Character Performer

[Sehsun]

For the longest time, I have had a desire to work in the WDW College Program. I am really interested in the "Character Performer" role. My friend had this role when he interned at Disney for a year, and he told me about it. From hearing about his experience, I think I might enjoy this kind of role. I love the idea of being able to take pictures with park guests, interacts with them, and sign autographs. I do know that it is physically tiring and a lot of work, but I still want to do it.

I was wondering if anyone here had been a Character Performer, and if so, did you enjoy it? What were the pros and cons of having this role? Any advice or comments would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

[donkeyboy8]

I've never been a character performer at WDW....yet. But, I have been the mascot for my high school, which is similar, right?

Here are the cons first:
-Hot inside the costume
-When a kid is shy or afraid of you, it's a big get-you-downer (for me anyway. The silver lining is that it all works out in the end.)
-Walking around and doing dances is pretty tiring (for me anyway. I'm not very athletic.)

Pros:
-It is very rewarding.
-The crowd loves you.
-Kids can be pretty awesome, and funny.

I really want to be a character performer too! I found a website for the Disney College Program in case your interested:

http://www.wdwcollegeprogram.com/sap/its/mimes/zh_wdwcp/students/role_descr/entertainment.html

[teh fish]

Sehsun,

I'm currently in entertainment and worked in operations before I transfered during my CP, so I know a bit about the pros and cons of both.

I love being in entertainment but still pick up those operations shifts to get away from it. Seriously, it's like any other job; you'll love it and hate it.

Pros include: long and more frequent breaks, hour lunch, making kids laugh and smile, and being on the opposite end then when I was a kid.

Cons include: being scheduled anywhere and harder to work with the same people to get to know them, sweating constantly, and having to deal with overly rambunctious kids.

[Sehsun]

donkeyboy8, thank you for your reply. That's cool that you got to be a mascot for your high school! What a great experience if you do become a character performer at WDW. I have thought about the fact that some kids will be afraid or shy as a downside, but if I ran into that situation, I would deal with it the best I can and not take it personally. Btw, I love the Eeyore part of your signature. :thumbsup2

teh fish, thank you for your reply as well. I absolutely love the pros you listed, esp. the long lunch break - I eat v...e...r...y slowly, haha. The cons listed do not seem terrible, either. The last two cons sounds like what I went through in Belize (mission trip) when we were holding VBS for the kids. ;) We were constantly sweating and working with a lot of energetic kids, and it was a lot......but in the end, their smiles and hugs made it all worth it.

Again, thank you both for your replies!

[donkeyboy8]

Thanks for the siggy compliment. I found a site dedicated to eeyore that has his most memorable quotes on it. I change it every so often. Anyway, I first thought that I'd like to be Pluto, Eeyore, or Mickey. But, I'm 6 foot tall, so I think I would have to be Tigger, Goofy, or Baloo which are cool characters. Which character(s) do you want to be?

[Joanna71985]

I'm currently a character attendant, but I really want to be a character performer. I don't care about the heat or the costume. I just like making people happy. Unfortunately I am chipmunk height, so it may be awhile before that happens. I've auditioned 2 times already, and plan on auditioning again at the end of my CP. And I probably will also audition again for the summer alumni program next summer. But hopefully it will happen someday.

[princessgirl2238]

i am currently in entertainment (we are actually told to not say character performer or "best friends with")- i absolutely love it! i've been down here for about a month now and yes there are a few downsides such as really hot weather and guest that are scared of you, but you are trained to deal with all situations; the best time to go down and train/start working in entertainment is the fall advantage or fall programs- you get use to working in the really hot weather so when it starts to cool down, it's a really easy day :), and the upside to entertainment is all the fun you have while doing it! it's is so amazing to see all the guests get excited to meet you!

[alabamagirl]

Hi! I am probably an old foogie (24) to yall but I thought I would reply to your post. Three years ago I went down to do my CP as a quick service food and beverage CM. Well long story short, they asked me to audition and I did and I got transferred out of the QSFB and into a character performer role before I had even started. It was great, my dreams were coming true! Then they told me that I could be a face character as Wendy Darling, and I was :cloud9: .

However, the training was extensive and they put me in the Oasis at AK for almost 2 months solid. It was HOT! I am talking about pass out from the heat, hot. The upside to this is that the hotter it is outside the shorter your sets are. If I am not mistaken I think we only 15-20 minutes sets when it was extremely hot. Also, if you get a face character role, it takes them forever to schedule your training. I was only there for 5 months and I only got to be Wendy for 2 of them because it took so long. Also, fur characters take A LOT of abuse, mostly from teenagers who think they are trying to be cool (no offense to anyone, I know that not all teenagers act this way).

Like everyone else has said there are downsides, but when you see those little kids faces light up and you know that it has made their day just to see you, you forget how hot and tired you are and enjoy the moment.

