Character Auditions

[Belle'sMyDream]

I have some questions about character auditions, especailly for look a likes. If anyone has any info they would be willing to share, im more than happy (and excited) to listen! Thank you so much!

[plutoboy]

What type of information in particular are you interested in?? I'm a former "friend" of the characters and which a couple of years I was "friends" with Clopin.... so I may be able to help. Also have you tried going to auditions.disney.com????

[mookie]

what do you want to know? I have some face friends.
Cindy, Charming, Gaston, Evil Queen, Snow, Mulan, castle Tink.

plutoboy...Clopin? when, I may have met you (I love Clopin!! & one of my friends was in the MGM stage show) I have SEVERAL pics of me w/ Clopin fr WDW and Disneyland too...

[Belle'sMyDream]

Yes, i will message you guys with my questions. I am very intersted in Belle, and since you have been "friends" with them, im just excited to talk to you and ask questions. I am off to work, but I'll be back later tonight. Thanks so much!

[AnnetteFan]

Feel free to message me, I went through auditions back in April and now I'm preparing to be friends with Mickey.

[plutoboy]

Mookie... I played Clopin in 2000-2002. I mostly was friends with Pluto but would play Clopin in the evenings when we did appearances in TS at the Magic Kingdom.

Belle... feel free to message any of us as it sounds like you have enough folks on here willing to help.

[beardedwolf]

I'm currently a cast member. I know for a fact that they're really looking for more face character actors.
If you want any information or numbers to call just let me know.

[mookie]

plutoboy...I moved here in '99, I'll bet I do have some pics with your Clopin...somewhere

looking at some of the posts here, we may all have some friends in common, you know...it IS a small world after all.
I can't believe I just said that, OY!

[dlpmikki]

As this topic is about working in the parks rather than characters I am moving it to Mousellaneous along with similar topics currently in the characters forum.

[Googlie Bear]

One of my roomates at Disney went through character auditions and was accepted as Belle & Cinderella.
Some things I remember from her audition process:
The first phase is brutal. They just go down a row of 50 girls and say, "Eyes too far apart. Acne. Mouth too small. Chest too big. Nose is wrong." Ouch.
If I remember correctly, the ideal Belle is 5ft 6 and a size 6. The most important thing is to fit in the costume, look young and have big eyes.
Next, they do a basic dance audition, to make sure you can move. You'll need to demonstrate a little improv, to see how you'll handle guest interaction. You'll practice her autograph. You'll have to watch the movie over & over to memorize snippiets of dialogue to try to emulate your character's voice & speech pattern. (Courtney walked around for a week reciting, "Oh, but its my favorate! Far off places, daring swordfights, magic spells, a prince in disguise!"
Finally, once you pass into the final round, they'll put you in full costume, hair & makeup, take a bunch of pictures, and have you audition in character. THEN they decide if youre hired. Its quite the process.

[pluto44]

The first phase is brutal. They just go down a row of 50 girls and say, "Eyes too far apart. Acne. Mouth too small. Chest too big. Nose is wrong." Ouch.

Are you sure? I've been to a face audition, and all they had us do was stand there and smile, facing forward and then profile, and the audjudicators whispered quietly amoungst themselves. While you knew what they were whispering about, they weren't rude about it.

I went two years ago, and back then the hardest part about it was that you didn't know who they were casting for. I didn't find out untilI was there that they were looking to cast The Proud Family that time around - and no matter how great an actress I may be, hell will freeze over before I'm able to pull off Penny Proud, if you know what I mean.

On top of that, you're not allowed to reaudition for another year. As far as I know, they could have been casting for Auroras and Belles the month. Y'know?

If you do go, realize that it's an acting job - the moment you walk in the room, you're being judged. Act girly. Smile like you're Miss America, and nothing less. Wear cosmetics that make your eyes pop, without being flamboyant. Go in there knowing you're already a princess, and I bet your chances will double.

[plutoboy]

Googlie:

Are you sure yor friend didn't attend auditions to go and work at Tokyo Disneyland? They come to DL and WDW every year to audition people to be face characters over there... pretty sweet deal if you get approved. My ex-girlfriend was "friends" with sevaral princesses and from she also auditioned for TDL. From what you are describing is what she went through.

I also went through face auditions and was approved and my audition was nothing like what is being described.

[Googlie Bear]

Sheesh, dont jump all over me, guys. This is just what I remember being told 6 years ago. I am by no means a reliable source on the subject.

[Lacy]

For what it is worth, I heard stories similar to what Googlie Bear descirbed while I was on the college program five years ago. I am by no means an expert on this as it was all second or third hand.

[AliceinDisney]

I know two girls who were face characters. One girl played Alice in the Spectromagic, (she's an actual actress) and the other one plays Belle and Snow White. She is a singer, and an actress too I believe. She just told me they're always looking for pretty girls, and she said they look for the princess' to be around the height of 5'7 and Alice/Wendy to be around 5'1... I don't know if they're as harsh about it as I've heard. I never heard anything about having to do a dance routine.

[TinyDancer]

Whose definition of size 6 are we talking about here? That's the problem with female sizing, it seems to be pretty much arbitrary... I have the height nailed, I have the determination nailed, but this size 6 is a little vague... I think when I get down there (in 2 weeks!) I'll have to look hard at these waistlines...

[DisneyTeen]

I posted this in another post about this topic around a month ago.
When I was working down at Disney I went to one Charatcer Audition, more to just see what was going on and what they were looking for. I am short, 5'5 for a guy and still was in the middle for fur. Like someone said, its around 5'2 and under and 6'0 and over. I went in with a group of about 8 peope, we did alittle dance, talked alittle to each other and then they said ok thanks for comming.
As for face, I asked them what the biggest things they looked for, I was told Cheek Bones.
I had no idea why, but he said that the makeup artists they have can pretty much make anyone's skin look like whatever, eye's can be changed, hair can be changed but but cheek bones are needed when smiling at a child the person needs to be "prince or princess" like.
Just alittle bit of information for ya.

[Belle'sMyDream]

Thank you for your input! I have to smile because I went to one of the auditions April 15th in Chicago, so now i know first hand what they are like! I think it is so interesting what they say about the cheek bones, but I guess it makes sense.

Thanks again!