Disney World Undercover - A Behind-The-Scenes Look At The Most Magical Place On Earth

3. The "Utilidors"

The likes of flying carpets and magical umbrellas are yet to be introduced to the Disney Parks, so the Cast Members need other methods to get around both quickly and efficiently. The same applies to the characters, who, understandably, Disney likes to keep hidden between appearances so as to maintain the illusion. To get started, here’s one of the most shocking secrets of all - in Magic Kingdom Park you’re actually way above the real ground!

Yes - Magic Kingdom Park is on the “upper level”, while the “servicing level” resides beneath your very feet. The “Utilidors” make up a vast network tunnel system and were built to serve many purposes. They include dressing rooms, make-up facilities, delivery points and cafeterias, and are also used to transport trash across the park throughout the day. The Cast Members even drive golf cart-like vehicles to pass through these tunnels! This is yet another reason to book the Disney's Keys to the Kingdom Tour.

4. What Actually Goes On After Dark

So now you know how trash is transported across the resort – or underneath it, rather. But that still doesn’t answer one pretty big question – why does the resort look like new every single day? After all, each theme park is enormous and with plenty of places for trash to hide, like attractions, water sources, restrooms – you name it. Well, it won’t surprise you to learn that a huge restoration and maintenance operation takes place every night once the parks close. What might surprise you, though, are the details.

Hordes of Cast Members descend upon the parks, some of whom use special liquids to remove gum, while others – much like Geri from Toy Story 2 who gives Woody a wonderful respray and repaint – well, do just that. There are also divers whose jobs vary from cleaning to maintenance! And none of this even covers stock replenishment, general cleaning, maintenance, repairs, food prep, health and safety checks, animal care, advertising, seasonal decorations, pest control and security - to name just a few! 

If you peel back the layers of Walt Disney World Resort, you’ll discover even more behind-the-scenes facts. So allow yourself to enjoy one of the resort’s Special Events & Tours – seeing as there are so many they go “to infinity and beyond”!