Big Albert is in the House

I'm excited to share a special 

new addition to the Ozark Collection:

 The Big Al Tiki Mug!

Originally released at Walt Disney World in July 2022,

this mug was created to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the original 

Country Bear Jamboree –

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a classic, and long-running animatronic show

that has been delighting park guest for generations.

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The mug was beautifully designed by the creative duo, 

Kevin Kidney and Jody Daily, 

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capturing all the charm of Big Al,

one of the show's most beloved characters,

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Big Al was originally imagined by Disney legend

and Imagineer Marc Davis in the late 1960's,

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Here's Davis's original concept sketch of Big Al,

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and here's something fun: Davis modeled the 

character after his friend and fellow animator, Al Bertino.  

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Here's a couple of great photos of Al acting out a scene with Marc 

as they "imagineered" these characters to life for the show

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Big Al became known for his somber but humorous, off-key rendition of 

"Blood on the Saddle", originally voiced by Tex Ritter.

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Today, in the latest version of the show, 

Country Bear Musical Jamboree

 Big Al – now voiced by Mac McAnally –

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tugs at heartstrings with an emotional 

and humorous rendition of Remember Me 

from the movie Coco. 

He gets so caught up in the song that he begins to 

cry unable to finish before the curtain closes.

It's a perfect example of Disney magic: a character who 

can make you laugh and feel something all at once

For me, Big Al holds a special place in my heart–

He became my favorite character after 

my mother purchased a Big Al storybook for me

while on our trip to Walt Disney World in '73!

source • Hear the story here

I've been following Kevin and Jody's work for a long time,

Not long ago they had a question on their Instagram page,

They posted a pic of an in-progress sculpt and asked followers 

to guess what it had turned out to be in 2022.

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Lots of guesses rolled in, and a few folks got it right.

When they revealed the finished sculpt the next day,

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I was intrigued.

I loved how it looked like carved wood.

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the hat was designed as a removable lid.

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I thought, What a wonderful mug!

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At the time, in 2022 it was selling for $49.99, but I 

completely missed out on getting one new. 

That Instagram post ignited my interest, though, and 

after a quick search online, I found a few for sale.

I ended up buying one from a seller on 

Wal-Mart.com for $44.50 and Free Shipping!

Get one here while they're still available!

If you're a lucky hunter, I've found proof on the web, they've shown up 

in the Disney Character Warehouse for as low as $19.99,

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 but, due to distance, I won't be going there anytime soon.

Never the less, It feels great to finally 

have this mug in the collection. 

It's more than just a collectable – it's a reminder 

of Disney creativity, nostalgia from my childhood, and 

reminds me of how these stories and characters continue 

to evolve while still touching our hearts.

Thanks for stopping by

and happy hunting!