My American Idol Experience (Review and Behind The Scenes Details)

Anyone who has been listening to the CoasterRadio.com podcast knows that a big part of this season has been preparing for my attempt to make it onto the stage of "The American Idol Experience" at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Over the past few months, I let the audience in as I practiced different songs, received critiques from music experts and even as I did a live test drive at a Karaoke bar.

Last month, I made it down to Walt Disney World and somehow gathered up the courage to walk into Studio 2B to audition.

I told the story on Episode #437, but I also wrote a five-part blog post that shares every detail about the experience.

You'll walk with me, step-by-step, as I go through the grueling audition process, the backstage preparation and possibly, a shot at performing on The American Idol Experience stage!

Here are the five parts:

Part 1 - The Bright Idea
Part 2 - The First Audition
Part 3 - The Second Audition
Part 4 - Backstage
Part 5 - Showtime

My American Idol Experience - Part 5

Over the last four parts of this story, you've read about my long journey to make it to the "American Idol Experience" stage.

It started months before, when I decided to audition for the show and make it a long-running bit on the CoasterRadio.com podcast.

So, it was very surreal to be standing backstage as the show began.

Immediately off the left-hand side of the stage is a holding area where the contestants wait until it's time to go on. They have a comfortable couch, a large flat-screen TV where you can watch the show and a very cool "American Idol" logo light pointed at the ground where you are standing.

The stage went dark and there was a director's voice that came over the speakers...

"Stand-by to cue the host. All right everyone, please remain very quiet. We're LIVE in 3...2...1..."

Then, imagine my surprise when I looked up at the video screen and saw an old friend opening the show.

Yes, it was Ryan Seacrest... the same guy who welcomed me to the Idol Experience (on video) and the same guy who also told me (on video) that I had made it to the show. He said...

"The Number One show on television continues its search for the next music superstar. But this time, we're taking you out of your living room and putting you in the middle of the action.... in an experience unlike anything we've ever done. Three Walt Disney World guests, just like you, hailing from across the globe, have made it through a grueling audition process and are now in the role of performer. And they're about to take their first important step towards pop stardom. Live from Disney's Hollywood Studios, THIS IS THE AMERICAN IDOL EXPERIENCE!"

I must admit that it was a cool concept and a great way to tie in the real show with the theme park attraction. And it worked.

The American Idol theme music started playing, the lighting on the stage came to life and the audience exploded into applause.

They even put the names of the three contestants on the screen one at a time. I remember thinking that it was sort of strange, because who out there in the audience really cared who I was? But now that some time has passed, I think it's a great idea.

The real American Idol show takes virtual unknowns and turns them into household names. This show manages to do the same thing, although on a much smaller scale. More on that later.

I could see on the backstage TV that the host, Greg Hutson, had made his way onto the massive set. He was saying hello to the audience and explaining what was about to happen.

I was just starting to get into the show as an audience member, when we were quickly rushed over to the stage entrance. I had almost forgotten I was one of the "guest performers."

Before I knew it, Greg said "Let's bring out the performers," and we were walking out on stage.

When we interviewed Stacey Lantz, an American Idol Experience contestant who had actually won her show, she said that the audience would respond to contestants who showed enthusiasm and who were excited to be there.

So, as I led the other contestants on stage, I pumped my fist in the air, pointed at the audience and smiled big. To my surprise, the audience was really cheering loudly for all three of us.

Backstage, the producers said that the audience would be behind us and show us support. They were right! None of these people had ever met us before, but they had bought in to the whole idea of "The American Idol Experience." The audience liked the fact that we were three average park guests doing something out of the ordinary.

Greg explained that each of the contestants would sing and then the audience would vote for the best one by using a keypad built into their seat. The winner would move on to a finale show that happens at the end of the day. Here, the winners from all six preliminary shows would compete for a "Dream Ticket." This would give the winner a chance to skip to the front of the line at any American Idol audition throughout the country.

Now, I'm 35-years old and past the American Idol cut-off age of 28. So I didn't have dreams of winning the golden ticket and becoming America's next pop superstar. At this point, I just wanted to do a good job and not make a complete fool of myself.

The host had us go backstage and he introduced the three judges.

This is where the show becomes really fun for the audience. The judges, while not exactly carbon copies of the hosts on the American Idol Show, are pretty damn close. You have the music expert (Randy), the nice one (Paula/Kara) and the mean one (Simon).

I was the third contestant, so my performance was going to be last. This gave me the opportunity to sit down backstage, relax for awhile and gear up for my song.

The girl from Wisconsin went first and sang "No One" by Alicia Keys. Before she sang, they asked her who was her favorite American Idol. When she said David Cook, he magically appeared on the screen to give her advice. It was a nice touch and again tied the show in with the theme park attraction. She did a great job, but you could tell she was really nervous. The judges were all very nice to her, except for the "Simon" judge who gave her a backhanded compliment at the end.

