In honor of Al “Big Al” Bertino’s birthday today, we thought it would be fun to take a look at an iconic but often overlooked attraction, The Country Bear Jamboree.
The Magic Kingdom show consists of 23 Audio-Animatronics™.
The Magic Kingdom attraction debuted before the Disneyland version, making it the first time that an attraction from both parks originated in Florida.
You can spot claw marks on the floor of Grizzly Hall from excited animal guests waiting to see the show!
Meet the Stars
Henry is the host of the show. He not only acts as MC, but he also plays the guitar and sings. His signature look is his hat, which sometimes has a friend on top named Sammy.
Wendell is a little bear with a massive overbite and teeth too big for his mouth and plays the mandolin. He is quite fashion forward with his bowler hat and bandana.
Liver Lips McGrowl has lips like no other! An Elvis Presley impersonator, Liver Lips has an unkempt appearance and plays guitar.
Ernest plays the fiddle and is sometimes referred to as “The Dude”. He rocks a bowler derby hat and fancies it up with a neck tie.
Gomer is the strong and silent type. Not a singer, he can be found playing his signature piano with a honeycomb on top.
Trixie is my spirit bear. She is in tune with her emotions, throws on a tutu when she wants to feel fancy, and is a lover of wine.
Terrence aka Shaker, one of the tallest bears, sports a hat & farmers tan while strumming the guitar. It is unknow why he is called Shaker, but I can honestly say my curiosity is peaked!
Miss Teddi Barra is the singing beauty who comes down on a swing through the ceiling. She is living her best life as center of attention with her pink parasol & boa.
The Sun Bonnet Trio consists of triplets Bubbles (left), Bunny (center), and Beulah (right). They are adorable in their matching outfits and bonnets.
The Five Bear Rug Band:
Zeke is the proclaimed leader not only for his cool shades or because he can multi-task playing the banjo and dishpan, but for the fact he is the only one who can read sheet music.
Zeb plays the fiddle with a crooked hickory bow…and well, you know the rest. Fun Fact- the small bear cub at the bottom of the stage, is named Little Oscar and is the son of Zeb.
Ted arguably has the easiest job in the band, blowing on a corn jug. He does a great job despite the hat hanging over his eyes.
Fred, one of the largest bears, plays the smallest instrument, a harmonica.
Lil’ Tennessee plays an instrument of his own invention called a “Thang”, it sounds just like a guitar, but its only got one string!! Fun fact- in the Magic Kingdom attraction, his bandana is red while at Disneyland, it is blue.
Big Al the biggest bear of the Jamboree croons away with his guitar and don’t care attitude. Fun Fact- he is a self-portrait of Imagineer Al Bertino, who was instrumental (haha) in the creation of the show.
Melvin the moose, Buff the buffalo, and Max the stag offer some quick jokes before the show starts. By the way, I am 99% sure that Melvin was once a pet of Mickey Mouse. Read about it here!
All in all, the bears sing thirteen songs during their 16 minute show! Hopefully this classic will continue to delight the guests of Magic Kingdom for many more years to come. Do you have a favorite bear? Share in the comment section below!
Oh, you gotta love the Country Bear Jamboree! A classic indeed!