Keys to the (Magic) Kingdom

Growing up in Florida kind of made me a Disney fanatic.  Having resident passes as a kid, we went all. the. time.  Some of my favorite childhood memories are there.  And I've always been intrigued by how they put everything together so seamlessly.  { Or how they manage to tame giant ants. }

{ On the "Honey, I Shrunk The Kids!" playground at Disney's MGM Studios when I was maybe 8 }

But did you know that there is a part of Walt Disney World that 95% of guests will never see?  And that some people think only exists in Disney legends?  Well, I can vouch that the the Utilidors { or "the tunnels", as most Cast Members call them } are definitely real.  Definitely underneath the park, not underground { this is Florida, folks.  Underground = underwater }.  And definitely cool.

As part our recent trip, we went on the "Keys to the Kingdom" Tour.  It started at 9:00, with a requested arrival time of 8:45.  Being the punctual { okay, OCD } person that I am, I did some investigating beforehand.  The park doesn't open until 9:00, so I was all concerned about finding this little Tour Garden where we were supposed to meet our guide.  And as usual, I had no reason to worry.  In true Disney fashion, everything was seamless.  There's a gate for early access, just for tours and appointments {at places like the Bibbidy Bobbidy Boutique }.  And the cool part was, we were virtually the only people in the park because it wasn't open yet.  It was a great chance for fun photos without the crowds.  If you're ever making appointments for the kiddos or choosing a tour time for yourself, I would definitely recommend those before the park opens.

{ Contrary to popular belief, this is Roy O. Disney, Walt's older brother }

And the tour itself was just so neat!  We had eleven people in our group, and we spent the day learning about all kinds of Disney "magic".  Little things, like how the tree outside the Hall of Presidents in Liberty Square has 13 lanterns hanging from it, one for each colony.  And how the address at the Hall of Presidents is 1787, the year the Constitution was ratified.

{ It's all in the details. }

Then there were the hidden Mickeys located throughout the park.  There's an entire book dedicated to it, so we were only shown a few by comparison.  But it's still fun to feel like you're in the know!  Most were placed there by Imagineers as a way to sign their work, but there's one in the Haunted Mansion that was started by Cast Members.  Apparently when an Imagineer stops by they'll undo it... but as soon as they leave the Cast Members will put it back.  Pretty cool!

We took a private ride on the Jungle Cruise.  There's a hidden Mickey in there, and even an homage to disco, but given my recent experience with Tai these guys were my favorite.  : )

Speaking of the Haunted Mansion... I think we saw someone we know. { Or is it knew? }

{ Sorry, Maude.  Couldn't resist. }

Of course you can't take pictures of the infamous tunnels, but honestly they're not that much to look at.  They were designed by Admiral Joe Fowler, and since he was in the Navy... they feel a whole lot like a color-coded submarine.  Each area is painted differently so that you know what's above you.  There are all sorts of secrets under there... things that shape your experience up above.  But things I won't spoil for you. : )

If you're at all interested in what goes into a Disney Park experience, I would highly recommend the Keys to the Kingdom tour.  It was well worth it and I'd do it again in a heartbeat!