Summer Employment As A Face Character

[Feralpeg]

I've always heard that Disney does not use summer employees (students) as face characters. Has anyone ever known someone to do this? I've been trying to contact my neighbor who works in WDW entertainment division, but, we keep missing each other.

DD would love to be Tinkerbell in the new meet and greet they are going to open at MK. I think she'd be perfect, but she can only work in the summer since she is in college. If they do accept summer employees, I figure she needs to get her application in very early to do this.

Anyone have any experience with this sort of thing?

 

[SamRoc]

From what i have heard, they only have "face" character auditions once a year, and if you arent picked you have to wait one year to audition again.I know they use college program kids for these positions, and they are only there for one semester, so I am sure they hire just for the summer also.

I got this from the Disney website, my dd would also love to be a Princess!

http://corporate.disney.go.com/auditions/disneyworld/schedules/schedule_character.html

Call the Jobline at (407) 828-1000 for more information

Break a leg!

 

[diznygirl]

My DH used to be a Character Greeter. He says the auditions for characters are year-round, people come and go and they need to keep positions filled. And face characters all play fur, and vice versa. They would definitely hire just a summer employee, they've done it before. And if she has any interest in the college program, have her get into that - Disney loves their college program kids.

Tell DD good luck! I can't wait to be able to meet Tinkerbelle!

 

[disney junky]

College program kids are selected as face characters. When they go through orientation, Disney people very casually look for particular size and shapes for characters. For example, Mickey and Minnie are under 5 feet. DD's roomie was Belle for the last 8 months, and they are Belle everywhere, Fantasmic, Epcot, MK, wherever there is a need. I suspect they wouldn't use a summer employee unless that person had previously been a character. Tinkerbell who flies from the castle during Wishes is a guy, for what it's worth. Has she considered the college program?

 

[bananiem]

When my cousin was Minnie they wanted her to be Tinkerbell and "fly" down the rope. She was 4'10" and Tinkerbell had to be uner 5'. Granted, this was some time ago.

 

[Syrreal]

If your DD goes through the college program, they have specific auditions for characters in addition to the regular interview. They are held in diff cities throughout the country.

 

[UnderTheMistletoe]

From what i have heard, they only have "face" character auditions once a year, and if you arent picked you have to wait one year to audition again.I know they use college program kids for these positions, and they are only there for one semester, so I am sure they hire just for the summer also.

I got this from the Disney website, my dd would also love to be a Princess!

http://corporate.disney.go.com/auditions/disneyworld/schedules/schedule_character.html

Call the Jobline at (407) 828-1000 for more information

Break a leg!

I don't think that's right. I am almost certain they have them weekly at the Animal Kingdom Rehearsal and Costume area. That's where I auditioned.

You may not want to tell them that she'd only be a summer hire as there's weeks of training you have to go through. I wouldn't mention it and when her time comes, she can give them her timeline and resignation information. Tinkerbell is very tiny- the upper end of 4' but under 5', I believe. For some reason, 4'11" comes to mind.......

I put a message into a friend who plays Mulan. I'll see what she says.

 

[Syrreal]

I believe that Tink can't weigh more than 105lbs in order to "fly" but am not 100% sure if that is it...it may be 110lbs.

 

[RadioNate]

I don't really have any current information but when I was a character you had to audition for and be trained in fur before you could audition for face characters. You also couldn't go out specifically for a certain character like only Cinderella or something.

Things definitely could have changed. Her best bet might to attend an entertainment audition in the area. I'm sure the general casting info # would have that info. They do hire seasonal employees. I worked with a lot of people who only worked when school wasn't in session. However, I did also work with a lot of UCF students who worked PT during the school year in addition to the college programmers.

 

[tinkerrn]

Well, I was so psyched that Tinkerbell was under 5'. I am 4'11"!!! But not close to 105, plus unless 35, I'm not in the running.LOL!!!

 

[Syrreal]

The other thing with heights is that they are measured in "Disney Height" which doesn't always coincide with regular height. I am 5'7" in real life. Depending on when they measured me I was 5'3" to 5'6". My guess is that they flub a little depending on their needs. If you are a face character you do also get trained in fur (makes you much more useful) and as RadioNate said, you don't audition for particular characters (unless it is a professional show in which case you do audition for a specific part and are not trained in fur).

