Sneak Peek at Disney’s Best Merchandise Ever

Tokyo Disneyland’s motto might as well be the “Country Bear Capital of the World.” That’s based not only on their commitment to the Jamborees, but also character appearances in the park, bear-ific dining, and excellent merchandise. This post is going to focus on the last item, with a sneak peek at awesome upcoming merchandise. In fact, some might say it’s Disney’s best merchandise ever. (We would!)

As a huge Country Bear Jamboree fan, I’m also not going to squander my opportunity to “plug” this iconic attraction, so we’ll start by mentioning that Tokyo Disneyland runs all three versions of the show in Country Bear Theater. Additionally, all three versions feature Audio Animatronics that are exquisitely maintained and performances that are in a mix of English and Japanese.

Around June, Country Bear Vacation Jamboree/Hoedown replaces the normal version of the show (which runs the first half of the year), with the gang sporting summer attire and singing classics such as “California Bears,” “Great Outdoors,” and our personal favorite, “VACATION!” This version of the show runs until the first week of November, when it transforms overnight into our personal favorite…

That’s Country Bear Christmas/Jingle Bell Jamboree, which runs for the holiday season. Our favorites here include Trixie’s angry rendition of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “Tracks in the Snow,” and Big Al’s “Auld Lang Syne” that transitions to the finale medley of several songs, most notably “Winter Wonderland.” One of the many reasons we recommend visiting Tokyo Disneyland for “HalloXmas” is seeing both seasonal shows.

We absolutely love both Country Bear Jamboree and Christmas, making Jingle Bell Jamboree one of our favorite Disney attractions in the world. Not even kidding. The first time we visited Tokyo Disneyland for Christmas, we looped Jingle Bell Jamboree at least a dozen times (looping it is when you exit one show, and immediately rush around and re-enter the theater for the next show). We’ve done it many times since, and I have thousands of photos of Jingle Bell Jamboree taken from pretty much every perspective and every seat in the house.

Country Bear Jamboree has developed a cult following among Japanese Disney fans (and some of these diehards are serious, putting us to shame), with the shows seeing resurgent popularity in recent years.

Country Bear Theater now often plays to a full house, which was not the case when we started visiting Tokyo Disneyland. As a result, Country Bear Jamboree merchandise has become increasingly common in the last several years.

It started with plush badges for the normal show, and has since expanded to most characters in both the seasonal shows. There have also been other items, including full size plush, coin purses, popcorn turner replicas, and more.

We know because we own most of this stuff. When it comes to Country Bear merchandise, we have a possibly amusing story from a few years ago when we spent a couple of months in Japan at Christmas-time…

We had started out at Tokyo Disney Resort, acquiring all of the Country Bear Christmas plush while there. Being in Japan for so much time during the holidays, we wanted to make our Airbnb in Kyoto more cozy and festive, so we figured we’d buy a cheap Christmas tree and some lights. Prior to that, most of our shopping experiences in Japan were at UNIQLO or Daiso (their version of a dollar store), so we had low expectations in terms of pricing. (“I mean it’s one Christmas tree, Michael. What could it cost? Ten dollars?”)

To make a long story short, our expectations were way off, and we couldn’t find any strands of lights for a reasonable price and spent all of one afternoon searching for a tree before finding the one above at a relatively reasonable department store. In the end, it was worth it, as our tabletop Country Bear Christmas tree made our place feel like home. And the concept has since “expanded” to an all-plush full-sized Christmas tree that we put up at home every year.

Anyway, let’s cut to the chase with a look at Tokyo Disneyland’s upcoming line of Country Bear Jamboree household goods.

This merchandise will be available in Westernland’s Trading Post, adjacent to Country Bear Theater starting October 27, 2021. It’ll also be sold online in the Tokyo Disney Resort app, but with shipping only within Japan.

The first item in this tableware line is this plate, which will cost ¥1,800 (~$16).

This is listed on the official Tokyo Disney Resort site as being perfect for curry dishes.

