Characters wear In Ear communication?

[Mrs D]

I am making photobooks for Christmas and am going through my photopass pics. I have a pic with Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen and his head is turned in a way that I believe he's wearing an in-ear monitor.

Has anyone else ever noticed this?

Wonder what they are being told? Maybe shift changes?

I'm a former sound engineer and can't believe I've never noticed this before. I guess you learn something new every day.

 

[barbiecruiser]

are you sure it was that or could it have been a hearing aid type of device?

 

[TheAceOfAces]

are you sure it was that or could it have been a hearing aid type of device?

That was my first thought upon reading this, but then I wonder if hearing aids would be allowed for face characters. I haven't read anything like that in the Disney Look rules, but it wouldn't surprise me. (Kind of like how things like casts aren't allowed on CMs in onstage roles, even though that isn't mentioned in the rules either.) Does anyone who works there know for sure? I'm quite curious now...

 

[Oglet]

Characters get their end of set indications and notifications from their attendants. The attendant waits until 5 minutes before the end of the set and gives them a 5 minute indication, in the case of a longer line they will cut the line which also gives the characters a good indication that time is coming which is usually followed by a subtle signal.

"Okay Mickey, this is your last family and then we are going to go have a slice of cheesecake"

"Goofy, In about 5 minutes you can go check on max" etc etc

Sometimes its as simple as just showing the Character 5 fingers.

Never heard of any ear pieces being used.

 

[Mrs D]

Ok, posting pic now!

 

[mdsoccermom]

That looks like it could be a hearing aid.

 

[alice99]

That was my first thought upon reading this, but then I wonder if hearing aids would be allowed for face characters. I haven't read anything like that in the Disney Look rules, but it wouldn't surprise me. (Kind of like how things like casts aren't allowed on CMs in onstage roles, even though that isn't mentioned in the rules either.) Does anyone who works there know for sure? I'm quite curious now...

They wouldn't be allowed to exclude him based on his hearing aid.... it's illegal. Americans with disabilities Act would prevent this type of discrimination.

 

[stargazertechie]

That was my first thought upon reading this, but then I wonder if hearing aids would be allowed for face characters. I haven't read anything like that in the Disney Look rules, but it wouldn't surprise me. (Kind of like how things like casts aren't allowed on CMs in onstage roles, even though that isn't mentioned in the rules either.) Does anyone who works there know for sure? I'm quite curious now...

Casts are totally different from hearing aids. Permanent hearing loss is a disability covered under the ADA. A broken arm/leg is NOT

 

[Robo]

If he does wear that earpiece all the time, imagine how many little kids ask him all day, every day...

"What's THAT?"

(Kids are so literal and to-the-point.)

 

[Robo]

A note about the "disabilities" issue.

"Casting" is a bit of unique category in hiring.

They can generally more easily "discriminate" in choices of CM's for key roles.

A very obvious situation in "fuzzy" characters is that they generally need to be capable of walking and standing,
and... Donald Duck can't be played by a 6-foot/10-inch college basketball player.
(Disney also would not be "obligated" to hire that same kid to play Princess Tiana.)

The courts have even found in favor of "discriminating" between the sexes in certain other aspects.
The famous case of guys suing to become "Hooter's Girl's" comes to mind.

 

[mrsz06]

That looks like a hearing aid to me.

 

[mariepapa]

I don't think it is a hearing aid, Princess Tiana seems to be wearing one as is the other woman.

 

[sam_gordon]

All three of them look like they have "it". My two guesses...

1) Just to clarify, this is a meet and greet, right? I was thinking if this was a stage show (or anything else where sound reinforcement is used) they could be using in ear monitoring.
2) Ear plugs? Was it noisy (ie: lots of kids or anything else)? Maybe just something to kill part of the noise.

 

[+Rosetta+]

Since all three, to a degree, have a similar look to the ears, it seems like it could just be a weird flash effect. If you look at Naveen's ear really closely it looks like it's indented not covered.

Amazing photo btw, love it so much

 

[chartle]

OK is the woman is the pic you or someone in your group? Or is this just some random pic that landed in your account?

Because this doesn't look like a M&G but some sort of stage show where they are all wearing ear monitors.

The only weird thing is that the woman in the middle doesn't seem to be wearing enough make up, like she is someone pulled from the audience and dressed up. And if she was a guest why is she wearing an ear monitor?

 

[Capt. Barbosa]

Stage show is my thought also, I think the woman in the center is Momma Odie. In that case the ear pieces would make total sense.

 

[Amber Leigh]

Okay. First off, this IS them at their meet and greet location at MK. The woman in the middle is a guest. Wiether she was with the original poster or not, only they can answer but Mama Odie does not appear in the parks. Period.

Now, COULD it be some kind of hearing aid device? Maybe about 5% chance, BUT I REALLY think the much more likely and logical explination here is that it is an optical illusion caused by some kind of strange light and shadow effect in the location and the camera in use. It's taken pictures are this location and night and their lighting is really kinda odd. I've see the same effect in pictures before.

 

[Mrs D]

Oh, I'm so excited about all the responses!

Mama Odie is my Mom and this is the meet & greet during MNSSHP. So, my Mom is not wearing any type of hearing aid and does not have anything in her ear.

In closer inspection of the photos it may actually be a "shiny" inner ear that is illuminated with the camera flash.

 

[joy13]

Oh, I'm so excited about all the responses!

Mama Odie is my Mom and this is the meet & greet during MNSSHP. So, my Mom is not wearing any type of hearing aid and does not have anything in her ear.

In closer inspection of the photos it may actually be a "shiny" inner ear that is illuminated with the camera flash.

I think you are right - because it looks like your Mom has one too. I love her costume!

 

[GiGi30]

OK is the woman is the pic you or someone in your group? Or is this just some random pic that landed in your account?

Because this doesn't look like a M&G but some sort of stage show where they are all wearing ear monitors.

The only weird thing is that the woman in the middle doesn't seem to be wearing enough make up, like she is someone pulled from the audience and dressed up. And if she was a guest why is she wearing an ear monitor?

I just finished a PhotoPass book with our pictures. When you are making your book, you have the option to use stock photos taken by WDW to add to your book. Maybe that's it?