in Bayou Country

[@disneylanddude05]

This is my intent to order a Country Bear button up preorder

[@practicalpisces]

The joke after Teddy Bara finishes should be changed to something like: Teddy: "Ya'll be sure to swing by and visit me sometime." Buff: "Thanks, but I'm not much of a climber." Melvin: "I'm more of a hanger." Also, there is a joke after Trixie finishes that is hard to hear because of the audience's applause. They need to increase the volume on the three after that performance.

[@Sargon2008]

What was Trixie’s joke because I never heard it due to the applause of the audience and please tell me what the dialogue of Trixie’s joke and why I can’t hear her joke.

[@Bosoxrtc]

Please make a shirt. I would buy one in an instant.

[@Jaxetds2019]

Great and honest review I honestly feel the same but I also have to pay respects to the passing of Pete Renaday here aswell

[@Mewtho9]

Is the live action movie in the CBU? Amazing video on all the timelines and lore.

[@moremonday]

Yes to the CBMJ button up.

[@moremonday]

Please!

[@Cuban_Superman]

Looking good Tom! Looks like you've trimmed down and entertaining as always brother. 👍🏼👍🏼

[@Floridapanthers2020]

Tom I am not sure if I am eligible to recommend retro honest reviews but I would love to see stuff like Soarin over California, Captain Eo, and reflections of earth be included in that because those attractions have meant a lot to me so if you could do it that would be great!

[@AndrewPriester]

I saw the show twice October 3rd & I really enjoyed it Of course I saw it on YT first but it’s not the same seeing it on YT as seeing it in WDW

[@LeonardEnvoy92]

How did you get that backdrop? Tom, I love it.

[@WDWNT]

We made it

[@ronrade6406]

Because the audience is different, when this Bear's show comes to Tokyo, do you think the new songs will be complete and uncut?

[@WDWNT]

They could be

[@jordandupre5726]

I would be first in line to buy a country, bear jamboree button down shirt!