Hi Schott,
Thanks for visiting planDisney! It's always a bit sad when some of our favorite characters go into hibernation. With the opening of
Bayou Country, we don’t see Br’er Bear as much as we used to. While I cannot say for certain if Br’er Bear will return, I can give you some tips for catching rare characters.
Using the Disneyland App – If Disneyland plans to have Br'er Bear make regularly scheduled appearances in the park you can find out when and where using the Disneyland mobile app. When you launch the app, you will want to click on the map icon. Scroll across the top and select "Characters." I like to switch to list mode (near the bottom right corner of the map) to see all the characters that will be out for the day.
Disneyland After Dark events – Your next best chance is to attend an After Dark event. Disneyland loves to have rare characters come to visit for these types of events. I think the most likely time Br’er Bear could come for a visit would be during 90s Nite. In the past, at 90s Nite, characters like Darkwing Duck, Huey, Dewey, and Louie, Launchpad McQuack, and Scrooge McDuck have been seen. There are often just unannounced 90s characters that visit the park during this time, giving everyone those nostalgic feelings from their youth.
Disneyland Magic – One thing I love about Disneyland, that differs from Disney World, is that characters will just randomly walk about the park unscheduled and unprompted. I have seen Geppetto and Honest John randomly around the Pinocchio ride. I have seen a penguin from Mary Poppins near the Castle, and I have seen Mary Poppins herself riding on the carousel. While I have not personally seen Br’er Bear at Disneyland, he could make a guest appearance. If he is randomly out, I could imagine him visiting Frontierland or Bayou Country.
Schott, I hope this information is helpful. I hope that one day your dream of meeting Br’er Bear will come true. If you have any other questions or need help planning other aspects of your trip, feel free to write back to me or one of my fellow panelists. We’d be happy to share our thoughts.
Happy bear hunting!
-Melinda