Country Bear Jamboree

Ten things to learn about the Country Bear Jamboree

The Country Bear Jamboree is an attraction at the Magic Kingdom in the Walt Disney World Resort.

The attraction is a stage show with audio-animatronic figures. Most of the characters are bears who perform Country music. Characters rise up to the stage on platforms, descend from the ceiling, and appear from behind curtains. The audience includes audio-animatronic animal heads mounted on the walls who interact with characters on stage.

The attraction was removed from Disneyland park on September 9, 2001. It had shown for approximately 10,781 days during its run at Disneyland.

On April 11, 2003, a new attraction called, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh opened.

Ten Things you may not know about the Country Bear Jamboree

• Originally debut in Disney World in 1971, then to Disneyland in 1972.
• Buff the Buffalo in the Country Bear Jamboree was voiced by Thurl Ravenscroft. (Who also voiced the Tiki Room, Pirates of the Caribbean among other popular rides)
• You can still see Melvin, Buff, and Max - the Animal Heads in Disneyland. They are in the "Honey Heaven" room, but you have to turn around to see them. (They aren't the first thing you see as it's is in Disney World.)
• On the sign near the entrance the Grizzly Hall it says the hall was established in 1898. There isn't any real clue of the significance of the date. Dick Hummer was born on January 2, 1898, he was an animator of the Golden Age of Animation.
• There are 20 audio-animatronic bears singing in the act. (Most show up in the grand finale.)
• Walt Disney personally helped developed The Country Bear Jamboree attraction - and it was the last attraction that he worked on. (Walt Disney loved Animatronics)
• This is the third longest running stage show:
  • Carousel of Progress - Started on July 2, 1967
  • Enchanted Tiki Room - Started on June 23, 1963 (Closed from 1999 to March 2005)
  • Country Bear Jamboree - Started on October 1, 1971
• The show is approximately 12 minutes long.
• According to iTunes, the most popular downloaded song in the show is the Red River Valley. (Which is also played at the Big Thunder Mountain ride.)
• In 2002, Disney release "The Country Bears" which featured members of the "Five Bear Rug" family; Ted, Fred Bedderhead, and Tennessee O'Neil and Zeb Zoober. The movie did really bad at the box office as it only grossed $16,988,996. The estimated original budget was $35,000,000.




Hidden Mickey's

On the wooden walkway near the Country Bear Jamboree there are 3 barrels (one large/two small) in a wheelbarrow stacked in the Hidden Mickey fashion.

Many of the spotlights shine Mickey heads before opening up into full circular spotlights.

Above the center of the stage, there is a Hidden Mickey formed by a flower and some scrollwork. It is just above the picture of Ursus H. Bear. In addition, check out the squirrel. The squirrel's tail splits and the on top of the flower are two little balls.

One of the backdrops that falls down during one of the songs contain a pile of logs on it. The ends of the logs come together in that familiar shape. It is proportional and is visible only during that song.

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Geographic Center of Epcot

When Epcot opened on October 1, 1982, it became the largest park in geographic size. Today that honor goes to Animal Kingdom.

Do you know where the center of the park is? Well the answer may not surprise you:

Center of Epcot

Just in front of the bushes at the Showcase Plaza is the center of the park. Technically it's the single bush at the Showcase Plaza.

Best Meeting Spot

This a great meeting point for groups and families at Epcot! If your splitting up your group, you can make this your meet up spot.

I was very surprised that this is the location. Clearly, this indicates that the Epcot design team has worked hard to keep its original layout.

Liberty Square Riverboat

The Liberty Square Riverboat ride is a boat ride on Tom Sawyer Island. Its a nice quiet ride interrupted by an occasional blowing of the boat horn.

When you do hear the Steamboat horn, the boat is leaving the dock.

Ten Things about the Liberty Square Riverboat ride.

• Ride started for the first time on October 2, 1971 (The day after the park opened.)
• Boat official name is Liberty Belle (appropriately named since it's docks in Liberty Square.)
• The boat can hold 450 people. Now you know how many people on the boat when they say it's full!
• The Liberty Square Riverboat will be closed for refurbishment Jan. 8 - Jun. 28, 2018. (Usually, the ride is closed in January, so to be closed for 6 months means they are doing some major enhancement.)
• The entire ride takes 17 minutes (With additional time waiting for people to board) Usually the attraction isn't open until an hour after the park officially opens and closes an hour before the park opens. Which means that it's not available for Magic Hours.
• If you have family that is exploring Tom Sawyer Island, let them know you're taking the Liberty Square Riverboat. There are great photo opportunities by the island.
• The back upper deck is a great place for taking Haunted Mansion pictures. You'll get close up opportunities as the boat passes by the Mansion on the return trip.
• When you see the Indian Village your have reached the midpoint of the ride.
• For much of the ride, sitting on the left of the boat is the best place to be.
• The narration of the ride is done by Mark Twain.

