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Disney Quote About Circuses
- Thread starter lebeau
- Start date
sshindel
The Epcot Manifesto
The best I can find is in a section in here introducing the Mickey Mouse Club Circus:
http://www.mouseplanet.com/8192/A_Word_from_Walt
Good reading. But I believe there is a quote from Walt after the circus closed. He was down on the entire concept which I find ironic given that WDW now has a circus-themed land.
sshindel
The Epcot Manifesto
I'll see if I can come up with anything with my Google-fu (not saying yours is lacking, just 2 people sometimes can find different things).
So far I'm not finding anything. It looks to me based on the first link below that Walt was the one that pushed for the circus in the first place. What he thought after is not something I've yet been able to find.
http://davelandweb.com/mmcc/
http://micechat.com/65453-yesterday-tomorrow-fantasy-disney-circus/
Much appreciated. I could have sworn the quote I am looking for was bandied about on these forums during the development of Storybook Circus land, but now I'm coming up empty handed. Always possible I am misremembering.
sshindel
The Epcot Manifesto
I thought the same thing actually. Its why I went digging around, because I could have sworn during FLE construction that was used as fact in many discussions. I took it as fact because it was presented as such. It still might be, but I'm just not finding the quote. Still might be true, just harder to find than I've been able to pull off.
Exactly! I was expecting to trip over the quote after hearing it here a few times. Part of the problem is there is a magic circus hotel near Disneyland Paris which is clouding Google results.
Definitely appreciate your help in digging.
sshindel
The Epcot Manifesto
Holy cow, in digging around, I stumbled across this "informational piece" that has nothing to do with it, but is entertaining none the less.
http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/bloodlines/disney1.htm
Don't think I'll find the quote in there!
stevehousse
Well-Known Member
I'm glad there isn't a real circus at WDW...they r gross and the abuse those poor animals go through is so sad...u would be suprised how many fines Ringling Bros. get EVERY year yet they r still able to operate...
JIMINYCR
Well-Known Member
Found this one....
Everyone loves a circus and I'm no exception. I've been fascinated by the clowns and the animals, the music and the excitement ever since I worked in one of these wonderful shows for a few days as a youngster.
While we've had a number of circus themes in our pictures through the years—you will remember Dumbo as an example—we've never had a real honest to goodness live circus until now. It seemed to us that Disneyland was just the right spot for one.
We are happy to present, in their first personal appearance, the Mouseketeers from the Mickey Mouse Club television show. And in the show, you will also see the old circus wagons we have collected—interesting show rigs which have rolled all over America and which are now restored to their original state.
I hope the Mickey Mouse Club Circus will add many pleasant memories to your visit to Disneyland. My best wishes to every one of you.
– Walt Disney
Everyone loves a circus and I'm no exception. I've been fascinated by the clowns and the animals, the music and the excitement ever since I worked in one of these wonderful shows for a few days as a youngster.
While we've had a number of circus themes in our pictures through the years—you will remember Dumbo as an example—we've never had a real honest to goodness live circus until now. It seemed to us that Disneyland was just the right spot for one.
We are happy to present, in their first personal appearance, the Mouseketeers from the Mickey Mouse Club television show. And in the show, you will also see the old circus wagons we have collected—interesting show rigs which have rolled all over America and which are now restored to their original state.
I hope the Mickey Mouse Club Circus will add many pleasant memories to your visit to Disneyland. My best wishes to every one of you.
– Walt Disney
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
Walt was very much in favor of a circus at Disneyland. There is a circus tent in the plan for the park next to the studio, the Herb Ryman sketch and the Peter Ellenshaw painting.
That is what I was thinking as well. There is a stark contrast to a "Circus theme" and an actual circus.
Cmdr_Crimson
Well-Known Member
Not to sound like South Park's General Disarray buuuut....
Disney Did It!
Disney Did It!!
It was known as Epcot's Daredevil Circus Spectacular from 1987...Here's a great article about it..http://www.mouseplanet.com/10311/Epcot_Center_Daredevil_Circus_Spectacular_1987
There was also an hour long TV Special called Walt Disney World's Celebrity Circus........It's about as silly as it sounds....
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AndyS2992
Well-Known Member
Did some research for you using the internet and several of my Disneyland history books and the only information I found was:
-The Walt quote posted above for the opening saying a circus would be good for Disneyland.
-The MMC circus opened in November 1955, failed and closed January 1956 as people could see the circus back home and would rather ride the other unique attractions. It also had several problems such as animals escaping, misbehaving and attacking each other, performers getting injured, losing their clothes..
