Character Attendant?

[IdobelieveinDisney]

I have yet to come across any in depth info on what it's like being a character attendant. It's one of my top three picks so I'd really like to hear of someone's experience and opinions please!

 

[lperc]

I'm a Character Attendant right now, so if you have any questions, I can do my best to answer them! :]

 

[DoYouBelieveInMagic]

I was curious how much Character attendants earn? I have heard a lot about the other roles but I haven't heard anything about this one, and I think this is my first choice.

My phone interview is tomorrow morning I'm so excited!!!

 

[lperc]

I make $7.67. Which is what just about everyone else in the CP makes. Definitely don't expect to get paid much, no matter what your job is. I think there are a few that pay more, like Photopass Photographer. And I think the people who work on Main Street get paid more than everyone else, but that's because their schedules are a nightmare.

Good luck on your phone interview! If nothing else, make sure to smile because they can hear that through your voice! :]

 

[khancock]

Character Attendant video on the CP youtube channel:
http://youtu.be/z4qfRLASKvc

 

[Rayvnn]

My phone interview is tomorrow morning I'm so excited!!!

Good Luck!

Leslie

 

[ixDreamxofxDisney]

I would LOVE to be a character attendant! It looks like so much fun! Any phone interview tips for this role? What sort of prior experience do they look for when casting for this role? My current job is as an usher at the local concert/show venue in my town (a pretty big place, actually) and I've had a previous job as a horseback trail guide giving spiels to the guests and what not. Do you think these would help my chances?

 

[lperc]

I would LOVE to be a character attendant! It looks like so much fun! Any phone interview tips for this role? What sort of prior experience do they look for when casting for this role? My current job is as an usher at the local concert/show venue in my town (a pretty big place, actually) and I've had a previous job as a horseback trail guide giving spiels to the guests and what not. Do you think these would help my chances?

It is really fun actually. :]

As far as the interview goes, I would say just tell them it's your number one choice. I think it's important to be strong in your convictions here, because I know of a few people who the interviewers tried to convince to do something else. Be polite about it though! They didn't really ask me a whole lot about prior experience, but I was a camp counselor for years, so I'm sure that helped. Spieling is actually not that big a part of this job, surprisingly enough. You really just need to be good at striking up conversations, so you can't be shy. And multi-tasking, but they don't really talk about that in the interview. I would say just tell them it's what you really want to do more than anything else.

 

[ixDreamxofxDisney]

Thanks! I'll let my interviewer know that character attendant is my number one choice. I just hope I don't come off too picky and not open to trying other roles... I'd take another role if it was the only way I could do the DCP, but I think telling them that would be enough to put me into that role, and not the one I really want. Oh well, hopefully I'll at least get one of my top 3

 

[Joanna71985]

I did CA on 2 CPs, and am still proficient (picking up shifts on my days off). It is so much fun! I love getting to interact with the characters and the guests

 

[ktseitz5]

Hey ixDreamxofxDisney! Remember me? lol I hope you read this before your interview, but if not, I hope this helps anyone else looking for this advice.

I applied again and had my phone interview two Thursday's ago (Jan. 27) and my number one choice was Character Attendant too! Here are some of the questions my interview lady asked me:

1) What do you think is the most important thing to being a Character Attendant? (Like, imagine if you were one, what adivce would you give to a new CA?)

I said things along the lines of, you have to be able to understand your character by reading their body language. You'll have to be a quick thinker for when your character has to leave and expect questions from children like, "WHY?!"

2) Imagine you were the Character Attendant for Mickey Mouse, and the line was getting longer and longer, but Mickey had to go offstage. What would you tell your guests?*

Quick advice for this question, the characters have strict time-schedules that they have to keep so that Mickey isn't on Main Street while a different Mickey is performing in front of the Castle. So it's important that he gets "off-stage" in time to keep the magic alive. So your answer should involve something along the lines of, "Mickey would have to go, no matter what, but I could explain to the rest of the guests that Mickey will be back and give them specific times and the specific place he'll be at that time." (or something along those lines.)


3) Do you have any experience in theater, like being a backstage manager? Did you prefer being backstage or a performer? Why?

This one was asked of me because I did happen to perform with a theater group for nine years and I've done over 15 stage performances with shows lasting two to three weekends. So I'm guessing the experience I've had with being a backstage manager is the fact that I have told performers when to go on and off stage, any changes that have been made, etc.


Another thing to keep in mind is that a character attendant is basically the bearer of bad news. They present the character and everything is fine and dandy, but when you have a particularly popular character, you'll have to tell the guests that the character has to leave and there are NO exceptions. You can't let "one more" guest because then it is seen as "Well, you let them through, why not me?" and that just sounds like a mess. And often times there is a language barrier so, all that guest understands is there is someone preventing them from seeing their "all-time favorite character." So, in that aspect, it's kinda scary. But then again, you get to see the smiles on people's faces when they finally do see the character, you get to interact with the little princesses and pirates seeing their heros and I think that, for me, would get me through the "bad" things.

But keep in mind that this is just me thinking about the role and I haven't actually expereinced this for myself, so feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. I'm just super excited.

I hope this helps!

 

[DISshopkeeper]

H


Another thing to keep in mind is that a character attendant is basically the bearer of bad news. They present the character and everything is fine and dandy, but when you have a particularly popular character, you'll have to tell the guests that the character has to leave and there are NO exceptions. You can't let "one more" guest because then it is seen as "Well, you let them through, why not me?" and that just sounds like a mess. And often times there is a language barrier so, all that guest understands is there is someone preventing them from seeing their "all-time favorite character." So, in that aspect, it's kinda scary. But then again, you get to see the smiles on people's faces when they finally do see the character, you get to interact with the little princesses and pirates seeing their heros and I think that, for me, would get me through the "bad" things.

But keep in mind that this is just me thinking about the role and I haven't actually expereinced this for myself, so feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. I'm just super excited.

I hope this helps!

DD is a Character Attendant this semester and she struggles with the guest's anger when she has to cut off a line. People have been mean...

But it's not often! And she IS loving it on the whole!!

 

[themermaidgirl]

DD is a Character Attendant this semester and she struggles with the guest's anger when she has to cut off a line. People have been mean...

But it's not often! And she IS loving it on the whole!!

This is a big one. I've been a Character Attendant (not for Disney) and I've had people be very aggressive to get their pictures, and when I've taken my friend backstage, I've had one girl even throw her flipflops at us because she wanted that picture, but we had no choice. Even had a man get very mean and say that it was his right as a paying customer to have his son meet the character, and that I should be ashamed of myself.
Tough skin can get very necessary, and never take it personally. The magical moments far outweigh the wicked ones.

 

[DISshopkeeper]

This is a big one. I've been a Character Attendant (not for Disney) and I've had people be very aggressive to get their pictures, and when I've taken my friend backstage, I've had one girl even throw her flipflops at us because she wanted that picture, but we had no choice. Even had a man get very mean and say that it was his right as a paying customer to have his son meet the character, and that I should be ashamed of myself.
Tough skin can get very necessary, and never take it personally. The magical moments far outweigh the wicked ones.

Yes, and she has some thin skin, always has. Limiting the picture taking time can be challenging too. You know when people want this kid, then that one. Then the whole family, etc. She's finding it to be quite a challenge.

 

[Joanna71985]

I can definitely agree that the good moments outweigh the bad. In 6 years, I can count on one hand the number of times I've had really nasty guests when the line closed