Disney Family Shirts

Have you ever been to Disney World and see a group of people wearing similar family team shirts? They are a fun way to celebrate a birthday or a cause.

Have you wondered where they get them? There are actually several places online that offer them. This weeks post I'll focus on three of them.

Remember to allow plenty of time to order the shirts, many places will ship 1-2 weeks for custom orders.

Three Sites that Offer Family Shirts

Etsy

There are a lot of sellers on Etsy that offer all sorts of creative designs in various colors. I don't have any favorite vendor, just make sure that you order them well in advance.

You order each shirt color, and size based on the pattern you see. Good thing about this route is many of these places are Disney fanatics and pay attention to the detail.

Go.Custom on Amazon

If your an Amazon fan try Go.Custom. They offer a large selection of common patterns that you'll see in the park. The good thing about Go.Custom is that they accept Amazon Gift Cards.

Logan’s Locker & Layla’s

Logan's Locker & Layla's offer a wide selection of Disney Family shirts.

Description from logantolayla.com website:

2017 Pumpkin Decoration

This weekend we did some pumpkin carving, but instead of doing a typical Disney design we decided to do something different. We decided to put hidden Mickey's on our pumpkin.

Here's some of our past designs:

2017 Change Up

This year we decided to make a bunch of hidden Mickey's on the pumpkin. This was the easiest Disney pumpkin decoration that we have ever done. The only tool need we need was a drill with different drill bits.

How We did it

We used two drill bits on our Craftman drill:

• Mickey head was a 3/8 bit
• Ears were the 21/64 bit

We first did all the heads, and then we switched bits and did the ears.

After we put about 20 ears on the pumpkin, we went back and took an even smaller bit and drilled random holes on the pumpkin.

Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground

Several Disney shows have been featuring the Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. My daughter asked me to write about this popular resort area.

Description from Disney's Website

Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground first opened on November 19, 1971 (18 days after the Magic Kingdom opened.)

Six things that I learned about the Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground

• You can get to the Magic Kingdom by Bus or Ferry. The fastest way to the Magic Kingdom is via Ferry. The ferry leaves the dock every 12 minutes. Starting about 45 minutes before the park opens. The Fastest way to the other parks would be the bus.
• Your not really roughing it in the cabins. There are lots of amenities; TV, kitchen, hairdryer, Iron and iron board, and more...
• The Meadow and Settlement Trading Posts store at Fort Wilderness offer unique souvenirs that are not found anywhere else in Walt Disney World. Rare plush, branded outdoor items and furnishings, and old-school artifacts are the specialties here.
• Horseback riding at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground is available for any Disney guest. Must be 9 years old. Cost $42. Guest get to enjoy the tame horses on a gentle trail. It's a great way to go horseback riding if you have never done it before. Reservations are highly recommended and can be made up to 30 days in advance.
• Every night there is a sing-a-long around the campfire. Any resort guest can join in - something fun to do on an off day. Enjoy marshmallows with Chip and Dale. Make sure to bring Gluten Free graham crackers for those with allergies!
• Every morning a family is selected to participate in the flag-raising ceremony. You do have to stay at the lodge to be eligible. (Seriously why would you wake up early just to participate in a flag-raising ceremony at a different resort?) When checking in at the Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, ask how to be involved in the ceremony.

Crystal Arts

Each Disney World trip usually results in getting something special at the Crystal Arts shop. It's the place to go to get something special to remember our trip.

From Disney's Website:

Crystal Arts

The Crystal Arts store is located on Main Street USA in Disney World and in Disneyland. The store features lots of figurines and collectible items - including some that are made right in the store hot oven. There are some high price items, but there are many small items - quite simply they have just about anything to fit anyone's budget.

You can always ask one of the cast members about a gift that will your price range.

Sure we could just purchase a T-shirt or mug at the Emporium Store, but it doesn't have the same appeal as getting something nice at the Crystal Arts.

