The Life of a Princess

Many girls dream of being a princess sometime in their life, but I get to live that dream. While I don’t work for Disney, I work for Enchanted Entertainment, a company in Gilbert, Arizona.

Living My Childhood Dreams

I grew up as a Disney fan. I loved the movies, I knew the songs, and I had all the princess costumes. When I went to Disneyland, I watched the parades, saw the shows, and, of course, met all of the princesses. Even to this day, I still will go and spend my time at the parks meeting characters. Now that I know more about them and a little bit more about character interactions, contrary to popular opinion, it actually makes these interactions more magical.

The first time I got in costume, I was so excited. My first character was Cinderella. I vividly remember my first party, because it was my first. It was so exciting to see the joy of the birthday girl (even if she wasn’t super interested in me). I remember the thrill and excitement that I felt throughout that entire party, and it is something that I never want to forget.

Once you get in the wig and costume, everything changes. I no longer feel like myself, but like the amazing princess I am portraying. While I do have a background in theatre, this felt different. Once I am in the costume, I become that princess. Sometimes, Cinderella even still loses her shoes.

Making Dreams Come True

One of the best parts of the job is the look on a child’s face when they see you for the first time. Whether it be the birthday girl being surprised as we walk in the door or seeing a child turn the corner and see us at an event, it really is the best part of the job. I always get excited when I hear that the party is a surprise for the birthday girl. That always means that there is an excited little girl on the other side of the door, and getting to see her face when she first sees us is so exciting.

Another way that the kids make this job more meaningful is doing events for kids with special needs. In the past year, I have only done two of these, but I left feeling more fulfilled than I do after a regular event or party. It is a lot like doing charity work, but you are directly impacting someone. For one of the events I did, it was for a charity called Hope Kids. This is such a great charity, as it allows for children with terminal illnesses and their families to get quality time together through different events. I got to meet a lot of kids and their families that were going through a lot. It really put my life into perspective, and it was so exciting to see the smiles on the kids' faces after they saw their face paint or received their balloon animal. One day, between parties, I was in a Barnes and Noble cafe getting a snack and I saw a man there who got very excited to see us. He told us that we were his daughter's favorite, and he asked us to wait so that we could meet her and said that it would make her day to see us. So we sat and waited while he frantically tried to find his daughter. When she came around the corner, she was an older girl in a wheelchair who couldn't speak, and it was her sixteenth birthday. She was so excited to see us and she got so excited. It is the little things that make this job so worthwhile and that make them so exciting.

Getting In Character

One of the most important parts of the job is getting in character and making sure that you correctly portray the character. One of the best ways to do this is just by watching the movie and learning more about them. At first, they may not be perfect, but over time, you learn. I’ve started to have movements I do for particular characters, and depending on who I am, I move a different way. This all just comes naturally after being a character so often.

Another way that I found what to say and do that helped me a lot in the beginning (and still helps me now) is watching character interactions on YouTube. I really learned a lot from hearing how these characters answered questions, how they moved, and how they behaved. If anyone really wants to learn how to embody these characters, this is the best way to learn.

Interactions

Both positive and negative interactions are super intriguing and fun to learn from. I have so many stories about cute interactions that I always love to share.

Positive interactions are always great. It is always so exciting to have a child who believes in you and is still enthralled by the magic. Some kids are starstruck and others are just super excited and ready to be your best friend. All of these kids are so cute and adorable, and it is always so exciting to have these interactions. Most of the interactions are like this. I remember, when I was at an event, there was one little girl who spent almost three hours sitting by me and talking to me. She was one of the sweetest little girls, and she said I was her new best friend. She even said she would look out her window and wave to me as I was flying back home. I have many memories like this one that I will never forget and that really make the job worthwhile.

Sometimes, negative interactions can be a lot more fun than positive ones. While they were happening, I was a little stressed out, but they make great stories in the end. Once, I even had a kid try to rip my wig off. While interactions like these aren't always wanted, a lot of times, they are a lot of fun. Staying in character and having fun with a child questioning your identity is surprisingly a lot of fun. Not only does it challenge your knowledge, but it also forces you to think more out of the box. One of my favorite stories of a child challenging me was when a little girl didn't believe I was Tinkerbell. She tried everything that she could in order to convince me that I was not her, including trying to rip off my wig. While this was a little stressful at the time, I love to go back and laugh at it now. It is always one of my favorite stories to tell.

One of the best ways to get through a long event is repeated stories and "catchphrases." I have a lot of stories that I have gotten from the movies and from seeing other girls play the characters. I believe that these random stories help the kids to believe you more, and they also help the parents to think that you are doing a lot better job than you actually are.

Does the Dream Die?

The short answer for this is no; after a year at least, the dream has not yet died, and I have a feeling that it will not die. However, there have been multiple times that I have thought about quitting, but those thoughts are always quickly stifled. I love my job and I get excited every time the schedule is released. Whenever I take a weekend off, I can probably be found complaining about how I miss working. The kids make this job worthwhile. Each interaction and each party is so different. The way that a child reacts (both positively and negatively) makes each party so different and intriguing. I love my job and the magic that surrounds it, and I can not fathom not getting to hang out with my favorite princesses anymore.