Conference koolit::disney

    Well, Jim, I'm sure in my case that they did go for the most handsome
    men because I'm only 6'5"... :-)
    
    Anyways, way back in '88, Susan and I took a trip down to WDW and one
    very hot afternoon, we were poking around the shops in EPCOT's United
    Kingdom, taking advantage of their air conditioning when the traveling
    acting troupe started things going for a street performance of "Romeo
    and Juliet".  So I headed out of the shop, looking for a place to enjoy
    the show and I got one of those "You want me to go out in the hot, hot
    sun and just sit there??" looks from Susan.  But I convinced her that
    this would be "fun" and begrudgingly, she obliged this big kid.
    
    So the show started up and they started looking for volunteers for the
    parts of Romeo and Juliet.  The part of Juliet was still available and
    a cast member was dangerously close when I got another look.  "If they
    pick me, I'll *kill* you..."  And I had no doubt that she meant it. 
    Well, I'm still here to tell the tale so they didn't pick her.  Romeo
    and Juliet took their marks and the crowd was divided.  Half of them
    were Montagues; the other half, Capulets.  
    
    Now came time for them to pick a Tybalt and lo and behold, a cast
    member snuck up behind me and tapped me for the job.  So I took on the
    role of Tybalt.  As I was approaching the "stage", one of the cast
    members (who had his back to me) got his half of the crowd (I can't 
    remember if there were Montagues or Capulets) to start chanting,
    "Tybalt's a weenie!!  Tybalt's a weenie!!"  He turned around, took one
    look at me and deadpanned, "Tybalt's a *BIG* weenie."
    
    It was great fun.  Susan had quite a good time herself snapping off 
    pictures of my "performance".  And it re-charged for the rest of the
    day...
    
    I think shows like this are a lot of fun at the parks because they
    allow you to participate and not just sit there and watch.
    
    - Skip

    Jim entered this and then reminded me of my adventure.
    I was choosen in the HDD revue.   Having been to the show many times,
    I *knew* the part they were taking me on stage to do.  The kids never
    stopped laughing.  My wife carries pictures, so if you ever meet up
    with us....
    The staff is fun to work with, I must admit that I had fun.  I was
    supprised that some people after thought that I was a staff plant
    until they walked past our camper on the way back from the show.
    I was recognized in the campground for the rest of the stay.
    loads of fun.
    Yes, I'll be back there again the end of December.  This time the wife
    wants to take the movie camera, just in case.
    ed

    RE: .0 +.1 - 6'7 & 6'5? Its no wonder us 'shortys' at 6'2 hardly 
    get a look in! 
    
    Still, I've had my moments! I was privileged to supply the train 
    whistle and had a gingham dressed girl in my lap at Chip'n'Dales 
    Country Morning and my daughter has sung and danced on stage at 
    the HDD (Probably more to do with us being Brits than being tall 
    and good looking?). I also got picked to be interviewed at the 
    SSTV. This was done by the sneaky cast member who circles round 
    behind the crowd while you're busy avoiding eye contact with the 
    ones at the front.
    
    The one show that I really tried to get on to the first couple of 
    visits, by looking brave, fearless, handsome and rugged, was 
    Indiana Jones. I notice that they are now asking for volunteers, 
    rather than picking at random from the audience. I was too busy 
    trying to get my wimpy chin to stick out to realise this change, 
    otherwise I'd have had my hand up like a shot. This is also the 
    only show that I know of where they do have a plant in the 
    audience. This is the guy who gets beaten up in the stunt fight 
    demo. Anyone know of any more?
    
    Mike B.

    
    On our one and only (so far ) visit to WDW I got picked for the 'Super
    Sound Show' at Disney/MGM. This is the show where they play a short 'Horror'
    film and you have to supply the sound effects. These are captured and
    then played back with the film. I can't remember exactly what I had to
    do but I do recall it was like trying to juggle with 15 things at once,
    waiting for the cues, figuring out which 'sound' to make and matching
    it to the action on the film. It was fun though! 
    
