Bring in the Clowns

[HauntedGabe]

Nice thread. However, my 6 year old twins were VERY DISAPPOINTED by the storybook area in mid November (yes, I know it was before the FLE officially opened) when they were going to a fantasy circus and there were no clowns. They had been creeped out by clowns in the past just like my wife and I but the boys were also freaked out by animatronics until they experienced them in a comfortable setting with us at WDW. Things seem scary and creepy until you are exposed to them in a comfortable situation (i.e. Haunted Mansion).

Should clowns be there? Sure. My kids are so freaked out by parades (due to loud sirens/marching bands) that we had to plead with them just to watch the parade on Main Street from a distance. So should we get rid of the parades because they freak out some people? No. Something for everyone.

Now that I've beat this topic of yes or no on clowns into the ground. Lets look at the clowns from a different angle. Will they have their own clown car?

I appreciate trying to make kids comfortable to experience new things. I did it with mine in WDW too. My DD unlike my son didn't care for characters, so we let son do it and didn't plead or force her to do it. I think there is a good chunk of society that doesn't have good memories of clowns as a child as you stated and so did many others on the thread. I think it is a leap to compare parade noise and fear of clowns, apple and oranges, some people hate rollercoasters but I don't think that is the same discussion as clowns. My son too had issues with noise, we watched fireworks at Disney from outside the park, I wouldn't have pleaded with him to endure it, not my parenting style I guess. When my youngest, DD was trying to work up nerve to ride Space, 3 times we took the chicken exit, her call and I respected that.

[Mo Noyz]

I'm not really comprehending the "John Wayne Gacy Tribute" dialog posted here.

Are you serious?!

Guess you could take it up with the person who first brought it up:

Saw that comment coming.

Maybe a tribute for the most famous clown in our countries history, the infamous John Wayne Gacy who was Pogo the clown.

[HauntedGabe]

Are you serious?!

Guess you could take it up with the person who first brought it up:

Like i said, I'm not going to flip to the clown loving side.

I can't wrap my head around the support of clowns by people who admit clowns freaked them out as kiddies. Interesting.

[Mo Noyz]

Then why did you make that statement about Gacy?

[HauntedGabe]

As I thought about it and looked back to the context I said that in, I have horrid memories of clowns. It was sarcasm I wasn't trying to find a Disney World Tribute to a child killer more why many of my generation and from my region are creeped out by clowns.

[HauntedGabe]

Equally curious, if clowns freaked you out as a kid why are you fond of clowns in the kiddie area?

[Mo Noyz]

I never said I was "fond" of it. That's a false narrative you've created.

I just said I don't find it outrageous.

[HauntedGabe]

Ok, stand corrected you are not fond of the clowns.

If they had to introduce clowns at this point I wish they were in the form of the balance of circus, concrete and plastic, like Dumbo and the splash area. If there was to be Live! entertainment I would have preferred the acrobats in a tent like they have at circuses.

[Mo Noyz]

Yeah, I agree with that.

Have you seen the videos of the clowns yet? It's actually more slapstick than anything.

It works, IMO.

As much as it could in that environment, anyway...

[HauntedGabe]

I've seen it. I don't know that it is what they do or say, I think it is their overall frightening way they appear to children especially up close, there is not a lot of wiggle room in Storybook and I was there in an off season time. I think little kids would be equally afraid of KISS.

Depending on where their skits are set up you might have to do some creative moves to avoid them if your kids are afraid. To me, I toured Storybook and aside from boarding or exiting a train or visiting the humongous restroom, the bonus of that land, I can't see me spending any time in there again which is OK, the kiddies got their replacement for Toon and Dumbo is out of the middle of the walkway. Another bonus.

[supernova]

Hahahaha...

I wondered what they would replace the Ed Gein sequence with.

Can't wait to see it next week!

Enjoy your trip. I won't be there until next month.

[Mo Noyz]

Thanks, brother.

Our first day is Thursday. Christmas Party Friday, then Saturday and Sunday before driving down to our old hometown Christmas Eve.

Should be a fun trip.

[supernova]

Thanks, brother.

Our first day is Thursday. Christmas Party Friday, then Saturday and Sunday before driving down to our old hometown Christmas Eve.

Should be a fun trip.

No need to rub it in. This is the first year that I'm skipping Disney for Christmas. As much trouble as my wife gives me for making the same trip every year, she's a bit sad that we weren't going for the holidays this time around. This stupid move really has eaten up so much of our time. Enjoy!

[Mo Noyz]

Whine, whine, whine...

Hey, this is the first time we've been there for Christmas since 2006!

Though we wised up and are going on the days leading up to, rather than the week between Christmas and New Years...

That was a borderline nightmare.

[supernova]

Next week will be a rough one with crowds, but then again maybe not. Hopefully more people will use their kids' break week and go the following week, leaving the parks somewhat empty for you this week.