Tokyo Disney Resort Removes All References to Country Bear Seasonal Shows, Fans Question Future of Attraction Worldwide

Reference to the seasonal variations of Country Bear Theater shows has been removed from the Tokyo Disney Resort website, leading to rumors that the attraction will close.

Country Bear Theater Seasonal Shows

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The Country Bear Theater is Tokyo Disneyland’s version of the Country Bear Jamboree and was an opening day attraction for the park on April 15, 1983. It was nearly identical to the original Walt Disney World show (except for it being performed mostly in Japanese). Over the years, as Walt Disney World shortened and modified the offering, Tokyo not only maintained the original version but continued to offer the seasonal version that had long since been budget cut from Florida.

From 1994 to 2019, the show performed these seasonal versions of the Jamboree based on overlays that were first introduced at Walt Disney World and Disneyland. The Country Bear Vacation Jamboree was performed in the summer, while the Jingle Bell Jamboree version was performed in the winter.

We already reported that the Vacation Jamboree wasn’t returning this summer, and the status of Jingle Bell Jamboree was up in the air. Although the seasonal shows have been suspended, the Tokyo Disney Resort website still stated the show varied from 15 to 17 minutes depending on which version of the show was being performed. It now says the show is about 15 minutes — the length of the standard non-seasonal show.

The change was first spotted by Twitter user @TDR_415. The change has led some to speculate that the attraction will close, but there is no real evidence other than the seasonal shows not being planned at the moment.

Whether this website change indicates something bigger has yet to be confirmed. It’s possible Tokyo Disney Resort is just officially ending the seasonal shows or that they will be updated for a future return.

At this time, there’s no proof that the Country Bear Theater in Tokyo is going anywhere, however, it should be noted that an update of the show that would feature Disney movie music was pitched several years ago and came very close to fruition. In fact, this show was then hastily planned for Walt Disney World after management canceled a “Woody’s Roundup” audio-animatronics marionette show in 2019. The project did not come to pass due to the closure of the parks in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it could be resurrected at any time.

Watch our full tribute to the Country Bear Jamboree at Tokyo Disneyland below.

Country Bear Theater at Tokyo Disneyland

Tokyo Disneyland’s Country Bear Theater has traditionally run not just one but three shows throughout the year! The standard Country Bear Jamboree has run since opening day in 1983 at the park, complete with the songs cut from Walt Disney World in 2012, like “Fractured Folk Song” and “Pretty Little Devilish Mary.”

Starting in 1991, Tokyo Disneyland began presenting the Country Bear Jingle Bell Jamboree, based on the Country Bear Christmas Special from the US parks — with a few changes. Henry sings “Jingle Bells” at the opening of the show instead of “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas,” Trixie sings that song instead later in place of “The Hibernating Blues,” Big Al sings a modified version of “Auld Lang Syne” instead of “Another New Year,” and “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” is the first song in the finale instead of “Let It Snow.” This version originally ran from 1984 to 2000 at Disneyland and until 2005 at Walt Disney World.

Following that, the Country Bear Vacation Jamboree debuted in 1994 as the most different compared to the original US versions. The song order is shifted around quite a bit, with Trixie singing “Achy Breaky Heart” instead of “Life’s No Picnic Without You,” Shaker and Dolores singing “Over My Head Over You” instead of “Two Different Worlds,” Ernest and the Five Bear Rugs singing “Mountain Music” instead of “Rocky Top,” “Nature,” and “Ghost Riders in the Sky,” Big Al singing “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad,” and the finale of “Thank God I’m a Country Bear” replaced with “V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N” and an original song to the tune of “Camptown Racers.”

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