Disney should be ashamed!

[Magpie]

OP,

Nothing you say after "Shame on Disney" matters, they could be pimping Disney guests in the shadiest parts of Buena Vista and would be beyond that sort of reproach here. Of course, a pimp can just as easily say "hey, nobody's forcing them on that street corner!"

But I think more appropriate than shame on Disney would be "c'mon, man you can do better than this." It's been 4 months since they found out that these characters are far far more popular than they anticipated. I understand they don't just slap a wig and dress on a college student and push her out there, but this isn't Daniel Day-Lewis doing a study for a period piece either.

So... did a bit of research. It's not actually the training that takes a long time, it's the interview process.

The interview process can take months, with no guarantee of success.

Princesses have to meet rigid body standards. The first thing any applicant undergoes is a detailed body measurement to see if they fit the role. If you're 10 pounds too heavy or too light, if your bra size is too big, if your shoulders or hips are too broad or too narrow, or you're an inch too tall or short, you won't make it past this part of the process.

Princesses have to be the right age (generally between 18 and 23 at time of hiring) and complexion for the character. They mustn't have any distinguishable or memorable features such as freckles or moles or ears that stick out or noses that are too sharp. Disney likes the blandest possible face, so that children don't say, "Hey, that's a different Snow White!"

Princesses must be slender and physically fit, with a background in dance and experience in choreography (dance is not strictly required, but definitely helpful in getting past this part of the interview process). They're tested extensively on their acting and improvisational abilities.

They have to be prepared to work long, exhausting days, never sit down while on the job, never stop smiling, and never, ever break character. And all this for just 13.50 an hour! It's an intense commitment.

Once they've found exactly the right girls, training them only takes about a week.

The difficulty with Anna and Elsa lies in finding the right girls. Even if they find one, she's no use to them until they find the other. They can't appear alone, and they need to be able to work well with each other.

A former Snow White ended up with inoperable vocal nodes, after years of straining her voice to sound like the character.

I suspect Daniel Day Lewis would burn out in short order.

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

I am actually SHOCKED there is no Olaf meet and greet (or for that matter even Kristoff and Sven. Kinda glad, though, my son could care less about the sisters but he thinks that silly reindeer is awesome.

I'm shocked the characters are people and not costumed characters. I thought the cartoon version of the girls were adorable. I've seen pictures of the character meet and greet and it's kind of creepy.

I've never been a fan of "real" characters, though. I understand the whole concept of the princess is to interact with the kids, but it's always been strange to me - starting with the bad wigs. You mean to tell me you couldn't find an attractive blonde with blue eyes? Or a redhead? How about some colored contacts? Disney is all about "real" and quality and magic, but the wigs are so awfully fake.

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

So... did a bit of research. It's not actually the training that takes a long time, it's the interview process.

The interview process can take months, with no guarantee of success.

Princesses have to meet rigid body standards. The first thing any applicant undergoes is a detailed body measurement to see if they fit the role. If you're 10 pounds too heavy or too light, if your bra size is too big, if your shoulders or hips are too broad or too narrow, or you're an inch too tall or short, you won't make it past this part of the process.

Princesses have to be the right age (generally between 18 and 23 at time of hiring) and complexion for the character. They mustn't have any distinguishable or memorable features such as freckles or moles or ears that stick out or noses that are too sharp. Disney likes the blandest possible face, so that children don't say, "Hey, that's a different Snow White!"

Princesses must be slender and physically fit, with a background in dance and experience in choreography (dance is not strictly required, but definitely helpful in getting past this part of the interview process). They're tested extensively on their acting and improvisational abilities.

They have to be prepared to work long, exhausting days, never sit down while on the job, never stop smiling, and never, ever break character. And all this for just 13.50 an hour! It's an intense commitment.

Once they've found exactly the right girls, training them only takes about a week.

The difficulty with Anna and Elsa lies in finding the right girls. Even if they find one, she's no use to them until they find the other. They can't appear alone, and they need to be able to work well with each other.

A former Snow White ended up with inoperable vocal nodes, after years of straining her voice to sound like the character.

I suspect Daniel Day Lewis would burn out in short order.

I'm sorry, but this makes it all the more ridiculous... So you go through ALLL THAT.. you find the PERFECT girl for the character, and then you slap a joke of a wig on her?

That's actually very interesting, though, thanks for posting!

 

[morethananyonex]

I'm shocked the characters are people and not costumed characters. I thought the cartoon version of the girls were adorable. I've seen pictures of the character meet and greet and it's kind of creepy. I've never been a fan of "real" characters, though. I understand the whole concept of the princess is to interact with the kids, but it's always been strange to me - starting with the bad wigs. You mean to tell me you couldn't find an attractive blonde with blue eyes? Or a redhead? How about some colored contacts? Disney is all about "real" and quality and magic, but the wigs are so awfully fake.

Yeah, real hair and Florida humidity is a great mix .