Here’s a side view of the plate, which is really better described as a curry bowl.

If you’re wondering “why a curry bowl?” It’s obvious: bears love curry. It’s their favorite food after salmon and berries–what they typically order when eating out. Everyone knows that. It’s also probably because Hungry Bear Restaurant, which is next door to Country Bear Theater, is renowned for its comforting curry. (What I would give to be eating that right now!)

Next, this bowl is ¥1,400.

It’s described as being perfect for salads. Fortunately, you can also put real food in here, such as more curry!

This wooden spoon is ¥1,000.

It’s described as having a “gentle mouthfeel.”

Same idea, but with a fork for ¥1,000.

Look for us at Epcot’s next festival, eating off of trash cans with our giant reusable wooden forks and spoons. We’re sure to be the envy of bloggers and bears everywhere!

Next up, this mug for ¥1,400.

This looks perfect for tea or coffee. We plan on buying two of these; one for daily use and another as backup since I have a propensity to break mugs for some reason.

Here’s a look at the backside of bear mug.

The designs on all of these items are fantastic, but this is a standout.

This “multi-pot” will cost Â¥2,300.

It’s described as being perfect for pickle storage. You could probably store other items in here–it is a multi-pot, after all! Perhaps cucumbers? Maybe a small zucchini?

Sammy the Raccoon is on the top, holding a spoon.

I guess it’s now official Country Bear canon that Sammy the Raccoon loves pickles. Or at least, loves to guard them.

Speaking of spoons, there’s this ladle for Â¥1,400.

This features Henry and is meant to be used with a curry pot.

Here’s the curry pot in question.

This is the most expensive item in the set, priced at ¥3,200.

Despite the price, the description sold me on it: “you can put curry in the curry pot and feel like a shop.”

Perhaps I’ve just become desentized to Disney prices, but $29 for a commercial grade curry pot with cool Country Bear designs feels like a more than fair price.

This tray will cost ¥1,900.

Another home run from this lineup. It’s nice that they’re selling a tray, as it sure beats the alternative of stealing one from Hungry Bear Restaurant for my curry carrying needs. (Joking aside, we would also absolutely buy a Hungry Bear Restaurant tray–hopefully that’s coming soon in the replica tray line!)

One thing Sarah has long lamented is that we don’t have an heirloom fine China set for entertaining guests. This doesn’t bother me in the least since I don’t live in the 1800s and we literally never have people over for fancy dinner parties, but I can understand her perspective.

Thankfully, this Country Bear dinner set is a game-changer for that. Soon we will have an heirloom grade curry set, with a diverse range of dishes from curry bowls to more curry bowls to pickle storage. If this doesn’t wow our non-existent dinner party guests, I’m not sure what will!

Ultimately, this tableware is pretty amazing. It’s great to see the Country Bears get the love they deserve, and we really appreciate that it’s niche characters receiving a range of dishes aimed at a niche purpose.

We absolutely love this type of quirky, hyper-targeted merchandise and like seeing Disney/OLC produce inventive items. Stuff like this is far cooler than the crowd-pleasing formulaic merchandise and we appreciate souvenirs like this even when they’re not for us–and most of the time, they aren’t. However, this Country Bear stuff absolutely is–these are all very much “shut up and take my money” items. Can’t wait to get my hands on it, and hopefully not break anything.

Planning a trip to Tokyo Disney Resort? For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Tokyo Disneyland & DisneySea Trip Planning Guide! For more specifics, our TDR Hotel Rankings & Reviews page covers accommodations. Our Restaurant Reviews detail where to dine & snack. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money post. Our What to Pack for Disney post takes a unique look at clever items to take. Venturing elsewhere in Japan? Consult our Ultimate Guide to Kyoto, Japan and City Guide to Tokyo, Japan.

Your Thoughts

What do you think of the Country Bear tableware? Will this fulfill your heirloom curry set needs, or is this impractical for you? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!