Walt Disney World is relaunching a beloved attraction with significant updates, including renaming one of its most popular characters. The Country Bear Jamboree, a Magic Kingdom staple since 1971, shut down in January for a major revamp and is set to return on Wednesday as the “Country Bear Musical Jamboree.” However, the show will be missing one familiar face. Liver Lips McGrowl, a chubby brown bear with pouty lips, has been removed from the lineup due to concerns that his name may offend alcoholics. According to Inside The Magic, the term ‘liver lips’ has connotations related to excessive alcohol consumption, and heaven forbid there’s actual comedy.
The newly renamed character, now known as Romeo McGrowl, still retains much of his original appearance but now sports a head of blonde hair and a purple necktie. This update aims to modernize the character while addressing past sensitivities.
The revamped show will feature a new script and a fresh score composed of Disney songs performed by notable musicians, including Mac McAnally, Allison Russell, Chris Thile, and Emily Ann Roberts. According to Variety, the new setlist includes a mix of songs from contemporary Disney films such as Zootopia and Coco, as well as classics from The Little Mermaid, Mary Poppins, and The Jungle Book. The only song retained from the original show is the closing number, “Come Again.”
This update is part of a broader trend at Disney to replace certain elements of its theme park attractions that are deemed outdated or offensive. The whole point of the jamboree was for it to be a frontier-style sing-along featuring songs from that era.
Disney has also altered Splash Mountain, which is now Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, inspired by the 2009 animated film The Princess and the Frog. Set in 1920s New Orleans, the new ride will maintain the log-flume structure of Splash Mountain but will feature new music, scenery, and animatronic characters reflecting the vibrant world of Princess Tiana.
We also previously reported that Disney also scratched meet and greets for their foundational character Tinker Bell after a team flagged her as “potentially problematic.” Their concerns were about her being portrayed as “body conscious” and “jealous of Peter Pan’s attention,” as per a 2022 report from The New York Times.
