My husband and I took my 10 year old and my 4 year old to the Piccadilly Circus in Danbury. We had a fun time. We parked in the parking garage for $3 about 1/2 an hour before show time.
The entry area of the Danbury Ice Arena was set up with food and souvenirs. Once you were admitted with your tickets (our home- printed tickets scanned easily). The VIP seats are set up right around the ring of the performance. The general admission is first-come, first-served in the upper level of the arena. All of the seats have a great view and the higher level, general admission seats may offer an advantage in being a litttle quieter.
After entering the circus area, there are pony rides, an inflatable slide, face painting, a zebra to look at, and llamas and goats to feed. The petting zoo is free and you can buy feed for $2. The llamas were so excited about the food that they immediately visited anyone coming over to their enclosure.
The circus is fast-paced. The show lasts an hour and a half with a 20 minute intermission. My little guy was particularly impressed with the motorcycles in a spherical cage and the clowns. My 10 year old loved the clowns, too, but was most enthralled with the trained animals. There was a bit of magic, lots of clowning around, feats of balance and strength, a roller skating act, and rodeo-style tricks.
There were cool stunts. At one point even my husband put his hand over his eyes. Spinning metal, fire, and some "aw" cute moments.
The clown acts were very entertaining. They were longer than I have usually seen and more thoughtful. I found them clever. We enjoyed the show. It is a really good deal if you buy general admission tickets on-line and use the code "Circus" to get an adult ticket free when you buy one.
What parents should know:
As with any show, the general sound level is high. The first clown act with the car involves two loud, back-fire sounds and honking horn which can be very startling.
The pony rides and the inflatable slide, and cotton candy cost $6, the face painting cost $12. The biggest bang for you buck is feeding the aniimals for $2. If you want to stay frugal and still participate in some of the fun during the 20 minute intermission, feeding the llamas and goats may keep your kids occupied. During the intermission, the circus brings out a number of the performers to have pictures taken with guests for $10.
I saw a lot of families with toddlers. Even with the loud noises, many of the kids did well. There were a few younger kids who were startled and upset by some of the loud noises.
There are fog machines used in the show which can reach the VIP seating area. If that could be an issue for your child, sit in the general admission area.