The Pastor from Houston was up next. Before his performance, they played a video where they showed him auditioning and celebrating with his family when he got through. He sang "Go the Distance" and did a really great job as well. The judges all liked what he did, except for the "Simon" judge. He said "since talent skips a generation, your kids are going to be superstars!" Ouch! Funny, but ouch!

Then it was my turn.

While the Pastor was being judged, the stage manager pulled me aside and reminded me of exactly what I needed to do and where I needed to go. She said "don't forget to breathe and don't forget to have fun!" Then, I heard Greg say "Let's welcome Mike Collins to the stage!"
It was showtime.

Since I was the third contestant, I got to sit down with Greg and do a short interview. This part of the set we were sitting on was pretty amazing... complete with a multilevel platform and several flat-screens.

I didn't realize it at the time, but they were showing the Coca-Cola swish behind us... just like they do on the real show.

I figured that I needed to win the audience over with my personality because my voice wasn't going to do it alone. So, when Greg asked me how I was feeling, I shouted...

"Greg, I'm so happy to be here at the American Idol Experience! But I'm really happy to be performing in front of this beautiful crowd!"

Yeah, it was a cheap move. But the audience liked it and applauded.

Greg said, "Smart man! Getting the audience on your side early! Who are you here with today?"
Then I pointed over to my brothers in the VIP section and said, "I'm here with two of the best brothers ever! Greg and Ryan! We came here in 1985 and we're back 25 years later! Look at them! They're beautiful!"

I was going on like a maniac!

The crew put a shot of Greg and Ryan on the big screens and they showed a mix of amusement and embarrassment. I was really laying the cheese on thick, but this was my moment... so what they hell, right?

The host said that while my brothers were there along with the rest of the audience for support, there were also some other people who were in my corner.

Then they showed a video of people outside the attraction chanting my name, "Mike! Mike! Mike! Mike!" They even had a little seven-year-old girl look at the camera and say "Mike is MY American Idol!" Very cute. The audience was eating it up!

Greg the host then said, "All right Mike, it's time to show us what you can do. Here performing "Sway" is Mike Collins!"

I had made my way to center stage and my song began.

Now, maybe it's best to let the pictures tell the story. But let me say this. I've had the chance to perform on a lot of different stages, but none was better than this.

The lighting and sound system was EXACTLY what they use for the real American Idol show. I'm not sure if this will make sense to any non-performers out there, but I was actually able to draw energy from my surroundings.

This was as close as I'd ever be to performing on American Idol, so I was going to make it count.

I sang my heart out. I followed all of the advice of the coach who I had worked with 45-minutes earlier. I pointed and winked at old ladies in the audience. I raised my fist in the air during high notes and closed my eyes and swayed during the "tender moments." I moved and performed with a purpose.

I basically did exactly what I had seen people do on American Idol. (Let me stop here to say that if you want to hear what I sounded like, you can listen to Episode #437 where we play the whole thing!)

As I look at the photos, the only thing that takes me out of the moment is that I'm wearing shorts and sneakers. But you have to remember, it was 95 degrees in Orlando that day! Our plan wasn't to do The American Idol Experience and go home. We were going to head out into the park after all this was over! So I wasn't going to dress in uncomfortable clothes.

But now that I think about it, I wish I had brought a pair of jeans to change into. That would have completed the illusion.

Anyway, if I had to grade myself on my performance, I'd give myself a B. I missed a few notes and could have done better on my last high note. But having not performed on a stage in 5-years and with all of that Disney pressure, I think I did OK.

The judges mostly agreed.

The "Randy Jackson" judge said that out of all of the performers, I brought the most energy and brought the most fun to my performance. He also said that I sang one of the hardest songs they had to offer.

The "Paula Abdul" judge said that she rememberd my brother from the earlier show and that it must be fun to come to our family reunions with all of the singing we do. She also said her one critique would be that I needed to dance around more and "shake what your mama gave you."

Finally, it was time to hear from the cranky "Simon Cowell" judge. He said,

"After watching your performance, I'm convinced that you could sing on any cruise ship in the world!"

The coolest part is that the audience had my back. They booed the faux-Simon really loudly. But, It was a good dig. Very funny.

I responded by glaring at him and pointing at my own two eyes and then back at him as if to say, "I'm watching you!"

I continued to do this even as Greg, the host, was telling people to push the number 3 on their keypad if they wanted to vote for me. I could hear the audience laughing at my antics, which I hoped might get me a few more votes.

Now that my song was over, they brought the other contestants out again and we all sat down on the interview set.

They played back 20-seconds from each of our performances to remind people of what we had done. It was really, really weird to see myself on video.

