Where It All Began

We are the Shaffners, Wil and Nichole. This year will be our biggest adventure as we set out to Toronto, Ontario, Canada and Wil sets off on the Disney Cruise Line as a main stage performer. We have started this blog/video diary to keep all our friends and family back in the states up to speed on what's happening.

In mid-October Wil heard of a talent audition for the Disney Cruise Lines that was happening, being a veterin of a Disney Tour before and loving auditioning for roles he went. The initial audition went well as he sang "Out There" from Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame. At the end of the audition the judges were impressed enough to offer him a call back the following week for the role of Woody in the Toy Story Musical. Eager to impress and do a great job he came home and started researching the role and practicing the music. We were excited to discover the musical is a charming and amazing musical, which hightened our excitement even more. He downloaded the music and listened to the show constatly until the day of the call back arrived.

We drove out to Los Angeles in the morning and arrived at the studio ready for the audition.Wil went in and did his songs from the show leaving the judges impressed. They asked for him to read the lines that were posted on the website. Wil didn't have them, the website had never been updated with the lines for Woody, nor were they put up for the man auditioning for Buzz. After realizing the mistake the judges gave him the script and gave him 15 minuits to learn them. He went in and again impressed the judges, they told him they would be sending his audition tape to New York and that he would hear back from someone regarding to role in about 2 weeks. A week and a half later we got the phone call offering him the role of Woody in the Toy Story Musical!! We were so excited and promptly proceeded to jump around and scream HE GOT IT!!

Since then we have discovered that he will train in Toronto for 2 months then join the ship for 8 on the Disney Wonder. He will sail to Hawaii, Mexico, Alaska, and Vancover during that time. Nichole will go with him to Toronto and then visit about 1 week a month while he is on the ship.

We are so excited to share our story and what God will be doing in our lives, this is deffinatly a blessing and we can't wait to see what's in store.