Whats it like to be a Disney Character..Cast member

[WDWKat26]

why? we're ADULTS. even most kids over the age of about 4 know that its just a human in a costume. do you get bent out of shape when a maintainence worker talks about what he'll be doing during an Animatronic's rehab? how is this any different? if you're at work, your job is to keep the Magic real, and i'd be mad if you didn't, but here on the internet, there's nothing wrong with sharing stories and information

the original poster was just interested in the subject, anyone who reads the boards can see the topic, know what's going to be said, and stay out of the thread if they don't want to think about the realities of character CMs' jobs. but the truth remains that NOT A SINGLE PERSON ON THESE BOARDS is a child who belives that the characters are real. your post isn't "protecting" anyone's illusions

So what if it's all adults on this board? Have you read every single post in this thread? Personally i'm getting sick of being asked 50 million questions about my job by guests, "Is it hot in there?" "How do you do this?" What's it like in that costume?" etc. etc. etc. every day.

There's a reason why there aren't stories in this thread, and if there are it's by CM's who no longer work for the company or are seasonal and are not there all the time like most of us. Entertainment isn't maintainence or custodial, those are people as THEMSELVES in your face doing their job at Disney. So honestly, you made a horrible comparison comparing characters with a totally different department; it's like night and day.

Also, I said it oh about 15 MILLION times and i'll say it again:
MANAGERS READ THESE BOARDS AND CAST MEMBERS CAN GET IN TROUBLE FOR SHARING THOSE STORIES. WE MAKE MAGIC AND WE HAVE SWORN TO PROTECT IT.

Why is that so hard for some people to understand?

 

[discman]

WDWKAT26 yes i dont know how hard it is to understand.

 

[100 Acre HS]

Entertainment is one of the most physically demanding jobs anyone will ever have. In all honesty it is the front line cast members that have the hardest job, but entertainment is down right crazy sometimes. I am sure there are tons of people that would love to tell you tons of stories, hell i have plenty. But it undermines what we do. When you see tigger, i want you to see tigger, not some guy in a suit, every story that you hear about someones day "in costume" destroys the magic just a little bit, and no one that is on these boards wants that.

 

[Thelazer]

Okay, so lets ask the question like this.


Is Tigger HOT when he is outside? I bet Tigger does not like the heat because he gets very hot. Therefore, Tigger is outside only 15 mins at a time, then he goes inside to cool down and drink some Tigger Juice and have Honey with Pooh. Once in awhile some guys try to grab Tiggers tail, or even give him a pat on the rump!

Tigger just laughs at this, because Tigger knows that the guest is just fooling around. When the guest isn't fooling around, Tigger's friends in Security take care of matters and sometimes even there friends at Orange County take care of it!

No matter, because at the end of the day Tigger is a happy yet tired Tigger who hangs out with his Pals at the local 100 ACER Drinking hole to unwind from the days doings.

Now, did that give up any magic?

 

[Magicot]

Wait . . . . . . . the characters aren't real!?

 

[mkt]

I usually just read, and have never responded, but for this thread I must. I am very good friends with quite a few characters, and I find this offensive. Those of you that are actually answering these questions are a disgrace to your fellow cast members. While it may be fine for you to destroy the magic in this way, think of the people that are busy making magic right now. Our guests should know better than to make these comments and ask these questions, but they don't; but remember what you were told in your CORE classes. There is ONE Mickey, ONE Donald, ONE Goofy...and they are very real. Have some respect for the work of yourself and your fellow cast members.

I broke my mouse ear shaped shackles years ago... if someone asks a question, I will answer it. While I do believe in preserving the magic, I also believe in respecting a persons intelligence.

 

[Tom]

I broke my mouse ear shaped shackles years ago... if someone asks a question, I will answer it. While I do believe in preserving the magic, I also believe in respecting a persons intelligence.

Amen.

This is the internet. You can go look up topics on Santa, or the Easter Bunny or Tooth Fairy on the internet. It is a parent's job to protect that "magic" but once you reach a certain age, or certain level of conscious thinking - you know that they're all legend (GASP, I just said that on the internet!).

Yes, in the parks the characters are all "REAL". I love them as much as the next person. But, I'm a mature adult and I know that they're just people in costumes...just like my brother in the Cat-in-the-Hat costume (we preserved that little "magic" while he was out and about - but that's it!), and just like Scooby Doo at Kings Island...and the big Shamoo at Sea World, etc, etc.

We like to say we're children at hearts, but it's still childish to argue on here that they're real and that it's disrespectful to talk about it. It's not like we're saying GOD isn't real, or something controversial like that - we're talking about some people in bug furry suits that entertain us while on the clock.

