A thematic, musical and menu overhaul coming to the Hungry Bear restaurant in Critter Country will bring back a Country Western bear band missing from Disneyland for two decades and a barbecue feast not available at the Anaheim theme park in nearly a decade.
The Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree will bring back the Country Bears music and theme along with a regional barbecue menu when the Disneyland restaurant returns from an extended refurbishment of Critter Country tied to the debut of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
ALSO SEE: Disneyland unions vote overwhelmingly to authorize strike
The backstory for the refreshed restaurant finds the Country Bears bringing back a menu of barbecue favorites discovered while on tour with a music soundtrack featuring the band’s greatest hits.
It’s been awhile since the Country Bears and Southern barbecue have been part of the mix at Disneyland.
Country Bear Jamboree opened in 1972 as the centerpiece of the new Bear Country themed land at Disneyland. The audio-animatronic musical variety show starring a troupe of foot-stompin’, knee-slappin’ and rip-snortin’ bears closed in 2001 to make room for the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh dark ride in Critter Country.
ALSO SEE: Don’t buy those $900 Oogie Boogie Bash tickets on StubHub — Disneyland is watching
The updated Country Bear Musical Jamboree returned on July 17 at Florida’s Magic Kingdom with a new soundtrack of country-western versions of “A Whole New World” from “Aladdin,” “Kiss the Girl” from “Little Mermaid,” “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” from “Toy Story” and “Try Everything” from “Zootopia.”
The original Disneyland attraction featured a song lineup that included “My Woman Ain’t Pretty, but She Don’t Swear None,” “Mama, Don’t Whup Little Buford,” “Pretty Little Devilish Mary” and “All the Guys That Turn Me On Turn Me Down,” according to Yesterland.
ALSO SEE: Disneyland offers $69 ticket to Anaheim residents in honor of park’s birthday
While the updated restaurant will feature a Country Bears soundtrack, don’t expect to find Big Al, Henry, Trixie or any of the bear band members at Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree.
Disneyland has no plans to feature Audio-Animatronic bear figures at the Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree restaurant, according to Disneyland officials.
ALSO SEE: Will Disneyland add a single rider line to Rise of the Resistance?
Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree won’t offer character dining with meet-and-greet opportunities with the bear band.
Disneylanders have been without a Southern-style barbecue ribs and chicken restaurant for nearly a decade — having to settle for Bengal Barbecue skewers and the occasional burnt ends offerings at River Belle Terrace.
Big Thunder Ranch opened in 1986 with a petting zoo, blacksmith demonstrations and a series of barbecue restaurants with various names. The ranch area closed in 2016 to make way for the debut of Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge in 2019.
ALSO SEE: Disneyland to close 6 attractions during busy summer season
Hungry Bear closed in early July for kitchen refurbishments as part of the larger Critter Country overhaul. Disneyland has not yet released a menu for Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree.
Disneyland has not yet announced opening dates for Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure or Critter Country.
