Disney Character Performer Auditions

Hey guys! So for this post I will will writing about my character performer audition for Disney.

First thing you need to do, is go on the Disney auditions website here. On this page they have common questions and information about the auditions. If you scroll down they have the listings for when and where the audition will be held. They hold them all around the country so hopefully you can find one to go to. This page has the listings for the only ones that CP's can go to. The page for all other auditions is here. They also have a bunch of good information on that site, so even if you are only a CP, check it out.

Common questions asked...

What do I wear?

I would suggest wearing something comfortable. At my audition, there were two girls in dresses and character shoes and they just looked uncomfortable. Everyone else was in yoga pants, t-shirts, and workout clothes. I wore a cute, bright purple shirt and cropped leggings. I suggest wearing a bright shirt at any audition you ever go to because it makes you stand out. For shoes, I had sneakers, but other people had jazz shoes, elastosplits, and ballet shoes. Where what you are comfortable dancing in. If you are not a dancer, don't go out and buy jazz shoes, because you don't need them. I was able to do everything in tennis shoes.

What should I bring?

Bring your SMILE! Haha that is probably the number one most important thing about your audition. They are looking for people who are smiling and having fun. I know some people say to bring a resume and head shot, but if you are a CP you don't need it. If you are auditioning for a full time role, I would bring one. I brought a small bag to hold my keys, wallet, snack, and water bottle. BRING WATER. It gets hot if you make it to the second round! Also, if you have long hair, bring a hair tie. They could potentially ask you to put your hair up if they are considering you for a face character.

Can my parents/ friends come to watch?

Your loved ones are allowed to come, but they will sit in the lobby. It is a closed audition so they will not be able to come into the room with you. My Mom came with me and picked up a lot of information just talking to other parents and Disney Cast Members working there.

Alright, so now I will tell you my audition process. They might not all be the exact same, but they should be similar. Hopefully this will help you prepare for your audition.

My audition was set to start at 10:30 am, so I arrived with my Mom at 9:00. We stood in a long line outside of the building for just a few minutes, and then they started signing people in. I was number 50, so if you want to be one of the lower numbers, I suggest getting there early! Don't be afriad to talk to people in line. I know you will feel so nervous but they are in the same situation as you. Plus it helps to pass the time. After signing in, they measured our height. Some people say that they measure you too small or too tall, but mine was exact so I don't know what they are talking about hahaha.

Once they checked everyone in, you move into another room to wait. This is where you need to meet and talk to people, because they will be watching how you interact with others! Just be yourself and talk about how excited you are with everyone else. The people I met were sooooo sweet.

Next, they broke us into 2 large groups to teach us a simple, across the floor march. Don't stress over this! It is very simple. Just go in with an open mind and work it! They gave us time to practice it with other people and then we performed it in front of the casting director. The biggest thing to remember is to smile. They do not care if you mess up once or twice. As long as you smile, and looked like you are having a blast, you will be fine. When I went I messed up on one part and instead of stopping, I continued to do the step wrong and smiled even bigger. I was looking right at the casting director when this happened and he smiled back at me and circled my number! So please don't give up! If you make a mistake, pretend like you meant to do it!

After everyone had performed, we waited for the director to pick which people he wanted to stay. We had started out the day with 155 people. He then came into the room and told us he had cut it down to 50. I was so nervous! I squeezed hands with all of the friends I had made as he went through the list. Then he called my number! I was SHOCKED. I held back a scream and hugged all of my friends.

Next, they take your picture and give you a form to fill out with basic name, email, and address. Also your shoe size, eye color, and height. They ask if you have any tattoos or piercings. Be honest. At this point, they start to stress how they come into these auditions looking for certain characters. they could be only looking for males, or Snow Whites, or dancers. It is always different, and you don't know what they want. So don't be discouraged if you don't get picked this time. You made it this far for a reason, so you can always try again at another audition if this one doesn't go in your favor.

The next step in the process is a little harder than the first. It's focused on animation and dancing. They gave us thirty seconds to "tell a story" of planting a tree, and washing a dog. It's all about the big movements and gestures. NO TALKING. They also teach us a harder dance routine. If you have zero dance experience, this will be a little more difficult, but they make sure to go over it many times so you will do just fine :) Once you learn the routine, you perform in groups of four in front of the casting director. You do animation, dance, animation, dance. Then you stand in front of the director, smile for a couple of minutes, while he scribbles notes down, and you're done! YAY!!

