Brave Merida character

[Tom Morrow]

‘Brave’ Merida character at Disney Parks

Merida from ‘Brave’ is coming to Disney Parks Disney Parks Blog Brave's Merida will be coming to Magic Kingdom Park and Disneyland Park in an all-new character greeting experience. Merida will appear in a setting inspired by her Scottish Highlands home, where young guests will be invited to engage in archery lessons and other activities until it’s their turn to meet her. Joining Merida will be the three bear cubs from the film, who will no doubt be up to plenty of mischief. According to Creative Director Reed Jones, “These new play and greet experiences at both parks will immerse our guests in Brave, giving them the opportunity to be a part of Merida’s Scottish clan. And we’re all excited to have the bear cubs join Merida with their silly antics, creating a whole new way to bring our beloved Disney Characters to life.” “Regardless of where they find Merida,” said Reed, “Guests are really going to fall in love with her and the bears.” concept art by Shawn Slater complete article

Submitted by Ezra

[Ezra]

I'm reminded of this quote from an AP article:

"I just thought, 'My goodness! There's eventually going to be a Merida doing her thing up there,'" said actress Kelly MacDonald. "The people that they cast to be the characters and wear the costumes at Disneyland have to do the accent, so somebody at Disneyland is going to be doing me. Some American girl will have to do my accent. It kind of blows my mind, really."

[ShrunkenNed]

When they say "near Small World" I hope they mean the Small World Mall area - it's such a fantastic spot for meet and greets!

[GoofyFlamingo]

I hope that whatever they do doesn't totally over take the area though- That's where I watch the fireworks!

I find it interesting that they aren't confirming whether she's a face character or has a head. I really want to know! She would gain a lot more from being a face character, but it would depend on the talent they can find to portray her. Fingers crossed. I'll definitely be visiting her.

[Disneyland_DHI]

Don't quote me on this, but I've heard from a few sources that she is a FACE character!! I'm very excited for this...

[Horbigast]

I really hope she's a face character -- so far I haven't been terribly impressed with the costumes of the Pixar & other CGI characters. For whatever reason, they seem a little less "believable" to me (which is a weird thing to say about an actor wearing the costume of an animated character). Face characters are also more fun to interact with, for many obvious reasons.

This will be Pixar's first princess movie, if that means anything. Considering that I'm a sucker for princesses as well as scottish accents, looks like I'll be lining up for Merida...

[Wisher]

Merida is, in fact, going to be a face character. They held auditions for her recently, I believe.

[bodhran105]

^Yup, March 21 was the date! Disney auditions called for look-alikes.

[GoofyFlamingo]

Just because they held auditions doesn't mean it's official. Nothing is official until it is announced.

[F!kid]

It is FACE... I can't wait to see who they get! :)

[Tom Morrow]

Disney Parks seeking feisty redheaded Scots for Merida

Disney want Scot with ginger hair to play Brave heroine at theme park in America Scotland Daily Record Disney have launched a worldwide search for redheads to play their latest heroine Princess Merida at their US theme parks. In the film, out in June, flame-haired Merida is voiced by Scots star Kelly Macdonald and Disney are keen that the theme park character should have the same distinctive accent. The star of new animated film Brave is a feisty Scot and a crack shot with a bow and arrow. And studio bosses say their ideal candidate would be a Gaelic-speaking Scot. Shawn Slater, communications manager at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, said: “Merida is impetuous, rough and tumble, strong-willed, determined and playful. We would prefer to find someone who has the right hair and accent already but if the candidate isn’t perfect, we also have dialect coaches, and wigs.” Wannabe warrior princesses must be at least 16, authorised to work in America and will be paid £7.80 an hour. They could be based at either Disneyland in California or Walt Disney World in Florida where versions of her Highland castle home are now being built. Shawn said: “Merida is a skilled archer and our creative teams wanted to incorporate archery into the experience. There will actually be sets of bows and arrows – safe ones– that children can use to practise.” by Toby McDonald complete article

Submitted by Ezra

[bodhran105]

^Any boy characters to come soon? While my gaelic is irish, I don't know if too many guests would take notice. My friend goes archery hunting on weekends, I could learn! I've grown out of my red hair days, but there's always hair dye/wigs! Please!!

I'm kidding.

O.K. no, I'm not. I'd love that job! Please work some boy characters from Brave into the mix! Heck! I'll be an attendent!

[Horbigast]

Shawn Slater, communications manager at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, said: “Merida is impetuous, rough and tumble, strong-willed, determined and playful. We would prefer to find someone who has the right hair and accent already but if the candidate isn’t perfect, we also have dialect coaches, and wigs.”

Wannabe warrior princesses must be at least 16, authorised to work in America and will be paid £7.80 an hour.

I don't speak Gaelic, but I can swing a Scots accent enough to convince most. I can't wait to meet her.

I am a bit surprised at the somewhat pedestrian wage, however. Not that I expect many cast members' positions to be exceptionally lucrative, since labor expense is surely one of the theme parks' primary areas of cost control. But bringing a young lady from Scotland to try to make ends meet in a place like Southern California on what works out to roughly $12.50/hour seems a bit tough to imagine. Does Disney have some subsidized housing for immigrant cast members I wonder?

The Disney legal team must be having a fit trying to find "safe" bows and arrows for this project. Even with products like Nerf, I'm sure guests will find ways to hurt themselves. And of course, it will be Disney's fault...

[bodhran105]

^Why no speak gaelic?! It's great! I flows so much better than english or say german.

I'd presume they would have them stay in the international college program housing. Seeing as they would be foreign and more likely college age. They do have the college program housing which includes international cast members. I'll have to schedule a trip for her arrival and see if they've got a nice actress for the role. Sadly, I'd be starting college by the next gap in my life would open for me to make a trip down. Oh well. At least they'll have worked out any kinks. And there'll be YouTube videos and the like.

Again wondering: would the character attendants have to be scottish...ish....ish....so-so? Because the meet and greet is going to be like going to her homeland right? So wouldn't everyone there be scottish?

[GoofyFlamingo]

That pay surprises me. There must be something else, like housing and transportation expenses covered, because the original Merida auditions in March said she would be paid roughly $15 an hour.