Employment Opportunities
Once Upon A Time Parties, LLC features an extensive line up of popular fairytale chaqracters performing for birthday parties, traveling ball experiences, large community events, and more. As our company is in high demand we are always looking for talented and dedicated performers as well as energetic and organized attendants to join our team. Interested applicants should complete the application below and submit it for review. In order to be considered, applicants must meet all requirements clearly stated below.
Character Performer: A character performer dresses up in costume, wig, and makeup and trains in the mannerisms and likeness of the character they are portraying to provide a realistic experience and to create a believable fairytale encounter.
Character Attendant: A character attendant is present at a character appearance to offer assistance in multiple ways including but not limited to assisting the performer in and out of costume at our headquarters, transporting the performer to and from events, answering guest questions at events , etc.
Mascot Performer: A mascot performer is dressed in a fully covered mascot costume, including body suit and large foam head who trained in the mannerisms of the popular characters they are portraying to provide a realistic experience for guests. Mascots are limited to movements/body language and are unable to speak or use sounds during a performance. Mascots are able to rely on their attendants to assist with verbal communication with guests.
Mascot Attendant: A mascot attendant is basically an extension of the mascot and their personality! They assist with leading activities like story time and dance-a-longs, and help the mascot with verbal communication with guests during meet and greets. A mascot attendant will also transport the performer to and from events, and help them in and out of costume.
Character Attendant: A character attendant is present at a character appearance to offer assistance in multiple ways including but not limited to assisting the performer in and out of costume at our headquarters, transporting the performer to and from events, answering guest questions at events , etc.
Mascot Performer: A mascot performer is dressed in a fully covered mascot costume, including body suit and large foam head who trained in the mannerisms of the popular characters they are portraying to provide a realistic experience for guests. Mascots are limited to movements/body language and are unable to speak or use sounds during a performance. Mascots are able to rely on their attendants to assist with verbal communication with guests.
Mascot Attendant: A mascot attendant is basically an extension of the mascot and their personality! They assist with leading activities like story time and dance-a-longs, and help the mascot with verbal communication with guests during meet and greets. A mascot attendant will also transport the performer to and from events, and help them in and out of costume.
Requirements for all Cast Members:
*See Character Performer Specific requirements below*
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Epmloyment FAQ's
- How do I apply to work for Once Upon A Time Parties?
Fill out the application above to completion. Be sure to pay attention to the additional notes so you don't miss any helpful information! - What is the application process like?
Our application process is only a few steps: Once you submit your application our casting team will verify that you meet our requirements. If you meet all requirements and submit a completed application, our casting team will review your submitted materials and determine if you might fit any roles we offer. If we feel that you might be a good addition to our cast we will then reach out to schedule an in-person interview and audition which will be the final determination for your consideration. We will provide you with an acceptance or rejection email within one week of our last contact. - I don't want to be a performer, I just want to work for you. Do you have any positions like this open?
Absolutely! We offer attending positions which basically is just a character handler. Our attendants assist with helping the performer prep for parties, transportation, crowd/line control, answering guest questions, and more. We like organized, energetic, and outgoing individuals for this job especially. - How much is the payment?
Our character performers start out at a base pay of $50/hour, character attendants start at $30/hour, mascot performers start at $65/hour and mascot attendants start at $50/hour. - Why do I have to have my own transportation?
We want to make sure we can always count on you to show up for a party or event. If you're relying on a friend or family member to transport you and something happens on their part not allowing you to fulfill your obligations, even though it's not your fault, you will be the one to take responsibility of appropriate repercussions and risk losing your position with us. We would hate to have a no-show princess for a party or event we have booked! - Why do I have to be 18+ to work for you?
We have experienced that individuals who have graduated high school and are no longer tied to time-consuming obligations such as after-school and extracurricular activities prove to be more available and reliable members of our team. While we are sure there are some responsible and talented younger individuals out there this is our policy to avoid any conflicts with scheduling. We will interview applicants 17.5 years of age for consideration however we will not book the individual for a paid opportunity until they reach the age of 18. - Why do you require performers to be a certain size?
Our costumes are very expensive as we source some of the highest-quality gowns on the market. The seamstresses who make our gowns, for the most part, are able to make them highly adjustable to fit a range of sizes however, this is not always the case and with our constant need to upgrade wigs and accessories, replace character shoes, tights, and hoop skirts and pay for monthly and yearly bills such as our business license, insurance, web hosting, marketing materials, etc we are not able to purchase multiple of these expensive costumes. The sizing requirements reflect current costumes, feel free to come back to see if our requirements change! - Why do I have to be a resident of Mobile or the surrounding area?
Our headquarters is located near the center of Mobile, AL, most of the locations we service are in our immediate area and we service up to 90 miles outside of Mobile. Before a scheduled appearance our cast members are required to come to our headquarters to prepare for the appearance, leave from there and return after the scheduled appearance. While we do compensate travel for bookings outside of our immediate service area, we do not compensate for distance traveled from your home to our headquarters. If you are not a resident within our service area it's likely that the money you make as a cast member would not be worth it at this point. If you are outside of our service area try searching for companies that service your area and reach out to them for employment opportunities! - Why do you need a professional headshot and clip of me singing?
We hire performers to portray beloved storytime characters to bring magic to life for the guests we meet. We require a professional headshot so that we can predetermine, based on physical features, which characters you could potentially be cast as. As part of our party packages, and frequently requested at events, we are asked to sing as these characters, so we require a short video of you singing so that we can review your vocal range and abilities to be considered for our performing positions. (As a bonus tip: We will not accept selfie photos especially those with Snapchat filters, and we like hearing singing submissions of popular songs or songs that showcase your vocal talents) - Based on my eye color, will I not be approved for certain rolls?
Well, yes and no. We try our best to accurately portray characters children look up to, from shape of face and skin tone to other physical features and eye color, and kids notice every detail so if we feel that you might suit a character but your eye color is not the same as the character we can train you in the roll and provide you with resources or opportunities to obtain colored contacts. - I have my own costume, can I use it and work for you?
No. We do not allow this for a few reasons: Firstly, we have put in place a standard to make sure that each of our costumes are not only of a high quality but also to ensure its accuracy to the character it is representing. We are also a non-compete company meaning our performers do not work for any other business, organization or self-employed entity that offers the same services we do. But we promise, if you work for us you will not only wear some of the best gowns in the industry, but you will also receive a lot of opportunity for more compensation than you would as a sole entity! - What is training like?
Our basic training for performers and attendants covers things like party and appearance etiquette, like how to act in certain situations and how to lead activities at a party. Our attendants are trained on how to properly assist the performer in putting on and taking off costumes and wigs and how to care for them after they've been worn for an appearance. Attendants are also trained on responses to give when guests as general questions about our company. We like to involve our attendants in performer training so that they are aware of what the performer should be doing and know what to expect during their appearance. We provide our performers with training materials such as makeup guides to follow so our makeup is consistent, character biographies so everyone knows how to respond as characters they are cast as, and additional one-on-one training or group exercises to work on character movements, improv and more. Our performers and attendants dedicate a lot of time to learning each character we offer so that they may both help provide a magical and believable experience to the guests present.