I can understand Disney not wanting the current CMs to talk about their jobs, or reveal company secrets, but the rest of us can talk about it at free will - and that's the beauty of the internet. If someone doesn't want to read that the characters aren't really real, they shouldn't read the thread - or visit an internet chat room on the subject. I'm not going to pretend that the characters are religious deities here, but I will in the parks.

 

[mrtoad]

The characters are real, just ask my 4 year old daughter. She will tell you that Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Cinderella, Snow White are all real, so they are real.

But she did tell her grandmother today that the Pirates are robots. And they have skin on em'.... :lol:

Ok, now we're opening up a whole new area of philosophy here, namely, do you "become" the character you're portraying when you play a role? I'm not saying that to a child, or even to the performer, that the character is any less "real", but to deny the performer does him or her a disservice. As a fan of Disney, i'm very interested in the experiences of cast members from all over the parks.

The character is "real" in the sense that its a combination of the original author or artist's vision, the medium that the character has been portrayed in, and now, the performance of an individual who is helping to bring that character to life. If however, you wish to live under the illusion that a fictional character exists independently outside of human beings' imaginations, its your right to do so. Just don't come and whine and complain to those of us who have no such pretenses. You know what the content of this thread would be in advance, do yourself a favor and don't click on it.

 

[miles1]

We all thought the FEMA director was real too. (Sorry for the political barb.)

 

[UltimtMickeyFan]

And here I though that this website was called WDWMAGIC for a reason!!!!!

Silly me for thinking something like that, or thinking it has anything to do with preserving a little bit of what is left of that unbelievable magic...

 

[timoteo]

There is a book called "Disney War" in which the author goes into great detail about his Eisner sanctioned try at being Goofy. This chapter is one of the first in the book and it is very descriptive about what being a charater is all about. I highly recommend all Disney Fans read this book or preview the WDW character chapter at Barnes and Noble. Being a character is a bit like a having a workout and takes a dancers endurance and coordination.

 

[poohbear6103]

Okay, so lets ask the question like this.


Is Tigger HOT when he is outside? I bet Tigger does not like the heat because he gets very hot. Therefore, Tigger is outside only 15 mins at a time, then he goes inside to cool down and drink some Tigger Juice and have Honey with Pooh. Once in awhile some guys try to grab Tiggers tail, or even give him a pat on the rump!

Tigger just laughs at this, because Tigger knows that the guest is just fooling around. When the guest isn't fooling around, Tigger's friends in Security take care of matters and sometimes even there friends at Orange County take care of it!

No matter, because at the end of the day Tigger is a happy yet tired Tigger who hangs out with his Pals at the local 100 ACER Drinking hole to unwind from the days doings.

Now, did that give up any magic?

:lol: Things were getting WAY to serious here!

 

[WDWKat26]

Okay, so lets ask the question like this.


Is Tigger HOT when he is outside? I bet Tigger does not like the heat because he gets very hot. Therefore, Tigger is outside only 15 mins at a time, then he goes inside to cool down and drink some Tigger Juice and have Honey with Pooh. Once in awhile some guys try to grab Tiggers tail, or even give him a pat on the rump!

Tigger just laughs at this, because Tigger knows that the guest is just fooling around. When the guest isn't fooling around, Tigger's friends in Security take care of matters and sometimes even there friends at Orange County take care of it!

No matter, because at the end of the day Tigger is a happy yet tired Tigger who hangs out with his Pals at the local 100 ACER Drinking hole to unwind from the days doings.

Now, did that give up any magic?

:lol: that was really funny

 

[that_L_do_pig]

My 4 year old girl makes the obsessive distinction between what's a 'robot' and what's 'real.' If it's mechanized, it's a robot. If it is not mechanized, it is real. That's how life fits in one nice little box.

 

[NewfieGirl]

Pirate Robots...People in costumes:veryconfu....Santa?Easter Bunny?Tooth Fairy?...not real??

Noooooooooooooooooooooo say it isn't so!!!!!!!



A closed mouth gathers no feet.

 

[mousebymarriage]

I usually just read, and have never responded, but for this thread I must. I am very good friends with quite a few characters, and I find this offensive. Those of you that are actually answering these questions are a disgrace to your fellow cast members. While it may be fine for you to destroy the magic in this way, think of the people that are busy making magic right now. Our guests should know better than to make these comments and ask these questions, but they don't; but remember what you were told in your CORE classes. There is ONE Mickey, ONE Donald, ONE Goofy...and they are very real. Have some respect for the work of yourself and your fellow cast members.

Santa Claus just called and told me to tell you to "LIGHTEN UP" it was just a bit of innocent curiosity!

