Walt Disney World has introduced the opening date for Nation Bear Musical Jamboree at Magic Kingdom in Summer season 2024! This shares the most recent official information & particulars, new idea artwork, plus our commentary in regards to the attraction reimagining, delicate opening hypothesis, AP/DVC previews, and extra!
In case you’re unfamiliar with it, Nation Bear Musical Jamboree is a reimagining of Nation Bear Jamboree. Along with including a phrase to the marquee, Imagineering is bringing an all-new act to Grizzly Corridor for the Bear Band to carry out. With Nation Bear Musical Jamboree, the Bear Band will probably be reinterpreting favourite Disney songs in several genres of nation music.
The brand new expertise is an homage to the traditional musical revues in Nashville and Imagineering has labored with outstanding musicians to get the genuine nation sound. Nation Bear Musical Jamboree will nonetheless have the enjoyable and pleasant tone followers get pleasure from with the identical well-known characters just like the loveable Trixie, Massive Al and others. Principally, identical Bear Band however new songs and different wrinkles to the reworked present.
Disney has introduced that Nation Bear Musical Jamboree will open on July 17, 2024 in Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.
Listed here are extra particulars shared by Disney in regards to the upcoming Nation Bear Musical Jamboree in Frontierland at Magic Kingdom:
The strategy to reimagining Nation Bear Jamboree was to respect the “ethos” of the Bear Band, whereas additionally rethinking the songs in a means that may have extra multigenerational attraction. So the place higher to look than the Disney songbook, in line with the creatives engaged on the reimagined rendition of the present.
The brand new costumes have been designed by the inventive costuming group at Disney Stay Leisure, primarily based on idea artwork by Kevin Kidney and Jody Every day, who’ve labored (lovingly) on the Nation Bears for some time. For individuals who aren’t acquainted with Kevin and Jody, there’s nobody higher to work on the redesign than them.
We had the possibility to attend a media preview at Walt Disney World throughout which Emily Ann carried out Trixie’s rendition of “Attempt All the things.” Right here’s video:
Right now, we additionally bought a primary have a look at Wendell and Massive Al of their fancy new duds from Nation Bear Musical Jamboree (in each the above video and photograph under), which you would possibly see them displaying off whereas out and about. It’s unclear whether or not the bears will repeatedly meet in these new costumes or they’ll be reserved for particular occasions like Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Social gathering and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Social gathering.
All in all, the updates on Nation Bear Musical Jamboree has been an actual curler coaster. There have been some seemingly odd selections made, however immediately’s session with the inventive group was reassuring–as are the names connected to the present. Right here’s hoping that they do follow-through and preserve the ethos of the Bear Band whereas modernizing the playlist for informal company who could merely need the bears to “play the (Disney) hits!”
Previous to this, the second episode of the Walt Disney Imagineering YouTube sequence, “We Name it Imagineering – Soundscapes” took viewers behind-the-scenes of how music is created for Disney points of interest and leisure together with a sneak peek at new music for Nation Bear Musical Jamboree.
That ‘Soundscapes’ episode revealed that Nation Bear Musical Jamboree will embrace easter eggs from the start to the tip, together with a well-known tune followers could bear in mind, the bears will sing new, reinterpreted Disney songs in several genres of nation music — like bluegrass, pop-country, Americana, rockabilly and different kinds.
Among the many many songs coming to Nation Bear Musical Jamboree are “Attempt All the things” and “A Entire New World” from the Walt Disney Animation Studios movies “Zootopia” and “Aladdin.” It’s a full-blown hoedown that includes a brand new spin on the songs such as you’ve by no means heard earlier than — full with fiddles, mandolins, banjos and extra.
Paying homage to the musical revues of Nashville, Imagineers labored alongside record-breaking 10-time CMA Musician of the 12 months, Mac McAnally, on the music for Nation Bear Musical Jamboree. McAnally is a member of the Nashville Songwriters Corridor of Fame, Mississippi Musicians Corridor of Fame and Alabama Music Corridor of Fame.
For the voice of the beloved bear, Trixie St. Claire, nation singer Emily Ann Roberts added her twangy vocals to “Attempt All the things.” Allison Russell and Christopher Scott Thile slowed issues down a bit with a mandolin-style of “A Entire New World” for Wendell and Teddi Barra.
“I’ve by no means completed something like this, the place the tune is actually coming to life earlier than people’ eyes,” shared Emily Ann. “It was actually neat to listen to the entire idea after which having the ability to stand behind the mic and suppose ‘how do I put myself in Trixie’s footwear?’”
Disney beforehand introduced one of many songs carried out in Nation Bear Musical Jamboree could be “Bear Requirements,” a completely unsurprising choice. Additionally audible within the background of the video is “You’ve Obtained a Good friend in Me.” After bear-related songs, that may’ve been close to the highest of my record of playlist predictions.
