BACKSTAGE DISNEY: Making Magic

An interview with a cast member who works behind the scenes

Isn’t it Fantasmic?!

The story of Bret Iwan and how a backyard performance became a dream come true

Fantasmic!, the evening spectacular staged on Disneyland’s Rivers of America and at Disney World’s Hollywood Studios, is a celebration of imagination, bravery, and the timeless captivation of a famous rodent. At the center of each performance stands Mickey Mouse, a character whose silhouette alone has shaped generations. For Little Bret Iwan, that twenty-five-minute show of songs, high adventure, and dreams ignited something much more within him than just a fondness for Disney.

Growing up in Pasadena, California, Iwan was constantly surrounded by the culture of Disneyland. He was a true Disney enthusiast, even sending a letter to Disney’s animation studios requesting listings of any job openings for a six-year-old artist. With a passion for everything in the arts, Bret and his brother would reenact their favorite Disney show, Fantasmic! A nighttime enjoyment that is performed each night near Big Thunder Mountain at Disneyland. “I had a lot of [Disney theme parks] parade soundtracks on old albums,”  Iwan reflects. His original part in the backyard Fantasmic! was Donald, the lovable yet hot-headed duck; however, Iwan claims he never could perfect the raspy voice. “I went home… and I thought, well, if I can’t do Donald, then maybe I’ll try to do Mickey because I like Mickey better anyway…” New mastery in hand, Iwan switched roles in his backyard presentation to portray Mickey Mouse battling Maleficent the dragon, finishing each showing with his favorite quote by the mouse himself, “some imagination, huh?” Iwan became so good at doing an impression of the renowned rodent that, as he got older, it became a party trick to impress his college roommates. 

Iwan followed his love for art, graduating in 2004 from the Ringling College of Art and Design with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. From there, he designed greeting cards with the Hallmark Greeting Cards company in Kansas City, Missouri. “I remember designing Christmas cards while pumpkins and Halloween decorations were rolling out at the office, which felt surreal”. Though he was presented with an internship at the Walt Disney Company, Iwan decided to make the challenging decision and turned down his dream. Hallmark was offering a full-time position, and he believed it would provide better sustainability for a career.

In 2009, five years into his career with Hallmark, Iwan received an email from a friend of his who worked at Walt Disney Animation. Upon receiving this email, Iwan took it as a joke. The email communicated that Disney was searching for an understudy for the voice of Mickey Mouse. The voice actor at the time, Wayne Allwine, was experiencing health issues. Disney had sent a call out to its animators, and knowing his impression from their college years, Iwan’s friend forwarded it instantly to him.

Lacking prior voice-over experience, Iwan completed his first audition and interview for the mouse over a phone call. Impressed with his work, he was asked to a second audition to witness how he performed in person. When questioned what the process was like, Iwan chuckled, responding, “The audition was basically a voice match”. “…the audition was to do the best you could to match those [the former Mickey actors] voices.”

In the depths of the quirky audition, tragedy struck. The exact day of Iwan’s callback, Wayne Allwine was hospitalized. Disney knew they were running out of time, and an understudy position may need to be a permanent fix.

On May 18th, 2009, days after Iwan flew to California, Wayne Allwine passed away due to complications from diabetes. Upon learning the news, Iwan was “heartbroken,” calling Allwine a “Legend”. After all, it was Allwine’s recordings that taught Iwan how to mimic Micky’s high-pitched voice. Allwine died before the two got the opportunity to meet. 

Allwine was midway through providing the voice of Mickey Mouse in the third season of the children’s series Mickey Mouse Clubhouse at the time of his death. The Disney company, in a dire position, needed to fill the role before the intended air date. By the end of the month, Disney announced that Bret Iwan would be the next actor to play Mickey Mouse.

Iwan began recording for Mickey in June of that year. He picked up the episodes that Allwine never recorded, splitting the season between both voice actors. Along with the t.v show, Iwan’s voice could be heard for the first time in Animal Kingdom Park and in the 2009 tour of Disney On Ice. As the current voice of the lovable character, you can hear Iwan all over the world on TV, in t.v, video games, meet and greets, attractions, and more. 

