Critter Country

Critter Country

Entrance to Critter Country at Disneyland
Disneyland
Status Under Refurbishment
Opening date March 4, 1972
Replaced Indian Village from Frontierland
Tokyo Disneyland
Status Operating
Opening date October 1, 1992
General Statistics
Theme Land of bears and other animals

Critter Country is one of the "themed lands" at Disneyland Park and Tokyo Disneyland run by The Walt Disney Company.

Disneyland

History

The area now known as Critter Country was originally named Indian Village.[1][2] From 1956-1971, this section of Frontierland featured Native American shows and attractions, including the Indian War Canoes.[2] The area was rebuilt as Disneyland's seventh themed land, Bear Country, which opened on March 4, 1972 .[3][4] The new four-acre land, Disneyland's first major expansion since the 1969 opening of Haunted Mansion, cost $8 million to build.[4][5] Located in the northwest quadrant of the park, Bear Country was themed to the forests of the Pacific Northwest.[3][4] Country Bear Jamboree, which opened three weeks later, was the new land's centerpiece attraction.[4][5]

Bear Country was also home to the Golden Bear Lodge, an eatery which was renamed Hungry Bear Restaurant in 1977,[2] the Mile Long Bar refreshment center, Teddi Barra's Swingin' Arcade, and Davy Crockett's Explorer Canoes.[4][5]

Bear Country was renamed Critter Country in 1988 in anticipation of Splash Mountain's January 1989 opening.[6][7] Critter Country was inspired by a quote from the 1946 film Song of the South: "Where the folks are closer to the critters and the critters are closer to the folks."[6] The land maintained some of its bear themes while incorporating other critters with their huts, nests and burrows scattered throughout.[6] Some of the land's shops were renamed to de-emphasize the bear presence; for example, Ursus H. Bear's Wilderness Outpost became Crocodile Mercantile (which itself became Pooh Corner in 1996).[2] The Country Bear Jamboree closed in 2001 and was replaced two years later by The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.

On roofs of buildings, such as the Briar Patch Store, there are small-scale critter houses of Winnie the Pooh and Piglet. Various types of trees have been planted to create a forestry atmosphere. Critter Country is somewhat small when compared to Disneyland's larger lands. This westernmost area features a single pathway that wraps around the footprint of Splash Mountain, starting near the Haunted Mansion and terminating in a series of shops nestled against the Splash Mountain show building.

In October 2016, the area closed temporarily. Critter Country is scheduled to re-open on November 4th, 2016.

Things to do

Attractions and entertainment

Former attractions and entertainment

Restaurants and refreshments

Former restaurants

Shops

Former shops

Tokyo Disneyland

Critter Country at Tokyo Disneyland

When Splash Mountain opened at Tokyo Disneyland, Critter Country was specifically created for it. The only 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. The Country Bear Jamboree is located in Westernland.

Attractions and entertainment

Restaurants and refreshments

Shops

See also

References

  1. ↑ Disneyland website
  2. 1 2 3 4 Strodder, Chris (2012). The Disneyland Encyclopedia (2nd ed.). Santa Monica, CA: Santa Monica Press. pp. 70–2, 119, 193. ISBN 978-1595800688.
  3. 1 2 "Bear Country Coming to Disneyland". Los Angeles Times. October 7, 1971. p. G18. (subscription required (help)).
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "'Bear Facts' Start to Show at New Disneyland Feature". Lawrence Journal-World. April 12, 1972. p. 4.
  5. 1 2 3 "Bear Country Opens Soon at Disneyland". Lodi News-Sentinel. March 7, 1972. p. 14.
  6. 1 2 3 Galante, Mary Ann (July 30, 1988). "Disneyland's Bear Country to Get New Name to Match Its Critters". Los Angeles Times.
  7. ↑ Walt Disney World website
  8. ↑ "Davy Crockett's Explorer Canoes". Disneyland. Retrieved 2016-08-25.
  9. ↑ "The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh". Disneyland. Retrieved 2016-08-25.
  10. ↑ "Splash Mountain". Disneyland. Retrieved 2016-08-25.
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