The Circus Fantasy Parade was a special parade that ran at Disneyland from 1986 to 1988 as part of the Circus Fantasy event. The parade featured Mickey Mouse and his friends, along with various circus performers and animals, celebrating the magic of the circus.
Background[]
The Circus Fantasy Parade was a part of Disneyland's Circus Fantasy event, which was held in 1988. The parade was led by none other than Mickey Mouse himself, followed by a variety of clowns and Disney characters. It was a vibrant spectacle that brought the fun and excitement of the circus to the Main Street, U.S.A. area of the park. The parade featured a pre-parade called "Circus On Parade", which began with clowns from the Carnation Plaza show. The main parade was a delightful mix of Disney characters and circus performers, creating a lively and entertaining atmosphere for park visitors.
Parade Units[]
Each year's run of the parade featured slightly different units.
1986[]
- Opening: Mickey Mouse, dressed as a ringmaster, led the parade on a horse-drawn carriage, followed by Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, Pluto, and Chip and Dale on a circus wagon. The carriage and the wagon were decorated with red and gold banners and flags, and the characters wore colorful circus outfits.
- Clown Alley: A group of clowns performed various antics and gags, such as riding bikes, juggling, and spraying water. Some of the clowns were from the Fantasy Follies show at the Carnation Plaza Gardens, a musical revue that featured songs and dances from Disney movies. The clowns also interacted with the guests and invited them to join the fun.
- International Circus: A colorful unit that showcased circus acts from around the world, such as acrobats, tightrope walkers, trapeze artists, and stilt walkers. Some of the costumes and props were inspired by It's a Small World, the iconic attraction that celebrates global harmony. The unit also featured a giant globe that spun on a pedestal and a hot air balloon that carried Mickey and Minnie.
- Animal Train: A train of cages carried various exotic animals, such as lions, tigers, elephants, giraffes, zebras, and monkeys. Some of the animals were animatronic, while others were live. The train was pulled by a steam engine that blew smoke and whistled, and the cages were adorned with circus posters and signs. The unit also included animal trainers and handlers who waved to the crowd.
- Finale: The parade ended with a grand finale featuring more circus performers and characters, such as Dumbo, Pinocchio, Snow White, Cinderella, Alice, and the Mad Hatter. A large balloon of Mickey Mouse's head floated above the unit, along with smaller balloons of other characters. The unit also had a band that played lively music, and confetti cannons that showered the guests with colorful paper.
1987[]
- Opening - Ringmaster Mickey Mouse rides a horse-drawn calliope wagon, Casey jr pulls a train. A marching band follows. Dumbo appears on a float. Cinderella, Perla and Suzie ride a swan float.
- Wild West - Goofy rides a horse. A hoedown goes on as Wendell, Shaker and Livil Lips ride a float. Prancing ponies follow.
- Carnival - Donald Duck, Panchito Pistoles and José Carioca ride a float. A centar chariot follows.
- Far East - Mogwi, Balloo, Louie and the monkeys start this unit. A ring float features monkeys. Daisy rides a camel. A ring float follows carrying arabian dancers connected to a cage cart with a real-life giraffe on it.
- Finale - A baton twirlers leads the unit. The float shows a start spangled finale. Minnie rides on the head on a elephant.
1988[]
- Opening - Minnie Mouse and some performers led the parade off on Elephants. A group of flag-barers then led off the title float. The Disneyland Band then followed.
- Carnival - Several horse-led performers lead the way to a rainforest-style float featuring a performer and a oranagtan. Connected to the float is a caged cart with a real-life giraffe on it. Donald Duck, Panchito Pistoles and José Carioca end the unit with some clowns.
- Wild West - Pluto leads the unit on a bull while several performers riding horses follow him. Stilt walkers and clowns lead the way to a Wild West float with acrobats. The unit ends with the Country Bears and a horse cart.
- Far East - A Camel with a large bass leads the unit off. Baloo and King Louie lead the next float, depicting an arabian-like setting, as Daisy Duck stands in front. This is followed with a caged brass lion that features a real-life lion inside. The unit ends with a small mini float with a performer on.
- Finale - Casey Junior begins off the finale by holding cages full of animatronic and real-life animals. Performers then lead the way to the last float, featuring Ringmaster Mickey Mouse.
Trivia[]
- The parade was part of a larger event called Circus Fantasy, which transformed Disneyland into a circus-themed park for a limited time each year. The event also included live circus shows, carnival games, and special merchandise.
- The parade was originally called Circus on Parade and was a pre-parade that preceded the regular afternoon parade. It was later expanded into a full parade and renamed Circus Fantasy Parade.
- The parade was one of the few times that live animals were used in a Disneyland parade. The animals were provided by the Hawthorn Corporation, a company that supplied circus animals to various shows and movies. The company faced criticism and lawsuits for its treatment of the animals and was eventually shut down in 2007.
- The parade was discontinued after 1988 due to animal rights concerns and budget cuts. Some of the parade elements were reused for other parades, such as the Party Gras Parade and The Lion King Celebration.
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