Audience Participation at Disney: Excitement or Anxiety?

The doors close, the lights dim, and Monster of Ceremonies, Mike Wazowski takes the stage at Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor. Nobody is safe; the more uncomfortable you appear, the more likely you draw attention to yourself. For some Guests, this show can cause some anxious feelings. Will the cameras capture your uncomfortable, stoic face on the large twenty-foot projection screens around the theatre? Will you be “That Guy?” Or maybe you are one of the few adults (or many of the children) that jump up and down excitedly and scream, “Ooh! Ooh! Pick me! Over here!”

What ever the case may be, audience participation plays a rather large role all around Walt Disney World. This can range from willing participant experiences, such as the Jedi Training Academy or the American Idol Experience, to immersive, unpredictable experiences, like Turtle Talk with Crush and the above-mentioned Monsters Laugh Floor.

Kid participation can even be as simple as a parade around the Crystal Palace with the Winnie the Pooh characters, being the “First Family” and getting to make an announcement at Flame Tree BBQ, or doing the hokey pokey at the Whispering Canyon Café. Some of the best Guest participation occurs at restaurants; your waitress, “Aunt” So-and-So may find herself feeding you broccoli airplane-style at 50s Prime Time Café in front of other families if you do not clean your plate.

Many of the experiences and shows that require audience participation focus on children, who are often more willing to be chosen (although it’s important to note this is not always the case and not every child is like this). For example, Enchanted Tales with Belle chooses willing participants, with the main focus on children, to play the various characters in the Beauty and the Beast story.

Many times children are too busy caught up in the excitement and very happily waltz up in front of a group and follow instructions by a Cast Member.

Creating special moments for individuals is one of the many things that Disney does best, and they do a fantastic job at making children feel that the smallest of tasks is the most magical, most important job in the world. Other times, I have observed children who are not so willing to deal with audience participation. Screams and anxiety ensue, along with a trip back to the hotel for an afternoon nap. It is important to note that Cast Members will never force your child to participate if they are visibly upset.

Then there is the special kind of Guest participation at the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular, which chooses willing Guests (over the age of 18) to participate in the Cairo street scene as villagers. Throughout the many times I have seen this show over the years, I have never encountered a huge number of adult Guests just jumping up and down wanting to be chosen. Instead, I can usually count the number of willing volunteers on one hand.

Instead the following occurs: many children’s arms shoot up in the air (and are ignored for this particular task), and several families will point a finger at poor old dad or Uncle Frank, who sheepishly hide behind their Mouse ears, but are usually poked and prodded by family members until they give in. The walk of shame body language usually denotes that it was not their choosing, but their tired smile and shaky wave tell us that they are a good sport and are happy to get away from the family for ten minutes. Oh, and then there always seems to be some overly excited, random man in a Hawaiian shirt who gets chosen…

Now let’s return to “That Guy,” from Monsters Laugh Floor, with cameras causing impromptu fame by whoever does not want it. If you want to be “That Guy,” chances are you won’t be. The surliness, the un-Disneyish frown from sunburn and midday aches and pains and toils of having to ride “it’s a small world” with your four year old nephew twice-removed from your mother’s side has to be real. I have seen it go either way. “That Guy” sees himself up on the screen and hears the laughs of everyone in the theatre, and he sits there gruff as ever. Rarely does he break into a smile and laugh and wave and soak in all the fifteen-minute fame and glory, but it can happen.

There are all kinds of Guests. For example, I do not want any kind of fame during my vacation (unless of course, I am the Rebel spy on Star Tours, which I will gladly accept). Crush has called me out during his Turtle Talk before when my mother and I were the only dudettes (out of all of the dudes, dudettes, and little dudes and little dudettes) not pantomiming a fierce swimming motion and clapping along with whatever shenanigans were happening. It should be warned that sometimes Cast Members will prey upon adult Guests’ discomfort and/or non-participation, like at Laugh Floor, Turtle Talk, or in the queue line of attractions such as Haunted Mansion or Tower of Terror.

But really, that’s one of the beauties of Disney. You don’t have to participate. Or you can. The opportunity is there, and it can be fun for everyone, regardless of whether you enjoy the limelight or just want to kick back and watch. Even if you don’t enjoy acting in front of or around hundreds of others, it is still enjoyable to watch others break loose and have fun. So, if you are the type of person who likes to sit on the sidelines and observe, don’t feel bad! The fun of Guest participation is the fact that it is random, and the experience of watching or doing can be exciting for everyone.

If you would like to be chosen as an extra for a show or attraction, my advice would be to arrive early, wear a brightly colored t-shirt or mouse ears, don a huge smile and wave your arms wildly, perhaps even hoot and holler.

Do you enjoy audience participation, or would you rather watch anonymously from the audience? Have you or your family ever been chosen for something at Walt Disney World?