Magic Kingdom
Disney chooses a family for the day to open the park. At Magic Kingdom, one family is chosen each morning to participate in a musical opening ceremony. Disney fans call this the “rope drop,” and the festivity involves Mickey and all his friends. Cast Members choose a family to be a part of this tradition and will even get a private tour of Main Street before the park opens. How Cast Members choose the family of the day is still a mystery, but based on past family picks, here are a few ways to increase your chances: Get to the park at least an hour early. Skip early morning dining reservations so you’re present for the opening. Be enthusiastic, and don’t be afraid to show your love for Disney. Chat with nearby Cast Members and be friendly. Wear your best Disney attire.
Pull the sword from the stone behind the castle. Legend has it that only the bravest hero can pull Excalibur from its stone, so why not give it a try? Locate the sword in the stone in front of Prince Charming’s Regal Carousel. Grasp the hilt of the sword and pull with all your might. Who knows? Something magical might happen.
Mail a letter to Santa from the Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe. In Magic Kingdom’s Christmas shop, it’s Christmas every day! If you or your child already knows what they want for Christmas, drop a letter to Santa into the large red mailbox in the shop’s front window. Bring a letter from home, or use the supplies offered by the store.
Get sprinkled with pixie dust in Fantasyland. Need a little extra magic to start or finish your day in Magic Kingdom? Hop on over to Sir Mickey’s gift shop behind Cinderella’s Castle and ask a Cast Member to be pixie dusted. They’ll whip out a magic wand, say a few magic words, and make your day even more special.
Pick up the phone in Le Chapeau to hear a secret memo. While walking down Main Street, USA, don’t forget to stop in the hat shop Le Chapeau. Find the old-fashioned telephone on the wall and pick it up. You may just hear a secret conversation between the Main Street citizens.
There’s a secret tunnel system under Magic Kingdom. So, how does Mickey get everywhere so quickly? Secret tunnels, of course! Believe it or not, there’s an entire maze under the Magic Kingdom to help Cast Members and characters quickly get from place to place. See this Disney World secret with your very own eyes by booking a Disney’s Keys to the Kingdom Tour ($114 a person plus tax). During this tour, you’ll get to go behind the attractions and walk through the underground tunnels.
There’s a suite inside Cinderella’s Castle. Ever dreamed of staying inside Cinderella’s Castle? Well, your dreams could become a reality! At the tippy-top of the castle sits an extra exclusive hotel suit fit for royalty. The door is located on the castle's ground floor, hidden by a row of tapestries. Unfortunately, the suite cannot be booked and is only reserved for special occasions (publicity, celebrity stays, Make a Wish, etc.).
There’s a secret members-only club in Adventureland. You can find a secret unmarked door to the right of Adventureland’s entrance. This is the entrance to Disney’s most elite club, Club 33. The only thing marking this top-secret entrance is an intercom system to the left of the door. Unlike Disneyland, Club 33 has locations in every park at Disney World. In EPCOT, the entrance is above American Adventure. In Hollywood Studios, the club is on the second floor of the Brown Derby. In Animal Kingdom, it’s in Harambe House. The club is so secretive that you must email Walt Disney World at [email protected] for more information about the membership.
Imagineers included their kids in the Be Our Guest restaurant. Be Our Guest is one of the most popular restaurants in Disney World. If you’re lucky enough to grab reservations, take a peek inside the ballroom. The cherubs on the ceiling’s mural wear the faces of the Imagineers’ children.
There are no bathrooms in Liberty Square. Disney’s Imagineers take their jobs very seriously and want to make each land as authentic as possible for guests. With this in mind, Imagineers decided that Liberty Square would be the only land in Magic Kingdom to not have any restrooms—they didn’t have them in 18th-century America, after all!
Not all Main Street’s flags are American. Main Street, USA has many American flags, but not all are exact. Some have a missing star or stripe because the nation has strict regulations on when flags should be lowered or lifted. By hanging flags that aren’t authentically American, Disney can sidestep these rules. The only real American flag in Magic Kingdom is the one on top of Casey’s Corner.
The Cinderella fountain is meant to look different to kids and adults. Behind Cinderella’s Castle is a fountain featuring a statue of Cinderella and her animal friends. To an adult, Cinderella may look sad with her head bowed; however, to a child, she looks happy and joyful and appears to be wearing a crown (thanks to the mural behind her).
The sidewalks magically keep you from tripping. While walking around Magic Kingdom, pay attention to the sidewalks. You’ll likely notice that the curbs are different colors. Disney purposefully paints their sidewalks with specific colors to keep you and your loved ones from tripping—it’s a mystical illusion!
You can’t see more than one land at a time in Magic Kingdom. While you’re in the park, try to look over the horizon. What do you see? Chances are, you can’t see beyond the land you’re in. This is all a part of Disney’s magic. Magic Kingdom has purposefully been designed to hide Adventureland from Fantasyland, Tomorrowland from Main Street, and so forth. How does Disney do this? Foliage and landscaping!
