A very confused person looking to see if someone can help?

Hi,

you probably have lots of people ask this but after looking through the threads i am still unsure if i have my answers. So i thought the next best thing is to post on here!!

I have been to Walt Disney World many times and have always wanted to work there. Last year I asked people in Harry Ramsden Fish and Chip shop how to get involved. It spurred me on to look into it.

I am interested in working for a year in Walt Disney World as a character or performer. I am studying a drama degree at the University of Huddersfield, UK and was wondering whether the audtioner's would be more inclined to hire me as a performer because of this? I already have worked at McDonalds for three years and am not keen on doing fast food in Disney.

Secondly, how do i apply? i have asked yummyjobs but they say all the information is on the website...i cant find it anywhere. I am looking to apply in 2010 for 2011 after my graduation from university and to be back for the 2012 Olympics (unless i have such a great time i saty on ).

Is there a website that would take me directly to apply for the year? I know i am enquiring early but i want to be certain of everything as i need to start saving (i only work summers).

Any information small or big would be a great help

 

As far as I know doing it for a year means that you have to do the Cultural Representative Programme. You will be restricted to doing only either food and beverage or merchandising at EPCOT's UK pavilion. If you are wanting to do character performing your best bet may be to apply for the 6 month graduate programme or the 2 month summer international programme.

 

To be a character performer you need to go on a J1 Visa. So you need to do the academic semester (dont know if it is available for UK) or the summer program. My best recomendation is to apply every summer for character performer¡¡¡ people from the UK may apply as much as they want to ¡¡¡

 

Yup I'm a character performer for the summer, the only way internationals can go for a year is to be crp, and there are no character or entertainment positions. The way auditions work is you get hired based on an interview in your country, and yes they do take previous experience into consideration. when you arrive in orlando you attend an audiotion, and there it is all your actions and movement skills that matter, they dont ask you about your experience. assuming you pass the audition, you become a character. if not, since you are already here, they reassign you to another role.
I dont think you can apply that far in advance, right now they are accepting applications for next summer's program. You submit a resume to yummy jobs, and they take it from there, either offering you a phone interview or not, and then a face to face interview or not, and then accepting you... or not.

the major deciding factor for us characters is height. They are looking for goofy and the mice, if you are not overly tall or overly short, your chances of being hired drop significantly.

if you want more info on my experience, private message me your email and i'll add you to the reader list on my blog

 

You can probably find some info here http://www.disneyinternationalprograms.com
And there's an online presentation about being a cultural representative http://www.disneyinternationalepresentation.com/culturalrep/

 

ok thanks for all the info! it feels really god to finally be getting some answers!

so if i understand correctly i can only go for a year under the cultural programme.

though if i want to be a character i have to apply for it through yummy jobs.

and then i will go through the interview process.

i've loked on the international programme website...what is the saesonal work?

i am now thinking of doing the summer, maybe next year after my degree.

 

I think the seasonal one is the summer one... You apply through yummy no matter what you apply for... but you can't be a character on the year long program...

 

its looking like im going out there 09!!!!

man it seems so much closer than when iw as thinking 2011 (stating the obvious i know). oh crap that means saving my wages lol.

what are they looking for on the resume..i have a very bad one and have no clue where to start lol.

 

How tall are you?? cuz for characters you need to be either short or tall, they dont really take average height people...

 

i havent had recent height done but last i knew i was 5"5'. But im now taller than my mum and equal with my dad so i could be a couple of inches taller.

 

I am 6ft, is tht tall enough?

 

6 ft is goofy height and is what they look for in international recruiting-- each height range is named for a character within it but performers in that height range perform many other characters as well. 5'5" unfortunately is not a height range they really look for-- i'm not saying dont try, definately, but make sure you have a second choice of roles in mind. 5'5" is mostly 'princess' -- also called pluto height, but in this case there are very other few fur characters in the height range, and many more people are 5'5" than are super short or tall. I can tell you that many people who are puppy height are struggling to be scheduled right now, there are already too many of them, which is why it is so difficult to get hired at that height. And before you ask, participants of the Intenational College Program can not be face characters (princesses) because we are not here for long enough, and other reasons that i don't understand.

hope this helped and that i didnt just crush your dreams, DEF STILL TRY! you never know, maybe with hope, trust and pixie dust they'll have a shortage of puppies just before you interview and be waiting for you to step through the door.

 

thanks for the info. dont worry you havent crushed my dreams...ill just wear platform shoes lolol. yeah i understnad its a very common height, does it make a difference as to what time you apply? earlier the better?

i would like to give operations a go, that sounds like good fun oh can the ICP participants do anything in the hotels?

pluto is my fave original character so lets see what happens ^^ i have my bag of pixie dust at the ready.

 

Thank you, i would love to play one of the fur characters, Yes, i think you can work in the hotels, i want to work in the park though. But if i am a character then i do not mind where i work as one.

 

Characters are global, which means they work everywhere, each day is different. All other roles are assigned a location- a couple of my good friends work in resorts - grand floridian, yacht and beach, all stars -- wherever they assign you is where you'll be! you have a say in your role when you interview, but your location could potentially be anywhere on disney property.

 

5'4" is munk height (as in chipmunks) and has more openings usually than puppy height, but people under 5ft and over 6ft are more in demand usually.

 

what other characters are in the puppy height???

 

mr smee, mrs incredible, buzz lightyear, flik, friar tuck, rafiki, clarabelle cow, eeyore, horace horsecollar, Green Army Man-- those are the main ones that are currently used...

 

lol, i am a character performer... and yes there is a chart, but most of this was off the top of my head. after a while, you start to think of everyone in terms of which height range they fall into. i'm short, mouse height.

 

I´m tigger height¡¡¡ ;D