-Disneyland CA brought the circus theme back in 1988, 'Circus Fantasy', also unpopular
-Epcot had a circus in 1987 (posted above)
-Disneyland Paris had a circus theme in 2001
-Cirque du Soleil opened at WDW, DLP and TDR
-Storybook Circus opens at Magic Kingdom
However most importantly there is no quote after the failure anywhere which suggests it probably does not exist/not well documented/made up etc.
-The Walt quote posted above for the opening saying a circus would be good for Disneyland.
-The MMC circus opened in November 1955, failed and closed January 1956 as people could see the circus back home and would rather ride the other unique attractions. It also had several problems such as animals escaping, misbehaving and attacking each other, performers getting injured, losing their clothes..
-Disneyland CA brought the circus theme back in 1988, 'Circus Fantasy', also unpopular
-Epcot had a circus in 1987 (posted above)
-Disneyland Paris had a circus theme in 2001
-Cirque du Soleil opened at WDW, DLP and TDR
-Storybook Circus opens at Magic Kingdom
However most importantly there is no quote after the failure anywhere which suggests it probably does not exist/not well documented/made up etc.
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5thGenTexan
Well-Known Member
I can not find a quote by Walt Disney, but C.V. Wood tried to talk him out it. He was the one that said the Disneyland visitor came to the park and would not want to spend a couple of hours seeing something that they could see anywhere else. That made Disney more determined.
Apparently the llamas escaped and made it to the Main Street Station. a panther attacked a tiger during a parade.
Bill Martin - "You couldn't tell what they animals what to do, though, and Walt wanted more control. That's why we went to Audio-Animatronics later"
This is all on page 109 of The Disneyland Story by Sam Gennaway
Apparently the llamas escaped and made it to the Main Street Station. a panther attacked a tiger during a parade.
Bill Martin - "You couldn't tell what they animals what to do, though, and Walt wanted more control. That's why we went to Audio-Animatronics later"
This is all on page 109 of The Disneyland Story by Sam Gennaway
Although this isn’t exactly what you’re looking for, perhaps it helps.
Admiral Joe Fowler was talking about the closing of the Mickey Mouse Club Circus when he uses this familiar quote: “People come to Disneyland to see Disneyland.”
Here’s a little more context from, of all places, D23’s quarterly magazine. It’s similar to the account found in Disneyland: The Nickel Tour by Bruce Gordon and David Mumford.
Excerpt:
Joe Fowler explained the permanent closure of Walt’s beloved circus in an 1984 interview with author Jay Horan: “That was the one time we learned this lesson… people come to Disneyland to see Disneyland. And even Walt final [agreed]. Walt loved that circus, but he finally gave in, and after two months, he said, ‘I’ve got to get that circus out of here, because I need it over at the Studio to make a picture,’ and we all said, ‘Thank God!’ If I never see a circus again, it’ll be twice too soon! I want to tell you, running that park was simple compared to running that [dang] circus…you’ll excuse my language.
Source: Cline, Becky. “Lions and Tigers and…Santa? Oh My!” Disney twenty-three Winter 2010: 43.
Note: I’ve replaced Fowler’s slightly stronger language with “dang.” I don’t post here often enough to know if the original, mild profanity is allowed.
Admiral Joe Fowler was talking about the closing of the Mickey Mouse Club Circus when he uses this familiar quote: “People come to Disneyland to see Disneyland.”
Here’s a little more context from, of all places, D23’s quarterly magazine. It’s similar to the account found in Disneyland: The Nickel Tour by Bruce Gordon and David Mumford.
Excerpt:
Joe Fowler explained the permanent closure of Walt’s beloved circus in an 1984 interview with author Jay Horan: “That was the one time we learned this lesson… people come to Disneyland to see Disneyland. And even Walt final [agreed]. Walt loved that circus, but he finally gave in, and after two months, he said, ‘I’ve got to get that circus out of here, because I need it over at the Studio to make a picture,’ and we all said, ‘Thank God!’ If I never see a circus again, it’ll be twice too soon! I want to tell you, running that park was simple compared to running that [dang] circus…you’ll excuse my language.
Source: Cline, Becky. “Lions and Tigers and…Santa? Oh My!” Disney twenty-three Winter 2010: 43.
Note: I’ve replaced Fowler’s slightly stronger language with “dang.” I don’t post here often enough to know if the original, mild profanity is allowed.