    BTW I know it's not Disney but when we went to Universal in LA my son
    got picked to play Micheal J Fox  in the 'Back to the future' effects
    show. He got to sit in the De-Lorean mock up and pretend to be 'flying'
    the car. He had one big grin for the rest of the day.
    
    Richard Bell
    
                          

    An observation:  I could be wrong on this, but I've noticed that it
    seems that you are much more likely to be picked for something if the
    cast member doing the picking perceives that you are with at least a
    few other people, if not quite a few people, who will be able to enjoy
    your situation.  When I've been in situations where it was only my wife
    and myself, neither of us had ever been picked for anything, but on our last
    trip where we had our three kids and a grandmother, either my wife or I
    seemed to get picked for something almost everywhere, including
    Superstar TV, the Monster Sound Show, getting picked out to waltz ( or
    attempt to) in Germany, etc. 
    
    Cheers,
    Ken
    

I don't remember what year it was (probably 87), but there we were 
(my wife, Arlene, and I), walking around the World Showcase at EPCOT when 
we stopped at the UK. The street players were getting ready to do a show 
so we stayed to watch.  They were doing a story about a 'Little Prince' and
had picked the King and Queen.  They were looking for the 'little prince'
and as they headed my way I got that 'Oh No' feeling.  Yep, I got picked
to be the 'little prince'.  At 5'8" I'm not tall, but at 240 lbs I am big.
They proceeded to put a diaper on for my costume (after all I was the
'LITTLE Prince').  Arlene was rolling with Laughter, but still managed to 
get some pictures.  

The gist of the store was:  The King was old and lonely, so he married a 
young Queen.  Shortly after that the Little Prince (me) arrived.  The King 
and Queen decided the Little prince needed a playmate so they got together 
and the princess soon arrived (played by a pre-teen who was less than 
thrilled about it all).  The Queen was bored with the old King so took a 
lover on the side.  The King didn't like this so he killed the lover.  
The Queen was unhappy so she killed the King.  The Princess was mad at the 
Queen for killing the King so she killed the Queen.  The Little Prince then 
killed the Princess for killing the Queen.  This left the Little Prince 
all alone, so he killed himself.

Of course this was all acted out by the cast, as the storytellers did the
narration.   Would I ever do this again...  in a minute.

(This is not a Disney story,  but I got that 'Oh No' feeling one other 
time at a place called 'Six Gun City' in Jefferson, NH.  The players had
just acted out a shootout between the Sheriff and a bankrobber.  The
Bankrobber was 'killed' and they were looking for 'volunteers' to hoist
the body upon to a horse.  The Sheriff approached me and I was volunteered.
I didn't really want to do it and said no.  The Sheriff insisted, and finally
pulled his gun  and said 'Oh yes you will'.  I reached over and pulled his
other gun and said 'Oh no I won't' (right after the shootout the Sheriff
had stuck the backrobbers gun in his belt, In a perfect location for a 
left-handed person to grap)  There were a few moments of stunned silence,
then he said 'You're not suppose to do that'.  Well I relented, gave him
back his gun and hoisted the bad guy on his horse.)

Ken Williams

    My wife andI went to WDW for part of our honeymoon last September and
    managed to get picked to be "Let's Make a Deal".   My wife who didn't
    even want to be picked to be in the participating audience (we got to
    wear a costume in hopes of getting picked to make a deal) even got to
    make a deal.  The cast member picks people at random from the crowd in
    the lobby.  There I was making a complete fool of myself hoping to get
    picked and my wife was just standing there.  There were only 2 slots
    left when the call cam out, "Is there anyone here who is on there
    honeymoon?"  My hand immediately went up.  The next thing I new were
    getting fitted for costumes.  I was a keystone cop and my wife was
    Jane, Tarzan's mate.  There were were with the other cosutmed
    participants when ""JANE" was picked to make a deal.  This is the same
    Jane who didn't even want to be in the audience.  Needless to say we
    had a great time and it was a memorable part of our honeymoon.  Oh
    yeah. I forgot to mention that she won to jackets, an MGM studios and a
    LMAD one.

