There are soooo many things to do in Disney World that it’s almost impossible to do it all in one trip (even a really long one)!

Of course, with so many things calling for your attention, there are some secrets that even the most seasoned Disney vets might not know about.

That’s right, we’re not talking Hidden Mickeys here folks, we’re looking at some Disney experiences that are under the radar and super magical. Check out 5 Super Secret Things You Didn’t Know You Could Do in Disney World!

You certainly won’t find talk of these five experiences on any map or times guide in the Disney Parks. So what exactly are these super-secret things? Well, we’ll tell you, but keep it a secret OK? 😉

1. Rare Character Appearances In Hollywood Studios

In the past, it was pretty darn hard to meet Moana! Nowadays, she’s a lot easier to find, especially at Magic Kingdom, but there are still plenty of hard-to-find characters!  That is unless you know about a super-secret event in Hollywood Studios!

Character Palooza is an almost daily event in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but you won’t find it on any times guide! Basically, Character Palooza allows guests to meet characters-in-training from the finale of Fantasmic — which means super rare characters, and sometimes ones you can’t find anywhere else in the parks! This event takes place on days that there is a Fantasmic show (depending on crowd levels) between the hours of 4 PM and 7 PM.

Now, the event only lasts for 20 minutes, so you have to hope for the best for when the characters will appear. And characters definitely vary. The location of Character Palooza also varies and has been seen behind the Tower of Terror gates, at the Streets of America, or near Echo Lake. If you want to take advantage of this opportunity, stay on the move during the afternoon and keep an eagle-eye out for a gathering of guests or a squad of characters!

Sadly, this event is NOT happening right now due to Fantasmic construction and limitations on characters. However, character meet and greets are coming back soon to Disney World!

Click Here to Read More about the Return of Character Meet & Greets, Live Entertainment, and More!

2. No Strings Attached Pinocchio Vouchers

The next secret on our list is one you have to be really lucky (or unlucky) to get! Did you know there’s a voucher that can get you a major magical moment in Disney World with no strings attached? CRAZY. This secret is even called the No Strings Attached Voucher and they can be distributed by Cast Members!

This one was written up to give a group of 6 priority entrance to Meet Tinkerbell in Magic Kingdom back in 2019, but the Voucher can also be issued to count for any food or beverage item, merchandise, and more.

Cast Members throughout Disney World can hand these out, but here’s the rub — the most common reason to receive a voucher like this is if something goes wrong with your vacation. Maybe a line is ridiculously long for a ride and a Cast Member wants to make it right by giving you no wait later. Or maybe your brand new Mickey sweatshirt gets snagged on something and rips; a Cast Member could give you a voucher to replace the sweatshirt.

This can definitely make a difficult vacation experience a more magical moment. But remember, it’s not guaranteed. So don’t make up reasons to complain to cast members just to get one. They’ll usually reserve this kind of magic for a deserving guest.

3. Throw the First Pitch at Casey’s Corner

Every morning at Casey’s Corner, a First Pitch is thrown just like in a baseball game. Usually, Cast Members at Casey’s Corner will ask kiddos if they’d like to throw out the First Pitch and if they do it, the kid gets a free brownie!

Here’s a look at Casey’s Corner First Pitch! ⚾️ pic.twitter.com/CUcKbZyqM9

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) June 30, 2021

It’s important to note that only one kid gets to do this each morning and it’s pretty much up to chance, so if your kid gets a chance to do this, they’re very lucky.

Click Here to Read About the First Pitch!

4. Spot Scuba Mickey at the Seas

This is one of the rarer occurrences on the list and there’s not a lot you can do to predict it. Every now and then throughout the year, Mickey Mouse will take a dive into the Seas exhibit in EPCOT and do some scuba diving!

Video: Watch Mickey Mouse SCUBA DIVE in Disney World https://t.co/Tx4h1qQtro pic.twitter.com/yGkDVY7Dwc

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) August 5, 2021

We’ve spotted him twice recently, with one appearance in June and another in August, but these appearances are rare and extra special if you catch them. The one day he’s most likely to appear is World Ocean Day, which is June 8th! Usually, you’ll be able to see him on or around that day.

5. Dance with Br’er Fox, the Country Bears, and MORE Friends at the Hoedown Happening

Here’s another little-known way to hang out with some less common characters! Frontierland certainly becomes a hoot of a good time during this spontaneous event — the Hoedown Happening!

Now don’t check your times guide for Hoedown Happening because you won’t see it. Basically, it’s a dance party with Cast Members of Frontierland, the Country Bears, and others like Br’er Fox, Br’er Bear, and Br’er Rabbit. Many of these characters don’t have regular meet and greets either, so this is a great way to get some fun face time!

Hoedown Happening occurs randomly on any given day, and sometimes more than once! If you’re in Frontierland at the right time, you’ll see an operator from Big Thunder Railroad walk into the square and start waving a hat. And pretty soon a bunch of Frontierland folks will join him, including those characters!

Right now this Hoedown isn’t happening (see what we did there?) but it might come back in the future, especially since live entertainment and character meet and greets are coming back!

Want to check out a food tour of Frontierland? Click here for our video!

6. Get a Special Goodnight from Cinderella Castle

This last secret is one that is super special — and you can see it if you’re in Magic Kingdom after it closes. Maybe you were in line at Seven Dwarfs Mine Train or wanted to get one last ride in on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad before hitting the hay. It’ll take you a while to exit the park, and that’s when you’ll be treated to THIS! Keep an eye out for the 2-minute Goodnight Kiss show at Cinderella Castle.

This event is only visible from Main Street U.S.A. and features a special twinkling light effect on Cinderella Castle while “When You Wish Upon A Star” plays.

Then, you’ll hear the voice of a narrator who thanks you for joining in Walt’s vision for a place where when you wish upon a star, your dreams come true. You may even hear from Mickey Mouse himself!

It really is an emotional mini-show, and the park is often mostly empty by the time it plays. This secret is a magical one, and it might just speak to what Disney means to you.

So, there you have it! That’s 6 Super Secret Things You Didn’t Know You Could Do in Disney World. These experiences are a great way to add a little magic to your trip — if you know they’re there. 😉

Want to check out some Disney DINING secrets? Click here! 

Have you ever experienced one of these Disney World secrets?