Each second-story Main Street window honors Cast Members. When you’re waltzing down Main Street, look up. The second-story windows have inscriptions representing past Cast Members and Imagineers. For instance, there’s a window for Roy O. Disney (Walt Disney’s brother), Buddy Baker (a Disney composer), and Claude Coats (an Imagineer who worked on the Haunted Mansion).
The gravestones in the Haunted Mansion are nods to Imagineers. Sometimes, the queue for a Disney ride can be just as fun as the ride itself! While you’re in the queue for the Haunted Mansion, pay close attention to the headstones. You may find some familiar or famous names, such as: Master Gracey (Imagineer Yale Gracey, whose special effects played a big part in the Haunted Mansion) Grandpa Marc (Marc Davis, the artist behind the stretching portraits) Haunting Harriet (Harriet Burns, WED Enterprises’ first female employee)
Cinderella’s horse is hidden on the merry-go-round. While this isn’t so secret, it’s a neat little tidbit that can make you or your family’s day! In the center of Main Street, on Prince Charming’s Regal Carousel, you can find Cinderella’s horse from the classic movie. Look for the horse with the golden ribbon wrapped around the tail.
Find a hidden Mickey on November 18th. In the Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid queue, you can spot a special hidden Mickey that’s only visible once a year. Head to the queue on Mickey’s birthday (November 18th) at noon. Look at the bottom of the rock walls near a collection of starfish to find this special secret.
Disney uses forced perspective to make things appear bigger. While Cinderella’s Castle may seem large and grand, it may not be as tall as you think. Disney World uses an optical illusion of placing items nearer and farther away to make the castle seem bigger. For instance, the bricks at the top of the castle are smaller than the bricks near the bottom. In Fantasyland, the Beast’s castle is surrounded by smaller mountains and trees high above to appear farther away.
Scents are constantly being pumped through the parks. Walking down Main Street, you may be overwhelmed by the smells of popcorn, ice cream, and other sweets. This is no accident—it’s what Walt intended! Depending on where you are in the park, you’ll smell different things to help immerse you into the land. For example, near Pirates of the Caribbean, you’ll likely smell gunpowder and salt.
The water isn’t actually dirty on the Jungle Cruise. When riding this Adventureland attraction, you may be thinking, “Ew! This water looks gross!” Well, it’s not as gross as it may seem—it’s all magic! Disney chemically dyes the water a greenish brown to make it look more authentic. Fun fact: You go directly under the dye during the ride! The dye is pumped and filtered into the “river” through the attraction’s waterfall.
Liberty Square has a “poop” path. Some believe that the pavement in Liberty Square is more historically accurate than originally thought. You may notice a brown path running through the center of the land. Many have speculated that this is to replicate the lack of sewer systems in the 1600s; however, this secret hasn’t been proven.
The park uses AVAC garbage disposal. What does that mean? Well, if you’re in the most magical place on earth, even the trash is magical! An AVAC pneumatic tube system sucks garbage through a vacuum-like tube, bringing waste to a central location under Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (formerly Splash Mountain). Along with this, trash cans are spread every 30 ft (9.1 m) in all parks to ensure everything stays nice and tidy—you’ll never have to hunt down a can!
EPCOT
View Walt Disney’s childhood bedroom on Living with the Land. When you ride Living with the Land, you’ll pass a large farmhouse before entering the greenhouse. Look up into the farmhouse’s second-story window to see a replica of Walt Disney’s childhood bedroom.
Find a miniature festival in Germany’s Train Village. While trekking through Germany, don’t forget to look at the little village near the walkway. This mini-town features a tiny railroad and miniature citizens. Plus, you’ll notice this little town likes to celebrate the same festivities you’re celebrating in EPCOT.
Look under the sea for a hidden Mickey. In the aquarium in the Seas Pavilion, you can spot hundreds of different fish and sea life. Along with this, you may find a large hidden Mickey made with rocks in the sand.
Check for a sword in the Norway waterfall. Next to the entrance to Frozen Ever After sits Norway’s waterfall. If you look closely behind the water, you may be able to spot a sword.
Grab a drink to-go at Spice Road Table. Drinking around the world is a popular quest for adults visiting EPCOT; however, World Showcase’s booths aren’t the only place you can grab a to-go drink. Head to Spice Road Table in Morocco. You’ll need a reservation to dine at this restaurant, but you can easily walk up to the bar and order a drink to go. Keep in mind that Cast Members can deny walk-ups and to-go drinks if the restaurant is busy. Fun fact: EPCOT is the only Disney World park that allows alcoholic beverages outside of sit-down restaurants.
Disney reuses old ride elements. Believe it or not, many of your favorite Disney attractions are reimagined versions of other rides. For instance, Frozen Ever After, one of the newest EPCOT attractions, replaced Norway’s Maelstrom in 2016. The updated ride uses the same track and vehicles, just with an Elsa and Anna twist. This occurs in other parks as well! As another example, in Magic Kingdom, Splash Mountain is being refurbished into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (set to open in late 2024).
There’s a secret DVC lounge above the Imagination! Pavilion. If you’re a Disney’s Vacation Club member and are looking for a quiet place to relax, you can do so at the top of EPCOT! The secret lounge is located on the top of the Imagination! Pavilion and can be accessed on the second floor of the ImageWorks merchandise shop.
