TMZ is reporting that ABC will be shooting American Idol auditions at Disney World in Orlando, rather than traveling to cities all over the country. There may also be some auditions at Disneyland in California. The obvious reason is to save money, but also to cross promote the Disney brand.
TMZ has learned the show will shoot audition weeks at Walt Disney World in Orlando. We’re told there are 2 reasons:
— It promotes a huge brand within the Disney company — amusement parks.
— It’s way more cost-effective than travelling the show to various cities.
A source familiar with the deal tells us there’s also talk of doing some of the auditions at Disneyland on the West Coast.
It would also give the show a cross-section of America and beyond, without having to hit the road.
Money is definitely an issue. The show got too expensive to produce, which is why it went off the air a year ago, and this will save a considerable sum.
So will the Disney deal be a casting or judges call? Maybe the producers will cast ahead of time and send the best (or worst) talent to Disney for the judges round–cutting out the city by city casting call. Or maybe the judges don’t hit the road at all and all of the casting will be conducted by producers?
