Disneyland 1955 #1

Scan10453, originally uploaded by bucklesw1. Of all the tales John Herriott and I have swapped over the past 54 years, those of the Gil Gray Circus at Disneyland remain among my favorites. Mr. Disney needed a showcase for the very popular Mouseketeers during the Christmas season of 1955 and decided to do a show with a circus theme. I remember rumors at the time of the various circuses that claimed to have the date sewed up but Mr. Gray was the man with the connections.. John was there from the beginning when the first Disney people scouted the show, then the trip to California, the creation of jobs for people who weren't used in the performance and moving into the prearranged big top and menagerie tents. The adventures and misadventures in the Enchanted Kingdom and ultimately the long drive back to reality at winter quarters behind the "Dipping Vat Bar" in San Angelo, Texas. So without further ado, I will now turn the microphone over to Col. John Herriott.