    On or second visit to WDW in 1984, my son got picked to be the
    Magician's assistant in the Golden Horseshoe Review.  Jase was 6 at the
    time and, like many first children, 6 going on 16.  He was supposed to
    be the straight guy for the Magician, I think, but ended up seeing
    through, and revealing to the audience, the vast majority of the
    illusions.  Needless to say, we had a great time taking pictures and
    getting the reaction to the audience on the collapsing magic wand, etc.

    The first time I took my daughters to WDW, my youngest was 10.  We were
    at Epcot in the England World Showcase and she was picked to be a
    princess in the street show; she was a big ham and always volunteered
    to be the center of attention whenever she could.  We have pictures;
    otherwise I would never believe it really happened since she is now a
    lofty 16-year-old who is MUCH too sophisticated to be on DISPLAY!
    
    Two years ago we were back at WDW and went to MGM Studios.  I had been
    there the year before with a friend and told my girls about Superstar
    TV.  The last crowd had just moved on in, so we were almost in the very
    front when it came time to picking the new "actors" for the next
    performance.  I stood in back of the girls and pointed to them,
    gesturing wildly, trying to get them picked, when suddenly the man in
    charge looked at me and said "YOU!" and I looked behind me, but it
    really was me, and everyone laughed, and I got pushed toward him by my
    daughters.  Well, I ended up in the "I Love Lucy" assembly-line candy
    factory segment; I played Ethel.  I was sitting backstage and got to
    see my fellow "actors" do their skit, and then it was my turn.  I
    really hammed it up and I could hear the audience laughing; I had seen
    the Lucy show before and tried to imitate her as much as I could.
    
    I never saw myself on the show; they didn't have anything recorded so I
    was a little disappointed.  After the show I was the first one outside
    and while waiting for my daughters, people were coming out and pointing
    to me and saying "there's the lady who played Ethel!" and they were all
    laughing.  My daughters told me I was hysterical, and that my
    expressions were just like Lucy's and they were very proud and, I
    think, shocked that Mom could have such a good time on stage!  It was
    the highlight of their MGM tour.
    

    I hope Jim Pappas plans to shave his legs on July 12th. Nothing worse
    than a hairy legged Hoop Dee Doo Star Fairy....it just doesn't work.
    
    Also, Mike Batty, work on your accent....you're gonna be an indian.
    
    And Kathy Jette....practice your dance hall kicks.
    
    And I'll catch it all on tape.

    Oh! Goodness Gracious Me! And I am delightfully partial to a good 
    Curry and Poppadoms.
    
    You did mean a REAL Indian from India, didn't you, Mike? 8-)
    
    
    Mike B. With_not_many_moons_to_go!

    The honoured guest of the "Birthday Bash" actually thinks he's going to
    be sitting in the audience the entire show?
    
    It is to laugh!
    
    Kathy_who_will_be_there_by_hook_or_by_crook!

    Sure....I usually visit the men's room beforehand. Remember, the
    bathrooms are outside of Pioneer Hall. Yep, I won't miss the show.
    
    Birthday Boy

        For some reason, I seem to have a knack for getting picked to
        be in the WDW participation shows.

        For example, on my first visit to Superstar Television in MGM,
        the castmember announced that she was looking for someone who
        did not wear contact lenses.  She saw me wearing my glasses
        and asked me to be in the show. As I was walking backstage she
        told the audience to take a good look at me now, and said that
        she hoped that I had a good sense of humor.  Well, I ended up
        in front of a blue screen, superimposed into a 3 Stooges clip,
        and ended up getting a cream pie thrown in my face...

        The next time I went to Superstar Television, I was picked
        again, but this time I only had to read the news.  It wasn't
        until my third visit to WDW that I got to sit in the audience,
        and then I waited outside the pre-show area (where the pick
        the people form) until all of the cast selection was over.

        It is more difficult to be picked to be in the Monster Sound
        Show because they only use 4 people/how.  On my last visit, I
        was picked to operate some of the sound props.  The 4 of us
        had to insert the special sound effects into the show.  Of
        course, everything gets all messed up and the show is funny.

