Today, Disneyland looks like Epcot did only a few months ago. There are construction walls as far as the eye can see in some places and even more is set to be closed at Disneyland over the coming weeks. The good news is that when the walls come down, the park will look better than ever and, this morning, it was revealed that one location is making a change that's sure to attract guests' taste buds. The Hungry Bear Restaurant in Critter Country is set to get a menu, and musical, overhaul inspired by the land’s former tenants, the Country Bear Jamboree.
When the Hungry Bear restaurant reopens, it will do so as the Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree. The original restaurant took its name from the Country Bear Jambroee that used to be located next door. While that attraction (which just got a major update at Magic Kingdom by dropping a longtime character) has been closed at Disneyland for over 20 years, the new version of the quick-serve dining location is embracing the Bears even more. And that's just one of the reasons why this is great news for old school Disneyland fans.
Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree Brings The Country Bears' Music Back To Disneyland
The Country Bear Jamboree has been closed for two decades at California-based park, and it’s one of those defunct Disneyland attractions that many fans wish could return. I previously advocated turning Hungry Bear into Tiana’s Palace, given the change to Splash Mountain but, if that’s not going to happen, I love that the new location will harken back to Disneyland’s past.
The Bears won’t be at the new restaurant, at least not physically, as this latest announcement specifically states this will not be a character dining location. However, they will be heard. The new restaurant will allow guests to enjoy the food “alongside a soundtrack of their greatest hits.”
This could mean that not only will Disneyland become the only U.S. Disney park where guests will be able to hear the original Country Bear Jamboree music, but it might also include the music that is part of the new Country Bear Musical Jamboree at Disney World, where the bears play popular Disney songs with a country twist. The music alone becomes a reason to visit, but the food is not to be overlooked.
Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree Brings Barbecue Back To Disneyland
The Country Bears themselves aren’t the only piece of Disneyland history that’s being brought back to the park with the new restaurant. The Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree brings back a style of food that hasn’t been available inside the park since construction began on Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
Most of the land that was used to build Disneyland’s Star Wars land was “backstage” area that guests never saw, but there was one part of the park that had to be demolished to build the planet of Batuu. Big Thunder Ranch was a western-themed area that over three decades included a petting zoo, live shows, and the Big Thunder Barbecue, which many Disneyland fans would argue was some of the best food in the park at the time.
While the menu for Hungry Bear Barbecue has not been released, the new restaurant will, at the very least, bring the style of food back for fans of barbecue chicken and ribs. And it wouldn’t be surprising at all if the new location reused recipes from the old location. Disneyland already knows people liked that list of offerings, so why reinvent the wheel?
I’ll be honest, I rarely stopped by the old Hungry Bear Restaurant, because it rarely had anything I wanted to eat. While it might occasionally have a unique beverage that tasted good on a hot day, the standard food menu was basic hamburgers and chicken strips. While many people go to theme parks specifically for those kinds of vittles, I’m always looking for stuff more unique, and it was hardly the best food at Disneyland.
I am now much more likely to grab a meal in Critter Country, as the Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree is much more my style. It has a menu I won't be able to find anywhere else at Disneyland and, of course, it'll pack some serious nostalgia for a classic attraction. An opening date for the location has not been announced, but I’ll certainly be there at my first opportunity.