When asked in an interview what it’s like to voice such an iconic character, Iwan recalled, “I know that Wayne [Allwine] was told by Jimmy McDonald, ‘Remember kid, you’re only filling in for the boss.’ And I say it all the time… that’s my mantra to this day”. Iwan fully comprehends the idea that Mickey Mouse has inspired many different generations over the past hundred years, but one July, he experienced the full impact that Mickey Mouse has had on himself.

The fruition of this journey arrived on July 17, 2017, when Fantasmic! received a well-needed refurbishment. As the lights around him dimmed, Bret Iwan stepped into a scene that had shaped his imagination since childhood, now as the voice behind the magic that audiences worldwide recognize as Mickey Mouse. “When Mickey appears in Fantasmic… you hear the crowd erupt, and you really get a sense of what Mickey means to people”. It was a moment that Iwan would never forget. 

“It’s been over 16 years now,” Iwan claims in amazement, “Becoming the voice of Mickey Mouse is an opportunity that I’m beyond grateful for, but never expected”. Fantasmic! remains not only a timeless nighttime trailblazer, but a representational stage where a world of dreams meets a universe of possibilities. It represents a boy from Pasadena, armed with a love of art and a passion for performance, who becomes the voice that keeps Disney’s most famous character alive for the generations to come. Mickey Mouse, by design, is an emblem of imagination. Through Iwan’s careful artistry, he continues to speak in a voice that is both familiar and new, a bridge between a beloved past and an undetermined future. In this sense, the baton has passed not just to a voice actor but to a storyteller charged with extending a legendary one that invites every listener to believe, if only for a moment, that magic is real and that fantasy can become a shared, enduring reality.

Earning Her Ears

Olivia Reed and her Journey with the Disney College Program

Olivia Reed, also known as Olivia Simone from her former Disney YouTube Channel, worked for Disney Parks through the Disney College Program in the fall of 2016 and returned in 2018. Working 50 to 60 hours a week, you could find Olivia all over the four theme parks and resorts at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. During her first season with the parks in 2016, Reed was a Character Performer. Her shifts consisted of “autographs and posing for pictures.” At select restaurants, she “walked around to each table in the restaurant to perform meet and greets.” Reed returned to Disney World for her second season with the Disney College Program in 2018. This time, she was brought in as a Merchandise Cast Member, with most of her shifts in the now-retired Dinoland U.S.A. Reed described Disney’s customer service philosophy that she learned when working in merchandise: every cast member must ask if a guest needs help finding something, and if the guest says yes, the employee must offer three products. One low-priced, one moderately priced, and one “high-ticket” item. High-ticket items can range from $100 to several thousand dollars.

Before COVID-19, the Disney College Program application process was, as Reed put it, a “tri-fold” system, which included “an initial application asking for basic information, a web-based interview using survey questions to assess your personality and workplace habits, and then a phone interview with a Disney recruiter where you discuss which roles you think you’re best suited for.” She noted that, of the two seasons she spent with the DCP, the Character Performer audition was by far the hardest. When called for an in-person audition, she and her mother flew from California to the nearest location, in Seattle, Washington. “In Disney auditions,” Reed shared, “there are two components: an animation, where you improvise a scene, and a dance taught by the Disney Casting Directors.” The audition lasted half a day. Because Disney Casting holds auditions across the U.S. and around the world, Reed had to wait until the full tour concluded before hearing back. Once the offer arrived, she needed special approval from her college’s theatre department to determine whether she could take a leave of absence during the fall quarter and how to complete her assignments to stay on track for graduation. “Because of how many hours I worked from August to December 2016, I was able to earn 12 credits toward my degree,” Reed proudly elaborated—demonstrating the demanding yet flexible mindset required to work for Disney as a college student.

