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We went to Disney World in Florida to find the best Mickey-shaped food to eat.

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View from Main Street of Cinderella's castle in the distance. People walking in street including one person holding many Mickey balloons. 2x1
There are many secrets and hidden details around Disney World like many tricks to make Cinderella Castle appear taller than it actually is.Charles Sykes/AP Images
  • Disney World has a lot of secrets and little-known facts.

  • Cast members have hidden tunnels, go throughTraditions, and do the Disney Point.

  • There are hacks on how to win games, meet your favorite characters, and watch parades.

Disney chooses a family of the day to open Magic Kingdom.

Photo of two parents and three daughters with their arms open with Mickey Mouse.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta and his family visit Magic Kingdom in Disney World and meet with Mickey Mouse Magic Kingdom park on October 12, 2015.Handout/Getty Images

Disney World's Magic Kingdom has a musical opening ceremony every morning that is known to Disney fans as the "rope drop." But few guests know that Disney cast members pick a special family to help open the Magic Kingdom every day.

The family of the day gets to take a tour of Main Street before it opens for the day and stars in the opening ceremonies. The family will be escort to the train station by the cast members.

Interested in being selected? Family of the day alumni recommend that families arrive very early to the Magic Kingdom, wear matching Disney gear, and show enthusiasm.

Disney World uses forced perspective to make buildings appear taller than they are.

Photo from low street view of a tall Cinderella's castle and lamp post.
The newly painted Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World with a 50th anniversary crest on August 30, 2021.John Raoux/AP Images

Disney World uses forced perspective to make the buildings look bigger than they really are.

The bricks at the bottom of the building are larger than the bricks at the top of Cinderella Castle. The castle looks taller than it is.

The castle in Fantasyland has a similar technique. The architects used optical illusions of size and scale to make guests think the castle is more grandiose than it is.

There is always good lighting for picture-taking in every castle in every Disney park.

Cinderella Castle has a secret suite that is only open to contest winners and special guests.

Side by side photos of an ornate bed and faux stained windows above a large bathtub.
Views of the private Cinderella luxury suite at the top of Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom. Photo taken on January 26, 2006.Reinhold Matay/AP Images

The secret suite inside Cinderella Castle was built for Walt Disney and his family, but he died before Disney World opened. The suite is now used as accommodations for special guests.

The rooms have a Jacuzzi tub, 17th-century furniture, a Cinderella mosaic floor, and a clock that is always frozen at midnight.

Disney holds regular sweepstakes to win a night's stay in the suite, but you can't actually book a stay there. A stay from the Walt Disney Company is the only other possibility.

The Magic Kingdom has secret tunnels that are only open to employees.

A costume designer stands next to bright costumes and a Mad Hatter character hat in a Creative Costuming studio filled with costumes and threads.
Harmony McChesney, a costume designer, discusses the work that goes in to creating costumes at Walt Disney World on January 9, 2019.John Raoux/AP Images

The story goes that in the early days of Disneyland, Walt Disney saw a cowboy walk to his post through Tomorrowland. He wanted to fix the guest experience that was disrupted by this inconsistency.

The solution to Walt's observation was the utilidors underneath Magic Kingdom in Disney World. Dressing rooms, cafeterias, prop storage, costumes, and more are found in these corridors, which are filled with 362,040 square feet.

Even more fascinating is that these idor Utils are not actually underground. The rest of Magic Kingdom is on the second level.

When you are in Magic Kingdom, you can't see the other land.

View from on the ride looking back at other patrons riding in the elephant compartments in the air.
When riding on the Dumbo attraction, guests can't see beyond Magic Kingdom's section.Handout/Getty Images

Guests shouldn't be able to see into other lands just as characters shouldn't be seen in the wrong land.

If you are standing in a different themed land, you will not be able to see or hear one themed land. This makes the illusion that you are exploring different worlds instead of one theme park.

It is hard to see the neighboring Tomorrowland when you are flying high above Fantasyland on the Dumbo ride.

