I don’t think I’ve ever shared my audition experience here on the blog before. I thought it would be a fun way for you to get to know me a little better. Maybe it will also inspire one of you to finally take the leap and audition for Disney yourself.
If you are thinking of auditioning for Disney, I’ll place tips throughout the post. Enjoy!
Let’s start off with me stating that at the time of my audition, I was 16, very quiet and shy, totally and completely nervous, and I had never in my life auditioned for anything before.
For someone like me, auditioning for something always scared me half to death. I liked the spotlight okay, but I didn’t like being the spotlight and being judged. However, even though I felt this way, I didn’t let that get in the way of me taking one step closer to my childhood dreams of working for Disney and being a Disney princess.
So, I took that scary step. We were on vacation so I did my research ahead of time to make sure that there was an audition that I could attend. I think that at the time, they were auditioning girls for Rapunzel, Cinderella, Jasmine, and Pocahontas. The audition took place on Disney property, just outside of Animal Kingdom at the Animal Kingdom Rehearsal Facility.
There was already a pretty long line of girls getting ready to sign in with the cast members. Everyone was so excited and talking and the cast members were really nice and made everything seem a little less scary.
Tip #1 – The moment you walk in, you are being watched by the cast members. They are watching to see how you respond to the other girls, how to respond to the pressure of the audition, and other things that might be happening in the room. If you are nervous (like I was) they will be able to tell. Plaster a smile (a natural one, of course. It’s Disney so be happy) and interact with the other girls. Be natural.
I was so nervous that I didn’t really talk to anyone. I tried my hardest to smile and be cordial. We signed our names and some information (it was so long ago that I don’t remember all the details) on an iPad and then they measured and weighed us.
Once I was checked in, I was given a number and sat with my Mom until everyone was finished (about 30-45 minutes).
Tip #2 – Wear comfortable clothing. I wore very uncomfortable shoes that gave me blisters and my shirt was too flowy and loose. I recommend dance shoes and tight-fitting workout clothes (unless they specifically state what you should wear in the audition notice).
Once everyone was checked in, they had the parents stand outside the rehearsal room and we were gathered in a large group in the center. They began talking to us about being natural, smiling, if you mess up-make it part of the dance, don’t be nervous, etc., etc., etc. We were divided into two groups, one to stay in that rehearsal room and another to go to a different rehearsal room. There were over a hundred people there and the rooms were small.
The choreographer then went over very simple choreography 3 or 4 times with all of us. Finally, we were divided into groups of 6 and were called up group-by-group to move forward to perform the choreography to music. I was so bummed that I was so nervous that I messed up the extremely easy choreo.
After we performed the dance 2-3 times, the next group was called up, and on and on. It took roughly an hour and a half or so to audition everyone. If they liked certain people, they called various numbers and they performed again. I wasn’t one of them.
Once everyone was finished, the casting directors talked for a bit and thanked everyone for coming very graciously and called out 5 or 6 numbers before releasing everyone to go home. That’s it!
Out of about 100, only 6-8 people went through to the next phase. I really think that my downfall throughout the whole thing was that I was so nervous from beginning to end and they could tell.
Tip #3 – Don’t let your nervousness get in the way of a job at Disney. But also don’t let their rejection get to you. There were a lot of people there to audition and they only kept 6 or 8 of them. There is no guarantee that you’ll make it, but there is also no guarantee that you won’t. Be positive and do your best and the casting directors will see that passion in you.
My Dad came to pick us up and he had bought a Cheshire Cat cake pop for me and we went to Disney Springs (Downtown Disney at the time) for the rest of the day 🙂 .
If I ever audition for Disney again, I would definitely be more confident. I was young and inexperienced at auditions and being put on the spot. Now that I’m a little older, I would be able to handle the pressure a little more gracefully. I am so glad that I pushed myself outside of my comfort zone to audition! For my first audition, I’m so glad that it was Disney.
If you are deciding whether or not to audition for Disney, I say go for it! Even if you don’t make it, it’s a great experience. “Go. Live your dream!”
Have any of you ever auditioned before?
What was your experience like?
Have a magical Disney day,
Amanda
Lights, Camera, Disney! 