Circus Fantasy Parade begins on Saturday, January 25, 1986. It was a seasonal special event, the first of several of this type of event, held to boost park attendance through the promotion of specially themed shows and live in park entertainment offerings staged throughout the park daily. Included elephants, clowns high-wire act stilt walkers, motorcycle daredevils. The Wheel of Destiny was a high-powered circus thrill performed by the Ivanhoe Family in front of It's A Small World.There was a heart-stopping "Globe of Death" featuring two motorcyclists, while the spine-tingling Astro Skycycle races to the top of the Matterhorn while precariously balancing on a thin cable.Disney executives thought it would be good idea to have a special event at Disneyland during the off season so Main Street USA and the Central Plaza were turned into a circus. Circus Fantasy Parade had clowns and wild animals along with various acts of skill featuring real circus performers.

Circus Fantasy was designed to drum up ticket sales and excitement during the park’s slowest season the period between holiday celebrations ending and summertime crowds rolling in. The show ran seasonally (usually from January to May) disappearing when the park got busy again in the late spring. Unlike the parades, Circus Fantasy featured professional circus performers, rather than training cast members to perform all of the roles. Circus Fantasy included 3 different show elements: a stage show, a parade, and a Main Street show.