Disney Dish: Country Bear Jamboree Christmas Special History & E.T. Disney's Near Miss

Disney Parks News and Updates

• ⚡ The Electrical Water Pageant has returned to service at Walt Disney World.
• 🏨 Coronado Springs Resort's Pepper Market food court has been rebranded as Elmerado de Coronado.
• 🗓️ Reopening dates for several Walt Disney World resorts have been announced: All-Star Movies (March 22, 2021), Beach Club (May 30, 2021), and Wilderness Lodge (June 6, 2021).
• 💡 A new Disney patent describes an "interactive toy" designed to interact with attractions, potentially for a Disneyland ride.

The History of Country Bear Jamboree

• 🐻 Disneyland's "Bear Country" struggled with low attendance due to its remote location and limited attractions.
• 🗺️ In 1982, a master plan considered rebranding Bear Country to celebrate the Deep South, aligning it with New Orleans Square and the Haunted Mansion.
• 🎭 This concept was similar to the current plan to retheme Splash Mountain into a Princess Tiana ride.
• 💡 To boost attendance, Imagineers Dave Figh and Michael Sprout developed a new show, the "Country Bear Christmas Special," which opened in 1984.
• 🌟 The Christmas show was a hit, leading to the creation of "Country Bear Vacation Hoedown" in 1986 and concepts for Halloween and Valentine's Day shows.
• 📉 However, enthusiasm for the seasonal shows waned at Disneyland, leading to efforts to keep attendance up, including making Bear Country the only place to see Santa.
• 🇯🇵 The Country Bear Christmas Special, known as "Jingle Bell Jamberee," continues to be presented seasonally at Tokyo Disneyland.

Disney's Near Misses and Decisions

• 🎬 The film "A Christmas Story" was a favorite of Ron Miller, Walt Disney's son-in-law and then-CEO, who reportedly regretted Disney didn't make it.
• 🚀 This sentiment contributed to the launch of Disney's Touchstone Pictures division in 1984, aiming to produce films with more adult themes.
• 👽 Steven Spielberg initially pitched "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" to Disney after Columbia Pictures passed, but Disney declined due to concerns over the film's budget and production issues, particularly stemming from Spielberg's previous film "1941."
• 🌟 "E.T." was eventually made by Universal Pictures, while Disney's Touchstone Pictures later produced films like "Splash."
• 🎤 Actor Darren McGavin, known for "A Christmas Story" and "The Night Stalker," narrated Disneyland's candlelight procession in 1983, a decision influenced by Ron Miller's appreciation for his work in "A Christmas Story."
• 🧸 In the 1940s scene of Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress, an official Red Ryder carbine action 200-shot range model air rifle is present on Jimmy's bed, a nod to "A Christmas Story."