Fun Facts about Crystal Arts

• Crystal Arts was previously at the seating area of Main Street Bakery. It was moved to the former Market House location. The new location is bigger.
• On the sign it says it's established in 1875
• The Town of Orlando was established in 1875. (I couldn't find anything else that would be significant for Disney in 1875.)
• The Arribas Brother's have a their own website. You can read their story how their shop started in Disneyland and now have a store in all Disney theme parks.
• You can join the Arribas Brother's Collector's Club for $19.50 which entitles you to save 10% on merchandise that you purchase in their store. You'll also be part of Greenback savings network where you'll save money on other stores.
• Walk around the store and you'll see an area where someone does glass blowing or engraving. Also, note the porcelain giftware in the ally window. (Usually, find some very well done displays.)
• Items purchased at Crystal Arts can be picked up at the exit, or at your hotel room or even better shipped to your home. We always have selected the home option because we don't want to have to worry about packing it for the trip home. You pay a bit more for the ship-to-home, but it's well worth it.

Magical Extras at Crystal Arts

If you purchase your vacation package through Walt Disney Travel Company, you also get this benefit:

Receive 10% off purchases at the Crystal Arts by Arribas Brothers stores at Disney Springs(R) Marketplace, Magic Kingdom(R) Park and Epcot(R). Exclusions apply. Not applicable to shipping charges. Some other restrictions apply. Discount may not be combined with any other offer.

Mouseaholic Shopping Services

If your a Disney fan you know all the good stuff are available in the parks before they are available on the Disney Store. This is particularly true for attraction specific merchandise.

Case in Point: The Momento Mori has a lot more Haunted Mansion merchandise that Disney.com.

Wouldn't it be great to have a personal assistant to get you something that's available in the park? There is... Mouseaholic Shopping Services

Here's a description from their Facebook page:

New Starbucks Disney Mug

Recently we saw Disney selling a Starbucks mug with a new Disney Design. We were pretty excited about it, and were disappointed that it was only available in the park:

We liked the new design and didn't want to wait until our next Disney trip to get one.

We reached out to Mouseaholic Shopping Services and they were able to secure a mug for us. The price was very reasonable - your not paying an arm and a leg like you would when you deal with some eBay sellers. Note: The mug is very hard to find, but Mouseaholic Shopping Services was able to find us a mug.

We highly recommend Mouseaholic Shopping Services, be sure to checkout disneyjunkie75 Instragram site. There's a lot of amazing Disney Photos.

Haunted Mansion Piano

At the Haunted Mansion waiting line is a piano. Most people when they walk by just hit the keys to hear the music.

Recently I thought - wouldn't it be cool if you played the famous Haunted Mansion organ music?

Nothing happens when you play the right tune. But what if one day that did happen?

Haunted Mansion Song

The official song of the Haunted Mansion is Grim Grim Ghost. However, most people will probably recognize the organ music. You hear this as you walk in the Haunted Mansion and as you're waiting for your doom buggy.

Here are the first ten notes to the organ music, by Anna Maliszewski:

If your, not a piano player, then here's a cheat sheet guide for you:

Playing the Tune...

It's actually pretty easy to remember just the basic notes:

B,D,F

B,D,F

D,F,G

D,F,G

{Repeat}

Perfect Practice Prevents Poor Performance

Practice a few times on a regular piano. When you get in line at the Haunted Mansion, you'll impress those around you.

Favorite Things...

Many years ago I found a list of “My Favorite Things at Walt Disney World.” written by a diehard Disney fan.

Here’s my ten things that I look forward to at every trip at the Magic Kingdom:

1. Walking down Main Street USA, making the turn by the Emporium and looking down Main Street.
2. Walking through the doors at the Haunted Mansion. Feeling the cold air and that distinct Haunted Mansion smell
3. The smell of popcorn on Main Street USA
4. Feeling the mist in the Pirated of the Caribbean ride
5. The smell of gasoline at Tomorrowland Speedway
6. Seeing the park transform at night.
7. Playing a game of chess with my daughter at Tom Sawyer Island
8. Enjoying a Dole Whip while watching people ride the Magic Carpets of Aladdin.
9. Watching the Carousel of Progress show - always see something new.
10. Enjoying breakfast at the Crystal Palace as the first big meal of the Disney Vacation.

The orginal list:

What About Your List?

What's on your bucket list? What are your favorite things that you look forward to each Disney World trip?