Disney World Closing Down Original Attraction for Major Overhaul

Disney lovers who are fans of Frontierland’s Country Bear Jamboree have until Jan. 26 to enjoy it as they’ve grown to love it. Spectrum News 13 reports the attraction is set to temporarily close for upgrades. While unavailable, the country-western musical revue with singing bears will get a major transformation via a Nashville-inspired, Opry-style show with reinterpreted Disney tunes. Songs will be performed in different country music genres such as bluegrass, pop-country, rockabilly, and Americana. Once open again to the public, the new attraction will be known as Country Bear Musical Jamboree. It is set to debut the summer of 2024.

The initial plan to change Country Bear Jamboree was revealed in September 2023 during Disney’s Destination D23 event at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. A clip shown during the announcement, and re-shared during the recent announcement, showcases a behind-the-scenes look at a recording session for “Bare Necessities” from Disney’s adaptation of The Jungle Book.

The current attraction features 18 animatronic bears playing instruments and performing a variety of tunes. Some popular characters in the attraction include Big Al, Trixie St. Claire, and Liver Lips McGrowl.

Country Bear Jamboree isn’t the only Frontierland attraction that’s getting a new look. Construction is underway for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, which replaces the popular water attraction, Splash Mountain. It’s the first attraction based on the animated film The Princess and the Frog.

In an official blog post, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure update features a custom handcrafted weathervane by Louisiana’s master blacksmith, Darryl Reeves. He was handpicked to create the weather vane for the attraction. It’s also set to debut this summer.