 

[RadioNate]

The other thing with heights is that they are measured in "Disney Height" which doesn't always coincide with regular height. I am 5'7" in real life. Depending on when they measured me I was 5'3" to 5'6". My guess is that they flub a little depending on their needs. If you are a face character you do also get trained in fur (makes you much more useful) and as RadioNate said, you don't audition for particular characters (unless it is a professional show in which case you do audition for a specific part and are not trained in fur).

And at least 8 years ago most (not all) of those were Equity positions...well at least at DMGM they were. I don't know anything about the MK shows like (now) Cinderellabration.

 

[mickeysgal]

And at least 8 years ago most (not all) of those were Equity positions...well at least at DMGM they were. I don't know anything about the MK shows like (now) Cinderellabration.

Whats an Equity position? Is this like an actors union like SAG?

 

[RadioNate]

Whats an Equity position? Is this like an actors union like SAG?

yes like SAG but for theater/stage performers.

 

[UnderTheMistletoe]

Alright, I just talked with my friend who plays Mulan.

Here's the current deal:

Me: Can college program kids play face characters?
Me: What's the height for Tinkerbell?
Mulan: Yes they can...the majority of characters are college program students
Me: You can audition more than once a year, right? It's weekly at the AK costume/rehearsal area, right?
Mulan: Hm...I don't know, I'd have to look in my old program books for her height.
Mulan: Yes it is...Thursday nights

The other thing with heights is that they are measured in "Disney Height" which doesn't always coincide with regular height. I am 5'7" in real life. Depending on when they measured me I was 5'3" to 5'6". My guess is that they flub a little depending on their needs. If you are a face character you do also get trained in fur (makes you much more useful) and as RadioNate said, you don't audition for particular characters (unless it is a professional show in which case you do audition for a specific part and are not trained in fur).

This is so true. I was measured in at 5'3" or 5'4". I am 5'5"...always. My interviewer said they were in need of Alices and wrote on my little pink card

Also, despite the whole start as fur and train to be a face character is not true. There was a girl in my audition who went right into costume for one of the girls from Hercules. And my friend was cast as Mulan right off the bat- and they shimmied her height down, too.

You must be able to dance! This was the thing that kept me out... I couldn't memorize the dance fast enough. Granted 75% of the people in my audition were coming back the next night for the dancers' auditions, so that didn't do squat to help my chances!

 

[frndshpcptn]

"Mulan: Yes they can...the majority of characters are college program students"

That's AWESOME! In my years on the CP (1998 and 1999) only CP Alum could be characters. In your first year on the CP you were inelligible for characters.

 

[Feralpeg]

Thanks for the info, everyone. DD is 5'2". I wasn't really thinking about the "flying" Tinkerbell. They've announced a new meet and greet with Tinkerbell that will take place in Fantasyland. It is possible that DD is too tall. Hard to believe at just 5'2". LOL!

I will give her the information. She is a great dancer and has done a lot of theater and some film acting, so I think she could pick it up really fast.

The other thing she has always wanted to do is work in The Great Movie Ride.

 

[Syrreal]

Also, despite the whole start as fur and train to be a face character is not true.

It usually depends on their needs. I didn't start as fur but became trained in it too b/c there was a need for my height- (5"4 when measured that time- LOL)

That's AWESOME! In my years on the CP (1998 and 1999) only CP Alum could be characters. In your first year on the CP you were inelligible for characters.

When were you there in 1998? I was there in the Spring! Now they have a whole entertainment CP that includes the audition and that is what your job is.
When we were there, while you couldn't technically be a character as a CP, there were ways to get around it. I did 3 diff jobs there- started in attractions, did some guest relations (specifically dealing with brazilian tour groups- which was a lot of fun- The kids tend to behave better when someone speaks their language) and I did characters (face then fun too). However, since I was a CP, my location never officially changed so i am still listed in attractions but can pick up shifts at the other places.

Feralpeg- Don't worry about the height, yet. Like a few of us have said, they tend to flub it a bit. i say, go in for the audition anyway. Even if she doesn't get Tink, she may be able to get a diff face character or one of the dancers.