A World of Opportunities Through Disney Auditions: Meet Fabien
In a tale as old as time, what was initially thought of as a summer job has grown into a career spanning two decades and three international Disney destinations. Meet Fabien Grandrie, currently a performer at Shanghai Disney Resort, but who began his career in his home country of France performing at Disneyland Paris.
“I felt incredibly lucky because everything happened so fast and out of nowhere,” said Fabien. “I was just a boy from the countryside moving for the first time to the capital by myself, without ever going to a dance class, a Disney Park, or any auditions before.”
Fabien performed at Disneyland Paris for several years before setting off to explore new adventures with roles at Tokyo Disney Resort, a place he now considers a second home.
“I instantly fell in love with the people, the culture and the country. This is where I fully understood that it was just the beginning of my Disney career abroad and that Disney has a world of endless opportunities.”
Then Fabien enjoyed a stint at Walt Disney World Resort working at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Guest Relations, before returning to Disneyland Paris to join the Talent Casting team supporting casting tours all across Europe and the United States. From there, he decided to submit for an online audition for Shanghai Disney Resort, where he is now a performer in the Character & Parade department and celebrating his 20th anniversary with the company.
“There are always new shows, new seasons, new parades or Disney anniversaries and so new choreography and roles to learn. Time flies when you work for Disney! It all started 20 years ago for me, two decades in a flash!”
Starting a new contract in a new country offered Fabien yet another opportunity to immerse himself in a different culture, explore a new country and make new friends along the way.
“My favorite part of my role is to have been given the opportunity to make magic every day, see people's dreams come true, and create memories that last a lifetime.”
Working abroad is not without its challenges, including facing a language barrier, but with the help of translation apps, Fabien and his fellow performers always find a way to communicate and understand each other.
“I was very proud to be the first French performer here at Shanghai Disney Resort, and it’s an even bigger satisfaction to see that they have hired more French people since.”
One of Fabien’s favorite parts of working at Disney is getting to know the other cast members. The shared camaraderie of being away from home and their loved ones bonds the cast and they support each other through challenges and their successes.
“We share the common goal of doing what we love and giving our best show to a new audience every day. We are also very lucky to be able to explore China in our time off and it is also quite convenient to travel everywhere in Asia working here in Shanghai.”
Fabien also enjoys venturing out into the city, going for bike rides along The Bund and enjoying the views of the Shanghai skyline or enjoying some of the many activities available to cast members from fun runs and badminton to cooking classes and high ropes courses.
Despite working for Disney for over two decades, Fabien continues to be inspired by the company’s innovation and creativity. He recently visited Disneyland Paris and enjoyed the Disney Electrical Sky Parade, an exceptional new nighttime show combining synchronized drones, video projections, lights and fountains across Sleeping Beauty Castle.
“I performed in a version of the Main Street Electrical Parade 15 years ago in Tokyo Disneyland, so to see it up there up in the sky was just phenomenal and brought memories that really did last a lifetime.”
For those hoping to pursue a career as a performer at Disney, Fabien shared the importance of never giving up. He attended auditions for Tokyo Disney Resort three times and Shanghai Disney Resort two times before receiving an offer. The needs of the Talent Casting team are constantly growing and changing, and you never know when a previous “no” could become a “yes.”
“Looking back now at all the Disney auditions that I have attended; I can say today that I've had fun every single time. They've always made me feel comfortable and shared tips so we could be at our best.”
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