“A very important life lesson,” Reed stated, “is that even decisions that are right for you may have you second-guessing them at the beginning.” Now, as a college professor, she says she continues to remind herself that the first few weeks of trying something new can be the hardest. “When I arrived in Florida for my College Program, it was my first time ever being there! In fact, there were a lot of ‘firsts’ that I did by myself: I flew across the country, traveled from the airport to the hotel, and stayed there overnight. I shared that hotel with three of the roommates I had chosen, so we met each other the night before check-in. To our surprise, when we checked in, we learned we had two new roommates we didn’t even know! I also experienced humidity for the first time, and once I started training, it was hard. I was emotionally and physically exhausted each night and worried I’d made a mistake. I would call my parents crying, and they told me to get through the first six weeks. If I still didn’t like it, I could come home.” Reed learned that once she established a routine, her enjoyment increased. “When things are new, they are hard—and that’s okay. Give it time.”

When asked what lasting impact she hopes readers take from her story, Reed replied, “Disney has so many professional internship opportunities in addition to the Disney College Program. These professional internships are specialized for different majors and skill sets, and there are opportunities in many different facets of the company. If working in the parks on the DCP doesn’t sound like your thing, a professional internship is a wonderful way to work for the company while still actively working toward your professional goals.”

Speed Run

Mary and an artists recreation of one of her craziest days on the job

My name is Mary. I worked with the Disney College Program for one season in the costuming department during my college years. I was in charge of laundry, getting characters ready to enter the park, organizing garments, and my favorite part, “running”.

“Running” is when there is a costume emergency, such as a rip in Cinderella’s dress, Captain Jack Sparrow forgetting his sword, or assisting with meet-and-greet characters when a garment is contaminated.

I was always eager to jump on a “run” and take a break from the hot and humid costume room. So that day, when it was announced over the speakers that there was a “Run” needed, I headed to the desk to get my assignment.

Upon my arrival, the woman at the front desk informed me that Princess Jasmine had forgotten her shoes for the cavalcade parade, which would allow guests to see their favorite characters on a smaller scale than a parade but larger than a one-on-one meeting. The cavalcades ran daily, being launched from behind Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. I told her that I was willing to jog up and drop them off when she told me that this wasn’t that type of run. The cavalcade needed to launch in 5 minutes. I needed to run as my life depended on it.

I grabbed Jasmine’s golden flats and RAN! The costume department was located underneath Fantasyland in the utility tunnels. I needed to take the tunnels to the opposite side of the park. Screaming for people to get out of the way as I darted past the thousands of cast members who turned their heads in concern. Sprinting was not allowed in the tunnels, so they all knew that something must have been up for me to break such a major rule that had been enforced in all of the cast members’ brains since day one.

The tunnels shot me out behind Peco’s Bill. A restaurant in frontier land just across from the launchpad of the parade. From there, it was a straight shot, except for a small problem. I had two minutes before the launch, but needed to walk through the crowd of guests in a calm manner so as not to cause any panic. I tried to take in as much air as I could in an attempt to catch my breath and walked as if nothing had happened to the backstage of the launch pad.

The moment I entered the backstage area and crossed a point where I was no longer in the guest view, it was a mad dash to the float. The princesses and their handlers’ cheers grew louder as I grew closer. I took Jasmine’s shoes out of my bag and passed them to her. In tears, she gave me the biggest hug, thanking me repeatedly for saving the cavalcade. I moved out of the way, and the float took off seconds later. Out of breath and the world whirling around me, my fellow cast members sat me down and gave me a moment before making the walk back.

I decided to take the longer route back to the costume room. Enjoying the sun, the sounds of laughter from families, and the energy of magic that loomed around each corner. In five minutes, I had singlehandedly saved the cavalcade, and I let that feeling sink in.

I never had to repeat or do something as insane during my program. That day, however, reinstated the reason why I loved working for Disney. It reminded me of the feeling of magic the parks gave their guests. The memory of the first time I saw my favorite characters in the flesh. All of those hours in the dark costume department in the hot, humid environment all of a sudden seemed worth it.