Behind the Ears
Do you believe in Disney characters? There's only one Mickey, right? If that's what you think, do not buy this book, because it lays bare in extreme detail how Disney hires and trains its character performers and how those performers handle the toughest job in the theme park.
Disney jargon for a character performer is "friend of", as in "I'm a friend of Goofy!" The company doesn't like its character performers to say they are the character. But we're adults, and we know that Goofy is a big head and a costume, and inside that costume is a sweaty but happy cast member who has been trained to walk, behave, and interact just like Goofy. The cast member is the character.
Nicklaus Hopkins played several roles at Walt Disney World besides Goofy: Sheriff Woody, Mr. Incredible, the Beast, Captain Hook, and others. Each of them brought new challenges, new discoveries, and new adventures, in all of the theme parks.
In a fun, fast-moving narrative, Nicklaus relates exactly how he got his job as a character performer, takes you through his unique, vaguely boot camp-ish training as Goofy, and then brings you with him into the parks for guest encounters, cast member horseplay, and all the pleasures and perils of being a Disney theme-park character. Despite the harsh training, the heavy costume, and the sweat drenching his body, Nicklaus loved every minute of it.
Let's go behind the ears!