Hollywood Studios
Drink from the water fountain in Batuu Marketplace for a surprise. In Galaxy’s Edge, there are tons of hidden Easter eggs—it’s Star Wars land, after all! But one of the best may have to be in a hidden area next to a water fountain. Locate the water fountains at the entrance of the marketplace. The water in the tank above will start to drop, revealing Dianoga (the Trash Compactor Monster) from Star Wars: A New Hope.
Read the gas pumps near the entrance carefully. You’ll notice a retro gas station on your right when you enter Hollywood Studios. If you look closely, you’ll notice that one of the gas pumps reads 05-01-1989, which is the date Hollywood Studios first opened!
Get extra points in Toy Story Mania during the first scene. Toy Story Mania is one fun and competitive ride, and you can boost your score even more with these secret tricks! In the opening scene, hit the mice running up the barn walls and the hen house’s roof. This will give you tons of points right off the bat.
The cobwebs in the Tower of Terror are real. The queue to this park’s most acclaimed attraction certainly is spooky with the dangling cobwebs and blankets of dust. What’s even spookier is that this decor is real. Imagineers spray a hot-glue-like substance on the ceiling and decor, and over time, real hair and dead skin cells attach to the glue to create realistic cobwebs.
The droid marks are real in Galaxy’s Edge. When walking through Galaxy’s Edge, don’t forget to look down at the path. While building the land, Imagineers used droids modeled after A New Hope’s R2-D2 to create authentic droid tracks in the concrete.
There’s a lyric change on Rock n’ Roller Coaster. Rock n’ Roller Coaster is one of the most exhilarating rides on Disney property, taking you on a wild ride with Aerosmith. Listen closely if you get Aerosmith’s acclaimed song “Love is an Elevator” on your trip. The artists’ changed the lyrics just for the ride to say, “Love on a roller coaster.”
Animal Kingdom
Ride Kilimanjaro Safari early or later in the day to see more animals. While this secret is more of a trick, it can be especially helpful if you or a loved one adore animals! The animals on the safari are the most active during the early morning and evening hours. Most parkgoers squeeze this ride into their afternoon, but you may not get as much animal action then.
Enter Animal Kingdom through the Rainforest Cafe. Did you know that there’s a secret entrance into the Animal Kingdom? Right outside the park’s ticketing booth is Rainforest Cafe. There’s an entrance to the park on either side of the restaurant. But be aware that you’ll need a reservation and park ticket to access this secret entrance.
There’s a fake waterfall in Pandora. Look closely at the waterfalls in the Pandora: The World of Avatar land. While these majestic waterfalls appear to be real, the one at the very top is actually an optical illusion. This “waterfall” is actually a rotating wheel with mist steaming off it.
The props in the Expedition Everest queue are real. Imagineers always go above and beyond to immerse guests in a ride. Many of the props, camping gear, and artifacts seen in the line for Animal Kingdom’s rollercoaster are authentic pieces from Nepal or real Everest expeditions.
There are 3 famous handprints on the exit of Flight of Passage. If you exit the ride on the AB side, you’ll see 3 red handprints and initials. The top right handprint is Joe Rohde’s (Animal Kingdom’s main Imagineer). The bottom handprint is John Landau’s (the main producer of Avatar). The top left handprint is James Cameron’s (director of Avatar).
Dinosaur has a sister attraction in Disneyland. Dinosaur is one of Animal Kingdom’s most underrated attractions and takes guests on a thrilling adventure back in time to rescue an Iguanadon. This ride uses the same track and ride vehicle as Disneyland’s acclaimed Indiana Jones Adventure. At Destination D23 (Disney’s 2023 expo), Imagineers announced that it’s currently being discussed that Dinosaur will be reimagined for an Indiana Jones land.
Cast Member Secrets
Disney World employees aren’t allowed to point. Say you’re in Magic Kingdom and ask a Cast Member which way Thunder Mountain is. More likely than not, they’ll gesture with their hand or 2 fingers in the direction you should go. This is because Cast Members are asked not to point during their training, as this can come across as rude in multiple cultures. Similarly, Cast Members are supposedly not allowed to say “I don’t know” either. Instead, they’re encouraged to come up with creative responses or find other help for the guest.
Disney World employees go through strenuous training. There’s a reason Cast Members are so good at their jobs. Before someone is allowed to work in the parks, they must go through an 8-hour training class (also known as “Traditions”) to “earn their ears.” This ensures that everyone is on the same pages and knows how to make magic for guests.
There are designated ride testers. Did you know that some Disney employees get paid to ride new attractions? Before the public can ride something new, Imagineers must ensure everything is working properly, so they make themselves guinea pigs. Imagineers will ride the attraction over and over again to make sure it’s in tip-top shape for you.
Children are never truly lost in Disney. The parks can get super busy, and while it’s hard to imagine, losing a child is possible. When a Cast Member sees a child wandering on their own, they’re trained to make a little magic happen. Instead of asking if the child is lost, Cast Members insist that the parents are. This ensures that the child stays calm and doesn’t get as scared. Lost children are immediately brought to a Baby Care Center by a Cast Member and looked after until a parent arrives.
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