I had seen shots like this a hundred times on the real American Idol show. But this time, it was me! I was on the stage! I was singing to an audience of 1,000 people. It was like being in a weird dream or even a nightmare!

Then it was time for the audience to vote. From my seat on the interview set, I could see that a lot of people had voted for contestants 1 and 2. But strangely enough, I saw that a lot of people had voted for me too! This was going to be close!

While they tallied up the votes, they played a music video with Jordin Sparks that was shot on location at Disney's Hollywood Studios. During the video, they cut in shots of the audience and even a shot of me lamely dancing.

Then it was time to find out the results. The host brought us all out to center stage and reviewed what the judges had said about our performances. Then it was time for the verdict.

Greg did a great job building suspense and finally announced that the winner was..... not me.

The girl from Wisconsin had won and deservedly so. She was good and actually looked like she belonged on American Idol.

All of the judges came over to congratulate us, except for the "Simon" judge.

I guess he was really into method acting because the dude stayed in his character throughout.

The "Randy" judge came over and said that I had done a great job and should be proud. The "Paula" judge came over and gave me a big hug and said that I was one of the funnier performers that she had seen.

When we got off-stage, the whole crew was there to congratulate us and tell us how well we had done. I was wanting to hang around and savor the moment, but they needed to get ready for the 3pm show. So, before I knew it, I was back outside the theater where my brothers were waiting for me.

Here's where the most interesting part of this journey happened.

Just like after Ryan's show, people were coming up to me to congratulate me on my performance. People were saying "I voted for you!" and "You should have won!" and "Don't listen to that Simon guy! He was a jerk!"

One girl in her 20's, who was wearing the skimpiest tube top ever and looked like a supermodel, came up to me and gave me a giant hug while saying "You were the best!"

I was so shocked I yelled "Oh My God!" which sent my brothers into hysterics.

Thanks to the American Idol Experience, I knew what it must be like to be a rock star.

But the taste of fame didn't end there, for the rest of our trip people recognized Ryan and me from the show. The next day we were in the elevator in our hotel and some guy pointed at me and said "Hey! Look! The American Idol guy!"

While we were walking through Frontierland, a rough looking biker dude with a beer belly and a gotee stopped Ryan and said "Nice job singing yesterday buddy!"

These were just two of several other instances like this during the days following our Idol performances.

This made me realize what a unique attraction "The American Idol Experience" has become. It gives an average park-goer like me the chance to feel what it must be like to be an unknown one minute and then a star the next. It also gives the audience a chance to see how the number one show on television is produced.

It's been about a month since I sang on the Idol stage. It was really one of the most memorable experiences of my life.

It was exhilarating and terrifying all at once... a feeling I'm usually only used to experiencing on rides like Tower of Terror or Space Mountain.

Amazingly, I found myself watching the last few episodes of American Idol this season. For some reason, I felt like I had something in common with those contestants.

We all went through a similar "American Idol Experience."

If you liked what you read, you can listen to the podcast episode where I tell the whole story!

My American Idol Experience - Part 4

If you've read parts 1, 2 and 3 of my American Idol Experience saga, you know that we're just a few short paragraphs away from finding out what happened when I made it to the "big stage."

When I last left you, both my brother Ryan and I had made it through the detailed audition process. I was scheduled to perform at the 2 pm show and Ryan was scheduled for the show at noon.

One of the cool things about the Idol Experience is that they let the performer's family and friends come to watch the sound check and even give them VIP seating. So, Greg and I headed for the "Superstar Television Theater" at 11:30 so we could be seated and watch Ryan's rehearsal.

This was an excellent chance for me to see not only how the rehearsal worked, but also how a complete show looked from the audience's point of view.

We sat in the VIP section with the families and friends of the other performers. I was happy to see that everyone was friendly to each other and supportive of all three singers. I think everyone was just thrilled to see their loved-one doing something so unique and exciting.

Before too long, the sound check was over and the audience started to fill the theater. The show began and it hit me how close this show was going to be to the real thing.

The Idol music, the lighting, the cheering audience, the Seacrest-like host. It was all so real!

My brother did a great job during his show singing "Old Time Rock and Roll," a song that the producers hand picked for him.

As good as he did, there was an 18-year old from Florida who blew the roof off the place when she sang "Colors of the Wind."

Even though he didn't win, it was amazing to see people's reaction to him outside of the theater. Park guests were coming up to him, patting him on the back, shaking his hand and telling him what a great job he did. One little girl even came up and asked him for his autograph.

Thirty minutes earlier, none of those people had any idea who Ryan was. But after singing one song on that incredible stage, he was their "American Idol!"

After a very quick lunch, it was my turn. At 1pm, I showed up at the stage entrance to begin my American Idol Experience.

