Sad state of Country Bear Jamboree

[Saddlesore Swanson]

DL ap'er/Cali resident that just got back from WDW here...

While I was totally pleased just to be able to check out the original presentation of CBJ, I was saddened by the sorry state the show was in. Of course it is nearly 35 years old now, but still ...

My biggest gripe was with the audio. The volume was way too low and the speakers were [email protected], making a lot of dialogue and songs nearly inaudible. And it's a musical revue! Good audio would make a world of difference in the audience's ability to enjoy even this old show.

Second biggest gripe was Henry's broken right-hand paw that just hung there lifelessly on some Bob Dole-type ish.

And as much as I love the Country Bears (except for that movie), I'm almost thinking that it might be time to take them around the shed and do 'em like Old Yeller at this point.

(BTW, I'd imagine that this might be a tired topic here in the WDW forum, so I apologize if it is, but a cursory search yielded few results on the subject.)

[kcnole]

Re: Sad state of Country Bear Jamboree

There's several attractions that need work desperately. Country Bears and Haunted Mansion leading the pack.

[Cmash95]

Re: Sad state of Country Bear Jamboree

the last time i saw the show was last christmas and i was appalled at how bad the condition of the animatronics were. it's sad too cause it's such a fun show. I for one would love to see a new show and some updated bears. it would be fun to have the band play something like rocky top and teddy beara could sing a dolly parton tune. just my opinion but i do remember the summer show they did and it was much better than the original show they have now.

[barfownz]

Re: Sad state of Country Bear Jamboree

There's several attractions that need work desperately. Country Bears and Haunted Mansion leading the pack.

Don't forget Pirates of the Caribbean.

[aimster]

Re: Sad state of Country Bear Jamboree

I agree the volume on Country Bears has been way too low for a loooong time (but since I know the show by heart I knew exactly what was being said & sung when). But all the animatronics seemed to be working fine when I saw the show again last month.

[Jerren]

Re: Sad state of Country Bear Jamboree

And as much as I love the Country Bears (except for that movie), I'm almost thinking that it might be time to take them around the shed and do 'em like Old Yeller at this point.

Gosh I hope not, this was one of the last attractions Walt has his hands in, in fact I seem to recall that one of the Imagineers said it was the last time he saw Walt laugh when he showed him a picture of one of the bears playing a tuba...

[kcnole]

Re: Sad state of Country Bear Jamboree

Don't forget Pirates of the Caribbean.

While our pirates isn't up to the par of Disneylands pirates it's nowhere near the condition that HM and Country Bear are.

[Hamlet Schmalzbach]

Re: Sad state of Country Bear Jamboree

It was so sad to sit in the show a few years ago...well...I did not go the last time I was in WDW. It really needs some work...

[almandot]

Re: Sad state of Country Bear Jamboree

audio prolly wasn't any worse than caroussel of progress heh.

[BackIntoYourSystem]

Re: Sad state of Country Bear Jamboree

And lots of people feel the need to take a million pictures during the show. Which really annoys me becuase they say not to take pictures till the end.

[cooknthyme]

Re: Sad state of Country Bear Jamboree

so true, I've seen it lots of times. For most of them, it's in one ear and out the other with thw picture taking.

[Randman]

Re: Sad state of Country Bear Jamboree

Ok, I'm truly glad it wasn't just me who couldn't hear the darned show last week. I couldn't hear anything going on during the show except "Blood on the Saddle". I thought my hearing was going bad.

The show needs some serious updating. But, I didn't notice Henry's hand, so they must have fixed it.

[mikeland]

Re: Sad state of Country Bear Jamboree

I never did understand why the song "Blood on the Saddle" is so ... um ... funny.

[CoffeeJedi]

Re: Sad state of Country Bear Jamboree

audio prolly wasn't any worse than caroussel of progress heh.

Visited them both 2 weeks ago, CBJ's audio was definitely much worse than CoP. CoP sounded good actually, very clear, and all the background noises worked. CBJ otoh, was almost inaudible. Some songs were alright (just alright), but some were downright terrible. It didn't seem scratchy or muffled, but as if the volume was turned way down. Audience members would clap or stomp their feet, and it completely drowned out the soundtrack. On the wall, Buff sounded alright, but Melvin sounded like he was whispering.

[wem1985]

Re: Sad state of Country Bear Jamboree

It is in a sad state along with the Haunted Mansion.
I can't believe Disney is TO CHEAP to fix it/rehab both of those classic attractions.

[Monkey joe]

Re: Sad state of Country Bear Jamboree

Magic Kingdom is get more vistors than Disneyland, and if Disney closed an attraction. It would upset the customers. Disney doesn't want to risk losing the paying crowd to fixing stuff.

[Disney Wrassler]

Re: Sad state of Country Bear Jamboree

To me, it seems like Disney World has no managers. Are those seats vacated or something? Because I am sure that people in top management can't be blind to the fact that many attractions seem to be malfunctioning.

(Sarcasim off) :lol: Is it really too hard for them to just fix these problems?

[Disney Wrassler]

Re: Sad state of Country Bear Jamboree

Magic Kingdom is get more vistors than Disneyland, and if Disney closed an attraction. It would upset the customers. Disney doesn't want to risk losing the paying crowd to fixing stuff.

True. But that does not give them good reason to allow rides to fall into the state some of them are in at WDW. They should do a heavy refurb like what Disneyland did, on their beat up attractions. Then, when those attractions are fixed, they should keep them working properly with daily inspections. That would definatly help WDW keep their rides up and running properly more often.

But eventually they will have to close many of the major rides that are in disrepair for refurbs regardless.

[TP2000]

Re: Sad state of Country Bear Jamboree

Try going to the Country Bear Jamboree in Tokyo Disneyland. I was AMAZED at how fluid and beautifully maintained the Bears were in Tokyo! Of course, everything was sparkling and beautiful in Tokyo. But when we went into old, unglamorous attractions like Country Bear Jamboree or Mickey Mouse Revue and saw everything working like it was 1972 and the show had just opened, our jaws literally dropped open through the whole show.

Seeing how great these same attractions are maintained and kept up in Tokyo really proves that the attractions in Walt Disney World are simply poorly maintained and neglected. If Tokyo can keep a 35 year old show like Mickey Mouse Revue looking brand new, then there is no excuse for the sorry state of the attractions at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom.

It's just cheap budget cuts and poor management, plain and simple, that is behind the sorry state of too many attractions at Walt Disney World. They should be ashamed of themselves.

[MickeyMania]

Re: Sad state of Country Bear Jamboree

WDW is limping out of the busy summer season. Any park would have attractions in bad shape right now.

The time to complain about it will be in a few months if nothing is done about it. With refurb time right around the corner, there's no excuse.