A Former Disney World Cast Member Is Spilling the Secrets of the Hidden Tunnels Under Magic Kingdom

Wearing that iconic Disney nametag and getting to say “have a magical day” is a lot of Disney Adults’ bucket list items as they officially become a Cast Member.

I was lucky enough to get this experience through the Disney College Program, where I worked at Columbia Harbour House in Magic Kingdom (and no, pictures will not be pulled out of the archives for this one), and I got to go through the hidden tunnels under the castle every day. Let me tell you the secrets of the Utilidors under Magic Kingdom.

Underneath Magic Kingdom, there are a bunch of different tunnels connecting all the different lands together. It’s why you’ve probably never seen an Adventureland Cast Member in the Tomorrowland area of the park. It was something Walt Disney was very passionate about after seeing this happen in Disneyland, and knew when he was planning Disney World that he needed a way to keep the lands separate.

These are called the Utilidors, and previously, there were almost no photos of them. If you’ve watched “The Imagineering Story” on Disney+, they’ll give you a better look in the tunnels with cameras, but let me tell you the secrets they don’t tell you.

There’s a Subway

No, not the metro system, but the actual sandwich place! In the Mouseketeeria, which is the Cast Member cafeteria, there’s a Subway, fully branded. Sometimes, if you’re in the right spot, when you pull up Subway on Google Maps, the Cast Member only location will pop up. No, the Subway is not free, but they are at a discounted price. There were also a few other food stops with plenty of classic theme park food like chicken tenders and burgers.

You Can Get a Haircut

Back when I worked there, there was a barber shop in the tunnels. It wasn’t the same as the Harmony Barber Shop, where you can have those magical first haircuts, but it offered cheap haircuts for Cast Members. I couldn’t find any current information on it, so it might have closed after 2020. However, during my time there, you could get a haircut.

It Usually Smells

Also within Magic Kingdom, there’s a huge HVAC system that transports trash from point A to point B, and the pipes for the HVAC system are around the walls of the Utilidors. You can usually hear when someone put trash in it (or if something was stuck in it), and you could usually smell it because, well, it’s trash!

You Have to Take a Bus to Get There

Unlike the other three parks, Cast Members don’t usually get to park at Magic Kingdom, but instead park at West Clock. You might have driven by this huge parking lot after making a wrong turn around the Magic Kingdom Resort Area. You aren’t able to walk from the parking lot to Magic Kingdom, so you have to take a bus to get there. There’s a stop at Storybook Circus and then the Utilidors, but that’s it. You enter the Utilidors at the back of Magic Kingdom, so if you want to go anywhere else, you can have a long walk to get to the front of the park.

There are Offices, Locker Areas, and Bank Rooms

Just like any workspace, there are Cast Member resources. There are offices, computer rooms, locker rooms, and areas for banking. I’ve done training classes online in the Utilidors and visited offices to grab new supplies. There are also tons of stock rooms, costume rooms, and areas for performers.

It’s a Huge Mix of Different Cast Members

Because almost everyone has to enter the Utilidors to get to work, there is a HUGE mix of different Cast Members. You’ll probably see Fairy Godmothers in Training for Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique next to pirates from Adventureland. As a proud Liberty Square worker, there were lots of aprons and bonnets next to cowboys from Frontierland. It’s super fun to see everyone’s costumes.

You Might Run Into Characters

Yep, even the characters have to walk through the Utilidors! I have a fun memory of going up to my shift at Columbia Harbour House when Peter Pan was heading in to check on Wendy. We even took the same elevator, which feels like a very iconic Disney Cast Member story.

All in all, the Utilidors might have cement floors and no windows, but it can be full of magic at every turn. Of course, the longer you work there, the less magical they may feel when you need to leave super early for work because you have to park, take a bus, and walk 15 minutes to your area, but it’s pretty cool to say you were under the Magic Kingdom.

Have you always wanted to see them, but becoming a Cast Member isn’t in the cards? You can always do the Keys to the Kingdom VIP tour. You’ll get to go down and see the tunnels, but you won’t be able to take any pictures or videos. It was always fun to go to work and see a tour group waving hi!

Make sure you keep following AllEars for more Disney news and content.

10 SECRETS HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT IN MAGIC KINGDOM

Have you ever been in the Utilidoors? Tell us your favorite thing about it in the comments.

Comments (1)