They brought me into the "green room" which was decorated in American Idol blue with a giant logo on the wall. Inside were comfortable couches, a water cooler, storage bins and a practice iPod for each contestant.

Before long, the other two contestants arrived. The first was a young girl in her 20s from Wisconsin. The second was a guy in his 30s who was a church pastor from Houston, Texas.

I was wondering what the other contestants would be like. Would they be nice? Would they be ultra-competitive?

It turns out, they were two of the nicest people you could ever meet. The young girl was really nervous and the church pastor was giddy just to be there.

The reason they had us arrive one-hour ahead of the show is so that each of us could spend time with a vocal coach and then have a professional stylist fix our hair and apply television makeup.

The other two contestants went first, so that left me a few minutes to pick up an iPod and go over my song, "Sway." As I was scrolling through the songs on the iPod, I could hear the sounds of the audience applauding a contestant in the 12:00pm show that was going on at the same time.

This is a good time to talk about the backstage crew and how excellent they were. There were several producers, a stage manager and an assistant who were helping to get us ready. Throughout the whole experience, they did everything possible to make us feel relaxed.

What I found incredible is that they kept us busy from the minute we arrived to the second the show started. I found this really helpful because I didn't have any time to get nervous. I was too busy focusing on everything that they had set out for me to do.

Eventually, it was time for me to have my 10-minutes with the hair and makeup artist.

Since I'm a guy, the artist said that there wasn't much that we needed to do. However, she did apply A LOT of makeup. I work in TV, so I know that you have to wear a lot of makeup when you go in front of the HD cameras.

Next it was time for me to have a one-on-one session with the vocal coach. I walked into the rehearsal room which was covered in mirrors. It also had a piano and the same karaoke system that I used in the 2nd audition room.

The vocal coach was excellent! He first had me sing the song so he could get a sense of what I could do vocally.

As I sang, he was standing a few feet away shouting things like "YEAH!" and "ALL RIGHT!"

I'm not sure if he was really impressed or just saying those things to give me some confidence. Honestly, it didn't matter, because it worked!

He gave me some pointers and advice on a different way to sing some of the lyrics. He also gave me some tips on how to hold the microphone so that it would give the best sound.

Next, he wanted to see how I "moved." This was the toughest part for me, because honestly, I'm no Ricky Martin.

But somehow I got over my embarrassment, because before I knew it, me and the vocal coach were dancing and singing together in that small, mirrored room.... and I was liking it.

The coach gave me some more tips and said that the biggest mistake people make is to "wander around the stage." He said that I should "move with a purpose" and "move with the lyrics." He also explained where the cameras would be and how I should play to them if they came near.

He said that he could tell I'd been on stage before, which made me feel like I could pull this whole thing off. He might say that to everyone who comes though, but damn it, it worked for my confidence.

Next it was time to move onto the "big stage" for the actual sound check and walk-through of the show.

I was blown away when I walked out there. The set is gigantic and multi-leveled. The theater is plush and state-of-the-art. As I wrote earlier, previous American Idol winners have performed on that very same stage and said that it was EXACTLY the same as the one in Hollywood.

The stage manager and her assistant walked us through the entire show and explained what would happen step by step. They showed us where we needed to stand, where we could move on the stage during our performance and where we would sit during our interviews.

They even fitted us with a wireless device so that the stage lights would follow us no matter where we walked. Awesome.

Then it was time for sound checks. The girl from Wisconsin went first and sang "No One" by Alicia Keys. She sounded great, but she sounded like she was holding back. Next up was the pastor from Houston. He sang "Go The Distance" from Hercules and did a fantastic job. Then, it was my turn.

The stage manager handed me the microphone, walked me out to center stage and pointed to a screen on the back wall of the theater. On the screen were the scrolling lyrics to "Sway," just as they had been in the audition and rehearsal rooms.

Now, because of my preparation on the CoasterRadio.com podcast, I didn't need the screen. I had the lyrics memorized. So it was time to see if I was able to do the song on the Idol Experience stage.

The sound check was fun!

The audio system in the theater is incredible. It was great to get an opportunity to hear what the room sounded like before doing it for real. It was also fun to see my brothers in the VIP section laughing and cheering me on. I also noticed that the vocal coach was sitting in the audience too!

After the sound check, they took us to a comfortable holding area right off the stage. The vocal coach came back and gave each of us a few more pointers based on what we did during the sound check.

Before long, I could hear the audience start to file into the theater. We were less than 15-minutes away from the start of the show.

This was really happening.

In Part 5, you'll hear what happened when I took to the American Idol Experience stage!

By the way, if you don't want to wait for Part 5, you can listen to the podcast episode where I tell the whole story!