It was by far the most fun audition I have ever been to! Even if you are kinda considering it, just go for it! You will meet so many cool people there, who love Disney just as much as you do. They say that the results will be out in 2-3 weeks. Now we are on to another waiting game. In the meantime, watch a bunch of Disney movies and search up groups on Facebook, because there are always people with questions and answers. Have fun at your audition, if that's what you decide to do, and good luck! :)

Phone Interview Questions

Here is a list of possible Disney phone interview questions:

1. Why do you want to do the Disney College Program?
2. Tell me about your past work experience.
3. What are your top 2-3 roles?
4. Do you work better in a fast paced, or slow paced environment
5. If you were the first person a guest saw, how would you make them feel special/ how would you make their day magical?
6. Do you prefer working indoors or outdoors?
7. Have you handled cash before/ are you comfortable handling cash?
8. How would you stay focused with a repetitive work task?
9. Have you spoken in front of a large group of people before?
10. How would you handle an emergency?
11. Have you lived with roommates before?
12. How would you handle a problem with a roommate?
13. Are you familiar with the Disney Look/ How do you feel about the Disney Look?
14. Do you have any tattoos or piercings that can be seen outside of a one piece bathing suit?
15. Do you think you will be comfortable living far away from home?
16. What does Disney mean to you?
17. Describe a situation that you had to work with a difficult person.
18. Do you feel that you work best with a team, or individually?
19. Do you have experience with kids?
20. Would you be comfortable carrying around 10-15 pounds of camera equipment?

These are the more popular questions that they ask people. They probably won't ask you all of them, but at least you can be prepared :)

DCP Phone Interview and Tips

For this post, I will be writing about my phone interview. I also have some tips that really helped me out :)

If you have made it to the phone interview, then CONGRATULATIONS!  This is awesome! Not everyone makes it this far so way to go :)

Disney will send you an email asking you to schedule a time for the interview. Make sure you can give yourself at least an hour time slot, including 15 minutes before the specific time, and 15 minutes after. You just need to pick a time where you know that you won't have any interruptions or distractions.

I started the day with waking up early and getting myself ready. I know some people like to dress up for phone interviews, because it makes them feel better, and others like to lounge in their pj's. Do whatever works for you. While you are waiting, I suggest turning on some music and dancing around just to let the jitters out, or do something that makes you feel more relaxed. For this interview, you really don't want to sound up tight or scared. The call will come from an unknown caller so ANSWER IT! Haha.

My interview lasted about 18 minutes long. I've heard of some only lasting 8,and some lasting 30, so don't panic if yours is over or under my time. It really wasn't that bad! I know that you will be nervous beforehand, just like I was, but I promise it really isn't that terrible.

The very first thing the interviewer tells you, is his or her name. Be sure to write this down or make a mental note of it, because it is important to repeat their name at some point in the interview. I repeated my interviewer's name at the end when I thanked her for her time.

The first question they ask you is the famous, "Why do you want to do the Disney College Program?" She asked whether I would rather be at Walt Disney World or Disneyland. Then she asked me what my top 2 roles were. Depending on which roles you want, this is where it gets different. I said my top 2 roles were Character Performer and Photo Pass Photographer. She asked me a few questions regarding those roles as well as other generic questions. She asked whether I could bring a car to the program or not. They also always ask if you have any tattoos or piercings. Just be honest. If you have a tattoo, tell them. It's always best to be honest.

My interview flew by! I couldn't believe it was already over. At the end of the interview they ask if you have any questions for them. You should ask them something. Don't ask about the weather, but ask about how they got started working for Disney, or if you have any other questions about the program.

After, they say that you should hear back within 2-3 weeks. I heard back in 9 days, but I have heard of people hearing back within 3 days. It really is different. This is now the hardest part of it all... waiting. I know that it's tough and you will be checking your email every five seconds, but just remember that you gave it your all and you should be proud of yourself for doing this. I wish the best of luck to everyone who is applying! Please comment with any questions you have. Below are some tips that helped me get through my interview. Hopefully they will help you too! :)

Here are some tips that might help:

Don't be nervous

I know that the idea of talking to a real person and trying to stand out from the thousands of other applicants is terrifying, but it really isn't as scary as everyone makes it out to be. The interviews do a great job at making you feel relaxed and happy. 

SMILE:

This is so important! You really can tell if someone is smiling over the phone. It helps the interviewer know how excited you are and it makes you feel better too!

Write notes on post-its:

On my walls i had post-it notes all over the place, with little reminders on them. Smile, Magic, Relax, Teamwork, etc. Whatever helps you to stay positive and relaxed. Or if there is something you really want to emphasize to the interviewer, you can write that down too.

Do not read directly off of your notes:

It doesn't look good if you are reading from a script you typed up. It doesn't show the interviewer who you really are. It makes you sound like a robot, so don't do it. Plus if you are shuffling through papers, it makes a noise!

Know your top 3 role choices

They will ask you what your top roles are, so do some research beforehand about each role so you are prepared to answer any question they throw your way. Also it helps to narrow down your choices.

Be yourself:

You have a short amount of time to show Disney who you really are. So laugh if you feel like it. I apologized for rambling and the interviewer and I laughed together. It was awesome! I felt so comfortable just being myself and leaving everything on the table. This is your time to shine!

Applying to the Disney College Program

Do you think you want to apply to the Disney College Program? AWESOME! Here are the steps you need to take to apply.

First of all, you have to be at least 18 years old and currently attending a college or university for a semester. It is the College Program, so you have to be in college. Then ask yourself, is this something I really want to do? Can I fit it into my schooling plan? If yes, then go for it!

