Country Bear Jamboree

[Nick]

I’ll have to go see it myself when it reopens officially next week.

 

[IzzyB]

My last post was a little too snarky, but there are absolutely teams that exist basically to count up IP “impressions” in the parks, which is basically all they can do because the counterpoint is that there’s no correlation between IP and ride satisfaction scores.

IMO, IP doesn’t even help much with initial marketing… it only really helps with longevity (meaning, if I build a Moana ride today, it will help the kids born in 4-5 years be more likely to know of Moana in 8-10 years).

I personally would be curious to see what % bump AK got when Everest opened vs Avatar. Because my understanding they didn't get the bump from Everest which started the whole mature market argument WDW had for years.

While this may lack the cynicism of Under New Management, I still feel like there is a comparison to be made here. Both were modifications of beloved original shows to meet a cooperate IP quota/mandate. While I appreciate that at least some effort was made to maintain the shows original tone, unlike Under New Management, this still is very out of touch with why the show was beloved, and what made it special in the first place. It's not necessary to dump in the same handful of songs that can already be heard in many other attractions and shows elsewhere in Magic Kingdom, let alone all of Walt Disney World.

UNM was an awful and annoying show. This Jamboree doesn't seem to be annoying. I don't think they can be compared.

Yeah - it's fine. Kids will love it. As an adult putting the "critique hat" on - some songs work great, and some songs are odd choices (Looking at you, Fixer Upper).

Kids will love it is the key, my kids never wanted to go to the old show. I imagine they will enjoy this one more, dragging me into it whenever we make it back to Disney. More people attending a show is always good.

 

[Mad Dog]

Missed this new version show by a few weeks during last years' trip with the girls, so this was definitely on the agenda. The previous two shows were really enjoyed by Alene and me. Fun, entertainment in AC comfort. Perfect for a hot day. The new rendition is really well done, and probably the most entertaining of the three renditions. Disney did an immaculate job on the theater and all the furry creatures. Everything looks like it's a brand new, never seen before, attraction. This looks much cleaner/sharper in person than on video. All the songs work well with the storyline, even the Disney IP's, since they have an old time Nashville music slant. The show hits the sweet spot on time. Not too long, not too short. And it's Fun as all hell. We actually went four times during two days at MK. The crowds were all exuberant, and much larger than previous years, with lots of hand clapping, foot stomping and yee haws. And they've returned the three wall heads to their past glory. They're in every rendition. Pat on the back to the Imagineers and writers. This is a Walt worthy show.

 

[GA-MBIT]

It's a totally fine, enjoyable experience. Some songs work really well in this country music style, some others really don't haha. But overall, it's a refresh with a lot of care for the Country Bears put into it. Clearly a number of people on the creative team at Disney really wanted to keep these characters around, and they've gotten a lot of much-needed love. This is far from an "Under New Management"-type update.

Still wish we could've kept Blood on the Saddle, but the new version definitely keeps the vibe intact, so that's nice!