You think there's problems hiring Anna and Elsa now? Just wait until they need to find girls who naturally look like the characters with perfect hair to boot. Not to mention they need to want to do the job for fairly cheap and be able to stay in character. Good luck.

 

[SuperRob]

I'm shocked the characters are people and not costumed characters. I thought the cartoon version of the girls were adorable. I've seen pictures of the character meet and greet and it's kind of creepy.

I've never been a fan of "real" characters, though. I understand the whole concept of the princess is to interact with the kids, but it's always been strange to me - starting with the bad wigs. You mean to tell me you couldn't find an attractive blonde with blue eyes? Or a redhead? How about some colored contacts? Disney is all about "real" and quality and magic, but the wigs are so awfully fake.

Actually, many little kids are more afraid of people in costumes than the face characters. My friend who just took her little girl said that while she was excited about the idea of meeting the characters at breakfast, the reality of it terrified her, to the point where she would bawl and scream if they so much as LOOKED at her. Face characters don't seem to cause this problem in those situations.

Yeah, real hair and Florida humidity is a great mix .

You think there's problems hiring Anna and Elsa now? Just wait until they need to find girls who naturally look like the characters with perfect hair to boot. Not to mention they need to want to do the job for fairly cheap and be able to stay in character. Good luck.

Does Disney ever allow a face character to use her natural hair? I'm not aware of any circumstance where they'd risk it.

 

[AngiTN]

I'm shocked the characters are people and not costumed characters. I thought the cartoon version of the girls were adorable. I've seen pictures of the character meet and greet and it's kind of creepy.

I've never been a fan of "real" characters, though. I understand the whole concept of the princess is to interact with the kids, but it's always been strange to me - starting with the bad wigs. You mean to tell me you couldn't find an attractive blonde with blue eyes? Or a redhead? How about some colored contacts? Disney is all about "real" and quality and magic, but the wigs are so awfully fake.

I so very much agree with this one. Rapunzel is probably the only one with a logical excuse to need a wig. Maybe Merida, but plenty a Scots lass would fit the bill for her.

But personally I'm glad they use face characters where popular. The cartoon versions of humans, think Sophia or Lilo, are creepy. I get why they have to use the cartoon versions for them but I am not a fan of their look.

 

[mom2rtk]

I am actually SHOCKED there is no Olaf meet and greet (or for that matter even Kristoff and Sven). Kinda glad, though, my son could care less about the sisters but he thinks that silly reindeer is awesome.

Can you imagine what an Olaf meet & greet could do for attendance at Blizzard Beach? Talk about spreading out the crowds........

 

[surferdave]

If you were trying to say people here will always defend Disney, you are wrong. If you think that you haven't been paying attention.

There definitely isn't a collective hive mind here, but there are some who will always defend Disney, yes, and when I saw the title I knew the perceived offense wouldn't matter much.

I don't think this issue rises to the standard of "shame", but I don't think Disney has done a very good job with it. I think it's reasonable for guests to show up expecting to be able to do an advertised attraction and not find that it has a 4 hour wait under normal operating conditions.

 

[FLchick415]

I'm shocked the characters are people and not costumed characters. I thought the cartoon version of the girls were adorable. I've seen pictures of the character meet and greet and it's kind of creepy.

I've never been a fan of "real" characters, though. I understand the whole concept of the princess is to interact with the kids, but it's always been strange to me - starting with the bad wigs. You mean to tell me you couldn't find an attractive blonde with blue eyes? Or a redhead? How about some colored contacts? Disney is all about "real" and quality and magic, but the wigs are so awfully fake.

Because costumed "face" characters could turn out like this

Which is way more terrifying than a bad wig.

 

[juliebug1997]

Can you imagine what an Olaf meet & greet could do for attendance at Blizzard Beach? Talk about spreading out the crowds........

That's an awesome suggestion. Too bad we know it will go absolutely no where.

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

Actually, many little kids are more afraid of people in costumes than the face characters. My friend who just took her little girl said that while she was excited about the idea of meeting the characters at breakfast, the reality of it terrified her, to the point where she would bawl and scream if they so much as LOOKED at her. Face characters don't seem to cause this problem in those situations.

That's fair and true. Wasn't trying to stir the pot or be a jerk.. was just trying to make light of the situation and make a small joke!

 

[AngiTN]

Yeah, real hair and Florida humidity is a great mix .

You think there's problems hiring Anna and Elsa now? Just wait until they need to find girls who naturally look like the characters with perfect hair to boot. Not to mention they need to want to do the job for fairly cheap and be able to stay in character. Good luck.

Valid point. Maybe a better comment would be the cheap appearance of the wigs. Disney needs to invest in nicer products

 

[morethananyonex]

Actually, many little kids are more afraid of people in costumes than the face characters. My friend who just took her little girl said that while she was excited about the idea of meeting the characters at breakfast, the reality of it terrified her, to the point where she would bawl and scream if they so much as LOOKED at her. Face characters don't seem to cause this problem in those situations.