The parks at Disney World smell like baked goods and fresh popcorn.

Chocolate covered apples with sticks and Minnie and Mickey mouse ears, bows, and clothing designs.
Giant Mickey and Minnie-shaped cake pops from the Main Street Confectionary.Patricia T./Yelp

Pirates of the Caribbean has a gunpowder scent. Main Street always smells like freshly baked goods. There is a reason for that. Imagineers at Disneyland and Disney World use Smellitzer machines that pump scent through hidden vents in the park.

Children are never lost in the park when cast members step in.

A worker in a Buzz Lightyear costume hugging a little boy while Melissa smiles at them.
Melissa Joan Hart looks on as her son greets Buzz Lightyear at Magic Kingdom on September 18, 2015.Handout/Getty Images

It is possible for a child to step out of reach of their parents in a busy theme park. When employees see a lost child, they are trained to treat it as though the parents are lost and need to be rediscovered. The child will be more calm and less scared.

There is a Lost Child phone number for all employees to call if an adult reaches out about a child being lost.

There are many Hidden Mickey motifs all over Disney World.

A 3D Mickey Mouse made out of greenery and landscaping standing in front of the Epcot globe.
Epcot International Flower And Garden Festival at Epcot Center at Walt Disney World on May 11, 2016.Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images

There are many Hidden Mickeys around the Disney parks. The Mickey-head-and-ear-shaped motifs are not a secret anymore, but all of their locations can be hard to find. Guests should keep an eye out for the small details in artwork and signs, as well as the bolts in the signs.

Employees go through vigorous training to make sure they are on the same page.

Black and white photo of Walt holding a large book with two original doll designs of Mickey and Minnie Mouse next to another man.
Walt Disney (left) being presented with diploma of commendation from the National Academy of Fine Arts at Buenos Aires by Dr. H.C. Niese (right) in Los Angeles, California, on November 22, 1933.Associated Press/AP Images

All employees must attendTraditions training before they start their jobs. This includes a breakdown of The Walt Disney Company's history, guides on how and when to create magical moments for guests, and a tour of the employee tunnels.

Before becoming a princess, every Disney princess actress has to train as a furry.

Minnie, Mickey, Goofy, Donald and Daisy Duck and two men pose together.
Disney character "furries" take photos with guests.Business Wire/AP Images

In an interview with Insider, ex-Rapunzel Brianna Smith said that Disney princess auditioning are very strict.

If actresses make it past multiple rounds of auditioning and are hired, they have to train for several weeks as a non-face character like Mickey Mouse or Goofy before they can become princesses.

Disney World employees are not allowed to say anything to a guest.

Tom Hanks dressed in a suit and with a mustache giving the two finger point while riding on a carousel.
Tom Hanks in "Saving Mr. Banks" demonstrates the famous Walt Disney two-finger point.Saving Mr. Banks/Walt Disney Studios/Disney+

There are many rules that parks cast members have to follow, but two of the most important are that you never point a finger or answer a question with "I don't know."

Disneyland and later Disney World cast members point with two fingers instead of their index fingers, because it's considered rude in some cultures.

It is said that Walt Disney pointed with two fingers as he walked around an unfinished Disneyland. Some think that the Disney Point could be a nod to Walt Disney's smoking habit and that cigarettes may have been edited out of photos.

Disney requires cast members to come up with an answer to any question they are asked, even if they have to research an answer or ask a colleague.

Teams of Imagineers are constantly testing rides.

Guests with their hands up in the air on a wooden rollercoaster.
Guests ride the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train attraction at Walt Disney World Resort's Magic Kingdom on August 13, 2020.Charles Sykes/AP Images

You would be wrong to think that employees are not allowed to ride the attractions while working. Jeanette Lomboy and Dave Durham told Insider that Imagineers are dedicated to testing the rides.

Every Disney theme park has Imagineer teams who ride the attractions frequently to ensure that the experience is as good as ever. Changes will be made to heighten the experience if necessary.

