Anna and Elsa actresses

[cfriend416]

Random question. Do they have more than one set of actresses playing Anna and Elsa at the meet and greet in MK? They must, right? Those poor women can't be working 7 days a week! I was just curious, because all the pictures I've seen have been the same two women.

Along the same lines, how often do they switch out the actors for face characters during the day? I imagine not as often as the characters in full body costumes because the risk of over heating isn't as high.

 

[mesaboy2]

Random question. Do they have more than one set of actresses playing Anna and Elsa at the meet and greet in MK? They must, right? Those poor women can't be working 7 days a week! I was just curious, because all the pictures I've seen have been the same two women.

Along the same lines, how often do they switch out the actors for face characters during the day? I imagine not as often as the characters in full body costumes because the risk of over heating isn't as high.

There are many "friends" of all characters, including A&E of course.

 

[LilyWDW]

There is only one Anna and Elsa! Right?

They are called "friends" of a character. And Anna and Elsa have multiple friends. I know one.

 

[mm522]

I believe they rotate every half hour or 40 minutes? Honestly I'm not quite sure how long set times are for face characters at the indoor locations. I know outside face characters can meet up to 40 minutes usually with a 20 minute break, not sure about the indoor locations though.

 

[Bluegrrl]

Also, some friends of the face can (and are expected) to go fur as well!

That's the first thing they tell you when you are auditioning - A friend may be Cindy one day and Pluto the next day. A guy could be Prince Charming one day, and Goofy the next! Of course, I know a lot of Prince Charmings who are also Goofy guys in real-life!

 

[OhThePain]

For what it's worth, while talking with our tour guide in April on the UNdiscovered Future World tour, she told us that they are having a very tough time casting Elsa. I don't know if that is still the case or not.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Their union requires that the friends get breaks...therefore there has to be another set of friends to rotate in for them in order to keep the lines moving (they move at a glacial pace already, imagine them having to stand for 20 minutes while the friends take their break.)

 

[Bluegrrl]

If they are having trouble casting Elsa, I can sort of see why. I've been to auditions, and noticed that Disney looks for a certain "type". The have an abundance of shortish, cute, and bubbly girls on staff already. That's perfect for Anna. Elsa is taller (Princesses are normally 5'5/5'6), and more regal (?) and older looking. Disney management may not think about looking for that in a girl. Most girls who audition, they are looking for the bubbly cute young ones, not the taller older regal ones.

If that makes sense.

 

[AngiTN]

Not only are there more than one set of friends there are more than one set working on any given day. Disney uses lots of magic to move as many guests as possible through. I suspect the addition of nighttime meets means they finished training the latest batch of friends.

For what it's worth, while talking with our tour guide in April on the UNdiscovered Future World tour, she told us that they are having a very tough time casting Elsa. I don't know if that is still the case or not.

They had similar problems casting Merida.

 

[beakerz]

Their union requires that the friends get breaks...therefore there has to be another set of friends to rotate in for them in order to keep the lines moving (they move at a glacial pace already, imagine them having to stand for 20 minutes while the friends take their break.)

I see what you did there

 

[cfriend416]

Thanks everyone! That's interesting info!

 

[L&Lfan]

I know someone who is a friend of Snow White and Alice. It's all in the make-up and styling!

 

[katt789]

Anna & Elsa do have a fair amount of "friends" made now.
It was an extreme struggle to cast them, they began audition including them back in Sept, and are still doing them in every posted audition (up to the end of the month is currently posted). They've also pulled from people internally as well, but still needed to get them trained up and ready to go.

The auditions themselves, well they can have up to 500 girls there, and come down to the end, only around 5 or so might get fit, and after that, comes the hiring process which not all of those 5 might make it to. It also depends on their schedule, I know a new friend of Anna's who was casted a few months ago but doesn't start til later this month.

Also in wdw, everyone in the "general entertainment" area does fur. The roles that are separate are "equity" roles such as the dancers in the castle show, tumble monkeys, vocalists, the roaming improvers, etc.

But! Magic has been making it work to make sure Anna & Elsa are seeing guests as frequently as they can, and long hours, those are included! A friend of Elsa's worked a span of something like 23 hours between 9am May 23 and park close on the 24th! She wasn't just hanging with the queen either!