Disneyland is such a magical place, especially during the holidays. Something that makes Disneyland feel so magical and special for people of any age is the parades. No matter how old you are, the parades are always such a magical experience to witness with your family and friends. During this holiday season, Disneyland has a special seasonal parade going down Main Street from November 15 to January 6 called Christmas Fantasy, which features Mickey & Minnie, Chip & Dale, Anna & Elsa, & more! It is a very jolly parade that is sure to put a smile on anyone’s face.
Yorba Linda High School alumni, Sierra Jones (A), has been working as a Disneyland performer for almost a year now, and it is such a rewarding experience for her. She is currently one of the character performers in the Christmas Fantasy parade and was recently a character performer for the Pixar Fest parades in the California Adventure Park this past summer! But, what a lot of people don’t know about Disneyland parades is the amount of practice and time that is put into it to make sure the choreography, costuming, and blocking are all perfect. So, I interviewed Sierra Jones and asked her questions all about being a Disneyland parade performer for Christmas Fantasy.
First, I asked her what it is like to be a Disneyland performer, what the workload is like, and if it is a tiring experience. While Sierra explains it is hard work and can be exhausting at times, it is amazing and so worth it. Although she says the hours can be long and physically demanding, she is getting paid to do what she loves most, which is to perform. It is a dream come true.
Next, I asked her why she wanted to work at Disneyland and what made her apply for a job there. She responded by saying how she has always wanted to perform as a career. When she watched the Disneyland parades when she was little, she knew that this was something she wanted to do, saying, “As soon as I turned 18 and saw an audition [to be a parade performer], I went out and did it for fun! Little did I know I would get an offer two months later.”
Then, I asked her what is something people may not know about being a character parade performer. She says that most people don’t know they have overnight rehearsals! Obviously, since the park is open all day, the performers do not have time to practice during the day, so they must practice at night once the park is closed. Her shifts usually start at 9 p.m. and go all the way to 5 a.m. – a complete overnight shift. This ensures that the performers are able to practice the whole parade route without guests being there.
Lastly, I asked her what the best thing was about being a parade performer. While it “sounds cheesy,” she says the best thing about it is, “The whole ‘making magic’ part. Seeing a kid’s whole face light up just because you give them a high five or even seeing adults who struggled and worked hard to be a performer smiling the whole time is a feeling I’ll never forget.” She also remarked that getting to work for the biggest entertainment company in the world is just an amazing feeling she can barely describe.
It is so cool to see our YLHS Alumni pursuing their passions and getting to work for amazing companies such as Disneyland!
