Park character question: CHILDREN DON'T LOOK!!!

[perla75]

I think they can see through the mouth. I have heard that before.

That's what I thought too, Lynn But I wasn't sure since the characters are all different sizes.

I like your new siggy pics, by the way!

 

[Lynn5700]

That's what I thought too, Lynn But I wasn't sure since the characters are all different sizes.

I like your new siggy pics, by the way!

Thank you girly!! Glad you were able to get your answer

 

[perla75]

They see out of their eyes, of course.

And they only wear costumes during Halloween. Although, some of them don't wear anything, period, even then (like Baloo, Terk, and King Louie, for example).

Feel free to PM me-I've got a secret to tell you about the Easter Bunny!

 

[Joanna71985]

Feel free to PM me-I've got a secret to tell you about the Easter Bunny!

Thanks for the offer. But I'm good.


(I work with the characters in WDW).

 

[CanadianGuy]

not really related to planning a trip to the parks - moving to the ThemeParks Community Board.

 

[Disneenut]

Feel free to PM me-I've got a secret to tell you about the Easter Bunny!

WAAA... no... your not serious....

As much as i dont want to admit it. i was curious as to what the answer was also.

now everyone

 

[perla75]

WAAA... no... your not serious....

As much as i dont want to admit it. i was curious as to what the answer was also.

now everyone

to you as well I'm just amazed how so many people will get so over the top with a lame joke-was not expecting that at all, but I guess we get all kinds here on the Dis!

 

[Joanna71985]

It isn't a joke. I don't see why people need to ruin the magic here.

 

[Disneenut]

It isn't a joke. I don't see why people need to ruin the magic here.

The magic of Disney will never be ruined here. I can understand that the original question can and will upset people... and thats ok... but this question is no different than the threads talking about Disney secrets such as the castle being forced perspective, or weather or not the alligators are real on the kilimanjaro safari . I for one love to read Disney facts on how they make certain things work, technology and such. That to me is the real Disney magic.

 

[perla75]

It isn't a joke. I don't see why people need to ruin the magic here.

I'm confused-didn't you mentioned that you work WITH the characters??? I would think you already ruined it for yourself by working at WDW & witnessing all of the behind the scenes stuff. No one is ruining magic by asking a simple question. WDW is a magical place to me, which is why I am so fascinated with all of the details of it.

The magic of Disney will never be ruined here. I can understand that the original question can and will upset people... and thats ok... but this question is no different than the threads talking about Disney secrets such as the castle being forced perspective, or weather or not the alligators are real on the kilimanjaro safari . I for one love to read Disney facts on how they make certain things work, technology and such. That to me is the real Disney magic.

Exactly!!

 

[perla75]

It isn't a joke. I don't see why people need to ruin the magic here.

I'm confused-didn't you mentioned that you work WITH the characters??? I would think you already ruined it for yourself by working at WDW & witnessing all of the behind the scenes stuff. No one is ruining magic by asking a simple question. WDW is a magical place to me, which is why I am so fascinated with all of the details of it.

The magic of Disney will never be ruined here. I can understand that the original question can and will upset people... and thats ok... but this question is no different than the threads talking about Disney secrets such as the castle being forced perspective, or weather or not the alligators are real on the kilimanjaro safari . I for one love to read Disney facts on how they make certain things work, technology and such. That to me is the real Disney magic.

Exactly!!

 

[tzolkin]

I will tell you one thing that ruined the magic. The country bears with the big mesh hole in the neck. (They were in the parades.) I was old enough at the time that it didn't really traumatize me, but it was a little disappointing since the rest of the characters are so good that a child really can't tell that there's a place for them to see out of. I know that was probably the only way the could do it, but as a kid it really stood out to me.

 

[Joanna71985]

I'm confused-didn't you mentioned that you work WITH the characters??? I would think you already ruined it for yourself by working at WDW & witnessing all of the behind the scenes stuff. No one is ruining magic by asking a simple question. WDW is a magical place to me, which is why I am so fascinated with all of the details of it.

