A country bear will be given an entirely new moniker as the attraction is reimagined. Though the announcement of the name change was not made explicitly, the image of the attraction poster includes the character with a new hairdo and a new name, and does not include the classic character’s likeness.
Country Bear Name Change
The Country Bears, a classic Disney attraction at several parks worldwide, but Disney Parks announced at Destination D23 this morning that the attraction will be reimagined. As part of the announcement, D23 shared the attraction poster with guests that potentially has a name change for one of the original bears.
In the image, all of the country bears are present from the attraction’s current iteration, with the exception of Liver Lips.
The bear is featured in the current attraction, but is not present on the poster. Instead, a new bear (or, perhaps, the same bear with a name change and a new hairdo) croons sweet music with his ursine companions.
With the exception of the name change and a full head of blonde hair, Romeo bears a striking resemblance to the bear not included in the poster’s art.
Are you excited to meet Romeo McGrowl, or are you disappointed in the name change? Let us know in the comments.
Diversity Efforts and Updates to Disney Parks Attractions
Besides the name change, a new musical tale was announced for the Country Bears at Destination D23 today. The Country Bears attraction has long-since been the subject of speculation and rumors for a reimagining as Disney continues to update attractions to meet a modern expectation of cultural celebration and to remove racially- and culturally-insensitive elements from attractions built more than 50 years ago.
The updates include a reimagining of Splash Mountain at Disneyland Park in California and Magic Kingdom in Florida, which is based on the film “Song of the South,” featuring a romanticized depiction of slavery. Indeed, Disney has not re-released the film associated with the ride in many decades, and it is not on Disney Plus (not even with a disclaimer about cultural insensitivity that has been added to other films on the streaming service). The classic attraction is currently being reimagined as Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, and Imagineers are working closely with culturally diverse teams to create the art, music, and story for this new attraction.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
Disney Parks announced intentions to retheme Splash Mountain at both Disneyland and Magic Kingdom with a “Princess and the Frog”-inspired overhaul in 2020. The new attraction’s name was revealed as Tiana’s Bayou Adventure in mid-2022, and additional concept art and ride details were unveiled later that year.
On Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, guests will join Tiana, Naveen, Louis the music-loving alligator, and other characters both familiar and brand new as they embark on an adventure to prepare for a Mardi Gras party. “Dozens” of audio-animatronics will be constructed for the attraction, with ride and queue music set to be composed by award-winning artists PJ Morton and Terence Blanchard. Complementing the New Orleans jazz-inspired soundtrack will be the sweet and appetizing aroma of beignets, which Disney previously announced would be pumped into the queue.
Guests will hear a few familiar voices on the ride, as a number of voice actors, including Anika Noni Rose (Tiana), Bruno Campos (Naveen), and Michael Leon Wooley (Louis), will reprise their roles from the 2009 animated feature. The film was nominated for two Academy Awards (Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song) and remains Disney’s most recent foray into theatrically-released traditional animation.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is currently scheduled to open at both Disneyland and Magic Kingdom in late 2024. Tiana already has a footprint in Disneyland, as the Tiana’s Palace quick service restaurant opened in New Orleans Square earlier this week. You can read our review of every item on the menu here.
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