Critter Country

Critter Country

Theme	Land of animals
Disneyland
Coordinates	33°48′44.46″N 117°55′22.03″W
Status	Operating
Opened	March 4, 1972
Tokyo Disneyland
Coordinates	35°37′52.27″N 139°52′56.99″E
Status	Operating
Opened	October 1, 1992

Critter Country is one of the lands at Disneyland Park and Tokyo Disneyland. It originally opened as Bear Country at Disneyland Park in 1972, with the Country Bear Jamboree (1972–2001) as its centerpiece. In 1988 it was renamed Critter Country, and will be renamed Bayou Country in November 2024 to coincide with the opening of Tiana's Bayou Adventure.^[1]

Disneyland

History

Critter Country was originally named Indian Village.^[2][3] From 1956–1971, this section of Frontierland was a showcase of Native American culture, including the arts and architecture of several regions, a multi tribal dance show, and the Indian War Canoes.^[3] The area was rebuilt as Disneyland's seventh themed land, Bear Country, which opened on March 4, 1972.^[4][5] The new four-acre land, which cost $8 million to build, was Disneyland's first major expansion since the 1969 opening of The Haunted Mansion in New Orleans Square.^[5][6] Located in the northwest quadrant of the park, Bear Country was themed to the forests of the Pacific Northwest.^[4][5] Country Bear Jamboree, which opened three weeks later, was the new land's centerpiece attraction.^[5][6]

Bear Country was also home to the Golden Bear Lodge restaurant, which was renamed Hungry Bear Restaurant in 1977,^[3] (and renamed in 2024 to Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree),^[7][8] the Mile Long Bar refreshment center, Teddi Barra's Swingin' Arcade, and Davy Crockett's Explorer Canoes.^[5][6]

Bear Country was renamed Critter Country in 1988 in anticipation of Splash Mountain's opening in 1989.^[9][10] Critter Country was inspired by a quote from Disney's 1946 film Song of the South, which Splash Mountain was based on: "Where the folks are closer to the critters and the critters are closer to the folks."^[9] The land maintained some of its bear themes while incorporating other critters with their huts, nests, and burrows scattered throughout.^[9] Some of the land's shops were renamed; for example, Ursus H. Bear's Wilderness Outpost became Crocodile Mercantile (which itself became Pooh Corner in 1996).^[3] Country Bear Jamboree closed in 2001 and was replaced two years later by The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.

Various types of trees have been planted to create a forestry atmosphere. Critter Country is small in comparison to Disneyland's other lands. The area features a pathway that wraps around the footprint of the upcoming Tiana's Bayou Adventure, starting near The Haunted Mansion and terminating in a series of shops nestled against the Tiana's Bayou Adventure structure. In addition, there is another pathway alongside Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree that leads to Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge.

In June 2020, Disney announced that they would be reworking Splash Mountain to a new ride based on Disney's 2009 animated film The Princess and the Frog, which was later revealed to be titled Tiana's Bayou Adventure. Disney stated that the project had been in development since 2019 and is being overseen by Walt Disney Imagineer Senior Creative Producer Charita Carter while Splash Mountain's original creator Tony Baxter returned as a creative adviser.^[11][12] Splash Mountain closed on May 31, 2023.^[13]

In August 2024, it was announced that the land will be renamed Bayou Country to coincide with the opening of Tiana's Bayou Adventure in November 2024.^[1]

Attractions and entertainment

• Rivers of America
  • Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes (1956–present)^[14]
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (2003–present)^[15]

Upcoming attractions and entertainment

• Tiana's Bayou Adventure (Opening on November 15, 2024)^[1]

Former attractions and entertainment

• Country Bear Jamboree (1972–2001)
• Teddi Barra's Swingin' Arcade (1972–2003)
• Splash Mountain (1989–2023)

Restaurants and refreshments

• Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree
• Critter Country Fruit Cart

Former restaurants

• Golden Bear Lodge (1972–1977)
• Hungry Bear Restaurant (1972–2024)
• Mile Long Bar (1972–1989)
• Brer Bar (1989–2003)

Shops

• Ray's Berets
• Pooh Corner^[15]

Future shops

• Louis' Critter Club^[16]

Tokyo Disneyland

See also: List of Tokyo Disneyland attractions

When Splash Mountain opened at Tokyo Disneyland, Critter Country was specifically created for it. The other attraction in this area is Beaver Brothers Explorer Canoes (formerly Davy Crockett's Explorer Canoes in Westernland). Because of the land's small size and the popularity of Splash Mountain, Critter Country is extremely crowded throughout the day. Characters from backstory material written for the American versions of Splash Mountain to explain how Chickapin Hill came to be flooded are visualized within Tokyo's Critter Country, with the Beaver Brothers having built a dam that was destroyed by an exploding moonshine still owned by saloon owner Rackety Raccoon.

Attractions and entertainment

• Splash Mountain (1992-present)
• Rivers of America
  • Beaver Brothers Explorer Canoes (1983-present)

Restaurants and refreshments

• Grandma Sara's Kitchen
• Rackety's Raccoon Saloon

Shops

• Hoot & Holler Hideout
• Splashdown Photos
• Critter Country Plush

See also

• Disney portal

References

1. Pennacchio, George (August 11, 2024). "D23: Here are all the major Disneyland announcements, including Tiana's Bayou ride opening date and Avengers Campus expansion". ABC30 Fresno. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
2. Disneyland website
3. Strodder, Chris (2012). The Disneyland Encyclopedia (2nd ed.). Santa Monica, CA: Santa Monica Press. pp. 70–2, 119, 193. ISBN 978-1595800688.
4. "Bear Country Coming to Disneyland". Los Angeles Times. October 7, 1971. p. G18. Archived from the original on April 11, 2013.
5. "'Bear Facts' Start to Show at New Disneyland Feature". Lawrence Journal-World. April 12, 1972. p. 4.
6. "Bear Country Opens Soon at Disneyland". Lodi News-Sentinel. March 7, 1972. p. 14.
7. Gailey, Jackie (July 20, 2024). "Disneyland Announces Re-Theme of Hungry Bear Restaurant". wdwinfo.com. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
8. "BREAKING: Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree Opening Date Confirmed - WDW News Today". wdwnt.com. October 15, 2024. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
9. Galante, Mary Ann (July 30, 1988). "Disneyland's Bear Country to Get New Name to Match Its Critters". Los Angeles Times.
10. Walt Disney World website
11. "New Adventures with Princess Tiana Coming to Disneyland Park and Magic Kingdom Park". Disney Parks Blog. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
12. "Disneyland and Disney World to remake Splash Mountain with 'Princess and the Frog' theme". Orange County Register. June 25, 2020. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
13. Chen, Eve (April 12, 2023). "Disneyland's Splash Mountain closing date, new Tiana Bayou's Adventure details announced". usatoday.com. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
14. "Davy Crockett's Explorer Canoes". Disneyland. Retrieved August 25, 2016.
15. MacDonald, Brady (August 29, 2024). "Park previews new Bayou Country before Tiana's Bayou debut". The Orange County Register. p. A3.
16. MacDonald, Brady (September 9, 2024). "Everything you can eat at Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree in Disneyland". The Orange County Register. Retrieved September 15, 2024. Opening dates have not been set for Louis' Critter Club (taking over the half of Pooh Corner closest to the former Splash Mountain log ride) and Ray's Berets (replacing the Briar Patch shop).