Disney World might be the Most Magical Place on Earth, but that doesn’t mean it’s all magic and pixie dust all the time.
We love Cast Members!
It takes a lot of hard work to keep the parks and more running, and that hard work is done by all those wonderful Cast Members! But working at Disney World isn’t always glamorous, and in fact — sometimes there are certain things about their jobs they wish they could forget. This is especially true when it comes to the underground tunnels beneath Magic Kingdom — and we’re telling you why!
Here at DFB, we’re pretty lucky that we’ve got quite a few former Disney World Cast Members on our team. This means we get to learn all sorts of juicy details and exciting secrets about what working for the House of Mouse is like. But it also means that we get to hear about the not-s0-magical aspects of the job, too. The underground tunnels beneath Magic Kingdom — also known as the Utilidors — have always been a thing of wonder to regular Disney fans. But, apparently, some Cast Members would rather forget their time in the tunnels — here’s why.
The Travel Time
It can Disney World visitors a while to get to Magic Kingdom. You typically have to park at the Transportation and Ticket Center and then take a bus, ferry, or monorail to actually make it to the park gate. But guess what? The same is pretty much true for Magic Kingdom Cast Members as well. They also have to park far away and then hop onto a bus to make their way there.
©Disney | Obtained via News 6 Orlando
But then, once they do, they have to navigate through the tunnels to get to where they’re going and it’s often not a quick process. Even though these underground tunnels were designed to help Cast Members get around the park without people seeing them, there aren’t necessarily any shortcuts down there. Once you finally do make it to the right area, you might have to walk up 3-4 flights of stairs to get to your actual place of work! That sounds like quite an exhausting journey just to start your work day.
The Normalcy
Of course, Disney World is magical, but the Utilidors are disappointingly normal from what we’ve been told. Everyone is always so hyped to see them, and then once you do — it looks just like any other sort of industrial space (think like a parking garage or baseball stadium.) The general consensus seems to be that they’re pretty boring overall.
©Disney | Obtained via News 6 Orlando
Our Cast Member team members had hyped them up in their heads to be fabulous and glamorous, and part of that is probably thanks to the mystery surrounding them. If you want to ever see them for yourself, you can either try to get a job as a Magic Kingdom Cast Member or book the Keys to the Kingdom tour! This gives folks a brief look at the Utilidors.
The Strange Sights
Magic Kingdom’s underground tunnels are essentially a series of break rooms, storage closets, hallways, and garages, so you’d probably expect to see some of that magic lifted while you’re down here. Seeing Cinderella without her gloves on or Goofy without his head is a normal occurrence — but apparently, it’s not one that you ever really get used to!
Obtained via AllEars.net
In addition, did you know that there’s a Subway sandwich shop in the Utilidors?! While that may not be a necessarily disturbing fact, it certainly could be for people who are terrified of Subway sandwich shops and would rather forget about their existence. Life is all about balance, you know?
The Stares
Not only is there a Subway in the tunnels, but there are also places for Cast Members to work out and get some exercise before or after their shifts. However, these areas were often places that were passed by when people took the Keys to the Kingdom tour.
Cinderella Castle
Folks would often just ogle and stare at the Cast Members without really interacting, making them feel uncomfortable and like something on display in a museum. Here’s a tip: Cast Members are people too, so if you ever take this tour — don’t do that!
The Smells
You haven’t thought of the smell! You see, Magic Kingdom has an incredibly intricate trash system. The park uses an automated vacuum collection or AVAC system to dispose of waste. Custodians collect and remove trash from the park twenty-four hours a day, and then the waste is dumped and processed. The trash travels from these processors through tubes that run through the Utilidors to a central location. So, as you can imagine, it can get quite stinky down there.
Trash Cans
Do you know what other sorts of pipes are often found underground? Sewer pipes. And Magic Kingdom is no different. So, in addition to dealing with a trash smell — you also have to put up with the occasional whiff of poo down there too. There’s not a whole lot of stellar airflow or circulation in the tunnels, either. Still want to take that tour?
©Disney
Stay tuned to DFB as we bring you all the juicy secrets, disturbing facts, and more news about Disney World!
7 Juicy Secrets You Learn As a Magic Kingdom Cast Member
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Years ago, when Grad Night was still around, I came down from Jacksonville with a high school Grad Night Group. After my chaperone shift was over (behind a store front on Main Street), I spent a couple of hours wandering around the utilidors. Many times, we’ve been told all the cosmetic money is spend on the guest areas, and little behind the scenes. The utilidors are stark confirmation. They are very functional, but not at all attractive.
We took the Keys of the Kingdom tour and I found it terribly interesting. It was so much fun seeing the cast members getting ready for the parade and running around with half their costume on or without their head. I can imagine the utilidors would loose their luster after awhile, but for the uninitiated they were really neat. I just wish I could have taken pictures, but I understand why I couldn’t.
I Dont care….its still my dream and on my bucket list to do the “keys to the kingdom” tour!