The new Country Bear Jamboree raglan T-shirt first released on shopDisney is now available at Walt Disney World. The shirt is notable for mentioning Liver Lips McGrowl, although the character will be renamed when the attraction becomes Country Bear Musical Jamboree next year.
The shirt has a white torso with black sleeves. Fringe Shirt
“Country Bear Jamboree” is in black lettering above three brown stars on the left breast.
The back of the tee makes it look like a band shirt or poster, with a list of Country Bear Jamboree performers. around a guitar.
At the top is “Country Bear Jamboree” followed by “Live from Grizzy Hall” — “Grizzy” being a misspelling of “Grizzly.”
It also says “A Wild & Wooly Good Time!”
There is a list of featured bears and the instruments they play or role they have in the show, such as Henry — The Master of Ceremonies.
Second-billed under Henry is Liver Lips McGrowl on guitar. “Liver lips” is a racial slur. The bear has not been referred to with this name internally for quite a while and he would not sign this name for autographs.
When the Magic Kingdom attraction is reimagined into the Country Bear Musical Jamboree in 2024, the character will be renamed Romeo McGrowl and get an all-new look, as seen in a poster for the show. His new hair-do is reminiscent of his Elvis impersonation that he once did during the Country Bear Vacation Hoedown overlay.
The T-shirt also lists some of the songs the bears perform: “Pianjo,” “Bear Band Serenade,” and “If You Can’t Bite, Don’t Growl.”
We found the shirt in Star Traders at Magic Kingdom.
The new “Country Bear Musical Jamboree” will be inspired by the musical revues of Nashville and will see the bears reimagine classic Disney songs in “different genres of country music.” Disney shared the following video featuring a country-inspired reinterpretation of “The Bare Necessities” from “The Jungle Book”:
Rehearsals are now under way! 🪕Country Bear Jamboree is getting new songs and a new act reinterpreting favorite Disney songs in 2024 🐻🎶 @Disney D23 #Disney #DisneyParks #DisneyWorld #MagicKingdom #CountryBearJamboree #NewShow #CountryMusic #Nashville #DisneyNews #DestinationD23
Though the content of the show will change, the beloved characters that have become synonymous with the Country Bear Jamboree will not (except for Liver Lips).
Former Walt Disney Imagineer Ethan Reed first pitched what would become “Country Bear Musical Jamboree” almost 20 years ago. Around 2018, he was developing the show for Tokyo Disneyland, but the Oriental Land Company changed their minds after seeing strong sales numbers for plush of the Country Bear characters.
At the same time, a “Toy Story” Woody’s Roundup marionette show was in development to replace Country Bear Jamboree at Magic Kingdom, under Bob Chapek’s leadership — though Disney still denies this was ever in development. Regardless, the marionette show idea was scrapped after fan outcry and the Disney music show was resurrected. The show was in the planning stages a few years ago but was delayed when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and many Imagineers were let go.
Read or watch Tom’s honest thoughts about the Country Bear Musical Jamboree.
The Country Bear Jamboree was an opening day attraction at Frontierland in Magic Kingdom, with the doors to Grizzly Hall opening on October 1, 1971. The beloved attraction features a number of audio-animatronic bears singing sometimes heartfelt, sometimes humorous, but always entertaining songs such as “How Long Will My Baby Be Gone,” “Blood on the Saddle,” and “The Ballad of Davy Crockett” (these songs figure to be replaced with the upcoming “Country Bear Musical Jamboree” update).
The Country Bear Jamboree proved to be popular with guests, and a version of the attraction opened alongside Critter Country at Disneyland in 1972. The Disneyland edition of the show ran for 29 years, closing in September 2001. A version of the Country Bear Jamboree was also an opening day attraction at Tokyo Disneyland in 1983; it’s still active today.
An attraction synonymous with Disney Parks and general Walt Disney Imagineering, the Country Bear Jamboree was among the first attractions that Walt Disney Pictures looked to when it made a concerted effort to adapt Disney Parks rides and experiences into films in the early 21st century. “The Country Bears” movie released in 2002, the year before “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” and the Eddie Murphy-led “The Haunted Mansion.” “The Country Bears” starred Christopher Walken, Diedrich Bader, and Haley Joel Osment, and was a critical and commercial flop.
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Shannen has been a Disney Parks fan and lover of dogs since childhood, despite Pluto's attempt to eat Shannen's Minnie Mouse doll the first time they met. They've made up now. You can email Shannen at shannen@wdwnt.com.
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