My American Idol Experience - Part 3

When I last left you, Ryan and I had made it past the first audition at The American Idol Experience and were sitting nervously in the "Red Room."

Since I'm not an "Idol" fan, I didn't know that this room is based on the same place where the contestants go after performing on the live show.

Disney has really created a nice, soothing place here where you can pick up one of several iPods and listen to every single song on the American Idol Experience list.

They have each song with and without a singer, so you can learn the particular arrangement. All of the songs are around 90-seconds each, so you have to be able to remember which parts of the song are included and which are cut.

This is where I felt I had an advantage over everyone else. As part of my prep on the CoasterRadio.com podcast, I had gone on YouTube and listened to the actual arrangements for both "Sway" and "Walking in Memphis."

Previous contestants had posted their performances, so I knew everything about those particular arrangements... the verses used, the lyrics, even the key in which the songs were sung.

It was interesting to look around the Red Room and observe the various contestants.

There were those like Ryan and me who where there for the challenge and the good time. But there were surprisingly a lot of "stage moms" there who were there pushing their teenage daughters to audition.

I over heard one pushy mother admonishing her daughter by saying "Come on! Remember what you were told in all of those singing lessons I paid for!"

I don't think this woman realized we were in a theme park attraction. I supposed she thought that this experience was her daughter's ticket to fame and fortune. It made me feel bad that this mom was turning her family's Disney World experience into a pressure-filled audition.

Anyway, after about 15-minutes of listening to my two songs, I told one of the producers that I was ready to go.

The head producer walked in with a production assistant and reviewed the paperwork that I had filled out in the red room. They discussed the arrangement that had been made about how I would audition with two songs that had previously been chosen by contestants in another show. If I made it past this next audition, I would be assigned the song that was used by the person who wasn't moving on to the finale show.

The production assistant walked me over to another audition room. This one was bigger, but still had the desk with a computer. But this time, on the wall was a large flat-screen TV and a giant video camera.

Greg followed me into this room too, because as I said in part 2, he wasn't going to miss a second of this embarrassment.

This second producer was just as friendly as the first. He engaged in some small talk as well. This was not only to put me at ease, but also to determine if I had any personality. Again, I amped it up by telling some funny stories about singing and even saying something about how 30-somethings can be American Idols too.

Before long, it was time to sing my two songs. But this time, I would have the full backing track behind me and a live microphone in my hand. I would also have the lyrics in front of me on the flat screen TV if I needed them.

Before I knew it, the room was filled with the familiar samba sounds of the song "Sway."

Even though I had told myself a hundred times that this was only a "theme park ride," I still found myself extremely nervous.

I guess that says something for how authentic of an experience that the Imagineers created. Even though my mind was telling me that I was at Disney, my body and emotions were reacting like I had advanced to the second round of the Idol auditions.

Even though I knew the song extremely well, I found myself wanting to use the on-screen lyrics as a crutch. I had planned on showing some personality as I sang, but I found myself wanting to concentrate on just getting the words and the notes right.

I had fallen into the trap of singing like I was in a karaoke bar.

At the end of my song, I tried to impress the producer by jumping an octave and singing the final note in an glass shattering falsetto. It sounded GREAT when I sang it in my car and in the shower. But I don't think it impressed the producer any. He looked up at the end of my song, smiled and said...

"If you make it onto the show, DON'T DO THAT!"

I could feel my face turning red. It was embarrassing to mess up in front of him, but also Greg too. It was then that I made a decision. I was either going to step up my game right then and there or I was going to flame out.

I decided to turn my embarrassment into determination.

I figured that I needed to make the next song count and I wasn't going to leave anything behind in that audition room.

The opening chords for "Walking in Memphis" began to play and I gave, what for me, was the performance of a lifetime.

I forgot about looking at the screen with the lyrics and sang to the camera. I did everything that I've seen those American Idol contestants do. I closed me eyes during the soulful moments and raised my fist in the air during the powerful moments.

It was the best performance that I could give.

At the end of the song, the producer looked up and said "Good job! I can see you're getting more comfortable in here. Let's run through both songs again!"

So, encouraged that I hadn't been kicked out of the room, I sang the songs again and I performed with as much energy as I could.

Sure, it was cheesy. But I figured that if you're going to try something, you need to give it 100%. And that's what I did.

After I sang through both songs, the producer typed on his computer for a few minutes and then asked me to look at the video monitor begin him.

Imagine my surprise when it was Ryan Seacrest, again.

He said something about how many people audition for The American Idol Experience, but that they weren't able to take everyone.

For a second, I thought Seacrest was gently breaking up with me. I thought he was trying to soften the blow as they basically said, "Thanks, but no thanks."

I thought my American Idol Experience was ending right then and there.

But then, Ryan Seacrest turned that frown upside down and said that I had made it to the show!

