Storybook Circus "Giggle Gang" Clown Troupe

[Robo]

Clown Troupe debuts this week in New Fantasyland's Storybook Circus area.

Several members of the ensemble are graduates of the famed Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College.

More HERE.

 

[Shamali]

Oh no, I'm terrified of clowns! Seriously, this is a big no-no for me.

 

[estherhead]

They look so fun! I can imagine some great photo and video ops with them running amok in the new area.

 

[ghtx]

I hope they're not the clowns from Dumbo. Those guys were seriously mean.

 

[budafam]

There were a bunch of CM's outside the gift shop while we were there in October making jokes and goofing off. I wonder if that was practice for them. We found them hilarious!

 

[ktlm]

Oh no, I'm terrified of clowns! Seriously, this is a big no-no for me.

No offense, but this made me giggle! My husband has a 40 year old male cousin who is also still terrified of clowns. I don't think you are the only one out there! It seems to be a pretty common phobia.


Don't worry, unless you absolutely adore Dumbo regardless of the fact it no longer has the same feel or view as it did in the Fantasyland center, you aren't missing much. We were there last week and we are NOT at all fans of the StoryBook circus area. I understand why WDW did it. They had to find a way to save Dumbo as they had to move it for the AMAZING new Fantasyland, and it no longer fits with the Fantasyland theming at all. Really if you want to save and move the classic Dumbo ride, what other theming could they really do but Circus? So, I completely get it and appreciate that they saved Dumbo. I'm sure they knew it would be an uproar if Dumbo got the boot.

However, the Dumbo "waiting" play area is an absolute disaster. First the ride is pretty much walk on since there are two of them now and it has lost the "middle of Fantasyland luster" that pulled in so many riders (hopefully once the 7 dwarves coaster is finished and the wall comes down, there will be some better views and it might get some of that back). Second, when Dumbo is walk on, you can hear kids yelling at their parents that they want to play in the play area, not just ride the ride, and parents who are trying to just get their kids onto the ride and move on to other things. The CMs will give the parents a beeper and let the kids play even though the ride it walk on, but most parents (including us) weren't thrilled to lose their kids into a play area, that aside from a couple of cute theming things (Dumbo hanging down and some special "fireworks"), is pretty much the same type of play area you can find in some of the fast food restaurant chains or malls. Third, the play area is kind of dark and it is hard to spot your kid when they climb up in the tunnels, so we saw lots of panicked parents trying to locate their little ones, and there was a CM who was going up and finding and retrieving kids. Lucky her. They give you a beeper for the play area if you choose to go in there even when the ride is walk on and they wait probably 8 minutes or so to beep it so that the kids have time to play a little. Then, good luck dragging your kid out of the play area to ride the ride. We saw lots of parents trying to find and drag out complaining kids and screaming little ones. CMs kept coming on the loudspeaker telling people when their beeper went off they needed to exit and get on the ride, to try and convince the kids to come out when their parents were yelling at them. It was a madhouse of frustrated parents, including us. All the parents back there, including us, were talking to each other and commiserating on how much we absolutely hated that spot!

The characters back there are really cute (Minnie, Daisy, Donald, Goofy), but you will also probably find some crying kids in that area too. They made Donald a "snake charmer" with giant snakes on either side of him. We observed more than one of the really little ones who didn't want to have anything to do with Donald because they didn't want to get near the snakes. They got upset because they wanted to see him but didn't want to get near the area. We saw a couple cry. DD is 6, and well aware the snakes are fake, but even she did not want the snakes in the picture, and made me promise to crop them out before she would get near Donald. Personally, the snakes and theming are really cute, just not the best idea for a character in a section of the park primarily designed for the 5 and under crowd (Dumbo play area; Barnstormer; water play area and 4 of the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse characters. ). It is great to have the Barnstormer back up and running again though.

 

[Mousemommy1]

Yeah, I read this and I am a bit sad since I really hate clowns.

