Complete with all the thrills and suspense that have made it a television and pop culture phenomenon, “American Idol” can now be experienced at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park.
Another opportunity for Disney to make dreams come true, ‘The American Idol Experience,’ allows guests to capture the energy and excitement of the TV series, whether singing onstage or in the audience cheering on their favorite performer.
Each show takes place in a 1,000-seat indoor theater that features the twirling neon signs and a multi-layered backdrop inspired by the actual “American Idol” set in California. Building on its hallmark of attention to detail, Walt Disney Imagineering worked with the Hollywood set designer who designed the actual TV show set for “American Idol.” The newly designed venue is the most technologically advanced theater found at Walt Disney World Resort.
Designed to reflect the best and brightest elements of the TV show, “The American Idol Experience” includes an audition process open to Disney’s Hollywood Studios guests 14 and older (audition slots are limited and interested guests are encouraged to arrive early). These guests perform live in front of a Disney’s Hollywood Studios casting director for the opportunity to be cast in one of the preliminary theme park shows that same day.
If shown to have that special “star quality” during the multi-step audition process, it’s on to performance training, hair and makeup. Then, the lights come up and it’s showtime for the singers as they try to impress an audience of theme park guests – plus a panel of three expert judges.
Fellow park guests are able to enjoy the performances just like at a live television taping. Then, audience members vote for their favorite performance using the armrest keypads, with their votes tallied to determine the top singer.
Performers with the highest votes during the preliminary shows return for a high-energy grand finale show that same evening. After their encore performances, the big moment arrives. It’s a super-charged, eye-popping scene as audience votes are tallied, the other performers drop off, music builds and the spotlight shines down, amid a blizzard of confetti, on the day’s top singer. In addition to their new-found theme park fame, the top vote-getter receives “The American Idol Experience” Dream Ticket, which allows an eligible holder to schedule a front-of-the-line audition to a future regional audition for the “American Idol” television show. And every member of the audience can take a bow, too, because they had a role in deciding that day’s star.
About the Dream Ticket:
Dream Ticket recipients must satisfy AMERICAN IDOL* TV program requirements in effect at time of use, such as age and residency (Season 8 - only ages 16-28 and U.S. citizens or legal permanent U.S. residents eligible to work full-time in U.S.). Dream Ticket does not include travel, meals, lodging or other expenses.
About the Audition:
Guests 14 or older inside Disney’s Hollywood Studios may audition to sing that day at the attraction, subject to guidelines in Frequently Asked Questions at Disneyworld.com/idol. Audition openings are limited and will likely close early in the day. Only a few singers will be chosen to sing onstage. A limited number of assigned audition times may be available in advance from time to time.