I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I was so happy, I started high-fiving anyone I could reach. I high-fived Greg, I high-fived the producer and I high-fived everyone I met outside of the audition rooms.

I was like a maniac. It left like I had won the lottery! The audition was one of the most nerve-wracking and scary experiences of my life, but somehow I had made it though. It felt good.

The producer informed me that I would be singing on the 2pm show of The American Idol Experience at the Superstar Television Theater. They said they would call me on my cell phone and tell me what song I would be singing, based on the results of the earlier show.

I was really hoping it would be "Walking in Memphis," because I felt that I had a better handle on that song.

When I left the audition room, we met up with Ryan, who had also passed his audition. He would be performing at the 12pm show, which left him only a few minutes before he had to return to get ready.

The producers handed me a lanyard with a yellow badge that said VOTE FOR ME. I was supposed to wear it as I walked around the park to encourage people to come to the show and watch me perform.

We said goodbye and good luck to Ryan, who headed to the stage to begin the prep for his show. Greg and I decided to walk around the park and even catch a quick ride on Star Tours.

It was funny that when people would see my American Idol Experience badge, they would shout out "Good Luck!" or "Break a Leg!" People seemed to be really supportive, even though I was a complete stranger. One lady even stopped me in the street to tell me how brave I was.

That's when it began to dawn on me. In just a few hours, I was going to have to step on stage in front of 1,000 people and sing.

When I decided to bring the whole "American Idol Experience" audition process on the CoasterRadio.com podcast, I had only thought about it as far as the audition. I didn't really consider that if I made it, I would have to go through with the stage performance part.

Needless to say, I didn't enjoy Star Tours much. My mind wasn't on Endor... it was on The American Idol Experience stage.

What had I gotten myself into?

In Part 4, I'll tell you about everything that went on backstage during the lead-up to my show.

By the way, if you don't want to wait for Part 4, you can listen to the podcast episode where I tell the whole story!

My American Idol Experience - Part 2

After months and months of buildup on the CoasterRadio.com podcast, it was finally time to walk into Studio 2B at The American Idol Experience and give it a shot.

I was in Orlando with my two brothers, Greg and Ryan. Even though we're all married with families, we still try to take a theme park trip together every few years... just like the old days.

Greg and Ryan were totally supportive of this mission, especially as it related to CoasterRadio.com.

When we interviewed former AIE winner Stacey Lantz on the podcast, she had a lot of valuable advice.

One of the most important things she mentioned was getting to the park as soon as it opens. Since auditions for the AIE start right at 9am, she suggested being one of the first in line so that I'd have a better shot of making it into one of the 18 contestant slots that they have for the six AIE shows during the day.

But, since I was on vacation with my brothers, I felt bad about making them get up early and head to Disney's Hollywood Studios for the rope drop.

Amazingly, we got to the studios around 9:45am. After a quick walk down Hollywood Boulevard, we made it to the front doors of The American Idol Experience around 10:00am.

The weird thing was, the place looked deserted.

The queue line was there, with room for 100 people. The photos of past American Idol winners were there. But no one else was in line!

Just as I was about to knock on the doors to the attraction, a lady came out dressed as a television page and said "Welcome to your American Idol Experience!"

We all laughed... partly out of politeness, partly out of nervousness and partly because it was a really strange way to say hello.

She invited us inside and asked if any of us worked for the Walt Disney Company, Fremantle Media or a dozen other companies. When we said no, she pointed our attention to a large TV screen.

We were then greeted by the tanned, happy, smiling face of American Idol host Ryan Seacrest.

Just seeing him was enough to make us all laugh again, but not out of politeness this time.

He said something about how we were going to experience the same thing that thousands of others across the country have... the chance to sing in front of an American Idol producer.

At this point, I wasn't feeling very special.

Seacrest was reminding me that so far, I had only made it as far as people like William Hung and the "Pants on the Ground" guy.

The smiley TV host was making me feel very ordinary.

For those of you who don't know, here's how the American Idol Experience audition process works:

Park guests (who don't work for Disney) are invited to sing 30-seconds of any song for the AIE "casting directors." The catch is that you sing acapella (without music).

If you make it past that round, you are sent into the Coca Cola "Red Room" where you are invited to pick up an iPod that contains every song available on the AIE song list. You're allowed to stay in there as long as you want to practice with the actual backing tracks that they use in the show.

Once you're ready, you move into another room with one of the actual producers of the show. Here, you actually sing with a microphone and a sound system along with the backing track. The producer even points an HD video camera at you to see what you look like on screen.

If you impress that producer, you're in. They assign you to one of six preliminary shows that happen throughout the day.

My brother Ryan was also going to audition. He's something of a musical theater star here in the DC area, so this type of thing is natural for him.

