Disney Princess Q&A

It's pretty safe to say (just about) every girly girl has had a dream at one point or another to become a Disney Princess. Cinderella... Belle... Elsa... they're chic and glamorous and alluring in every way possible. From their gowns to their glass slippers to their tiaras to their (charming) grit, they are, well, perfect.

Few women have the honor to make that wish a reality. M&H was ecstatic to interview an anonymous, real life Disney Princess! Trust us when we say her character fits a Disney Princess to a tee. She embodies grace and charm in unimaginable ways!

Let's hear what our lovely Princess has to say about her incredible, heart-warming occupation.

What was your experience like as a Disney Princess?

My experience as a Disney Princess was amazing! It was so much fun getting to be part of the history of Disney and being able to make dreams come true in my own small way. Of course, there were difficult parts of the job, but it was an overwhelmingly positive experience, and I am so grateful to have been part of the Happiest Place on Earth. I loved seeing little girls dressed up as the princesses and being able to dance with them, hug them, and give them a little bit of happiness. It was a truly magical and unique experience!

Do they cast you as one specific character?

It depends on the individual person! Most girls are cast as one character, and over their time at Disneyland, they can get approved to portray additional princesses. Some girls are immediately casted as multiple princesses, but those girls are usually full-time, rather than part time.

Audition experience?

The audition experience was pretty intense, but fun! Every audition is different, but in mine, we started with everyone lined up in rows of about 10 girls. The casting directors went up and down the rows, and immediately cut most of the people based on whether or not they looked like the princesses they were looking for at that audition. After that, there are a few different rounds, and lots of waiting around. They measure each girl twice to make sure they fit the princess height (which is between 5’3”and 5’7”), take lots of pictures, and teach everyone a dance, in order to gage how graceful each girl is. You could get cut at any point of the audition. At the end, they give you a little slip inviting you to a callback the next day. There were about 7 girls who got callbacks out of the approximately 500 who showed up to the audition. My advice to anyone going to a Disney audition is to make it into a fun experience, not take anything personally, and not to give up. You never know why you got cut. They look for very specific characters at each audition, and if you don’t happen to look like one of the princesses they’re looking for at that time, you will get cut. But that doesn’t mean you won’t get casted in the future! I know girls who auditioned up to 10 times and then finally got to become a princess.

Favorite moment?

My favorite moment happened when I was outside as Belle in the front gate area. It was a very hot day, and everyone was tired. However, there was a little girl who waited so patiently in my line in order to meet me. She finally got to the front, and with tears in her eyes, told me that Belle is her favorite princess, and how much hope Beauty and the Beast gave her during difficulties in life. I gave her an extra long hug, an autograph, and took lots of pictures with her. I could tell she just really needed some extra love. Then I told her that she was absolutely lovely, but more importantly, she had a beautiful heart. I told her to never forget the values of Beauty And The Beast; to look past outward appearance, to have confidence in yourself, be selfless, and to always have hope even during difficult times. As we said goodbye, I really hoped I did a good job of making our experience together extra magical, and making a lasting impact on her. Being a Disney Princess puts you in a position to mentor and inspire young women in such a unique way, and I am so grateful to have been part of that.

Advice for those wanting to be a Disney Princess?

Focus on embodying the values of the Disney Princesses in real life! The Disney Princess brand has gotten such negative press in the past few years for being anti-feminist, but I couldn’t disagree more with what has been said. As a child, Belle taught me to have confidence in my uniqueness, be kind to others, and not judge people on their appearances. It taught me that real beauty is found in the heart, and those values have guided my life and taught me to be a better person. Each princess represents unique positive values, which is why everyone identifies with a specific princess. Emulating those positive standards automatically makes you a princess! Its more important to be a kind “princess” in true life than it is to be a princess at Disneyland.

How did it help you become a better role model?

I looked up to the Princesses so much as a child, as I know all the little boys and girls who visited me did as well! I had to be very intentional with my interactions, because I knew that everything I said (both positive and negative) could have the potential to highly impact the child I was speaking to. It also made me more conscious of my actions in my every day life as well, because you never know how what you say could impact those around you.

Favorite Bible verse?

Oh my goodness, there are so many! However I think Colossians 3:12 really relates to everything I said; “Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” Those words really guided me during my time as a Disney Princess, and continue to guide me through my post-princess life as well. I hope I embodied those words with every interaction I had as Belle, and that I continue to portray those values throughout the rest of my life.

*Photo rights owned by Disney.