The American Idol Experience Hollywood Studios
The American Idol Experience -- Hollywood Studios will open to Disney World Guests on February 14, 2009. If you are a fan of the reality TV show and want your chance to sing in front of a panel of judges then this is the attraction for you!
To ensure the new attraction opens with a bang more than 20 American Idol alumni will be attending the premiere of the American Idol Experience at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Along with American Idol host Ryan Seacrest, current winner David Cook, former winners Jordin Sparks, Taylor Hicks and Carrie Underwood, and past contestants David Archuleta, Bo Bice and Justin Guarini will participate in the invitation-only festivities scheduled for February 12, 2009. Disney Officials have said that the lineup is of course subject to change -- and could even expand.
If you are planning on visiting the Hollywood Studios park that day you will be able to get a glimpse at the Idols during a motorcade through the Park at 4.30pm.
David Cook will be out and about before the park even opens; doing a live segment for ABC’s Good Morning America from in front of the American Idol Experience building. Don’t all rush though as it’s a closed set!
Here’s what you can expect if you think you have what it takes to be the next Disney American Idol:
Do you qualify?
- You’ll need to spend the best part of the day at the Hollywood Studios and won’t have time for many other attractions. You will of course need a valid park ticket to enter the park.
- You must be at least 14 years old to audition, and if you are aged between 14 and 17 you will need to be accompanied by an adult.
- There is no maximum age limit -- but bear in mind that if you win you will receive a free pass to the real American Idol auditions and you may not qualify.
Choose a few songs to sing.
- You will be given a list of 113 songs to choose from. You should aim to pick 4 or 5 to showcase your vocals. Be sure to mix it up a bit and choose different styles.
Get to the park early.
- The American Idol Experience will be popular, especially in the first few months, and you could experience a long wait. Get to the park early and head straight to the attraction to get in line. The entrance to the audition area is around the back of the theatre near the Sci-Fi Drive-In.
Show off your talent in your first audition.
- You’ll head to a booth to sing your first audition. Sing any song you like as long as it’s not an original one.
- You’ll be singing acappella (without music) so make sure you practice that way at home.
- It will take about 2 minutes and you’ll get feedback from the Casting Director
Impress the judges with your second audition.
- For your second audition you’ll need 3 to 5 songs from the song list.
- You’ll need to sign a consent form to agree to be video taped.
- They’ll give you an MP3 player with the tracks on for you to sing.
- This audition is in a bigger room with a different judge. You’ll sing along to music and will be using a microphone. Don’t worry about forgetting the lyrics as they will be displayed on a big screen for you.
- If you are successful you’ll be asked to come back at the end of the day as a Guest Performer or an Alternative Guest Performer.
Collect your lanyard.
- If you are successful you will be given a lanyard to wear.
- You can now go out into the park until an hour before your designated show. You need to be aware that even if you audition first thing in the morning your show may not be scheduled until late afternoon.
Hair and makeup.
- You’ll need to come back to the theatre an hour before your show for hair and makeup.
- Think about what you should wear and the image you want to give to the judges and the audience.
- You’ll also have a chance to do a dress rehearsal of your song.
Sing your heart out.
- When it is your turn to perform you need to show the audience how good you are.
- The judges are just for show and will not vote for you.
- The audience have a keypad which they will use to vote -- so make sure they think you are good enough to deserve their vote!
Win that golden ticket.
- If you win your daytime show you will be asked to come back to perform in the evening show.
- It is the winner of this show who will be given the golden ticket to the real American Idol auditions.
It sounds like a great experience and I’m looking forward to checking it out in December -- though I won’t be auditioning!
American Idol Experience -- Song selection as at January 2009
Category Song title Made famous by Speed Voice Country “Achy Breaky HeartUp” Billy Ray Cyrus/Garth Brooks Tempo Both “All American Girl” Carrie Underwood Medium Female “Amazed” Lonestar Ballad Both “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” Brooks & Dunn Uptempo Both “Breathe” Faith Hill Ballad Female “Do You Believe Me Now” Jimmy Wayne Medium Both “How Do I Live (Without You)” Trisha Yearwood/LeAnn Rhimes Ballad Female “Hope You Dance” Lee Ann Womack Ballad Female “Like It, I Love It” Tim McGraw Uptempo Both “I Told You So” Randy Travis/Carrie Underwood Uptempo Both “Independence Day” Martina McBride Medium Female “It’s Good to be Us” Bucky Covington Medium Both “Life is a Highway” Rascal Flatts Uptempo Both “Lost” Kenny Chesney Medium Both “Man, I Feel Like A Woman” Shania Twain Uptempo Female “My Wish” Rascal Flatts Ballad Both “Our Song” Taylor Swift Medium Female “Sweet Home Alabama” Lynyrd Skynyrd Medium Both “The Kiss”* [We think this is actually "This Kiss" by Faith Hill] Uptempo Female “Walkin’ After Midnight” Patsy Cline Ballad Male “What Hurts The Most” Rascal Flatts Ballad Male Disco/