My poor kids have never been to a real circus because of me and probably won't ever unless they choose to take themselves when they are older.

They however think the clowns coming to MK is hilarious and can't wait to see mommy tortured.

 

[LucyBC80]

I HATE clowns. I hope they are not the intrusive type that follows you around trying to make you laugh or, in my case, cry.

Are they supposed to be there the whole day? I'Il have to find their schedule and visit in the off hours.

Posted from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[DisneySweetheart]

I don't do clowns. Nothing personal. I don't like them. I think they are creepy. I do not find them funny....at all. (I think it might be the John Wayne Gacy thing)

 

[Scott MC]

This is a big let-down for me. I've always hated clowns, was terrified as a child actually, and this will keep me far away from that part of the park. The idea of them running amok is the most upsetting. I'd be better if they were confined to one place I could avoid!

 

[Marthasor]

oh. wow. I'm all for carrying out the theme and all, but did you really have to bring in the clowns? I am glad they are highly educated, trained clowns, however . . . no thank you. scary.

 

[Angebee]

Hopefully, since they are highly educated (and props to Disney for recruiting from there!), the performers will be able to tell who to and not to go near. If enough guests complain about being traumatized more than entertained then their job may be cancelled.

I personally don't have a FEAR of clowns, per say, nor are they my favorite entertainers. At least the area is tucked away and there are chances to meet the Clubhouse gang at other (if not less convenient) locations in the parks. Funny enough, my mom fears the Dumbo ride more than the idea of clowns but hopefully we'll be able to give these guys a shot.

 

[kevdo]

Good news: these clowns fit in well with the theme
Bad news: I hate the theme of this area
Good news: Won't feel guilty skipping this section of the park.

 

[Shamali]

No offense, but this made me giggle! My husband has a 40 year old male cousin who is also still terrified of clowns. I don't think you are the only one out there! It seems to be a pretty common phobia.


Don't worry, unless you absolutely adore Dumbo regardless of the fact it no longer has the same feel or view as it did in the Fantasyland center, you aren't missing much.

None taken!
And unfortunately since we didn't get to ride Dumbo this summer in Disneyland Paris because of the 95 minute wait time, the only request my ds4 has made is Dumbo.. Seeing that he has PDDnos and get obsessed about certain things (2 years ago it was It's a small world, I think we've been on it at least 40 times) I'm afraid we'll have to spend a lot of time at Dumbo.
Guess I'll just send DH there, and I'll take the other kids somewhere that will not make me pee my pants!

 

[MrsDuck]

I hate this.

 

[CentralFloridian99]

Clowns scare the crap out of me, so this won't be good IMO.

 

[RayaniFoxmur]

I'm not really sure what Disney is thinking with this. Clowns don't bother me personally but I know way too many people who ARE bothered by clowns in a big way. And I know they will refuse to go back to the area, kind of like how I run past Italy in WS when the mime is out there *shutters*.

 

[DRDISNEYMD]

~LOL. I'm really surprised by the reaction in this thread, it just cracks me up. I really thought I was among the few that felt this way. I blame Steven King -- that clown in the forest ruined any chance of me ever liking a clown! I wonder if Disney researched the seedy, controversial history of the circus, before choosing to expand on this theme. With that said, I think Storybook Circus is just beautiful, and for the most part, I *think* people will embrace the clowns.

 

[estherhead]

I know an awful lot people who are freaked out by characters. That doesn't seem to stop Disney. People are terrified by heights. And small spaces. And crowds. Disney can't possibly cater to phobias. It's an impossible task.

 

[Leona Fishback]

Wow, there's a lot of deep anti-clown sentiment out there. Clowns don't appeal to me, and I know I could easily scare my husband by adopting any clowniness, but still, seems like clowns have a lot of haters.

Makes sense with the theme and I'd be surprised if Disney didn't do clowns in the least scary way possible.