Last year, we got to meet the "Zingmaster" ahead of time and were ushered into our seats through a VIP entrance. This year, we picked up our tickets at the will-call and entered along with the other families attending.

This wouldn't seem to be a big deal - because after all, I'm not so spoiled as to believe I require a special entrance - but it meant that my experience walking towards the attraction was much different. You see, the animal cruelty people were out en masse. It was uncomfortable. I know they want us to feel uncomfortable, but perhaps they don't realize the impact they have on kids. After all, they advocate not traumatizing animals, and yet they wish to traumatize children?

A few of them had been outside the "behind-the-scenes" animal show last year, and I remember wondering what good it does to show off whips and chains to toddlers. This year, it was the sheer quantity of people holding signs, yelling "Elephants Never Forget!" and shoving "Animals Belong in the Jungle" coloring books into children's hands that made me uneasy. There were even a few kids in on the action, yelling about how cruel it is for us to view animals at their expense.

I mentioned it last year, and I'll mention it again: Ringling Bros. has a Center for Elephant Conservation and has published an Animal FAQ in order to reassure patrons that the animals are being well taken-care of with the highest standards. While I cannot say for certain that what they say is true, I would hope they are being honest.

Once inside the arena, I breathed a sigh of relief. My oldest son definitely had some questions about why the protesters had gathered outside, but his attention soon shifted to wanting a hot dog. Those difficult issues will wait for another time - treatment of animals is certainly an important topic.

The show itself was different than last year because most of the acts were new. We hadn't seen a strong man, a cage of motorcycles, or neon-covered gymnasts bouncing on trampolines last year. We hadn't seen quite as extensive a trapeze act, nor did we see a baby elephant. The music and theme were very different than last year. In other words, just because you saw the circus last year does not mean you've seen Funundrum. My boys were captivated by all the acts and weren't bored in the least. At times they wondered when intermission would come because they hoped to seek out Dippin' Dots, but they didn't beg to go home.

Funundrum incorporates various screens in their show. And, of course, the action exists simultaneously in different sections of the arena, so something is always viewable, even if you have a child in front of you who keeps standing up. (Or, adults in front of you that keep standing up seemingly believing they exist in their own bubble.) One child in back of me smeared his snot on my hair after kicking my head several times, but that is no reflection of Ringling Bros. themselves. Despite the natural "kid-factor" that occurs at events like this, it was still a very fun performance.

Realistically, it is a long show. I saw many families leave at intermission. But - my six-year old and nine-year old handled the experience fine. (I was relieved that they weren't the ones jumping, kicking, or shrieking. Although they can get impudent as they age, those small-kid worries are thankfully out of the way.) My boys are looking forward to finding out what the next show will be like.

The circus is still in town, so If you are interested in bringing your family, hop on over to my other post for a Fundundrum discount code.

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Disclaimer: FELD Entertainment gave me tickets so that my family and I could see the show. I paid for parking ($20), food ($56), and souvenirs ($35) on my own dollar. Of course, you wouldn't have to eat as much as we did or purchase an elephant plush toy and a human cannonball apparatus. The words above are my own; FELD did not see or edit this post prior to its publication. I will receive no further compensation for posting about this event.