When we walked down the hall to the audition rooms and Ryan volunteered to go first. Before we could say "break a leg," he was whisked away behind closed doors.

That left me standing outside the room with Greg... just waiting... and getting more and more nervous by the minute.

Ten minutes passed and we could hear the faint sounds coming from the audition room of Ryan belting out "Wanted Dead or Alive" by Bon Jovi. They made him sing it several times too. I kept thinking...

"If they're scrutinizing a musical theater star, they're really going to dislike me!"

Then, a cheerful guy walked around the corner and said...

"I don't want to see you guys wait. I'm the Executive Producer of the show and if you don't mind, I'll listen to your audition."

Now we're talking! I wasn't going to waste any time with a "casting director," I was going to audition for the man in charge!

Now, I don't have any pictures of me at this point. I was so nervous, I didn't think to pull out my camera.

But imagine me in the place of that girl over there. (But not as cute.)

Yes, imagine me in a small room, with the producer sitting behind that desk with a laptop.

Greg was also in the room. I could tell from the smile on his face, that he wasn't going to miss a second of this debacle!

When we interviewed Stacey, she made the point that this first audition was extremely important. She said the producers were not only looking for people who could sing, but also for those with personality. She said that during that first audition, it was important to sing well, but also to show that you'd have a presence on stage.

So, I became "Mr. Personality."

I talked about our Disney trip and how all the brothers were there. I spoke about how I met my wife through singing. I even spoke about how I watched American Idol every week (OK, I lied. But this is show business baby!)

After a few minutes of small talk (possibly done to make me comfortable), he asked me to sing my 30-second song.

I had chosen the classic Elvis Presley tune "Heartbreak Hotel" as my audition piece. It's a great rock tune and it shows off my (meager) vocal range.

To my surprise, I did pretty well!

I was nervous as hell, as evidence my my shaking hands. Buy I hit all the high notes. I added a bit of "soul" to the song. I even pumped my fist in the air to show some emotion.

I got about half-way though the second verse when the producer said "Thank You. Thank You."

I had heard those words in auditions before and it usually means "Don't call us, we'll call you."

But the producer stared at me for what seemed like forever and said....

"You're voice intrigues me."

At the time, I have to confess, I didn't know what he meant. Did it intrigue him in a good way, like how Kelly Clarkson's voice is intriguing? Or did it intrigue him in a bad way, like how William Hung intrigued the nation?

It must have been OK, because he asked me what songs I was interesting in singing if I made it onto the big stage.

I confessed that I had been prepping for this moment (I didn't mention the podcast), and that I was totally ready to sing "Sway" or "Walking in Memphis."

He typed away on his laptop for a minute, furrowed his brow and said "Really? I'm sorry, both of those songs have already been chosen today by other contestants!"

I was shocked! The two songs that I had practiced for months were going to be unavailable because two other contestants who had already passed their auditions were going to sing them.

Now I realized why Stacey said I needed to get there right as the park opened!

But this was the Executive Producer! He had an idea!

He figured that since both contestants were in the same show, only one would go on to the finale at the end of the day. So, if I was selected for a show, I could take the song from whichever contestant didn't move on.

With that, he said I was officially moving on to the next round. I was headed to the "Red Room!"

He gave me an official American Idol Experience contestant number and sent me off to practice.

When I left the room, I saw that Ryan had also made it to the second round and was already waiting for us in the Red Room.

In this video, you can see the pressure mount as me and Ryan are listening to our songs and preparing to audition in front of the producer.



Will we both make it to the "big stage". Or will this be as far as we go with "The American Idol Experience."

More to come in Part 3.....

By the way, if you don't want to wait for Part 3, you can listen to the podcast episode where I tell the whole story!

My American Idol Experience - Part 1

I've never been a big fan of "American Idol"

Sure, I've tuned in at the beginning of most seasons to watch the crazy people audition.

I'll also watch at the end of the season to see what type of talent has made it to the top four or five.

But I'm probably not the target audience Disney was envisioning when they created "The American Idol Experience" at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Orlando.

The idea is that a live studio audience gets to watch three ordinary park guests perform pop songs just as contestants do on American Idol. At the end of the performances (and the judges critiques), the audience chooses one winner. At the end of the night, the winner of each preliminary show competes in a grand finale.

The winner of that final show receives a "Dream Ticket" that lets the singer jump to the front of the line at a real American Idol audition.

And if you think it's all for show, you're wrong.

Aaron Kelly, who was in the Top 5 of the 2010 American Idol competition, got his start (and a Golden Ticket) on the stage at The American Idol Experience.

According to Walt Disney World, the attraction "features all the glitz and glamour of the hit television series' stunning set, and gives you an opportunity to experience the thrill as if really at the show."

