So You Want To Be On American Idol at Walt Disney World?

So you want to be an American Idol? Well, I don’t know anything about being on American Idol, the TV show. But I do know a few things about being on American Idol, The Experience at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Before you complain that American Idol, The Experience isn’t the same as the popular TV show, know this: The winner of the day receives a Fastpass or “Dream Ticket” to a real American Idol audition whenever and wherever it’s held around the country. If you watch this show’s opening episodes each season, you know that people travel from around the country for a spot in the highly coveted auditions. So if you love to sing and have real dreams about becoming a real American Idol, your first shot at the process can start right at Walt Disney World.

Step 1 – Check if you qualify

You have to have a ticket into Disney’s Hollywood Studios? Do you have the time? You should plan on spending the better part of the day. After all, if you succeed in one of the first shows, you’ll be asked to come back to the final show of the day when the actual dream ticket is given to the final winner. So if you’re serious about this, plan on making this your priority and if you don’t make it, consider spending the time out in the park a pretty good consolation prize. In other words, plan on spending the day.

You must also be at least 14 years of age. If you are between 14 and 17, you will have to be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian at all times. For that matter, even if you are older, take someone with you as your coach and second eyes. You don’t want to be dealing with the minutae. You want to be focused on doing your best performance. And they’ll enjoy the backstage aspect of the experience.

By the way, you can be as old as you want. Some older gentleman did “La Bamba” last week and it nearly brought down the house. He certainly got the sympathy vote. But remember, even if you win the “Dream Ticket” from the attraction, you may still not qualify for the TV show itself, since there are eligibility requirements for age: The ages for that show are different. You may however, pass your card to another who would be within the age limits and other requirements. But you can still have the opportunity to be on this show, and it’s worth doing.

Step 2 – Choose a song—or four to five

There are 113 songs total to choose from. Identify several you may be comfortable with. You may want to provide a variety of different songs; for example, don’t do all ballads. That creates a greater opportunity for you to eventually appear because they need to make certain there’s some variety in this show. Know that the lyrics (words) and underscore for each song on the approved song list will be a shortened version approximately ninety seconds in length. Also, there is a huge screen in the back of the theater that plays like Karaoke. So it isn’t that you have to have it memorized. But you want to be as comfortable about the requirements of the song, so you can give it your best expression.

Although this list can change, as of today, the following are the categories and song titles to choose from, along with a brief description, including tempo and whether the song is appropriate for males, females, or both.

Complete song list as of January 2009 

Step 3 – Get to the park early

There’s no guarantee you’re going to get in, even if you have a strong voice. You want to get in line early and find out. Don’t go to the front of the theater. Go behind the theater opposite of Sci Fi Drive-In. There you will enter a queue for your first audition. You don’t want to sit in a long audition line. Act like a professional and get there early.

Step 4 – Perform your first audition

After queuing, you will be assigned to one of four booths for your first audition. Your initial audition will take approximately two minutes, including feedback from the Casting Director. Sing any song a cappella (no accompaniment track or music), including the ones listed. It doesn’t matter. Just no original material They just want to make sure you have the ability to potentially provide an entertaining experience. And don’t worry about any “Simon” like judges at this point. Think of it as auditioning to your high school choir teacher. In fact, the judge we met, was just that–a former high school choral instructor.

By the way, Disney does an incredibly professional job handling you during this audition process. They know it’s sometimes scary. To that end, they’ve created a really sharp experience, and they’ve paid attention to a lot of important details to make this work for you. But remember, it’s not about you. While you may get the applause and even the ticket, at the end of the day, the purpose of this attraction is for Disney to entertain guests. You have to be able to provide an experience that’s worth their time. Either you have it or you don’t.

Step 5 – Perform your second audition

Here’s where you need to select up to three to five songs from the song list. Prior to entering, you will need to sign a consent form because you will be videotaped. You’ll also be given an MP3 player so you can listen to your selected underscore and see the lyrics on the player. Then you enter a second audition with another judge. During this second audition held in a slightly larger office than the first audition, you use a microphone and sing one song to an audio playback of an instrumental recording with the words to the song displayed on a screen in the back. Based on your talent, the experience either comes to and end or the producer asks you to be either a “Guest Performer” or an “Alternate Guest Performer” in one of the shows that day.

Step 6 – Get your lanyard

If you are selected to continue, you are given a lanyard loudly proclaiming you’re a performer that day. You’re allowed out in the park until an hour before the show, when you need to be back. If you’re really serious about getting that ticket, then you better bust your tail promoting yourself and asking people to vote for you. Remember, every vote counts. Don’t think you’ll be in the next show that happens that day, because the producer has to balance the show and the variety of songs/talent in those shows. You may have auditioned early in the day, but asked to come back at 3:00 for a 4:00 show.

Step 7 – Come back an hour early

Here they are going to further set you up for success. Hair and makeup professionals will fuss over you, and you get a chance to go through a tech rehearsal of the song with all of the lighting, bells, and whistles. Think carefully about how you want to dress. You want to look right for the song you are singing. As they say, a song is really a story. Your look and appearance better support the story. If you’re serious about doing this, you’ll know what I mean.

Step 8 – Perform

Give it your all. Ignore the judges, since they mean nothing to your performance. They are just there to make the experience look authentic (which ironically, is the one thing they don’t do). Hopefully, they will change this, and let the judges be themselves rather than a formulaic view of the ones on American Idol. Either way, ignore them. All that matters is how you come across with the audience so that they will vote for you at the end of the show on some keypads next to their seat.

Step 9 – Do it again

If you are voted the winner, you are invited to the last show of the day. It is the final winner of this show that gets the Dream Ticket for that day. Spend the time before this to get people to show up and vote for you. And then be ready to give a great show, which as I understand, can be the same song as performed earlier. After all, theoretically, it should be a different crowd.

Step 10 – Enjoy It

Dream Ticket or not, it’s the most amazing talent show you will ever have the opportunity to participate in. If you make it onstage, you’ll have a chance to perform before a audience of a thousand on one amazing stage. Without going professional, it’s hard to do better than this. And even if you never make it past the first audition, it will still be the most memorable moment of your day at the Disney Hollywood Studios.

And if you just want to be a guest, do it. You’ll enjoy it. I did. In fact, I really wanted to come back to other shows later on the day. It’s a great experience and worth your while.