The old-fashioned telephone is located inside the hat shop on Main Street.

Street with old fashioned store fronts and crowds of people.
Main Street USA at Walt Disney World.Robert Sullivan/Getty Images

There is a hidden Easter egg at the end of Main Street, and it is a retro telephone.

Pick up the receiver and you will hear a conversation between a mother and daughter about the price of groceries.

None of the flags in the Magic Kingdom are real.

American flag in the background of someone holding a phone that says The Walt Disney Company on the screen.
Throughout Walt Disney World, all American flags are missing a star or stripe.Sopa Images/Getty Images

Every American flag in the Magic Kingdom is fake to avoid following the strict rules of the national flag code.

The flags that are missing a star or stripe are called pennants and don't need to follow flag rules.

The Cinderella fountain statue is designed to look like a child.

Dark metal statue of Cinderella holding a bird and reaching down to mice. It sits in front of a pink and yellow mural of flowers and a crown.
Located next to Cinderella Castle in Magic Kingdom, the Cinderella Fountain gives different perspectives at different heights.Roberto Machado Noa/Getty Images

The Cinderella Fountain statue behind Cinderella Castle might look sad to adults. The mosaic behind Cinderella makes it look like she is wearing a crown.

Mark Matheis from the Disney Institute said that it takes the innocence of childhood to see the truth.

Donald is inside the haunted mansion.

There is a secret Donald inside the Haunted Mansion.
The secret Donald silhouette inside the Haunted Mansion library.Harsh Light/Flickr & Photo courtesy of Thomas Radzak

Have you ever seen a hidden Donald in Disney World?

Donald Duck's silhouette can be seen on a chair in the library or in the endless hallway scene.

Imagineers wanted Liberty Square to be historically accurate, so no bathroom will be found there.

Obama standing at a podium overlooking a crowd and old fashioned building and store fronts.
Former president Barack Obama speaks to a crowd of guests at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom on Main Street USA on January 19, 2012.Roberto Gonzalez/Stringer/Getty Images

Liberty Square was taken to a new level by Disney's Imagineers. The Magic Kingdom land is set in the colonial era so there are no bathroom facilities. You will have to walk to the Fantasyland passageway to use the restroom.

Even though both of Liberty Square's restaurants have modern restrooms, they are not in Liberty Square.

There is a hidden character at Animal Kingdom.

Landscaping consisting of Earth plant species mixed with artificial flora surrounded by ponds and waterfalls in Pandora in Disney.
Pandora - The World of Avatar land attraction in Animal Kingdom.John Raoux/AP Images

The next time you visit Animal Kingdom, try and spot DiVine, a little-known street performer camouflaged in leaves, vines, and green face paint. She blends well into the foliage at Animal Kingdom and is easy to miss.

She can be found at the Animal Kingdom entrance in the afternoon or on the back path between Africa and Pandora.

There is an abandoned airport runway outside of the Magic Kingdom.

There is an abandoned airplane runway just outside the Magic Kingdom.
An official Walt Disney World-owned plane.BriYYZ/ Wikimedia Commons

If you make a right turn under the Monorail just before entering Magic Kingdom, you will see a strip of pavement that used to be Disney World's first and only airport.

The runway was built in 1970 just before Disney World opened and was only used for a few years by Shawnee Airlines. The area is now used for parking.

If you drive over it at 45 miles per hour, you can hear the runway sing, which is known by Disney fans as the singing runway.

The theme park was supposed to be a real working community.

Black and white photo of large Epcot ball structure and large ribbon in front of it.
The ribbon cutting ceremony for the new monorail line in EPCOT Center in June 1982. EPCOT opened to visitors on October 1, 1982.Associated Press/AP Images

Epcot is one of four major theme parks in Disney World, but it was originally supposed to be a futuristic neighborhood where people could work, live, and play. That is how Walt Disney imagined it.