        Next door, in the Indiana Jones Stunt Theatre, I was surprised
        to picked as one of the "extras".    About 8 - 10 of us were
        picked, and we got to participate in several of the scenes,
        Then, as an extra treat, I was chosen for a "star" role and
        got to  demonstrate a good death scene.  The producer 'shot'
        me with his finger, and then I had to act out a slow and
        painful death, finally falling onto the ground.  I think I did
        a nice job, and it was invigorating to hear the applause of
        the 2,000 people in the theatre.  (RE: .3, yes indeed one of
        the extra's is a plant.  However, the rest of us did not know
        this in advance, and as far as we knew, he was also chosen
        randomly.  Out on the floor they asked us who wanted to be
        part of a fight scene.  We all volunteered, but of course the
        plant, who is also a stunt man was picked.  We then watched
        him getting beat up in front of our eyes, and it was only then
        that we realized that he was a plant.

        Last year at Universal Studios, I was chosen to be in the
        Earthquake show.  I had to 'fall' from a platform 25 stories
        in the air, scream all the way down, and fall into an airbag
        on the stage.  Of course, I was not really up there, but was
        rather in a sound room back stage.  My voice was broadcast
        from up high.  Then when I fell, my screams were broadcast
        falling as a dummy was dropped into the airbag.  Then I left
        the soundroom and emerged from the airbag.  It was fun,
        especially when the audience started laughing as they started
        raising the dummy with a rope to get it ready for the next
        show.

        Over in the Magic Kingdom, I was picked to be "Old McDonald"
        in the Diamond Horseshoe Review.   In this show, you are on
        stage as part of Sam's show. I still have my corn cobb pipe
        that they let you keep as a souvenir. I was also picked for a
        second part during a different visit to the Diamond Horseshoe. 
        The do a skit where they take two people from the audience
        (one female, and one male) push our chairs together, put our
        arms around each other, while singing a song about us
        needing/wanting to be together. There is a third part which I
        never was picked for, in which Lilly kisses a bald headed man
        and leaves her "brand".  She tells him not to wipe it off all
        day.

        Over in Epcot, some of the restaurants include audience
        participation.  I was picked to Waltz with one of the German
        women in the Biergarten.   Later, during that same show, I was
        brought onto the stage, dressed up in a German outfit. and
        given a baton to lead the band.  They let you keep the baton
        as a souvenir.  I was never picked (which is good) to dance
        with the belly dancer at Morocco.

        My favorite was getting picked to be the star of the HDD.  I
        was in Orlando on a business trip, followed by a vacation to
        WDW.  I was witting with a group of 9, when I was picked and
        then brought back stage.  The costumes were hanging on hooks
        with names above each costume (ex: sheriffs vest).  One by one
        they would take the costumes off the wall and hand them to the
        people who were picked.  Soon enough, everyone except for me
        had their costumes and when I looked at the wall to see what
        was remaining, I saw "Angles Tu-tu".  I said: "no way, you
        can't do this to me... I work with people out there".  For a
        moment I contemplated going out the emergency exit, but
        decided that this was just good clean Disney Fun.  Well, I
        brought the house down, and I'm told that I did a pretty good
        Pirouette.  By luck, the only person at my table with a camera
        was my wife, and I have the negatives safely put away. 
        Although my co-workers had a nice office story to tell, at
        least I had the only pictures.

        Well, I'm sure that I have been picked for more things, but I
        can't remember them now.  Occasionally, others in my family
        will get the honors, but usually, it is me that gets picked. 
        I still think they pick people who are incredibly handsome...
        :^)
    

    Jim,
    
    You've been picked so many times that I'm beginning to believe that
    you're the plant.
    
    Mike

    >>    Well, I
    >>    brought the house down, and I'm told that I did a pretty good
    >>    Pirouette.  By luck, the only person at my table with a camera
    >>    was my wife, and I have the negatives safely put away. 
    
    Hmmm, it seems that those Pappas-razzi are there every time you turn
    around, eh, Jim??
    
    - Skip

You are a sick puppy, Skip.   Keep up the good work!!!

    Man, what luck!  
    
    Kendra and I were dying to be picked as "Cheers" extras!  (We weren't)

    Well, I've been picked twice.
    