My son was the opposite. He absolutely loved the characters with heads because they were basically big versions of the characters he knew and loved. Face characters were real people, and therefore strangers. He wanted nothing to do with them.

For my very shy child, costumed characters were friends he already knew and was comfortable with.

 

[ArwenMarie]

I so very much agree with this one. Rapunzel is probably the only one with a logical excuse to need a wig. Maybe Merida, but plenty a Scots lass would fit the bill for her.

But personally I'm glad they use face characters where popular. The cartoon versions of humans, think Sophia or Lilo, are creepy. I get why they have to use the cartoon versions for them but I am not a fan of their look.

It would be neat if they didn't, but I think they have to use wigs. There are so few people who have hair thick enough to look like the most of the characters. Probably saves time styling wigs instead of actual hair too! Better wigs would be good though

 

[Magpie]

Here's my question. Has anyone gone through that full line, come out the other end of it, and said, "Yeah, that was totally worth waiting half the day for."

I don't even wait more than 45 minutes to go on a ride, and that's only for something brand new. My threshold is closer to 15-20 minutes. That's why I always go in September over my anniversary, and educate myself on the best ways to tour. My time is too valuable to me to spend it waiting on anything.

Yes, I talked to some folks who did it, the last time we were down. They had a blast and were still giggling about it on the bus back to Pop. Very much the same attitude people get about lining up for hours to meet a rock star.

I'm sorry, but this makes it all the more ridiculous... So you go through ALLL THAT.. you find the PERFECT girl for the character, and then you slap a joke of a wig on her?

That's actually very interesting, though, thanks for posting!

It's because the hair has to look exactly the same on every actress, and it has to be recognizably the same hair that the kids saw in the cartoon. Natural hair can't do that. You can't even dye and style natural hair to do that.

Plus, I did a tour of the wig-making facility backstage at Epcot recently and they aren't "jokes". It's amazing the artistry that goes into those things. Even the colours have to be tested to see how they show up on film.

If you ask me, they did a pretty amazing job on Anna and Elsa's hair:

http://www.**************.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/frozen-characters.jpg

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

Because costumed "face" characters could turn out like this

Which is way more terrifying than a bad wig.

That looks like one of the characters from Times Square.

 

[grimley1968]

It would be neat if they didn't, but I think they have to use wigs. There are so few people who have hair thick enough to look like the most of the characters. Probably saves time styling wigs instead of actual hair too! Better wigs would be good though

Which is why Gaston's hair is as fake as those muscles.

Naturally, a wig that stands out from a distance is going to look ridiculous up close.

 

[morethananyonex]

Does Disney ever allow a face character to use her natural hair? I'm not aware of any circumstance where they'd risk it.

Not that I know of.

I remember very clearly when we took the Keys to the Kingdom tour a while back the rule they told us was real hair for fake people (animatronics) fake hair (synthetic hair) for real people. I would think the wigs are absolutely essential in keeping up the "there's only one ________" story.

 

[libinatorsmom]

You choose to stand in line or not! We are choosing NOT to stand in line just to see the two characters... Do I think they should add them to a character meal (Like Akerhaus Princess meals or CRT) Yes I do... but its a choice of the guests to wait!

 

[surferdave]

So... did a bit of research. It's not actually the training that takes a long time, it's the interview process.

The interview process can take months, with no guarantee of success.

Princesses have to meet rigid body standards. The first thing any applicant undergoes is a detailed body measurement to see if they fit the role. If you're 10 pounds too heavy or too light, if your bra size is too big, if your shoulders or hips are too broad or too narrow, or you're an inch too tall or short, you won't make it past this part of the process.

Princesses have to be the right age (generally between 18 and 23 at time of hiring) and complexion for the character. They mustn't have any distinguishable or memorable features such as freckles or moles or ears that stick out or noses that are too sharp. Disney likes the blandest possible face, so that children don't say, "Hey, that's a different Snow White!"

Princesses must be slender and physically fit, with a background in dance and experience in choreography (dance is not strictly required, but definitely helpful in getting past this part of the interview process). They're tested extensively on their acting and improvisational abilities.

They have to be prepared to work long, exhausting days, never sit down while on the job, never stop smiling, and never, ever break character. And all this for just 13.50 an hour! It's an intense commitment.

Once they've found exactly the right girls, training them only takes about a week.

The difficulty with Anna and Elsa lies in finding the right girls. Even if they find one, she's no use to them until they find the other. They can't appear alone, and they need to be able to work well with each other.

A former Snow White ended up with inoperable vocal nodes, after years of straining her voice to sound like the character.

I suspect Daniel Day Lewis would burn out in short order.

I've seen far too much variance in the characteristics of some of the young ladies playing the same princess to believe they stick to this standard very often.