 

[mousebymarriage]

Here is something that should aggrivate those of you offended by cast memeber revealing the "magic".
My aunt was an executive secretary for the Walt Disney Company quite a few years ago and she said there is nothing "magical" about many of the jobs at the parks.
1) The pay is really crappy
2) There are many many rules to follow (approved appearance, clothing, shoes, weight(no too many fatties working in high visibilty areas<EVER p that notice one),etc.<> -ever noticed that one!
3) The costumes are really , really hot and UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES are they allowed to remove the head in public(even if they need to vomit:hurl: , sorry keep the head on and puke away) and YES it has happened.
4) The hours really suck!
The list goes on!

 

[MyNameisStitch]

Just had to jump in here real quick...
I have known since I was a kid and visited my first disney park, Disneyland, in 1993 that the characters "have a friend". I had one of those childhood experiences you never forget. When I was about 6 years old at a Six Flags park I saw Bugs Bunny backstage with his head under his arm smoking a cigarette as I flew over in the sky ride. Not a fun day for little Jakey.

But my parents told me that the characters have friends and that doesn't make them any less real. When I visited Disneyland at 9 years old I walked into that park and hugged every character I could find. Even on my most recent trip to Disney World I took pictures with characters and I hugged every one of them. Yes, I know the characters have friends (I am even friends with a couple friends) but when I get in that park and see one of my favorite characters, I don't think about the friend. I think about how much I love that character and then I go up and give them a huge hug.

I would never want a kid to see what I saw as a kid. Thats why i'm so thankful for the measures Disney takes to protect the magic. Thank you WDWKat and all the other cast members that keep mum, not just because its your job but because you care about keeping the magic alive.

To those who have been ragging on the CM's think of it this way (and i'm not trying to be mean to the OP, this is just in general)...
The magicians code (according to the Society of American Magicians) states that a magician should "Oppose the willful exposure to the public of any principles of the Art of Magic, or the methods employed in any magic effect or illusion." In english, this means a magician should never reveal how his trick performed at any cost. A CM IS A MAGICIAN! Its their job to make magic. If they give away the tricks, then they are being bad magicians.

I have been performing magic since I was about 8 years old. Ever since my uncle taught me my first trick I have loved magic. But, the first lesson he gave me was on the Magicians Code and I always stuck to it. The only person i've ever shared tricks with was my uncle. If any of you have never learned a good magic trick then your missing out on a wonderful feeling. You get this amazing rush when you have amazed someone with a good magic trick. Especially a child, I love performing quick, simple little impromptu tricks for kids and watching the smile appear just as the trick takes place. This i'm sure is the same rush that the CMs get when they create a magical moment for a guest.

You can bet that once I become a magician for Disney as a CM, I will continue to stick to that code I learned as a kid. Sorry if I wrote a little too much, I just have strong feelings about this subject.

 

[SpenceMan01]

It's a shame that the character CM's have such bad working conditions. I've worked several character positions outside of Disney. These include: OC Bee for Old Country Buffet, The Best Buy Idea Box, and a clown for a restaurant/arcade which later became a Chuck E. Cheese. The bee had battery operated PC fans mounted in the head to vent hot air and bring in cooler air. They weren't needed when I used them. I also know from reading the manuals for the Chuck E. Cheese costume that they have a 'ice pack vest' that helps cool the performers. I could see Disney having problems with fans in the character's heads, but I don't see why they couldn't provide ice vests.

I agree with MKT. Thanks for not insulting our intelligence. All the people on here crying foul need to make like hosers and take off, eh (from the thread). I would NEVER put a character CM on the spot in the park by talking about costumes and such. I would like to think that pretty much everyone would offer that same respect while in the parks. Well here we're not in the parks, are we. As it was mentioned before, this is the internet and we are free to discuss topics like this. IIRC you have to be 13 to be on here, or have parental supervision. I think 99.9999% of 13+ year olds know that the characters are people in costumes.

Let me pose this question: Would you rather have us discuss it here or in the parks?

 

[Connor002]

It dosen't ruin or spoil the magic for me. Why? Becasue there is a distinction between what I know, and what I believe. When I'm here, I know the characters have "friends," but when at disney, that dosen't cross my mind. As far as I'm concerened, they are the characters, once the "friend" is on stage, they become the character. So they are real to me, and the fact that I know the truth dosen't bother me, because I don't think of the characters as people in furry costumes. The characters are as real as you or me, because the characters are, in themselves, a persona.


And thank you mkt, I think it's time for everyone to reconize the fact the we are all adults (or young adults) on these boards, and we can handle the truth.