Country Bear Christmas

Post by **js3901** » Nov Thu 27, 2008 9:14 pm

not quite sure if this is correct, but it seems totally plausible. according to the Wikipedia:

During the holiday season, the bears still performed their Christmas Show in Florida through 2005. It hasn't returned since then, due to copyright issues with some of the songs used in that show, particularly Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

if it IS a copyright issue that closed the show, it's likely that it;ll be closed for quite a long time. the only way it would be reopened is if they rewrote the entire show/script to exclude those songs with copyright issues.

Mr.ToadWildRider · Post by **Mr.ToadWildRider** » Nov Fri 28, 2008 9:16 am

spaulo wrote:The funny thing for me is, with the Country Bears out of Disneyland, and the fact that I haven't ever been to WDW except in the summer or at Christmastime, I haven't seen the original CBJ show in nearly a decade. I'm STOKED to hear that they'll be skipping the Christmas overlay!

I agree with sentiments like this. I love HM and Christmas, but I am not a fan of Nightmare before Christmas, and I think that if I were to go to WDW (I know it's only in DL I'm just giving an example) to have one of my fave originals transformed into some kind of seasonal experience I'd be very upset. I know the holiday overlay is loved by a lot but when I was down there last week I was already getting somewhat tired of the Christmas stuff. It wasn't even Thanksgiving yet, c'mon. I think seasonal overlays are really unfair to the casual traveller. They may be fun to people who are passholders or other frequent guests but to the more infrequent of visitors they get denied access to some great attractions as they appear the majority of the time. Maybe it's not so bad w/ CBJ (although I love CBJ and don't notice a speaker problem) but with an attraction like HM that every guest should see in it's true form imo it just seems unsettling. And what about the people who don't celebrate Christmas? I think if I were Jewish or Muslim or any other non-Christian religion then the decorations may be tolerable but to have it on the attractions too seems like overkill.

agingerbugg · Post by **agingerbugg** » Nov Fri 28, 2008 10:01 am

Mr.ToadWildRider wrote: I agree with sentiments like this. I love HM and Christmas, but I am not a fan of Nightmare before Christmas, and I think that if I were to go to WDW (I know it's only in DL I'm just giving an example) to have one of my fave originals transformed into some kind of seasonal experience I'd be very upset.

I agree about the Nightmare before Christmas overlay. Although, I love the movie and the Haunted Mansion, I don't necessarily love them together. I recently purchased the Nightmare before Christmas DVD and included as an extra is a ride-through of the Haunted Mansion Holiday. I was not impressed, granted I have only experienced through the DVD ride-through.

As for CBJ Christmas Special, it is a really good show, just as entertaining as the original. I don't mind that overlay, because it fits. The Haunted Mansion Holiday, doesn't fit, it is the equivalent to throwing Nemo in the Living Seas; a cute idea, but tragic in execution.

Post by **js3901** » Nov Fri 28, 2008 5:10 pm

Mr.ToadWildRider wrote:
spaulo wrote:The funny thing for me is, with the Country Bears out of Disneyland, and the fact that I haven't ever been to WDW except in the summer or at Christmastime, I haven't seen the original CBJ show in nearly a decade. I'm STOKED to hear that they'll be skipping the Christmas overlay!
I agree with sentiments like this. I love HM and Christmas, but I am not a fan of Nightmare before Christmas, and I think that if I were to go to WDW (I know it's only in DL I'm just giving an example) to have one of my fave originals transformed into some kind of seasonal experience I'd be very upset. I know the holiday overlay is loved by a lot but when I was down there last week I was already getting somewhat tired of the Christmas stuff. It wasn't even Thanksgiving yet, c'mon. I think seasonal overlays are really unfair to the casual traveller. They may be fun to people who are passholders or other frequent guests but to the more infrequent of visitors they get denied access to some great attractions as they appear the majority of the time. Maybe it's not so bad w/ CBJ (although I love CBJ and don't notice a speaker problem) but with an attraction like HM that every guest should see in it's true form imo it just seems unsettling. And what about the people who don't celebrate Christmas? I think if I were Jewish or Muslim or any other non-Christian religion then the decorations may be tolerable but to have it on the attractions too seems like overkill.

well, you don't have to worry about the overlays at WDW for a while. They do not do the HMH, and as I posted before, the CBJ is down due to copyright issues (presumably), so it's not around.

this is kinda going off-topic, but I feel a need to respond...

I do have to disagree with some of your stances regarding seasonal overlays or "redecorating" around the Holidays. Though I frequent (and help to run) a Disney-based forum/website, I am an infrequent traveller myself. I've never been a passholder, and probably won't be as the longest I've ever been down there is 1 week once. every time I've gone was in the summer, so going to WDW during the holiday season appealed to me. I would've LOVED to have seen at least 1 seasonal overlay. coincidentally, the visit when I stayed for a week was in December 2006. So, I did see the decorations all over the place. however, the only "overlay" I saw was the Osbourne Lights on the Streets of America over at MGM (yes, it was MGM at the time) which I enjoyed, but did not "complete" my trip.

I think that if someone went during a time of an overlay, and theywanted to see the "real" thing, it would motivate them to schedule another trip during another time in the year. Much like visiting during the Food and Wine festival or the Flower and Garden Fest.

Plus, in this day-in-age, there are SO many resources for travellers, including first-time visitors, so they know what to expect when they visit at various times of the year. so even people who are going on a once-in-a-lifetime trip can anticipate what they can and cannot do or will/will not see. so, there's nothing "unfair" about it.

as for the religion aspect, that I can see your point. But, something like 90% of the world's population is Christian-based and celebrate Christmas (not sure of the exact perventage, but it's close to 90%). with figures like that, it's no wonder that all the overlays are Christmas based and not Chanukah or any of the Islamic holidays.

and, once again I have to say, there is a multitude of resources for people to use so they can avoid things they don't want to see...

