Disney Reveals Opening Date for Country Bear Musical Jamboree and More

On Monday, June 10th, The Walt Disney Company hosted a media event. During the presentation, park officials revealed the opening date for Country Bear Jamboree, new details about the return of The Little Mermaid at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and more. Let’s discuss all the major announcements.

Country Bear Musical Jamboree Opens Next Month 

In January, Disney closed one of its most iconic Magic Kingdom attractions, Country Bear Jamboree. The country & western musical show opened with the park on October 1st, 1971, and has remained a mainstay since then. 

Alas, after more than 50 years, the original version of the show had lost some of its zest. So, park officials chose to retool the attraction, modernizing it and making it more Disney in nature. 

Specifically, Disney has taken some of its classic music and added a country & western twang. The new version of the show will toss out the old soundtrack’s obscure, funny songs like All the Guys That Turn Me On Turn Me Down.

In their place, you’ll hear new gems like a southern version of Try Everything. In fact, here’s Emily Ann Roberts singing her take on the song during Monday’s presentation.

Disney asked longtime Jimmy Buffett collaborator Mac McAnally to work on the new soundtrack. The early results speak for themselves, as the former mainstay of the Coral Reefer Band factors heavily into the latest episode of We Call It Imagineering.

This clip confirms that A Whole New World is one of the newly reimagined songs during the upcoming show. You can also hear a brief snippet of You’ve Got a Friend in Me in the above video, and Disney previously confirmed that The Bare Necessities from Jungle Book will be a part of the new presentation.

Frankly, all we’ve lacked before now was the date, and now we have that! Disney had previously indicated a summer opening for Country Bear Musical Jamboree. On Monday, Disney confirmed that Grizzly Hall reopens on July 17th. That’s the date when we can all watch the 2024 version of Country Bear Musical Jamboree. 

Disney Reveals Details about Little Mermaid Show

In case you didn’t know, the Country Bears aren’t the only classic Disney attraction currently undergoing a reimagining. In January 1992, less than three years after Disney’s Hollywood Studios opened, Voyage of the Little Mermaid debuted at the Animation Courtyard. 

This show retold the story of The Little Mermaid using a unique combination of puppets and live actors. Sadly, its popularity waned during the 2010s, with the presentation facing countless rumors of permanent closure. 

Thankfully, the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid restored the popularity of the brand enough for Disney to bring back this show, albeit in a modified form. The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure will officially debut this fall. 

The Disney Parks Blog, which was recently revamped, if you haven’t noticed yet, has published details on the upcoming show changes. Park officials also discussed some of them during the Monday presentation.

Disney indicates that this show will feature “all-new physical sets, cast of puppets, live performers, and stunning visuals.” Ariel’s room will feature a “collage style” that spills over into every element of the updated show. 

While some classic elements like the puppets return, motion capture tech will drive the show. Cast Members in sensor suits will act out the action, and the motion sensors will translate their movements into the digital animation of Ariel and other characters. 

Disney indicates that the new show adds several new songs, including everyone’s favorite, Kiss the Girl. Also, the show begins with Daughters of Triton, the song from King Triton’s birthday. So, Disney has put tons of thought into how to make the updated version of the show more memorable and appealing to modern audiences. 

Here Are Some Other Announcements

Disney performed some housekeeping during this presentation. Park officials confirmed several other modest changes coming soon. As a reminder, it’s a busy time at Disney, with CommuniCore Hall & Plaza opening on June 10th. Its debut marks the official end of seven years of EPCOT park improvements. 

However, Disney isn’t stopping there. After all, The Lion King celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. From now through September 6th, Disney’s Animal Kingdom will host character greetings and various goodies based on The Lion King. We’re talking about food, drinks, and merchandise commemorating 30 years of The Lion King.

As of this week, you’ll also find Joy from Inside Out at her spot in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Joy has left the Imagination! pavilion at EPCOT and moved to the location formerly held by Frozone, as Disney hypes Inside Out 2, which opens in theaters this weekend. The company has high hopes for Inside Out as a franchise. So, you should expect more events if/when the movie does well. 

The Parks Blog also mentions ¡Celebración Encanto!, which officially started when CommuniCore opened on Monday. This is a limited-time offering you should prioritize.

Similarly, Disney wants to remind you that you can watch Disney Dreams That Soar at Disney Springs throughout the summer. For water park fans, the big news is that H20 Glow has returned at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon. This is one of Disney’s most unique after-hours events and definitely deserves a try.