Yes, I work with the characters. And working backstage/with the characters doesn't ruin the magic for me (however, when I am in the park the characters are real to me). I just don't see why people need to post these things on a forum, and ask them in public where children can hear them.

 

[perla75]

Yes, I work with the characters. And working backstage/with the characters doesn't ruin the magic for me (however, when I am in the park the characters are real to me). I just don't see why people need to post these things on a forum, and ask them in public where children can hear them.

Might I direct you to the title of the thread in bold print where it says, "CHILDREN DON'T LOOK!!!"

Are you also offended by the lengthy thread about WDW secrets??

This is a public forum, certainly not exclusive to children, & you have a choice to read or not to read any thread.

Sorry, but there is certainly nothing wrong with discussing these aspects of WDW-it is part of the magic, which might mean different things to different people. I was respectful by mentioning a warning in the title of this thread. & if you have a child who is young enough to believe in the reality of characters, than you might want to monitor their usage of a public message board that is largely comprised of adults.

I love talking and learning about WDW & sharing & and gaining knowledge from others. I love learning about imagineering, costuming, & the other fun details that make up these parks. I have every right to discuss these things on a public message board & I can bet you that I am certainly not alone.

That said, if I want to discuss something like this in the future on these boards, I will continue to put a disclaimer in the title like I did here & you & your children can choose to read or not read the thread as you see fit. Other than that, there is nothing more I feel I need to adjust on a primarily adult population message board

 

[Joanna71985]

Might I direct you to the title of the thread in bold print where it says, "CHILDREN DON'T LOOK!!!"

Are you also offended by the lengthy thread about WDW secrets??

This is a public forum, certainly not exclusive to children, & you have a choice to read or not to read any thread.

Sorry, but there is certainly nothing wrong with discussing these aspects of WDW-it is part of the magic, which might mean different things to different people. I was respectful by mentioning a warning in the title of this thread. & if you have a child who is young enough to believe in the reality of characters, than you might want to monitor their usage of a public message board that is largely comprised of adults.

I love talking and learning about WDW & sharing & and gaining knowledge from others. I love learning about imagineering, costuming, & the other fun details that make up these parks. I have every right to discuss these things on a public message board & I can bet you that I am certainly not alone.

That said, if I want to discuss something like this in the future on these boards, I will continue to put a disclaimer in the title like I did here & you & your children can choose to read or not read the thread as you see fit. Other than that, there is nothing more I feel I need to adjust on a primarily adult population message board

No, because there is a difference between something like a ride, and the characters (that are real people). The rides, and whatever else is mentioned in that thread, are not real. This is the exact thing that drives me crazy at work.

 

[perla75]

No, because there is a difference between something like a ride, and the characters (that are real people). The rides, and whatever else is mentioned in that thread, are not real. This is the exact thing that drives me crazy at work.

The rides are not real to WHO??? When I was a little kid of 5 years old, I believed the pirates in POTC & the ghosts in the HM were real. Then I grew up & enjoyed the parks in a different way. So, you are saying it's ok to ruin the fantasy of the rides being real for some kids, but not ok to talk about the mechanics of the costumes for the characters for other kids?

Again, this is a public message board, comprised primarily of adults. If you have a child who is at the age when they firmly believe that the characters are real, chances are that they are too young to be browsing through a public message board without supervision in the first place.

If you are an adult who firmly believes that the characters are real (even though you see them backstage in another light), I can't help you there. & if you just choose not to read about it, feel free not to read the thread.

Sorry, but this is a ridiculous discussion. I would not feel it is respectful to discuss the costumes that the characters wear while I am walking around WDW or in the presence of young children. On a public message board though? Absolutely.

 

[poohbear227]

Hi there!

Just to get this thread back on track, I like learning about the characters as well!