I used to be initially greatly surprised by each “Attempt All the things” or “A Entire New World” being carried out by the Bear Band, as they struck me as odd selections primarily based on the renditions and context from their respective films. Nonetheless, after listening to that clip, I’m already beginning to come round to the tune choice.
As I’ve mentioned earlier than, I’m keen to withhold judgment on Nation Bear Musical Jamboree. Whatever the performances and tune selections, I believe it’s going to take a very long time to get used to the brand new present. I had watched Nation Bear Jamboree for many years and was an enormous fan–the brand new present goes to be jarring at first irrespective of the standard. Actually, I can’t think about loving it at first–I’m extra curious as to how I’ll really feel about it in a 12 months or 5 after turning into acquainted with Nation Bear Musical Jamboree.
Greater than the rest, I hope effort is made to provide the bears character and restore their banter between songs. Even songs like “Attempt All the things” or “A Entire New World” may work if it’s carried out tongue-in-cheek or there’s wink-and-nod colour commentary from the Bear Band to accompany their performances. I concern that received’t be the case, however I’m nonetheless holding out hope.
The Bear Band performing up to date Disney music fairly than unique nation songs doesn’t trouble me by itself. As with Disney IP versus unique points of interest, I might a lot fairly have one thing unique. That’s a giant a part of what offers the bears such colourful personalities, and simply isn’t potential with Disney music–these songs are at all times going to return with the emotional and nostalgic context of their respective movies. That’s why they’re so beloved within the first place!
Nonetheless, I disagree with the notion that the Bear Band can’t placed on a great present whereas performing as a canopy band. For one factor, a number of the songs within the unique present are covers. Whereas these are lesser-known, there’s additionally the higher instance–Nation Bear Trip Jamboree–by which the Bear Band performs up to date music and songs from outdoors the nation style.
We’re massive followers of Nation Bear Trip Jamboree, and watched it over a half-dozen occasions simply final week. From my perspective, the songs in that present all work, with “California Bears” (a twist on “California Ladies” by the Seaside Boys) being one of the best of the bunch. It’s largely not the songs that make the present work–it’s the connective tissue between them. The costuming, the props, backgrounds, set dressing, and–most significantly–the best way the Nation Bears joke and banter with each other.
A number of this was misplaced a decade or so in the past when Nation Bear Jamboree was truncated at Magic Kingdom. If Imagineering manages to deliver it again, Nation Bear Musical Jamboree may have the identical coronary heart as the unique and its seasonal spinoffs. In the event that they don’t, it’ll be a glorified sing-along present however with Audio Animatronics. The songs matter, however not as a lot as some followers would possibly suppose.
On a unique and unequivocally optimistic be aware, it’s our understanding that the Audio Animatronics in Nation Bear Jamboree are being up to date to the most recent A-1000 Audio Animatronics technology. These debuted with Hondo Ohnaka in Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, and continued with Enchanted Story of Magnificence and the Beast at Tokyo Disneyland in addition to Frozen Ever After at Hong Kong Disneyland. Most notably, they’re the identical kinds of Audio Animatronics in Tiana’s Bayou Journey.
Whereas we wouldn’t anticipate the bears to be almost as superior because the headliner AAs in Tiana’s Bayou Journey since they’ll be refreshes of the prevailing figures, they need to be a marked enchancment. This implies no extra clicking sounds or abrupt actions, and extra fluidity. Most significantly, at the least for Nation Bear Jamboree followers, is that it offers the attraction a brand new lease on life and just about ensures it one other decade (if not two) of existence. For an attraction that has been on borrowed time for the reason that daybreak of the brand new century, it is a welcome aid.
Lastly, there’s the query of sentimental openings or Annual Passholder and Disney Trip Membership previews for Nation Bear Musical Jamboree. With a undertaking of this scale, I usually wouldn’t anticipate something—and I can’t supply any concrete predictions consequently.
What I’ll say is that Moana’s Journey of Water was equally smaller scale (albeit a brand new construct) and that did have previews. So I wouldn’t essentially rule them out. What I might wager is that if Walt Disney World does previews of any kind, they’ll be extra informal—like these for Tiana’s Bayou Journey—with making park reservations fairly than registering for a devoted preview. In any case, I wouldn’t essentially anticipate something—it is a comparatively fast turnaround time. If the attraction is prepared early, it’s totally potential they simply quietly open Nation Bear Musical Jamboree forward of its official opening date. We’ll hold you posted!
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Your Ideas
What do you consider the reimagined of Nation Bear Jamboree opening in Magic Kingdom on July 17, 2024? Are you a disillusioned diehard, cautiously optimism, or overtly obsessed with this information? Or, are you in wait and see mode with this? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Any questions we may help you reply? Listening to your suggestions—even while you disagree with us—is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!
