N E 1 remember Circus World?

[tink32081]

The former Circus World is now a medical plaza but the original carousel was salvaged. If you head South on HWY 27 you will think you will run out of road. Keep going about 25 minutes and you will see EAGLE RIDGE MALL on the left. The carousel is still running inside of the mall!

 

[Lucky'sMom]

I remember Circus World, and Weeki Wachi, the glass bottom boats...

I have such fond memories of going to Florida as a child. I used to always get a coconut purse and those gumballs that were in a little green bag to look like oranges. At Cypress Gardens or Weeki Wachi, I used to collect those plastic animals you could have made out of a machine...anyone remember those?

Of course, I also remember the A,B, C, D and E tickets at the Magic Kingdom!

Now I feel old.

 

[CinRell]

I used to collect those plastic animals you could have made out of a machine...anyone remember those?

Yes! I remember they were too hot to touch when they were first done.. my mom had to hold onto them until they cooled off

 

[truck1]

I remember going to Circus World, and later Boardwalk and Baseball. Every year my parents would bering me and my sister down and that along with Cypress Gardens, (Now Legoland) were among the stops along with Sea World and Disney.

Yes the KC Royals had there spring traing center there, and the stadium stood until about 3 years ago.

BWB was owned at one point by HBJ that owned among other things Cypress Gardens,and BWB.Bac in about 95 or 96 Cypress Gardens and BWB was sold off, and BWB was closed. Theres big plans for that entire property. When the property was first purchased and plans announced, theres supposed to be 2 30 story resort hotels on the property, and a large residential community of several thousand houses.There was a big problem with the plans and as far as I know that problem still exists.Theres not enough available water in the area to support the entire plan.In the mean time, theres 2 or 3 strip malls with a few big box stores there such as Target, Best Buy, Dicks Sporting goods to name a few.Theres a few smaller shops also.

In the mean time, Cypress Gardens was bought by several executives when Anheiser Busch bough out SW and all of its corresponding properties, such as BWB and all 4 of the SW parks. SW Ohio was closed and the animals moved to the other parks.

For a while Cypress Gardens was holding its own, but over time attendance fell and the park never really updated. Slowlythe original investors were bought out until 2003, when the last investor sold out to a local real estate man.The plan at the time was for the real estate man to pay off the park debt and keep the park open, but he closed the park almost the same day the ink dried. He tried to bulldoze the park, and a lot of people rallied and the park was bought by the state,Polk County, and a private investor from Valdosta Georgia.He owned a park up there and put a lot of money into the park.He mortgaged his park in Ga, and not long after that, the 4 hurricanes came thru and made a mess of things. There was a big problem with the insurance company, same problem a lot of people had, and the park went bankrupt again. The park was then sold off at auction,(along with the parks in Ga,which went to someone else) to another local investor who put money into the park, but the park never really took off. The park was closed again in Sept of 09, while a buyer was found.The park has since been bought by the Blackstone group,who owns among other things, Sea World, Universal Studios and the Buch Gardens parks.
This will be real interesting to see, how the new and improved Legoland/Cypress Gardens plays out, in relation to Disneys uncontested domination for such a long time.

What happens if Legoland fails some might ask? The way the original agreement with the state, county and Kent Busher, is that the original gardens that comprised CG, can never be touched.I want to say its 16 acres.Its protected well into the future, by state mandate.

Hopefully in the near future Ill be able to do a walk thru of the new park before it opens, and have a better idea of whats going on behind the fences.

 

[footballmouse]

I remember this. I had my face painted like a clown & had the picture made into a button. I still have that button. That's the only thing about it that I remember. We did go through the Ringly Musuem and his house a few times. The museum was boring but going through his house was awesome. I remember my dad took his big fancy new camera and was taking pictures of me & my mom around the outside of the house. We were on the patio (which was closed soon after b/c the concrete was deteroriating from the water) and all of a sudden my mom says "You jacka--, you've had the lens cap on the whole afternoon!" I walked away laughing so hard. Ah, memories. Thanks for letting me take my little trip down memory lane.

 

[DVCJones]

I remember Circus World, and Weeki Wachi, the glass bottom boats...

I have such fond memories of going to Florida as a child. I used to always get a coconut purse and those gumballs that were in a little green bag to look like oranges. At Cypress Gardens or Weeki Wachi, I used to collect those plastic animals you could have made out of a machine...anyone remember those?

Of course, I also remember the A,B, C, D and E tickets at the Magic Kingdom!

Now I feel old.

OMG!!! I DO remember them!!! I think they were made from wax? I think I can actually remember they had a certain smell of wax.

 

[Tammyepolytinkfan]

I remember Circus World, and Weeki Wachi, the glass bottom boats...