Walt's original plans for Epcot included a climate-controlled city center and a community open to the public. The structure is called Spaceship Earth.

There is a model of the original Progress City in Tomorrowland that can still be found even after the plans for Epcot were abandoned.

You can eat breakfast with your favorite character at Disney World.

Someone in a Goofy dog costume in a chef's hat fist bumping a child sitting at a table in front of his breakfast with his family.
Goofy meeting with a family for breakfast in Disney World.Peter Bischoff/Getty Images

If guests pre-book a character breakfast, they can skip the long meet-and- greet lines. Guests are able to take photos and get autographs from characters in the room while dining. There are multiple locations with different people in them.

You can ask the Imagineers about the creative processes behind the making of Disney World if you book lunch with them.

If you are waiting in front of Cinderella Castle, you will not see much at the parade.

Mickey Mouse in a giant snow globe parade float in front of Cinderella's Castle.
Mickey Mouse rides in a parade float down Main Street USA at Disney World's Magic Kingdom in 2001.Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Main Street in front of Cinderella Castle is where guests typically crowd to watch the parade. There will be no action until around 3:45.

The parade starts in Frontierland. To avoid crowds, avid park-goer Tarah Chieffi places herself between Splash Mountain and the Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn to see the beginning of the parade.

In Disney World, chewing gum is not sold and straws and balloons are not allowed.

Packs of chewing gum.
You won't see these at any Disney gift shop.Tim Boyle/Getty Images

Disneyland and Disney World have banned the sale of chewing gum to make the parks cleaner. They will not stop you from bringing your own.

Plastic straws and balloons are not allowed in Animal Kingdom as a precautionary measure. They aren't sold there. The same rule applies to the Animal Kingdom Lodge.

In Disney World, you are never more than 30 steps from a trash can.

Janitor emptying a mint green trash can with a health and safety sign.
A janitor emptying trash in Walt Disney World Resort.Jeff Greenberg/Getty Images

Walt Disney used to watch how long a guest would hold onto a piece of trash before dropping it on the ground. The distance between the trash cans in Disney parks is determined by the average count of 30 steps.

There is an intense cleaning process nightly. The Disney Scoop is a simple rule that all cast members should follow.

There is a way to get a perfect score on Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin.

A giant Sheriff Woody leaning on the Toy Story Land Entrance with other jumbo sized wooden toys.
All Toy Story attractions are found in Toy Story Land at Disney World's Hollywood StudiosCharles Sykes/AP Images

Do you want to guarantee the highest score? There is a red robot in the first room. You can make your score higher by shooting these targets, they are worth 100,000 points each.

You can hit the maximum score before the ride is halfway over if you follow the cheat guide exactly.

You can stay in the Magic Kingdom after it closes.

Cinderella's Castle it up and sparkling and colorful fireworks going off at night.
A light show at Cinderella's Castle during a taping for "The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration" in 2017.Todd Anderson/Getty Images

If you linger in the Magic Kingdom about 15 minutes after the park closes with your Magic Hours pass, you will get a chance to watch what Disney veterans call the "kiss goodnight."

When the park is mostly empty, Cinderella Castle lights up for the last time of the evening while "When You Wish Upon a Star" plays in the background. The same message is played over the speakers every night before the last guests leave the park.

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, on behalf of everyone here at the Magic Kingdom, we thank you for joining us today for a magic gathering of family, friends, fun, and fantasy. Your journey with us has created wonderful memories that will last a lifetime.

A wedding venue based on the movie Ratatouille is being added to the park.

Ground view of a fountain, old bildings, and Remy's Ratatouille Adventure building entrance.
General view of Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure attraction at the France pavilion expansion in Epcot.Gerardo Mora/Getty Images

The list of couples who have gotten married at any of the Disney wedding venues will soon be expanded.

The France Pavilion in Epcot will be home to Place de Remy, which is inspired by the movie Ratatouille. The venue will have a fountain and a view of the Eiffel Tower.

The original article can be found on Insider.

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