The first step is just a simple form online here. It's basically just making sure you are not a criminal and you are 18 and attending a college or university.

If you fulfill the requirements above, then Disney will send you an email inviting you to take the Web Based Interview. The most important thing you need to know before taking this, is that you need to be honest. They will ask questions like, are you normally a positive person 100% of the time? Let's be real here, no one is positive 100% of the time. So answer it truthfully. They put questions like that in there to see who will actually tell the truth. They also ask questions based on scenarios and what would you do if this happened. They also ask if you work best in a team or individually, if you work best in fast-paced or slow-paced environments. I know I sound like a broken record, but tell the truth! Do not try to answer the questions a certain way because you think that's what they want to hear. If you are meant to be in the program, you will get in.

Along with all of the question in the WBI, they will ask you to rank the roles with a High, medium, Low, or No interest. Everyone always says that it is best to put at least some interest for everything, but if you really don't want custodial, then put no interest. They will consider you for every role you put some sort of interest in, so if you just want to get in and don't care what role you get, then put interest in everything! Personally I put no interest in custodial, housekeeping, and QSFB because I knew that I wouldn't be happy doing those roles.

Once you have completed the WBI, you wait. Disney will review it and either ask you to sign up for a phone interview time slot, or say sorry :/ you didn't make it this time. Even if you don't make it, don't be discouraged because in 6 months you can apply again! And now you have some experience under your belt so you will be more prepared the next time around :)

Good luck to everyone applying! It really is a great experience. My next post will be focused on the phone interview process. Best of luck to everyone! :)

What is the Disney College Program?

Hey guys! So after telling a lot of my family and friends about getting accepted into the DCP, I have realized that there are many people who don't even know what the program is. First of all, DCP is short for Disney College Program, and the participants usually call themselves CP's.

What is the DCP?

The DCP is a paid internship where students can potentially earn credits for their school while spending either 5 or 8 months in Walt Disney World, or Disneyland. The choices are Spring, Spring Advantage, Fall or Fall Advantage. The advantage options are the 8 month programs. Students come from not only around the United States, but also from different countries around the world. The three main components to this program are Living, Learning, and Earning. 

Living

This is obviously students sharing an apartment with either 3, 5, or 7 other people from around the world. There are different apartment complexes on the Disney property specifically for the CP's. They also have specified Wellness, or Non- Wellness dorms. Wellness being for the people who are under 21 and non- drinkers. Non-Wellness is for the people over 21. 

Learning

During the program, students have an opportunity to take different types of Disney Education courses. There are many different options but I plan on taking as many as I can just for the experience! 

Earning

This is the fun part. Along with living and learning at the happiest place on earth, students get the opportunity to work there as well! There are a wide range of options of roles for students to participate in. During the interview process, students will be given the opportunity to read the many role descriptions and rank them at a High, Medium, Low, or No Interest level. 

This is just the basic layout of the DCP. I have posted the link to the official Disney page below. There is so much information on that page! I am constantly fishing through it to find new info. I hope this might have cleared a few things up for people who have never heard about the program. It really is just an amazing experience for anyone going into any field. You don't have to be going into the field of hospitality to get the hospitality role. This program is open up to everyone, no matter what their interests are.

http://cp.disneycareers.com/en/default/

This Is Me

Hello everyone! My name is Katelyn and I have created this blog to write about my many adventures as I take part in the Disney College Program (DCP). This is not only for my friends and family back home to see what I am doing in the sunny Orlando, FL, but also for anyone considering doing their own DCP! I know that when I was applying to the program, I was constantly searching for blogs with insight on the phone interview, character audition, and much more. While researching, I found some really great blogs with tons of information, but also some blogs with either not enough, or the wrong information. I am here to share my experiences to try to help someone else start theirs.

Here are just some fun facts about me. I am currently attending Northern Michigan University in the beautiful Marquette, MI. My major is for now undeclared. I change my mind about 5 times a day, so I just thought it would be best to leave it at that. Family is the most important thing to me. NMU is pretty far away from my hometown, so I miss them like crazy. I absolutely love to dance. By no means am I the best dancer out there, but I just love to express myself through the music. Whenever I'm having a bad day, I just turn on some music and dance it out!

I'm not sure what else to say. I love my family and friends and I will miss them so much while I'm in Florida. But I know that I will have a blast living in Disney. The DCP is something I have wanted to do for a long time. I actually learned about the program while on vacation at Disney World when I was 12. My Mom and I were shopping in the Christmas store in the Magic Kingdom, and there was a girl working there from Michigan. We got to talking and she explained to us that she was a CP and when I got home, I just had to look into it. She said it was the best choice she has ever made. Ever since that moment, I knew that this was what I wanted to do. So once I turned 18, I applied! Now here I am, an official Disney Cast Member!

That's about it for my first post! I will be posting more in the future about the DCP, but in the meantime please feel free to comment with any questions!

-Katelyn