INSIDERINSIDER
Magic girl melanie posing in a Disney costume
Melanie played one of Cinderella's stepsisters in the parks.Melanie
  • Current and former Disney parks performers were interviewed by Insider.

  • Casting directors look for a pretty face, according to a former face character.

  • She said it was more important for them to hire performers who looked like each other.

When it comes to landing a job as a Disney character at the theme parks, some former employees say it is more about looks and luck than talent.

One former Disneyland performer told Insider that the company is looking for a pretty face when casting its princess roles.

A former performer said Disney hires performers who look like each other in the parks

disney
Multiple performers are hired for each role in the parks.Mark Ashman/ Disney via Getty Images

Melanie got a role as one of Cinderella's stepsisters at Disneyland after auditioning 13 times. Her identity as well as her employment at the Disney parks have been verified by Insider.

She told Insider that landing a role is more about keeping physical consistency with the performers who have already been cast at the parks rather than resembling a cartoon character.

She told Insider that the standard that you're trying to attain when you're trying to get hired as a princess is what is the most forgettable pretty face you can have.

She said that the first round of cuts was made after the casting directors lined everyone up and looked at their faces.

She said that you can't prove anything, it is what people think of your face. It is hard to accept.

The worst part of the auditioning process is when you have to play face characters like Alice and Mickey Mouse, according to Sarah Daniels, who started working as Mickey Mouse when she was 16.

She said it was a frustrating part of Disney and that it was not about being pretty. How many girls do they have? How many girls do they need?

Auditionees usually don't even know which roles they're gunning for

Disney parks and cruise lines hold open auditioning several times a year. The Disney Careers site does not usually include specific roles or a height range.

Melanie said that she went to so many because they would say, "Oh, you could show up and be the perfect Ariel, but today we're only hiring for Tinker Bells."

She said that landing a role at the parks is dependent on luck.

It wasn't just about how much I wanted it or how many times I showed up. Melanie told Insider that all of that could have been true and that she could have never gotten the job.

She said that she got the job because she was lucky.

Representatives for Disney did not reply immediately.

The original article can be found on Insider.

  • In a recent red-carpet interview with Insider, the actress said of her costar, "He's crazy funny."

  • Recent weddings of Patrick and Brittany were a sight to see, and the wedding photos keep coming. The recent portrait of their daughter, Sterling, 1, has us almost in tears, as we fall more for their fairytale wedding. Matthews posted a beautiful photo of their daughter.

  • AdAzure
    • Why this Ad?
    • Go ad-free*

    Work from anywhere with secure access to resources.

  • The pair have been spending time together since their split, according to a source.

  • WheezyWaiter and his wife made a video after four months of giving up drinking alcohol, to show what has changed.

  • The stars divorced in 2000, but are still family.

  • Protect your files and photos with a full terabyte of OneDrive cloud storage.

  • Saint Peter's coach, who stunned John Calipari and Kentucky, said some McDonald's fries had him down.

  • Steve Harvey had people on social media confused this week when he revealed that he owed the IRS.

  • I spent less than $1,000 in seven days on the road and went out for dinner and drinks with friends.

  • AdSmartAsset
    • Why this Ad?
    • Go ad-free*

    A high-interest account allows you to earn compound interest, while still having full access to your money. These are the top picks.

  • He said that it isn't enough to slow down Russian forces.

  • During the Pandemic, I became a pastry cook. I like to make a box of cake mix taste homemade.

  • Kate Beckinsale clapped back at a troll who commented on her social media post, after she posted a picture of her toned torso.

  • When you keep your eyes open, you can find some serious bargains.

  • RobKardashian received a bike for his 35th birthday from his sisters.

  • At the American Freedom Tour on Saturday, Trump said that he would take back the White House in 2024.

  • A Japanese company specializing in cardboard boxes, Aasu Danboru, has designed a cardboard bed that is available to purchase online for $50. The ease of mass production, transport and disposal has led to the use of cardboard beds in Japan. Earth Cardboard has made the bed available to everyone.

  • 6 sources of post-retirement income are recommended by the experts at Fool Wealth. You can download our latest report.

  • The electric vehicle can be extended with the press of a button on an app.

  • Colin Craig-Brown had been waiting for a long time for an email from Guinness World Records. The New Zealand man and his wife thought they had found the world's largest potato, weighing more than 17 pounds. The email told them that their potato was not a spud.

  • South Carolina legalized firing-squad executions last year after a decade-long pause in carrying out death sentences. The agency that runs the death chamber in Columbia said Friday that it was able to carry out a firing-squad execution after renovations were completed. Lawmakers are trying to get around the lethal injection drug situation.

  • AdTheDaddest
    • Why this Ad?
    • Go ad-free*

    When you move into a new house, it's fun to find things that were left behind by previous homeowners. These are out of the ordinary.

  • The asteroid that hit Earth off the coast of Iceland was not big enough to pose a threat to the planet.

  • Sometimes it is okay to just put your phone down.

  • The high price of gas has led some drivers to improve their fuel efficiency.