Follow your dreams!!!! It is one of those once in a lifetime experiences and I will never forget it.

[donkeyboy8]

Thanks for the siggy compliment Sehsun. I found a site dedicated to eeyore that has his most memorable quotes on it. I change it every so often.

Anyway, I first thought that I'd like to be Eeyore, Pluto, or Mickey. But, I'm 6 foot tall, so I think I would have to be Tigger, Goofy, or Baloo which are cool characters. Which character(s) do you guys want to be?

[Sehsun]

I think I'd want to be any character they ask me to be....hopefully it would be a character that I know of! I know they give "special consideration" to people who are 4' 8" - 5' and 6' - 6' 3". I am 5'1" though.....

Thank you so much for your thoughts and advice!! It is all very helpful. I am really, really interested in this role now. Working for the CP sounds like an opportunity that I will never be able to get again.

[Joanna71985]

I would love to be Chip and Dale, which is good because at 5'2 1/2" I am in the chipmunk height range.

[donkeyboy8]

Hey, Joanna71985. You seem to know a lot about this stuff. Tell me. Just out of curiosity, how old do you have to get before they tell you you can't be a character anymore? What age group are the characters? I know they are primarily college-age people, but are there people who have stuck around to being a character for the long-haul?

[Joanna71985]

I don't think there's an age limit. I know plenty of adults who are still character performers. That's good, because I hope to be a character performer for awhile.

[princessgirl2238]

i actually am working in that area right now, i've worked with many older people (one is actually 65 yrd!), many of the older people tend to work half character and half attendent- cause the job does take a toll on you. the summers are the hardest- i had a set today that felt as if i would die from the heat and it was out in direct sun- but in this role, you've gotta take the good with the bad- it might be really hard, but the look on the guests' faces are priceless, you actually create the the magic by bringing storybook characters alive!

[Diva Upanova]

I don't think there's an age limit. I know plenty of adults who are still character performers. That's good, because I hope to be a character performer for awhile.

Actually, the age limit for the Entertainment Dept. is 17. I've been with the Company (and more specifically in Entertainment) for 2 years now. My best friend is a big yellow dog :) I absolutely love it, and even though it's tiring and it can get rough, I love my job more than anything in the world.

[Joanna71985]

I'm sorry. I know there is a minimum age limit. I meant I don't think there is a maximum age limit. Which is true because I know a lot of adult performers.

[Mecha Figment]

as far as i know no maximum age limit. Some of the mice are people who are in their 60's and were the origlinal mice 35 years ago back when there was only one mouse.

As you can tell i'm Entertianment as well . I'm a prety old cp 27 but i'm really doing it for the experience and i was tired of school.

To be honest I haven't touched a costume in a while, When you get specialy trained you tend to get stuck. Especialy when there are holes to fill. Don't ever get trained in puppets for the Animal kingdom parade, you'll get stuck doing that your entire casting and i've heard it's murder. I've been over at Playhouse Disney for the past 2 months and occationaly at VOLM crabing it up. And once ever blue moon I'm a big orange fuzzy bear in the DSMC parade.

[cpanagiotakos]

I have always dreamed of being Belle but im 5'6", would they still consider me- everyone tells me that I look like her and the website says that they have special consideration for animated character "look alikes" Im going to be a freshman in the fall, so it will be a year or two before I apply- but I want to make sure I do everything I can to better my chances. Im a Communications/Theatre double major- any advice on what else i should be doing?
Thanks so much
<3 Christina

[teh fish]

^there is nothing extra you can do to get a character look-alike. You walk in, stand there, and they either say "thank you," or "please see us once everyone leaves." Then again, it helps if you are already doing the entertainment role, which you would need to audition.

[Stitch1404]

So, to those of you who are characters, do you find it weird when adults want to "meet" you. I get almost as excited as my kids when I see my favorite characters and I always figure the people inside the costumes are thinking I'm pretty weird.

[Mecha Figment]

No, we find the weird people weird. Especialy those who you hear screaming TIGGER TIGGER!!! half way across the park, and then you see them chasing after them. That is taking it to far.

[Stitch1404]

No, we find the weird people weird. Especialy those who you hear screaming TIGGER TIGGER!!! half way across the park, and then you see them chasing after them. That is taking it to far.

There's no screaming coming from me, but I will admit that sometimes I hug them. Is that okay?

[Violet Crayon]

At some point after I graduate I want to give it a shot at being a character, but I have high standards of wanting to be Snow White or a princess. My current hair color and style could count for an Ariel look alike, ha.

[ThinkTink75]

I don't understand what the college CP program is? How does it work? Is it just internships within DisneyWorld? I am a DIS noob so I don't know if I am asking the wrong thread... ?

[Joanna71985]

I don't understand what the college CP program is? How does it work? Is it just internships within DisneyWorld? I am a DIS noob so I don't know if I am asking the wrong thread... ?