I heard that most Mickey's & Minnie's are actually women because they have to be a certain height (5 feet I think?) I wonder if the person dressed up as Minnie is always assigned to Minnie or if they rotate to other characters each day. Anyone know?

 

[Joanna71985]

Hi there!

Just to get this thread back on track, I like learning about the characters as well!

I heard that most Mickey's & Minnie's are actually women because they have to be a certain height (5 feet I think?) I wonder if the person dressed up as Minnie is always assigned to Minnie or if they rotate to other characters each day. Anyone know?

Nope, Mickey is a male.

 

[perla75]

Hi there!

Just to get this thread back on track, I like learning about the characters as well!

I heard that most Mickey's & Minnie's are actually women because they have to be a certain height (5 feet I think?) I wonder if the person dressed up as Minnie is always assigned to Minnie or if they rotate to other characters each day. Anyone know?

Nope, Mickey is a male.

Actually, I found this webpage, written by a former cast member, who gave some interesting insight on costumed character roles:

http://homepages.nyu.edu/~ems303/disney2.htm

"So you want to be a character?
First, you have to go to an audition held periodically throughout the year in which you have both a movement and an animation exercise. If they need you (based mostly upon your "disney height"), you could sign your contract that day. Otherwise, if they like what they see but don't need you immediately, you could get placed in a "pool" and they could call you anytime within 6 months. You then go through week-long training in which they tell you about the basic rules for the first few days (costume care, clocking, guest performance, signatures, etc.), and then you actually get into a costume. You move around and basically play "head, shoulders, knees, and toes" (I'm not kidding!). FYI: We wear something called "basics" under the costume which basically consist of a gray shirt and black shorts. They are scanned in/out to each person and washed by costuming. On the last 2 days you actually go into the park and do "sets," which are what we call the time in the park with the guests. A normal outside "set" is usually around 30-40 minutes, although in the summer they usually shorten them to 20. Indoor set times are usually 40. The nice thing, though, is that you usually get equal time off as you do on. So if you have a 30 minute set, you get 30 minutes of break time. And you get paid for it!

Who are you?
The characters (yes, plural) that you play depend entirely upon your "disney height" and the "ranges" which you fall into. To give you a basic idea of your height range, check out this chart.

DUCK: 4' 6" - 4' 10"
(Daisy and Donald Duck. Most can also do Mouse height roles.)
MOUSE: 4' 8" - 5' 0"
(Mickey and Minnie Mouse. Most can also do Pinocchio, White Rabbit, Robin Hood, Pooh, Piglet, Mushu, Timon, Terk, Kuzco, Br'er Rabbit, Sleepy, Sneezy, Grumpy, Bashful, Dopey, Meeko, etc.)
MUNK: 5' 1" - 5' 4"
(Chip and Dale. Most can also do Gideon, King Louie, Suzy, Perla, Jaq, Gus, Doc, Happy, Jessie, Bullseye, Mr. Penguin, etc.)
PLUTO: 5' 6" - 5' 8"
(Pluto. Most can also do Friar Tuck, Rafiki, Buzz Lightyear, Flik, Eeyore, Prince John, etc.)
GOOFY: 6' 0" - 6' 3"
(Goofy. Most can also do Foulfellow, Tigger, Frollo, Genie, Ratcliffe, Captain Hook, Queen of Hearts, Br'er Bear, Baloo)

These heights are just a sample of some characters you can play. There are many many more, of course, with varying height ranges. The "half-inch" rule applies to many costumes as well--you can perform in costumes which fall one half-inch above or below your "disney height." Keep in mind, though, that Walt Disney World measures your height at the audition, and their measurements tend to be a little off from your real height.

Because everything depends on height ranges, girls often play boy roles, and vice versa. So be careful how rough you are with that King Louie and how flirty you are with Minnie Mouse--you never know who's in there!"

 

[poohbear227]

Wow, that's really interesting to hear insight from someone who once played a character performer!

I wonder if there are fans inside the costume-must get really hot in there!