Walt Disney World's Country Bear Jamboree

By Nick and Barbie 

The Country Bear Jamboree is a Walt Disney World classic, opened along with the Magic Kingdom on October 1st 1971. It was one of the last projects Walt Disney himself was involved with. In fact it is sometimes referred to as Walt’s Last Laugh.

But I know of at least one person who doesn’t laugh at this beloved attraction. Episode 14 of The Disney Exchange Podcast focused on the Magic Kingdom, and I talked about my wife Barbie’s thoughts on The Country Bears.

I’ll let her express her feelings in her own words:

“Well, anyone who knows me, knows I hate the Country Bear Jamboree.
I’m not sure why more people don’t feel the same way.

When we were young, my Dad took us down to Florida to visit family and we got to spend one afternoon in Walt Disney World. The Country Bear Jamboree is one of the few memories I have of the trip, and they aren’t good memories. I don’t get it to this day!

Oh yeah, dress them up all cute and all of a sudden they aren’t so scary,

but they’re still looking at YOU like a prime piece of beef!

Big Al singing “Blood on the Saddle“:


REALLY? Whose blood? Was Al going to hit me over the head with that guitar, throw me over his saddle and use me as a snack after the show?
Did someone die, were they murdered?

As a sensitive kid I was extremely aware of the words to that song and couldn’t get it out of my mind, in fact I still can’t. Were they hurt, maimed, did they get separated from their party? I still don’t understand. Can someone explain that one to me?

Well, I swore up and down that no one could get me into that attraction again, but Nick dragged me in there a few years ago to relive the horror all over again. Let me just say now, it’s no better now than it was back in the 70’s! Stay away! Those bears are out for blood and they’ll get it somehow!”

There you have it!
What is your opinion of the Country Bear Jamboree?