Dance“Best of My Love” The Emotions Up-tempo Both “Fame” Irene Cara Tempo Both “Hot Stuff” Donna Summer Tempo Female “I Will Survive” Gloria Gaynor Uptempo Female “Knock on Wood” Amii Stewart Uptempo Female “Last Dance” Donna Summer Tempo Female “Never Can Say Goodbye” The Jackson 5 Uptempo Both “Turn Your Love Around” George Benson Medium Male “You’re The First, The Last, My Everything” Barry White Uptempo Male Latin “1-2-3″ Gloria Estefan Uptempo Both “Bailamos” Enrique Iglesias Ballad Male “Just Another Day” Jon Secada Ballad Male “La Bamba” Ritchie Valens Uptempo Male “Smooth” Santana (with Rob Thomas) Medium Male “Turn the Beat Around” Vicky Sue Robinson (Gloria Estefan version) Uptempo Both “Waiting for Tonight” Jennifer Lopez Uptempo Female R&B “100 Ways” James Ingram Ballad Male “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrel/Diana Ross Uptempo Both “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg” The Temptations Medium Both “For Once In My Life” Stevie Wonder Medium Both “Get Ready” The Temptations Uptempo Male “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” Marvin Gaye version Medium Male “I Want You Back” The Jackson 5 Medium Both “I’ll Be There” The Jackson 5 Ballad Both “Midnight Train to Georgia” Gladys Knight and the Pips Ballad Female “New Attitude” Patti LaBelle Uptempo Female “Reach Out, I’ll Be There” The Four Tops/Diana Ross Uptempo Both “Respect” Aretha Franklin Medium Female “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” Stevie Wonder version Uptempo Both “Stop in the Name of Love” The Supremes Medium Both “Superstition” Stevie Wonder Uptempo Both “Then Came You” Dionne Warwick & the Spinners Medium Both “Vision of Love” Mariah Carey Ballad Female “You Are The Sunshine of My Life” Stevie Wonder Medium Both “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” The Supremes Uptempo Female “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” Aretha Franklin Ballad Female “You’re All I need to Get By” Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell Medium Both Disney
songs“Best of Both Worlds” Miley Cyrus Uptempo Female “Bet On It” Zac Efron Medium Male “Breaking Free” High School Musical Uptempo Both “Circle of Life” Elton John (from Lion King) Medium Both “Colors of the Wind” Vanessa Williams (from Pocahontas) Ballad Female “Ever Ever After” Carrie Underwood (from Enchanted) Uptempo Both “Go The Distance” Hercules Ballad Male “Part of Your World” Jodi Benson (from The Little Mermaid) Ballad Female “Play My Music” Jonas Brothers (from Camp Rock) Uptempo Both “Reflection” Christina Aguilera (from Mulan) Ballad Female “Rock Star” Miley Cyrus (from Hannah Montana) Uptempo Female “This Is Me” Demi Lovato & Joe Jonas (from Camp Rock) Uptempo Both “You’ll Be In My Heart” Phil Collins (from Tarzan) Medium Both Rock/pop
ballad“A Moment Like This” Kelly Clarkson Ballad Both “Alone” Heart Ballad Female “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” Elton John Ballad Male “Drops of Jupiter” Train Ballad Male “Home” Daughtry Ballad Male “If It Makes You Happy” Sheryl Crow Ballad Female “Iris” Goo Goo Dolls Ballad Both “Just Once” James Ingram Ballad Male “Kiss From A Rose” Seal Ballad Both “Looks Like We Made It” Barry Manilow Ballad Both “Stand By Me” Ben E. King Ballad Male “Unchained Melody” The Righteous Brothers Ballad Both “What A Wonderful World” Louis Armstrong Ballad Both “Your Song” Elton John Ballad Both Rock/pop
uptempo“Big Girls Don’t Cry” Fergie Uptempo Female “Black Horse and a Cherry Tree” KT Tunstall Uptempo Female “Bohemian Rhapsody” Queen Uptempo Male “Breakaway” Kelly Clarkson Uptempo Female “Don’t Stop the Music” Journey Uptempo Female “Express Yourself” Madonna Uptempo Female “Face Down” Red Jumpsuit Apparatus Uptempo Male “Footloose” Kenny Loggins Uptempo Male “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” Pat Benetar Uptempo Female “I Can See Clearly Now” Johnny Nash Uptempo Male “I Feel The Earth Move” Carole King Uptempo Both “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” Whitney Houston Uptempo Both “If Everyone Cared” Nickelback Uptempo Male “No One” Alicia Keys Uptempo Both “Old Time Rock and Roll” Bob Seger Uptempo Both “Over You” Daughtry Uptempo Both “Rock With You” Michael Jackson Uptempo Both “Since U Been Gone” Kelly Clarkson Uptempo Female “Somebody to Love” Queen Uptempo Both “Suspicious Minds” Elvis Presley Uptempo Male “Sway” Michael Buble Uptempo Male “The Great Escape” Boys Like Girls Uptempo Female “Walk Away” Kelly Clarkson Uptempo Female “Walkin’ In Memphis” Marc Cohn Uptempo Both “Walking On Sunshine” Katrina & the Waves Uptempo Both “You Really Got Me Now” The Kinks Uptempo Male “You’re My Best Friend” Queen Uptempo
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January 24, 2009 by Clare Swindlehurst
Filed under Hollywood Studios (MGM), News, Reviews, Stories behind the attractions, Tips
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