Change is in the air at Disney World, with a revamped Cirque du Soleil show and a final bow for the Country Bear Jamboree’s classic repertoire

Last week, Walt Disney World's most fervent fans and dedicated detractors — who are often difficult to distinguish from each other — descended upon the Magic Kingdom to demonstrate that the only thing theme park fans hate worse than aging attractions not being updated is when aging attractions are updated.

This is less of an issue at Universal Orlando and SeaWorld, since nobody shed a tear or started an online petition over Woody Woodpecker's dated KidZone being demolished for USF's upcoming DreamWorks land, or Penguin Trek's roller coaster tracks replacing Antarctica's extinct dark ride. But ever since the seminal yet failed effort to save Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Disney devotees have learned that there's no faster way to instantly transform a dated C-ticket struggling to turn its turnstiles into everyone's "favorite ride ever" than to announce its imminent closure.

After watching Disney downgrade classics like Journey Into Imagination and Horizons (or simply shutter them, like Wonders of Life), it's little wonder that attraction enthusiasts experience agita every time the final curtain falls on another long-running experience. So it came as little surprise that, following decades as an eternally half-empty hibernation haven, the Country Bear Jamboree — which was one of the park's only exclusive opening-day attractions developed with Walt's personal input before his death (the other: Hall of Presidents) — played to packed houses during the weeks prior to the animatronic show's final bow on Jan. 26. And perhaps it was appropriate, or at least ironic, that the theater unexpectedly shut down shortly before its scheduled closing, stranding several hundred hopeful viewers of the final performances in a stalled queue that stretched all the way past Pecos Bill's restaurant into Adventureland.

When closing time arrived without the attraction reopening, guests were walked out past the silent stage and given souvenir posters as a consolation prize. Technical difficulties were officially blamed, but I believe the ursine actors were protesting plans to replace their repertoire of vintage Americana with newly recorded Disney ditties.

The fur-covered cast will look largely the same, and the "Ballad of Davy Crockett" might be part of the new production. However, I suspect cherished childhood tunes with questionable themes like "Blood on the Saddle" and "All the Guys Who Turn Me On Turn Me Down" will be long gone when the new Country Bear Musical Jamboree opens later this year. Look for that debut, along with the anticipated arrival of Tiana's Bayou Adventure atop the former Splash Mountain, to launch a long-term revamp of the entire Frontierland, which may weave New Orleans elements into the Old West theming, and eventually expand with additional rides behind Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

Thankfully, on the same evening that Big Al's groupies were having their dreams dashed, instead of standing in line I was on the opposite end of Disney property, enjoying undeniable proof that changing a show can actually be a good thing.

Although not quite ranking in my personal S-Tier alongside Las Vegas' LOVE and Mystère, Cirque du Soleil's La Nouba was an A-grade anchor of Disney Springs ever since the area was known as Downtown Disney. I was deeply disappointed to declare its successor, Drawn to Life, a mere B-plus effort upon my first viewing in late 2021, and my opinion was only marginally improved after a second viewing six months later. However, after being invited to see the adjustments Cirque has implemented since then, I'm happy to say that they've addressed nearly all of my critiques and created a must-see marvel.

The bones were always solid in this surreal fusion of Cirque's circus artistry and Disney storytelling, which follows young Julie through a symbol-laden dreamscape derived from her late father's favorite animated films. Drawn to Life's amazing international circus acts are even more breathtaking than before; a stiff stiltwalking sequence has been replaced with a mesmerizing duo of foot-juggling Icarian Games acrobats, and the enchanting Mary Blair homage is now even more dynamic, thanks to a vibrant trio of swinging aerialists.

Some existing acts, like The Old Mill-inspired wheel windmill, have also been enhanced with sharper lighting and tighter pacing. Most notably, the formerly all-female finale now features high-flying analogues of both Julie and her father (wearing sketch-like facial appliances that look sorta creepy up close), making for an ending that's much more impactful than the original in terms of both adrenaline and emotion.

Beyond those big changes, it is the subtle tweaks made to the show's tone that I most appreciated. Dialogue has been judiciously edited during the introduction and elsewhere, and the in-jokes and references to Disney intellectual property have been sufficiently pruned to feel more like gentle parodies, instead of pushy product placements. Even the musical score seems to have been slightly softened, so as not to hammer on the earworm chorus of "Let It Go" quite as insistently.

While my first take on Drawn to Life was that it pandered to what Disney visitors are perceived to expect, instead of having the courage to be authentically Cirque du Soleil, today's show finally strikes a harmonious balance between these two iconic brands.