After more than 40 years singing and stomping in a Western-style hoedown, Walt Disney World’s ® Country Bear Jamboree at Magic Kingdom ® finally got a little face lift and the results have been more than “bearable.”

In an attempt to make the classic Disney ® show more relatable to a younger audience, while still ensuring the devoted fans would keep coming back Country Bear Jamboree, which closed in August, re-opened on October 17th, 5 minutes shorter, without two songs, and new modernized props and outfits.

The redux “was done with a lot of love,” said Bruce E. Vaughn, chief creative executive at Walt Disney Imagineering. “You want to be really sensitive to the original spirit. But tastes also change, and how people consume media changes. We must keep our product relevant.”

Hardcore Country Bear Jamoboree fans will be glad to know “Buford” remains, as do Trixie and Liver Lips McGrowl, who sings “My Woman Ain’t Pretty (But She Don’t Swear None.)” And the Sun Bonnet triplets — Bunny, Bubbles and Beulah — still perform “All the Guys That Turn Me On Turn Me Down.”

The biggest change was the length of the show. The production is now 11 minutes instead of 16 minutes. Disney ® decided to remove the songs “Fractured Folk Song” and “Pretty Little Devilish Mary” as well as some banter from the peanut gallery aka mounted animatronic buffalo, moose and deer heads. Guests will no longer hear their fat jokes, including this gem: “That’s a mighty big song, Trixie!” Response: “That sure ain’t all that’s big.”)

“The faster pace reflects the speedier way that people speak today and the rise of interactive media. Vaughn said. “It’s not necessarily that attention spans are shorter; it’s that kids raised on video games are not as accustomed to more passive entertainment experiences.”

In addition to the cut of songs and banter, new costumes, props, lighting, stage curtains and sound systems were also added. “Modernized backstage controls give Disney the ability to add seasonal changes easily. Fresh animatronics give the bears “an increased sense of aliveness,” Mr. Vaughn said.

Country Bear Jamboree was one of the last attractions worked on by Walt Disney and was intended to entertain audiences at Mineral King Ski Resort. When he died in 1966, the jamboree instead joined Walt Disney World’s ® lineup where it’s been ever since.

To see the new and improved Country Bear Jamboree, minus a few songs and jokes look for discounted Walt Disney World ® tickets right here on Best of Orlando.

Orlando, FL – 11/12/12