THE AMERICAN IDOL EXPERIENCE — WALT DISNEY WORLD, DISNEY'S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS

Leave it to industry giant Walt Disney World to base its new blockbuster attraction on the most popular show on TV, despite it airing on Fox, a lead competitor against Walt Disney Co.'s ABC.

Of course, Disney knows "The American Idol Experience" represents a much bigger opportunity for the park and its guests than the TV rating wars.

"We view it as a pop culture phenomenon," Disney spokesman Rick Sylvain said. "This gives people the thrill of a live production, making them feel like they're actually on the set."

Guests get two chances to participate in this attraction — to be on-stage, or in the audience voting for the winner. There are seven regular shows a day, each featuring three performers.

The winner of the eighth show, pitting the day's victors against one another, gets a grand reward: A front-of-the-line ticket to any one of the next season's "American Idol" tryouts in the country. That's a truly golden ticket to the thousands willing to wait days for an audition spot in each city's casting call.

Up to 400 can audition here each day, and about 40 will make it past the first cut. Then 21 are eventually cast to compete in seven regular shows.

The Orlando set is a near-perfect match, built by the Hollywood "American Idol" stage designer, but for a few small changes. "Judges" sit stage-right, instead of the floor, though they retain the trademark Coke drinking glasses.

The audience is actually encouraged beforehand to support every contestant and heckle the judges — all three of whom are cast members, including the obligatory jerk.

Singers who've made the cut arrive an hour early. They have 10 minutes of hair and make-up, 10 minutes with a voice coach and 10 more alone, with an iPod programmed with their song and its lyrics. They also tape short back-story interviews to air with the introductions.

The production feels real, with someone shouting "We're live in 3-2-1" and a giant bank of lights turning on the show's trademark "aa-AA" sound.

travel.msn.com

Can't wait!

I went there when I went to Orlando! It was pretty cool I have to say. You vote on your seats which has two sides and you have to share with the person next to you. Some of the people there are actually pretty good considering I only saw 3 and it wasn't the finale it was just a regular round.

I also would've auditioned but if with any chance of me moving on I couldn't do it because later on we went to Animal Kingdom then the next day we went to Busch Gardens and then started to leave Florida.

^ I havn't been there yet, have not been in Disney in a while & I live in Orlando

Sounds interesting. I thought it would be like a haunted house or something and everywhere you would hear Gokey's scream.

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^ Wow! This is actually interesting.

Sounds very cool. It will become their top attraction.

There are enough annoying tourists AND theme parks here in Florida and this is just

I'm sure there'll be an It's A Small World ride for Seacrest.