Character Heights/CP Auditions

[khancock]

Where?

WDW CP site:
https://www.wdwcollegeprogram.com/sap/its/mimes/zh_wdwcp/students/role_descr/entertainment.html

 

[Joanna71985]

Awesome! Well thanks for answering a lot of my questions
Also, I have a question about heights. I am 5'6" (maybe 5'5 1/2") but if they measure me down 2 inches (like a lot of people say they do) then that means I have less of a chance of getting something, right? Because there isn't much at 5'4". From what I understand, Alice and Wendy stop at 5'3" but the princesses start at 5'5", so does that mean I don't have much of a chance? Should I stand up really tall when they measure me?

That's not always true. It's very possible for your real height to be the same as your Disney height.

 

[bellaDisneydncr]

That's not always true. It's very possible for your real height to be the same as your Disney height.

Yeah- just stand normally. You never know what heights they are looking for that day.

 

[krystina&thebeast]

i'd really love to audition for a character (fur or face) but its just the improv part that makes me too scared to try haha.

 

[symphie]

i'd really love to audition for a character (fur or face) but its just the improv part that makes me too scared to try haha.

I think that would probably be my problem too.

 

[Joanna71985]

i'd really love to audition for a character (fur or face) but its just the improv part that makes me too scared to try haha.

It's really not that bad. I've always found the animation part to be fun

 

[Kaitlyn526]

Hey! If you're going to the Austin, Tx auditions on October 17th, join this facebook group:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gi...6692291&ref=ts
I just made it (first group I've ever made too) so we could all meet and discuss auditions!

 

[Kaitlyn526]

Sorry if this is a dumb questions, but I was reading through old posts in this thread, and what are the abbreviations? FT, Pt, etc (there are a couple more I've seen)?
Thanks

 

[princesskelz]

Sorry if this is a dumb questions, but I was reading through old posts in this thread, and what are the abbreviations? FT, Pt, etc (there are a couple more I've seen)?
Thanks

FT= Full time
PT= Part time.

 

[Berlioz70]

Here are some basic acronyms...

FT - Full Time
CR or PT - Casual Regular (Part Time)
CT - Casual Temporary (Seasonal)
CP - College Program or Character Performer
DD - Darling/Disney Daughter
DS - Darling/Disney Son
DH - Darling/Disney Husband
DW - Darling/Disney Wife

 

[Kaitlyn526]

Thanks, Berlioz70! Is your name from the Aristocats? I just LOVE that movie, its one of my favorites

 

[TinkerMouse]

Hi! I have been lurking for a few days now and after reading these posts and the Alice AMA I thought up a hypothetical situation.
In WDW there are only two kinds of character performers, those that are "fur only" and those that are "fur & face" so what happens when someone like that Alice is offered a face role but is claustrophobic or can't function while wearing a full body suit & helmet in sweltering heat? Are they now rejected? Is there the slightest chance that they'd need people to be friends with that character so much that they'd let them just be face like that DL Alice? If it's WDW CP are they then reassigned to whatever roles are left over?

 

[ZeroToHero]

From my understanding, you need to be trained in fur before you are trained in face.

I don't think they'd make an exception, I think it would inconvience them too much to say "only face" when scheduling you, because you aren't giving them as many possibilities as someone else who can work both.

I could be wrong. They might be very nice about it, and work with you. But that is just my initial guess. I'll let someone who knows more give you a more concrete answer.

 

[TinkerMouse]

I don't think they'd make an exception, I think it would inconvience them too much

That's what I was thinking so that doesn't really answer my questions, though it does show that you agree so I'm not the only one leaning towards that answer.
Still, I wonder what if you are of special consideration height? 4'11" is kind of too short for mice but is Tinker Bell, and even though 6'1" is about Sulley height what if you're claustrophobic or something but look just like Prince Naveen and they need more? It makes perfect sense that they'd want people to be friends with more than one character but I've read of CP people ending up only hangin' with Pluto or only hangin' with Belle so how does that happen? More importantly, if you are CP, are you immediately reassigned to leftovers since your top 3 are probably all filled by now or do they take pity on you or are you terminated (termination seems way too extreme)?

So many questions but they're kind of all the same. I want to know...

EDIT: Also, since Mr. Smee is kind of the only recurring furry at 5'5", (making this a dead height) why do they say princesses are 5'3"-5'7" if they won't accept the 5'5" people because they can't really be any furries, which would force them to be face only which isn't allowed?

 

[ZeroToHero]

That's what I was thinking so that doesn't really answer my questions, though it does show that you agree so I'm not the only one leaning towards that answer.
Still, I wonder what if you are of special consideration height? 4'11" is kind of too short for mice but is Tinker Bell, and even though 6'1" is about Sulley height what if you're claustrophobic or something but look just like Prince Naveen and they need more? It makes perfect sense that they'd want people to be friends with more than one character but I've read of CP people ending up only hangin' with Pluto or only hangin' with Belle so how does that happen? More importantly, if you are CP, are you immediately reassigned to leftovers since your top 3 are probably all filled by now or do they take pity on you or are you terminated (termination seems way too extreme)?

