Summer 2024 is shaping up to be a big one at Walt Disney World. With it being summertime and schools closed until the fall, it means families are making their way to vacation destinations with big dreams of creating memories for their kids. One of the more popular destinations is Disney Parks, where visitors have enjoyed the musical talents of the Country Bear Jamboree. They’ve been a staple of Disney Parks for years, and will be getting a major update with new music, songs, and even vocal talent from country stars. Now we have a firm date for when the Country Bears will be returning to the stage.
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ComicBook was on hand for the announcement of Country Bear Musical Jamboree opening on July 17th at Walt Disney World. The all-new show has multi-generational appeal and features country versions of beloved Disney songs, including “Try Everything” from Zootopia and “A Whole New World” from Aladdin. The show blends pop country Americana with new music by Emily Anne Roberts, who was a finalist on The Voice and is a rising country star. The Bear band will wear newly redesigned, authentic country costumes based on looks by legacy designers.
Mac McAnally is also inspiring the Country Bears with “Bare Necessities,” and singer-songwriter Allison Russel and musician Chris Thile shared their talents for Wendell and Teddi Barra’s sweet rendition of “A Whole New World.” You can take a look at Wendell and Big Al in their new costumes designed by the creative costuming team at Disney Live Entertainment.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure gets an opening date
The premiere date for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure — a revamp of Splash Mountain featuring characters, music, and audio-animatronics inspired by Walt Disney Animation Studios’ The Princess and the Frog — was revealed during a May broadcast of American Idol during its Disney Night. It’s set to drop into Magic Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort on June 28th.
Also featuring new music by New Orleans natives and five-time Grammy Award winners PJ Morton and Terence Blanchard, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure brings together iconic characters from the 2009 animated movie — including restaurateur Tiana, her trumpeting gator friend Louis, and bayou voodoo queen Mama Odie — for a musical log ride adventure that culminates in a 50-foot drop down into the bayou. Anika Noni Rose (Tiana), Bruno Campos (Naveen), Michael Leon Wooley (Louis) and Jenifer Lewis (Mama Odie) reprise their roles from the beloved film.
Among the many musical critters making their debut on the ride are original characters Byhalia the Beaver, Gritty the Rabbit, Beau the Opossum, Apollo the Raccoon, Rufus the Turtle, Timoléon the Otter, and the jazzy frog band of Felipe, Mayra, Mondo, and Isabel. Infused with the music and spirit of Mardi Gras and New Orleans, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure picks up where the movie left off, following Tiana and Louis as they prepare for their first-ever Mardi Gras performance.
“It is really exciting to know that Princess Tiana’s presence in both Disneyland and Magic Kingdom will finally be fully realized,” Rose, a Disney Legend, said when the Princess and the Frog-themed Splash Mountain revamp was announced in 2020. “As passionate as I am about what we created, I know the fans are going to be over the moon. The Imagineers are giving us The Princess and the Frog Mardi Gras celebration we’ve been waiting for, and I’m here for it!”