The CP is a paying internship between Disney and many schools around the US. You can find a lot of info at www.wdwcollegeprogram.com.

[teh fish]

I don't understand what the college CP program is? How does it work? Is it just internships within DisneyWorld? I am a DIS noob so I don't know if I am asking the wrong thread... ?

and if you're an insomniac like me, you can look through this thread: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=950034

[natty41]

I just did the CP this past spring as a very close friend of the puppy, the donkey and the space ranger, among others, and I had such a fabulous time!

I'm actually a seasonal CM now so I can get back down there and "play" when I'm off of school. ;)

Seeing kids so excited (and yes, sometimes they are deathly afraid as well) to see you is just the greatest! And I must say that sometimes the very excited adults can be great fun to play with as well. I absolutely LOVE my job and I cannot wait to get back down there! :thumbsup2

Best of luck to all who audition/are preparing to head down there!

[Mecha Figment]

if you were a space ranger then we probably meet from time to time. i spent most of my time at the studios.

[artgirl]

Okay so this is my first post ever so I hope it works :goodvibes ...but I will be leaving tomorrow for florida to do the Fall CP.(I live a long way from florida) Any last minute advice for someone in the entertainment role and is just a little bit scared? I am really excited and I can't wait to be there, but I have never done anything like this. And the last time I went to disney was for vaccation with my family. Any Advice? :wave2:

[CoolTrainerTerry]

I really would like to be Mickey or Stitch, but I think I'm a little tall to be them.

[Joanna71985]

Okay so this is my first post ever so I hope it works :goodvibes ...but I will be leaving tomorrow for florida to do the Fall CP.(I live a long way from florida) Any last minute advice for someone in the entertainment role and is just a little bit scared? I am really excited and I can't wait to be there, but I have never done anything like this. And the last time I went to disney was for vaccation with my family. Any Advice? :wave2:

Hi there. Just want to say good luck on your CP. I am currently in Disney on my own CP, until Jan. If you are going to be in entertainment, we may be working together because I am a character attendant.

[artgirl]

Thanks so much for replying...Do you like being a character attendant? I honestly don't exactly know what they do, but I have always wondered? And obviously you like the CP since you've done it once already...any good things that I should be in on or know about before I get there? :confused3

[Joanna71985]

Thanks so much for replying...Do you like being a character attendant? I honestly don't exactly know what they do, but I have always wondered? And obviously you like the CP since you've done it once already...any good things that I should be in on or know about before I get there? :confused3

Oh I love it! :cloud9: I hope to go seasonal until I can go full-time. The character attendants walk around with the characters and help them out, take pictures for people, ect. And some things to remember are to bring all the correct paperwork, make sure you can arrive as early as possible (this helps to get checked in as quickly as possible), and to only bring what is necessary. There is a Walmart nearby that you can buy everything at. So good luck! :thumbsup2

[natty41]

Okay so this is my first post ever so I hope it works :goodvibes ...but I will be leaving tomorrow for florida to do the Fall CP.(I live a long way from florida) Any last minute advice for someone in the entertainment role and is just a little bit scared? I am really excited and I can't wait to be there, but I have never done anything like this. And the last time I went to disney was for vaccation with my family. Any Advice? :wave2:

I'd say the most important thing is to have fun. It is honestly the best job in the world! It may seem difficult and challenging at first (like trying to learn AND then sign autographs with...well, um, limited appendages :teeth: ) but it'll all be alright. I'll admit that the first 20 minutes I spent in costume I had serious doubts that I could do this for 4 whole months...but as it turns out I had the greatest time doing it and I cannot wait to get back down there to work again! So, just have fun and make the most of it! Pick up extra shifts, go to the entertainment workshops they have and don't be afraid to be outgoing in your costume (well, I suppose that's kinda character dependent, but still...). Best of luck!

ps: the character attendents are kind of like our "body guards" in a way...they are very protective of us and they've got our backs. :thumbsup2

[Sehsun]

I'd say the most important thing is to have fun. It is honestly the best job in the world! It may seem difficult and challenging at first (like trying to learn AND then sign autographs with...well, um, limited appendages :teeth: ) but it'll all be alright. I'll admit that the first 20 minutes I spent in costume I had serious doubts that I could do this for 4 whole months...but as it turns out I had the greatest time doing it and I cannot wait to get back down there to work again! So, just have fun and make the most of it! Pick up extra shifts, go to the entertainment workshops they have and don't be afraid to be outgoing in your costume (well, I suppose that's kinda character dependent, but still...). Best of luck!

ps: the character attendents are kind of like our "body guards" in a way...they are very protective of us and they've got our backs. :thumbsup2

Thank you so much for your comments on being a character performer; it was really helpful and encouraging! Just reading over this confirms my thoughts that I want to do this program. :cool1:

[MousekaMaddi]

heck....I wanna do it too now....... ;)
Enjoy!!!!!!!!

[natty41]

pluto: glad I could help :eeyore: