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Photo Memories: Walt Disney World's 15th Anniversary – Epcot Center's Daredevil Circus Spectacular!

Hi everyone!

It all started last week when a good friend of mine asked me the following question: “Jeff, did you ever hear of elephants performing at Epcot Center? A friend of mine told me about it, but I don’t remember anything like that in over 30 years of visiting Walt Disney World and couldn’t imagine it was true”. I instantly knew they were thinking of “Epcot Center’s Daredevil Circus Spectacular“. Keep reading after the photos for a full description of this amazing part of Epcot Center history!

(below) A rare photo of the Fountain Stage being readied for the upcoming show.

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(Below) The entrance topiary featuring the parade of Pachyderms.

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(Below left) A parade of Elephant-like “Martian Mastodons” approach the fountain stage. (below right) A live band plays along as the Elephants and acrobats perform “spine-tingling” acts.

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(Below left) Communicore is transformed into a “Spacearena” as a double-trapeze act is performed. (Below right) The most amazing part of all this to me was the “Space Cycles” riding along wires connected from both Communicores to the center of Spaceship Earth!

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(Below) It was the most incredible thing to see motorcycles driving high in the air on thin-looking wires.  I remember thinking that they actually touched Spaceship Earth (although they probably did not).

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(Below) My last photo showing both “Space Cycles” (with girls hanging below them) speeding high above Future World towards Spaceship Earth!

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Walt Disney World’s 15th Anniversary Celebration:

Back in the fall of 1996, Walt Disney World was beginning it’s 15th Anniversary Celebration and held a big kickoff press event. The press kit (below left) touted all the special events planned for the upcoming year including: The Bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution featuring The Magic Kingdom’s “Star-Spangled Salute” and “All American Parade“, the 15th Anniversary Gift-Giver (where you could win a new Chevrolet on “Birthday Bonanza Weekends“) and more!

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(photo above & text below ©1986 The Walt Disney Company)

I found the most intriguing event the celebration promised to be “Epcot Center’s Daredevil Circus Spectacular“. To fully understand why it captured my imagination, please read the excerpt from the press release below. It sounded unbelievable to me that this was actually going to happen!

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It is still incredible that this actually happened and I am glad to have found the photos and information to remember this amazing part of Epcot Center history!

Epcot Center Historical DVDs – Available Now:

In keeping with the vintage Epcot Center mood of today’s update, I present my Epcot Center 25th Anniversary Collection to relive these wonderful memories or experience them for the first time!

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Click on any cover for more information

Click HERE for more information or to browse all of my Epcot Center DVDs including the 25th Anniversary series!

As always, if you want to request a future DVD idea, Photo Memory topic or comment on anything, just drop me a line at suggestions@JeffLangeDVD.com.