Back Where the Critters Is Closer to the Folks

After New Orleans Square, the next new land added to Disneyland was Bear Country in 1972, built around the addition of the Florida favorite Country Bear Jamboree. When the area was expanded with Splash Mountain in 1989, it was renamed Critter Country to better reflect the diversity of varmints living in this corner of the park.

Here, decades of growth have created a forest so dense it's hard to imagine Anaheim is just over the hill. Critter Country is a quiet cul-de-sac in the woods, packed with charming details. Some of my favorites are the little critter houses along the stream and the butler bear serving up a gourmet burger outside the Hungry Bear Restaurant.

Other critter homes can be seen in and around Splash Mountain. The Disneyland version features far more animal friends than the Splash Mountain attractions at Walt Disney World and Tokyo Disneyland, thanks to being able to recast them from former Disneyland show America Sings. Naturally, the homes of Splash Mountain stars Br'er Fox, Br'er Bear and Br'er Rabbit are spotted during the course of the ride, but what about Mr. Bluebird? He doesn't just sit on people's shoulders all day, you know. He has a little birdhouse of his own, right here in Critter Country!

One of Mr. Bluebird's neighbors is Professor Barnaby Owl, proprietor of the Photographic Art Studio, specializing in wildlife portraits and scenic views (aka the Splash Mountain photo location). It's hard to believe now, but when this feature opened at Disneyland (circa 1991), it was the first time an image capture service had been offered on an attraction in a Disney Park. Today, image capture is ubiquitous, available at several major attractions throughout the parks.

Even more enhancements came to the Critter Country area with the 2002 addition of The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. In keeping with the aesthetic of the land, the characters on the marquee are carved out of wood, marking the attraction entrance over this rustic covered bridge.

The vehicles for the Pooh attraction here are especially fun, resembling overturned beehives complete with honeycombs and benches overflowing with sticky, yummy honey. Take a peek on the back of the hive, and you'll even spot a little Heffa-Bee!

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh replaced Country Bear Jamboree, never as popular or well-attended here as its Florida counterpart. In true Imagineering fashion, though, tributes to the original attraction have been placed here and there, including these friendly faces, tucked away in the back of a scene on the Pooh ride.

The story line for The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh includes familiar moments from the Pooh films, but doesn't stick to the same narrative. On this adventure, Pooh's busy day of trying to get honey from the bees comes to an end when it begins to rain. After a bouncy encounter with Tigger, the silly old bear heads home and drifts off to sleep, dreaming of Heffalumps and Woozles. All ends well, though, for when Pooh wakes up he's just in time for his birthday party where his friends have given him his favorite gift in the world... more honey!

The fun continues just outside at the Pooh Corner shop. Notice the plaque that states Critter Country was established in 1889. It's a reference to the actual 1989 rebranding of the land, before which this structure was home to the Mile Long Bar. It was known as the Br'er Bar until 2002, when it became Pooh Corner. Inside, the story of Pooh's dream birthday continues as Pooh bear flies with the Heffa-Bees aboard his blue balloon.

The first section of the shop is a candy store. Look closely, and you'll notice the Heffa-Bees are delivering fresh honey into Pooh's Hunny Mixer, a still-like contraption that feeds right down to the kitchen below.

In the kitchen, of course, traditional human cast members are busy making yummy delights for their guests. If you can peel your eyes away from the candy for a moment, though, you may just notice some Hidden Disney here. On the walls of the kitchen are framed portraits of Pooh... with some of the stars of the Country Bear Jamboree. There's Gomer at the piano in one, and the other shows Pooh with the lovely Teddi Barra on her trademark swing.

Pooh Corner continues throughout the entire block of buildings at this end of Critter Country. Once upon a time, though, the Mile Long Bar was adjacent to a wilderness game room under the name of Teddi Barra's Swingin' Arcade. Well, Teddi and her games of skill may have long since moved on, but there's still a mention of the arcade... just atop the building.