Br'er Rabbit is a comical Disney character who first appeared in Disney's 1946 film Song of the South which inspired Splash Mountain where he is also featured.
Despite Song of the South's unavailability on VHS, DVD and Blu-ray in the USA, Brer Rabbit and his nemeses Brer Fox and Brer Bear are popular fixtures at the Disney parks.
He was voiced by Johnny Lee in the first two animated segments of the film and James Baskett in the last segment. Jess Harnell took over the role in 1989.
Like Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear, Br'er Rabbit speaks in a Deep South accent, complete with much of their dialect and quirks of speech, and wears stereotypical lower-class African-American clothing of the time. He is portrayed as being something of a scallywag, and is not quite as clever as he thinks he is, which, along with his arrogance and being overconfident, is the reason for him getting trapped in the first place - but he's still quite smart enough to outwit Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear.
Appearances
Song of the South
In the film, Uncle Remus tell tales of Brer Rabbit and his enemies Brer Fox and Brer Bear. Brer Rabbit lives out most of his roles in the story book. In one of the stories Brer Fox and Brer Bear attempt to use the Tar Baby to capture and eat Brer Rabbit. Brer Rabbits gets stuck inside, but eventually escapes by Brer Fox throwing him into a briar patch which ends in peculiar results. In a segment Brer Rabbit is captured by Brer Fox and nearly eaten until he tricks Brer Fox and Brer Bear into taking him to his laughing place.
House of Mouse
Brer Rabbit makes numerous cameo appearances in the animated series House of Mouse. Brer Rabbit's most notable cameo is in the first episode, where Mickey Mouse reminds everyone of the House of Mouse rules. As one of the rules, Mickey says "No villainous schemes", at which point Brer Fox and Brer Bear stop themselves from catching Brer Rabbit. He is also seen during The Ludwig Von Drake song. Brer Rabbit also appears briefly in the film Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse.
Video Game Appearances
Kinect Disneyland Adventures
Br'er Rabbit in Kinect Disneyland Adventures
Brer Rabbit appears in the game as an unlockable meet-and-greet character outside the entrance to Splash Mountain in Critter Country, after the player helps Brer Fox lure him out of hiding. When the player reaches out their arms for a hug, Brer Rabbit will leap into the player's arms and hug them.
Brer Rabbit also serves as the player's guide in the Splash Mountain mini-game. Br'er Rabbit and the player pay a visit to Br'er Fox's house, where Br'er Rabbit tricks his foes into believing that he tripped and fell down and is now helpless in front of their door. Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear rush out only to find a "present". Ignoring Br'er Fox's warnings that it's most likely one of the rabbit's tricks, Br'er Bear eagerly opens it to discover a beehive, although he doesn't realize it's a hive until the bees come out and attack. Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear then start chasing after Br'er Rabbit and the player, but the two villains are ultimately foiled.
Disney Parks
Brer Rabbit at one of Disney Parks.
Brer Rabbit, along with Brer Fox and Brer Bear, is a popular character in the Disney Parks around the world.
A statue of Brer Rabbit can be seen at both Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom in front of their respective castles. He is most commonly seen at Walt Disney World (usually at Disney's Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom) and Tokyo Disneyland, but is rarely seen at Disneyland and Disneyland Paris.
Splash Mountain
Brer Rabbit appears in the popular Disney Parks attraction, Splash Mountain. The ride features a 50 ft drop as its climax and features dozens of animatronics of characters from Song of the South, most notably Brer Rabbit.
Mickey Mouse Revue
In this original Magic Kingdom attraction that was subsequently moved to Tokyo Disneyland, Brer Rabbit appeared with Brer Fox and Brer Bear to sing Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah near the end of the show.