I first blogged about this when the show was announced a few years ago. I said that I didn't think an attraction that was essentially a glorified Karaoke bar would work.

But I changed my mind when I visited the AIE last October. I was amazed that the stage show, with all of its lighting and music and HD television cameras really did recreate the experience of seeing the actual show in Hollywood.

It was fun, but I had pretty much forgotten about seeing the show until one night last winter.

I was thinking about the CoasterRadio.com podcast and trying to come up with some interesting content to put on the show during the long winter off-season. That's when it hit me!

I'd audition for the American Idol Experience! And I'd put the whole preparation process on the show for everyone to hear!

The first thing I decided to do was to study the American Idol Experience Song List that Disney graciously put online.

That's when I figured out I was in some trouble.

Most of the songs were out of my vocal range. I'm a bass, so there's no chance I could hit the high notes that most pop acts do today. To make matters worse, most of the songs were out of my league too.

I had done some singing before in high school and I've even been in some good community theater productions.

But my vocal style isn't really pop or R&B.... and that seemed to be what made up the majority of the AIE song list.

However, after eliminating the songs that were out of my voice range and getting rid of anything from High School Musical, Hannah Montana or the Jonas Brothers, I did find two songs that I could pull off convincingly.

The songs were "Sway" by Michael Buble and "Walking in Memphis" by Marc Cohn.

I felt could pull off "Sway" because my voice sounds a little like Dean Martin, who sang the song originally. I felt I could pull off "Walking in Memphis" because I can make it sound like I'm belting it out, without straining for high notes.

So, I went on the podcast and announced to the audience that I would be auditioning for the AIE when I visited Orlando in May. To my surprise, the audience was really into the idea.

Over the next few months, the audience listened in as I rehearsed the songs. They heard me get critiqued by a professional West End musician from London, England. They heard us interview Stacey Lantz, who was a contestant on the AIE a few months before and who gave me some valuable advice on how to audition (more on that later).

They even got to watch as I did a "test drive" of "Walking in Memphis" at a shady karaoke bar in front of a bunch of drunks.

If I could sing there, I could sing anywhere!



Ultimately, after months of on-air prep on the podcast, it was time to head to Orlando and audition for the AIE.

Strangely enough, I was nervous!

Even though I knew it was just a theme park attraction, there was something about having to walk into a room full of strangers and sing that made me feel uneasy.

What was weird is that I have been on stage before in front of thousands of people. But I guess there was added pressure because the whole CoasterRadio.com audience would be waiting on the results of my audition.

If I didn't get in, thousands of people would know.... and it would be embarrassing.

In part two, you'll hear about the whole audition process! I'll tell you everything that went down from the time I walked into the American Idol building until the time I left!

Would I make Ryan Seacrest proud?

By the way, if you don't want to wait for Part 2, you can listen to the podcast episode where I tell the whole story!

CoasterRadio.com #437 - Mike's American Idol Experience

This week marks a rather unique situation for us here at the show.

It's one of the few times that EB and Mike found themselves at two different parks in the same week.

So, the guys take full advantage of the situation by bringing you stories of two very different trips.

First, EB tells us about his trip to Holiday World and Splashin' Safari for the Media Day for Wildebeest. It's the world's longest water coaster.

EB had a chance to ride this monster first-hand, and tells us all about whether it will be a hit or not.

And, after months of preparation, Mike finally made his trek down to Walt Disney World to take part in "The American Idol Experience" at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Mike tells the ENTIRE STORY... from the lead-up, to the audition and whether or not he made it to the "big stage." It's a wild story.

PLUS, there's news out of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and things don't look good for Hagrid. It's possible he got in touble for something he said on this very show.

It's all this week on an all new CoasterRadio.com!

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CoasterRadio.com #436 - Live from the Magic Kingdom

The Original Theme Park Podcast is back..... With a Live Remote!

OK, OK... it's a podcast, so it's not technically live.

BUT, this week EB mans the show from our studios in Indiana while Mike checks in from right outside Space Mountain at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom.

Mike is joined by longtime Coaster Radio host Greg K. and the two brothers talk about their "Brothers Reunion" trip to Orlando.

They'll talk about their visit to EPCOT, Magic Kingdom and even drop a few hints about what happened at The American Idol Experience at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

EB also plays a live trip report from "El Toro" at Six Flags Great Adventure and he even poses a question to C-Pain.

Make sure to join us next week as we unveil what happened when Mike auditioned for The American Idol Experience at Disney. It's a great story!

Direct Podcast Link
Click here to subscribe through iTunes.
Click here for our podcast RSS Feed.
Click here for our iPhone App.

Or you can listen online by using the podcast player on the right hand side of this page.

Talk about this episode in the CoasterRadio.com Forums.