Disney Needs Puppeteers in CA

Hi everyone! Now I know that some people here have particularly strong opinions about working for Disney (and some negative first hand experiences) but I thought I would post this anyways for any interested members:

The Disneyland Resort Character department is casting puppeteers for the stage show, "Playhouse Disney - Live on Stage!" The show encompasses an advanced style of hand and rod puppets to help tell the various "Playhouse Disney" stories. Prior experience is preferred but not necessary. Applicants must be between 5'7 - 6'3 in height.

We will be holding auditions Saturday, October 4, 2003 at 2:30pm. The audition will take place at 700 W. Ball rd. in Anaheim, Ca 92803. All applicants must be at least 18 years old. Must also be able to show proof eligibility to work in the U.S.A. For more information please call the Audition Hotline. (714) 781- 0111. Lisa Rank , Recruitment and Training , Character Dept. , (714) 781-4179

that auditiontion is a bunch of horse sh#!.you sit & wait...& wait..me &this other puppeteer ,who's worked on alot of really great stuff,were the only two there that didn't work somewhere in the park!they hire there own employees?every body gets mesured & stuff,then not unlike cattle ,we are all ushered to the backstage area. i'll admit,it was kinda cool seeing those costumes close up,i felt like a kid & i wanted to touch stuff & put it on,specially when i saw the bear coustume!!so we all get #'s,then they call a bunch of you in ,the you all practice lip sync exsersices,the you put pinpong balls on your hand & lip sync to"be are guest"we sucks ,cause i went out & bought th play house disney cd, thinking they'd use those songs?!!&after that,we all sit in the next room,i felt like i was waiting to die....then they call out random #'s &give you the "thanks for comin' out "speach in the hall way!!it's crap ,cause you don't een get a chance to show your real chops...yeah f@#! walt & his corporate bull $h!+....

Well Fishbone, sounds like you didn't have a very good audition experience! But . . . thanks for the heads up on what they want to see! And since you know the process, maybe you can be more prepared for the next audition. So it's not all "half-empty." Half-full! Half-full!

In fact - Is there anyone else out there who is familiar with Disney's casting process, in particular for puppeteers? Any helpful tips or hints would be much appreciated!

Cheers!

--Scraps "Newbie" Flippy

I'm trying to get this image of a ticked off grown man standing there singing "Be Our Guest" and trying to look and act cheerful......

*rolling on the floor laughing*



Awww Fishbone! you gotta laugh... and Scraps is right... that took a lotta Fish Guts to do!

Hey like I said in the original post - I know some people have particularly strong opinions about Disney.

I really think from what I've heard about Disney - good and bad - that it's probably not the best working experience, but far from the worst. Truth is, if you want to be a really good puppeteer there is no better way than working everyday with other talented people. It's fine to talk about, think about it, etc. but when it comes right down to it at some point you have to do it alot to get very good at it.

I think Disney provides a great opportunity to learn and practice your art. I'd probably be ripping my hair out after a year with the Mouse House, but I wouldn't mind giving it a try either at some point just to do it.

noo,it's not about being prepaired or ot,i practiced like a month in advance,the day i saw it posted,i went out looking for a kid's music cd,& practiced w/ both arms,w/ the heaviest puppet i have.lyp sync is on point,i got my rod movement down.it was like puppet boot camp at my house.i'm telling you it's politics.my friend paul,the other puppeteer,he was there as well,he's worked on mc donalds comercials,films,he built mcnuggets puppets,he& i worked on a film & comercial together,he's hardcore!!!,he was taller than anybody there,he had auditioned for bear w/ vee entertainment.he is bear.like i said, they don't give you a chance to show what you can do,you bust your *** just to watch some kid that runs the dumbo ride get the gig.no puppet,no fish guts,it's easy to audition.most of the time you don't even have to audition out here.but i ussually get the gig. i'm just a goof ball,my comedic timing is good,i can adlib & i'm easy to work with.thomas fountain(men in blk 1&2)asked me if i took music & drama classes,i never,i told him just alot of sesame st. & muppets.so i must be doing something right.

Alot of companies prefer not to hire experienced puppeteers(!) if they like to train people from the ground up (as strange as that seems) because they get to train them "their way." Other times you may be an awesome puppeteer, you just didn't have what they were looking for that day. And sometimes, yes, it's who you know...in the case of Disney they may want to give an opportunity to a "kid who ran the Dumbo ride" and has worked for the company awhile earning a low wage.

Probably the hardest part of being a professional entertainer is dealing with the rejection. If you go on auditions rejections are part of the deal. It's even harder sometimes if you are used to landing gigs. You shouldn't take it personally fishbone. Some people run really good auditions, some people run really bad auditions. You just have to roll with the punches.

I audition really poorly. I often don't have to audition for things - I either get a job based on a recommendation, because I know the right person, or because there just isn't another puppeteer around. It's actually made me a weaker performer - I don't audition well because I don't have to that much (maybe 2 or 3 times per year) as opposed to some actors I know who audition dozens if not hundreds of times each year.

i agree,but if they want a certain type,they should really say so,or only post inside the park ,yeah ussualy,i will get a gig because no one else would show up,or sometimes because of the issuse like for instance alot of ppl backed out of showbiz rabbi because of the subject.so it just all depends,i didn't reall take it personally,it just felt like a big waste of time because i what i had to go through to get there.i learned not totake things personally in this fickle town a loooong time ago.they're will be others.

That's true, but to be fair often when casting even if you are looking for a specific type or qualifications you sometimes see a bunch of people you normally wouldn't consider in case you run across someone new, unusual or unexpected. It's also possible that Disney are just jerks too.

When i was a kid, i went up to mikey mouse & i tapped him on the back...& he snuffed me....so me being the kid i was ,i pinched him on the butt .well minney saw what i did ,cuz she was there too...learning from his mistake ,she quickly came over to pat me on the haed...see,women are smarter.