Captain Schnemo · Post by **Captain Schnemo** » Nov Fri 28, 2008 6:24 pm

js3901 wrote:But, something like 90% of the world's population is Christian-based and celebrate Christmas (not sure of the exact perventage, but it's close to 90%).

Umm...not even close...

Even if you count Muslims as "Christian-based" (which is probably a good way to start a fight), you're still only talking about roughly half the world's population.

Anyway, taking the long-term view of things, I like the overlays. It gives them something special to advertise, which the marketeers demand, but at the same time does no permanent damage.

I agree that it does suck for the infrequent guests, but it's nice way to keep the parks from stagnating without rolling in the bulldozers. I also like the idea of "plussing" attractions, and keeping Imagineers trained to think about maintenance and adding cool effects from time to time.

Hell, I might not even mind a seasonal Nemo overlay to the Living Seas and such, as long as the understanding was that it was temporary. Instead of being cause for despair for the death of intelligent entertainment, it could be sort of a festive thing.

Mr.ToadWildRider · Post by **Mr.ToadWildRider** » Dec Mon 01, 2008 11:20 am

Well I'd probably agree that of the billions of non-Christmas celebrating people in the world (1/3 of the world's population lies in India and China alone and they are largely non-Christian) there probably aren't many impoverished Taoists, Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, etc. making the trip to WDW the point is the people who celebrate Christmas are but a small minority in the world's population. I just kind of feel like a place like Disney which is supposed to be celebrating the global community (World Showcase [although of the countries in WS only Morrocco, China, and Japan are probably the only ones where Christmas is not the most celebrated winter holiday], It's a Small World, AK, etc.) that throwing just Christmas out there seems a little narrow minded. You go to AK where the featured cultures are really Asian and African (let's face it Dinoland USA is not a real representation of American culture...or at least I'd hope it's not) but the only holiday decoration/s that I saw was the gigantic Christmas tree at the front gate.

I agree however that people have the liberty to go when they choose to go for the most part, but let's face it, for parents or "magical gatherings" with several branches on the family tree coming together you generally have to stick to periods when there is a) no school and b) some kind of holiday that several of the adults have off and that usually means the Thanksgiving - New Year's Day period, if not the summer. WDW's super-peak is the week between Christmas and New Year's and while that is most certainly in part due to people wanting to be there during the holidays I'm sure there are practical reasons behind many guests' decision to go during that period.

I also agree with Schnemo that it can add to freshness, but I don't think you need Christmas to "plus" an attraction. HM got plussed bigtime and there wasn't a trace of the holiday.

I'm not saying I think the decorations are bad, I think they make sense from both the business side as well as the guest's experience side. What I'm saying is that it seems like overkill when I go BEFORE Thanksgiving and everything has holly and mistletoe hanging from it. It's not just Disney it's just society, I'm tired of Christmas totally absorbing Thanksgiving and borderline Halloween these days. It cheapens it I think. It was special when the Christmas season was pretty much 1 month a year. Now we're brushing it with it being 2.5. I think it detracts from the holiday. Plus, don't get me started on the fact that MK closed 2 hours earlier than EPCOT and DS every night and like 3 hours on Friday/Saturday nights so that I could have the honor of paying for a second ticket to continue enjoying the park which I had already paid my daily fare for (I didn't by the way). When I can't even get into Mainstreet stores without some $45.00 wristband or whatever it cost 2 minutes after park closing that's messed up. Whatever happened to hitting the Emporium on your way out as the park's attractions closed? I can't believe they expect us to pay for the priviledge of BUYING MERCHANDISE. Argh. Sorry

Esmeralda · Post by **Esmeralda** » Dec Mon 01, 2008 4:29 pm

What a shame the Country Bears can't return for the holidays! I can't be too sad though, I'm just thrilled to be going!

As for the overlays, even if they were for a holiday I didn't celebrate I'd be super excited. They're just so fun and I love all sorts of festivities!

Blackie Pueblo · Post by **Blackie Pueblo** » Dec Wed 10, 2008 8:53 am

It's a shame really. I really enjoy the Christmas show. It was always one of those Disney Christmas magic things I always loved doing. At least I have the show on CD and on my iPod!

"I ask of myself, 'live a good Christian life.'"
---Walter Elias Disney

boilerbabe · Post by **boilerbabe** » Dec Wed 10, 2008 12:25 pm

Is the Chrismtas show different from the regular show, or are the bears just dressed up?! I've never had the chance to see the Christmas show.

Post by **js3901** » Dec Wed 10, 2008 1:10 pm

boilerbabe wrote:Is the Chrismtas show different from the regular show, or are the bears just dressed up?! I've never had the chance to see the Christmas show.

it's completely different. same bears, but they're all dressed up in holiday clothes, the busts on the wall are even dressed up, and everyone sings Christmas carols instead of the regular songs.

boilerbabe · Post by **boilerbabe** » Dec Wed 10, 2008 1:47 pm

Awwwww! I would love to see that! Did Disney cut this out this year? I know this attraction was close when we were last. Don't really have a desire to see the original show again, but the Christmas one sounds like fun!

Post by **js3901** » Dec Wed 10, 2008 11:46 pm

if you read the Wikipedia article that I posted before, the CBJC has not been done since 2004. presumably, it's closed due to copyright issues with some of the songs.

you can find video of the holiday show online. I think YouTube has several videos...