So many questions but they're kind of all the same. I want to know...

EDIT: Also, since Mr. Smee is kind of the only recurring furry at 5'5", (making this a dead height) why do they say princesses are 5'3"-5'7" if they won't accept the 5'5" people because they can't really be any furries, which would force them to be face only which isn't allowed?

Haha, you're right, I didn't really answer your questions.

Let's see....

You fill out a form at the beginning of your application saying "I have read the role descriptions and am able and willing to do this role under these conditions." One of them is "Working in hot, confining, heavy costumes with limited range of vision," so if you said you'd be willing to do that, but then aren't, they might relocate you to another role. I don't know what the options they would give you would be. If you went into the interview/audition saying that you are claustrophobic, you would probably not get into Entertainment.

I don't know how hard-pressed they are for face characters, but a lot of people are very anxious to get to be one, and there is a pool of prospective candidates. Also, I don't know how many people are only face characters... I just know that people I know in Entertainment perform as various characters, usually around 3 or 4.

5'5 is just a bad height to be wave2: So I was sunk). 5'3 to 5'7 is most likely because Aurora can be up there at 5'7, and the rest are shorter, but it'd be a pain to say each one, so they just give the range.

All the people who are actually in Entertainment are probably working right now, but I'm sure they'll be along later today with more helpful information for you. All I know is what I learned on here and from my friends in that role.

 

[rachaelfig]

Let me see if I can answer some of the questions.
I knew somebody (a CP) who freaked out in costume the first time and he got transferred to quick service I believe. He wasn't face, but I don't think they can make exceptions like that, especially not for CPs, who are both temporary and replaceable. I also know a girl who, at 5'5", extended her CP into entertainment to hang out with Pocahontas. The first couple of days of training for entertainment are learning to be friends with some furry guys in your height range, whether or not you end up in face. 5'5" is an unlikely height to be hired at because of its awkward placement between ranges, so if you get hired you're most likely meant to do face, but it would technically be a very short pluto. 5'4" to 5'5" would be a tall chipmunk. Also, 4'11" isn't too short to be a mouse. It's actually a pretty big range. I think only the munk range is bigger.
As for being friends with multiple characters, the girl I knew who was BFFs with Pocahontas pretty much hung out with her all the time, while the other CP performers I knew had several different furry friends, and wildly different schedules every week.
Also I don't think they're all that hard-pressed for face. I was at costuming once when they were having a Princess Look-a-like audition and they cut basically everyone pretty quick, even though none of them were exactly grenades. I think somebody here had said that they keep having auditions to put up a front that they're still majorly hiring, but I think that's just a front.

 

[ZeroToHero]

Also I don't think they're all that hard-pressed for face. I was at costuming once when they were having a Princess Look-a-like audition and they cut basically everyone pretty quick, even though none of them were exactly grenades.

 

[TinkerMouse]

Now we're on to something! I'm liking these answers 'cause they make sense. Thank you!
So now my understanding is that if you can't do every aspect of the job then you can't do the job so go do something else. This means that unless they want FT or PT at DL, claustrophobic people are just out of luck. As for people who are quick to overheat, as long as you can handle the training (which could possibly take place somewhere air conditioned or shady), you could get lucky like Pocahontas' 5'5" friend and never really end up bundled up in the heat again, correct? I'm believing that Disney doesn't need anybody and the auditions are just for show. It works for people like me who will just audition for the sake of auditioning and it works for them because they might randomly need someone and find them there. However, I do kind of feel like it teases the desperate people who go in really really really hoping to get in then being devastated when they don't. Then again, this could be practice for them too!
Then again, I do get confused when they put up auditions for specific characters (ones by name not by group like princesses or something). In those cases do they really need those people or are they just trying to gauge how likely it'd be to get them in an emergency like empty spots due to quitting or baby bumps?

 

[rachaelfig]

I'm not saying they aren't hiring AT ALL, just that they aren't necessarily taking people from every audition. I'm sure if they think someone is absolutely right for the part they'll pick them. As for the specific characters, a few weeks ago they started looking for Vidia from the Tinkerbell movies and now she'll be coming out with the other fairies by the end of the month. If the audition site is that specific, they're definitely actively looking for people.

And entertainment training partially takes place outside, hot weather or not. Ever been lucky enough to stumble across a large group of seemingly random characters all in one place at the beginning of a CP season?...

 

[TinkerMouse]

Ever been lucky enough to stumble across a large group of seemingly random characters all in one place at the beginning of a CP season?...

That, I would love to see because it sounds hilarious. One lone Captain Hook surrounded by Poohs and Tiggers, I would think he had made a wrong turn at mermaid lagoon or something.

Since casting is so picky, rightly so since I know many guests get angry when the characters don't look right, I'm wondering how many auditions/months of auditions it takes to get those spots filled because right now the site has several calling for Vidia, Terrence, Tiana, Naveen, Rapunzel and Flynn. I guess they try to only take the people who are practically perfect in every way so it really depends on who shows up when and where.

However, I'm shocked they're not super super over stocked with friends of mice, etc. since everyone who works there is friends with at least one of them. How does one get to work in casting aka the other side of the table?