The Disney College Program: Nailing the Audition

Above all else, Disney is known for its characters. Anyone who has even been mildly involved with Disney has a favorite Disney character that they personally relate to in some way. These characters are meaningful, strong, universal, and very human.

Disney parks entertainment helps bring these characters to life in wonderful ways. I’m sure many of you have an old scrapbook somewhere with a grainy old photo of you cheesing with Mickey Mouse at the age of four. Maybe you remember sitting on the sidewalk and watching a miraculous parade of dancers and floats going by, but specifically you remember Peter Pan coming up to you and telling you about a special adventure. Maybe you remember the time you saw Cinderella on the castle stage and she waved directly at you. Or maybe you’ve just seen all these heartwarming moments in the slow motion of a Disney commercial.

Disney entertainment is a very special thing to be a part of. It can be one of the most magical experiences of your life, to create this exclusive kind of magic for other guests. So for students who take an interest in entertainment, the Disney College Program audition tour is an excellent way to get involved with a performance role in the company.

The Disney College Program character audition is a self-contained part of the DCP application process that you will only need to go through if you have an interest in being a character performer. You should know that just placing a high interest in the character performer role on your original DCP application does not guarantee that you will be considered for this role. You must attend an audition to be considered. If you are signed up for the DCP emails, then you will get notified about these audition locations and dates. You can also find this information by visiting https://disneyauditions.com. You can attend the audition if you have applied for the program and have not gotten your acceptance email yet. And you can attend the audition if you have gotten your acceptance email and have been placed in a role other than performer. Disney will not place you in a performer role until you audition.

What to Expect

The audition usually consists of three rounds. I can’t write much about what goes on in these three rounds because Disney asks that the information not be spread about social media. Just know that there are two movement rounds (one simpler, and one more advanced) and an animation round. The casting directors will make cuts between the rounds, and may video or take pictures of the last auditionees remaining. This may include a short reading. You can expect to be doing a lot of jazz squares, pivot steps, step claps, and three step turns, so be sure to brush up on your basic dance knowledge. Maybe play a game of charades with your friends to prepare for the animation round.

How to Get Hired

Above your technique, Disney is looking for performers. They will train you in the specifics that your role requires when you get there. But at the audition they want to see your potential. That means you must smile genuinely and project energy into all your movements, even if you can’t kick your face or land a single pirouette. A lot of Disney’s character performers don’t require a lot of dance experience anyways. The casting directors just want to know that you have some sort of body awareness and a stage presence.

They are looking for huge facial expressions, and larger than life body movements that take up space and utilize all your limbs. They want to see that you have creativity and spacial/movement awareness, and that you can clearly communicate ideas through simplicity and clever tactics.

The Waiting

If you make it through, and your role does get switched to character performer after your audition, you will receive an email from Walt Disney World Campus Recruiting a few weeks later, notifying you of your role change. You will also receive an email if you did not make it through the audition, instructing you to keep the role you were already offered.

How to Prepare

Think about Youtubing Disney’s current parades and shows, and even character meet and greets. You will notice that all the entertainment at Disney has a clean and bright simplicity to it. Disney has developed almost its own genre of performance with signature choreographic elements that make it so recognizable. Try to educate yourself on what that Disney genre looks like before going into the audition. Notice the perfectly clean lines, the incredibly high energy, the graceful arm bursts, the over exaggerated movements, and the posture of the performers.

Attire

The most asked question about the audition I get is: What do I wear to the audition? Some people think you need to wear tights and a leotard, and then some people come in running shorts and a t-shirt. I usually do something in the middle. Of course you want to have your hair clean and presentable, and makeup done nicely. You also want to think about the “Disney look.” The Disney appeal is clean and classic, not extreme or trendy. Keep this simple, presentable look in mind when you are picking your audition outfit. I usually where a bright colored dance/athletic top or bright colored leotard with capri length black leggings, or black dance shorts. As far as shoes, the most common is jazz shoes or athletic shoes, rather than ballet or character shoes

I hope that this post has educated you enough to make you confident and successful at your Disney audition. My next post will be detailing how to make the transfer from your school to Disney by creating internships, manipulating credit hours, registering for Disney classes, and wrapping up loose ends while you will be away from school for a semester. Stick around, share with your friends, and subscribe!

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