After bear-ing through 6 months of refurbishment, Grizzly Hall has once again opened its doors in Frontierland inside the Magic Kingdom. Country Bear Musical Jamboree is back with a new set list of 9 songs and new costumes for the entire bear band!
Before even getting to Frontierland, we noticed the new “coming attractions” poster proudly on display below the Magic Kingdom train station. The new poster was designed by Disney Art Directors, Kevin Kidney and Jody Daily.
There was definitely opening day fanfare, but wait times were manageable and nothing compared to the final shows of the previous version back in January.
We were also bear-y excited to see some of the new costumes before heading inside for the show! Some of our favorite bears are back to strolling around Frontierland in between their sets. You can catch Shaker, Big Al, and Wendell in their new costumes sporadically throughout the day.
The lobby of Grizzly Hall now features posters and other memorabilia from the Country Bears’ traveling performances. We cannot wait for the opportunity to really look at all of these new details.
Of course, Melvin, Buff, and Max still help open up the show – they’re hanging in there. And now, the moment we’ve been waiting months for – the new performances! The song list includes seven covers of famous Disney songs now sung by country musicians in collaboration with music icon Mac McAnally. The show opens and closes with two returning classic songs, Country Bear Musical Jamboree and Come Again (Come On In).
Trixie now performs Try Everything from Zootopia with backup vocals from the Sun Bonnets – Bunny, Bubbles, and Beulah. The matching pink and silver sequin western wear is incredible, and the bears have never looked better.
Big Al is still plucking away at his guitar, but this time singing Remember Me from Coco with his iconic stage presence.
Ernest quite literally fires up the fiddle to Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious from Mary Poppins with a costume to match Bert himself.
In a departure from her previous solo, Teddi Barra sings A Whole New World from Aladdin, harmonizing with Wendell down below and Gomer on the keys. As if it were even possible, Teddi Barra looks more fabulous than ever with her signature feather boa.
To celebrate the return of the Country Bears, there is a new concert-style t-shirt available at Frontier Trading Post for $34.99.
The back of the shirt features the new promotional poster, and the front has the Country Bear Musical Jamboree logo with its slogan, “A Wild and Wooly Good Time.”
We were truthfully hoping for more Country Bears merch like plushes or even a vinyl record, but hopefully, that’s still in the works. You can now listen and download the full soundtrack on Apple Music and other streaming services.
Be sure to also check out all the behind-the-scenes of the re-imagining of this classic attraction. And let us know in the comments what you think of the new songs and costumes for the Country Bears!
Hannah Anderson is a Dreams Unlimited Travel Agent, DIS Contributor, former Disney Cast Member, and Orlando local. Mostly importantly, she is a mom and loves spending time in the Disney Parks each week with her family.
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