    Indiana Jones - I was the audience member who the girl attempted to get
    me to meet her in the parking lot. My wife got the scene on the stage
    on videotape. This is a great remembrance.
    
    Superstar Television - I was the announcer. They do evaluate you and if
    you are energetic and aren't afraid of making a fool of yourself,
    you're in. It was great having the most lines. I was actually able to
    read it with the correct inflections and got the audience to laugh. Too
    bad they don't make videotapes, I might have second career.

    Well, my wife just called me to tell me she had picked up the "prop" I
    needed to get selected for "SuperStar Television".
    
    Can anyone guess what that prop is?
    
    No, it is not a Jim Pappas mask although I'm sure it would work.
    
    Mike

    	A goofy hat complete with large ear flaps?
    
    
    Tom

    Hmmmmm....forgot that one!

    My first thought was a red wig for the Lucille Ball sketch...Then 
    I remembered it's in black and white!
    
    Platform Shoes? Nah, You'd need stilts to come up to Jim's 
    shoulder!
    
    
    Sooo...What could guarantee that you would stand out from the 
    crowd? Then it hit me...

    
    A Brazilian Tour Party T-Shirt!!!!!
    
    

    Oh Jim! How could you! That's even lower than putting on a phoney 
    Brit accent. I realise it's not nice being one of the minority 
    groups at WDW, but there are limits. 8-) 8-) 8-) 8-)
    
    Mike B.

    >>>Oh Jim
    
       Are we confused Mike?
    
    Nope...it's an official Cheers! shirt. Who knows, maybe it will be just
    enough to get me picked....that plus pretending I don't want to be
    picked may be the right formula for being chosen.
    
    Mike_who_won't_wear_anything_like_that_for_HDD

    Another hint for getting picked:  Aggressively try to volunteer someone
    else.
    
    Though this could backfire... or is that the point??
    
    - Skip

    I like that idea Skip....so if I...then I won't have
    to...erh...ATTENTION ALL BIRTHDAY BASH ATTENDEES....please try to get
    me on stage.....Skip I hope this works or I'm gonna be tu-tuing my life
    away.
    
    The Birthday Boy

    On our recent visit to WDW, somehow we managed to get picked for various
    shows (not that we were trying).

    On the backstage tour at MGM, they asked my 3 daughters if they'd like to
    participate in the Honey I Shrunk the Kids segment. Through some coaxing
    from mom & dad, my 15 and 8 year old daughters got to ride on the
    bumblebee. They did great, though the director said those smiles were
    the oddest look of terror he'd ever seen. Dad at least got to sit down 
    near them and take some pictures.

    While waiting at Superstar Television, and trying to look as inconspicuous
    as possible (even removing the pink hat I was wearing), the emcee came
    out into the crowd, came up behind me and tapped me on the shoulder.
    As I proceeded to the stage, I heard him ask my wife if I liked dessert.
    Somehow I had a feeling as to what was going to happen. Yep! The cream
    pie in the face in the Three Stooges sketch. Great fun, though the emcee
    was getting a little nervous after I wiped the pie from my face and
    was still holding it in my hand. "Sir, you can drop the pie. Drop the pie."
    The reason they picked me? As they mentioned afterwards, it was my big,
    droopy moustache. So either grow one or rent one. :-) Too bad you can't
    get pictures during this show. The family said it was pretty funny watching
    dad get it in the face with a pie.

    My 12 and 8 year old also got picked to participate in the show at the
    German restaurant at EPCOT.

    -Dom

    
    
    I went to MGM 4/90 and was picked to be in the Indiana Jones show -
    My friends volunteered me when they were looking for somebody who
    could handle snakes (I was worried).  It was really fun - had to
    sign the old waiver that said no matter what happened to me, I would
    not sue - and then went to wardrobe.  Got to meet the actors in the
    performance (H. Ford's stunt double looks nothing like him up close)
    but for the most part you just moved around when they told you to
    and clapped, etc.  My friends took tons of pictures (I was the 
    shortest one) and we had some good laughs.  I would do it again
    in a second (you never know when Hollywood might be watching)!
    
    -- Lisa