I have such fond memories of going to Florida as a child. I used to always get a coconut purse and those gumballs that were in a little green bag to look like oranges. At Cypress Gardens or Weeki Wachi, I used to collect those plastic animals you could have made out of a machine...anyone remember those?

Of course, I also remember the A,B, C, D and E tickets at the Magic Kingdom!

Now I feel old.

I remember Circus world too. I have pictures somewhere with my face painted and I remember riding an elephant and watching the 3 ring circus show.

I remember those plastic toys that were actually made out of wax. I remember those machines well picking an animal shape and watching the colored wax poured into the mold. These machines were at places like cypress gardens.I can't remember where else I was maybe 7 or 8.
Good memories.

 

[footballmouse]

I remember Circus world too. I have pictures somewhere with my face painted and I remember riding an elephant and watching the 3 ring circus show.

I remember those plastic toys that were actually made out of wax. I remember those machines well picking an animal shape and watching the colored wax poured into the mold. These machines were at places like cypress gardens.I can't remember where else I was maybe 7 or 8.
Good memories.

OMG, I remember riding the elephant. It was me, my sister & my mom. I sat in front and the elephant's ears kept flapping back & hitting my legs. It was in the summer so I had shorts on. It felt so weird but none of my friends could say they had an elephant's ears on their legs.

 

[tink32081]

You could also get the wax molded figures at the turnpike plaza in Leesburg. The machine was still there until they remodeled it about 10 years ago! I had an orange pirate!

 

[Mila78]

...

 

[bouncycat]

OMG, my parents took us there too. We have a picture somewhere, of my dad sleeping on the grass next to a "keep off the grass" sign, he was sick, and didn't want to do nothing but sleep!! WOW!!! Talk about memories!!!

 

[Joshua_me]

oh my god, i specifically remember being at circus world and my mom and dad NOT letting us get our faces painted because they said our faces would break out in a rash from the makeup. i think we were the only 2 kids without it done. and im sure all of you that had your faces painted went on to live rash-free very happy lives.

^ Let it go...

 

[amzking]

I remember Circus World well, that was my first "real" coaster (not counting SM and Big Thunder). I never would ride the upside down one though! It was such a silly coaster looking back, it would start in the high position, go down and through one loop, then go backwards through the same loop to the starting position. I have a picture of myself with my face painted from a 7th grade field trip there. I still remember the shows. I was sorry when it turned into Boardwalk and Baseball.

 

[MichelleinMaine]

We did CW (along with Weeki Wachi, Gatorland, Stars Hall of Fame, Busch Gardens, Sea World, and of course MK) in 1978. I was 6. Somehow (???) my father convinced me to go on the upside down roller coaster. In addition to just being plumb terrified, I had a horrible sunburn and a snaps on the back of my sundress. Those seats weren't padded at all. I got to the far side of the loop and screamed to LET ME OFF, I saw stairs to get down and intended to use them! (Obviously I did the loop back through like everyone else.)

I remember not being old enough to be in the train-you-for-the-circus show. To the one who posted not being able to get face painted, either my mom didn't let us either or it wasn't an option. We're plain faced in the pictures!

 

[tiggerbell]

I do! I do! We'd always get our faces painted and go pose for pictures behind those boards where you put your head on the body painted on the board. I remember there was a snake charmer, a clown, and a fat lady. We'd also pose in the circus train cages with the rubber bars. Good times. I remember it being very hot there though, with little shade-- always glad to get back to the resort afterwards.

I think we took the exact same trip!!!

 

[tiggerbell]

You could also get the wax molded figures at the turnpike plaza in Leesburg. The machine was still there until they remodeled it about 10 years ago! I had an orange pirate!

Brookfield Zoo outside of Chicago still has the Mold-a-Rama machines... I didn't realize they were hard to find... huh... (however I remember when it was 50 cents - it's now $2!

 

[duckybelle]

I remember going there and also Weeki Wachee to see the mermaid shows...wait...am I really THAT old??

 

[truck1]

Gatorland (On Orange Blossom Trail) had a wax/plastic machine,as of 2 years ago also.I got one for my son.I think they stil have it.

 

[debsters41]

Isn't it funny how more than one of us remembers some milestone moments, whether for good or bad? My family (5 kids, me being the youngest) went in 1980 and I remember my brothers and sisters convincing me to ride my first rollercoaster - the wooden one. It awakened a passion! But also, it must be noted that after having me go on "the enterprise" at least 4 times in a row (think super speed capsuled ferris wheel?) I subsequently managed to get sick on the kiddie airplane ride (think Dumbo). I never went on Dumbo again to this day!

 

[tink too]

We visited Circus World in 1980, too. I remember that I got my face painted, took an elephant ride, played in a giant ball pit and went to see the 3-ring circus.

I was impressed that the lion tamer was from the UK, too and that he stuck his head inside a lion's mouth.