3. Epcot’s stealth drawbridge

Video: YouTube, More Sunshine Please

Engineering minds might wonder just how Disney gets the floats for Illuminations: Reflections of Earth on and off World Showcase lagoon. Depending on what time in the late afternoon you visit World Showcase, if you plan to pass through The Outpost in between Germany and China, you may get to witness one of Epcot’s most surprising secrets.

The bridge between The Outpost and China is actually a full functional drawbridge. The entire bridge lifts out of place once a day to allow the show’s massive globe float to pass through. It’s easy to miss how big the float is until you’re watching it go by. While these traffic jams can annoy impatient adults, for kids, the magic of the hidden drawbridge is pretty neat. See if yours will believe you if you tell them the secret while it’s still lowered. The reaction on their faces when they get to see it raised will be priceless! If they’re particularly snarky, bet them a sip of Beverly and see who has the last laugh.

4. The secret under the sea at the Art of Animation

Image: Disney

Not all of Disney’s coolest little secrets are in their parks. While Disney has plenty of neat magic to go around, one uniquely fun kid-favorite can be found at the Art of Animation Resort. The resort’s Big Blue Pool has a special secret. Kids who dive into this huge Finding Nemo themed pool will find this pool uses 100% magic (and some cool technology) to play classic Disney favorite songs underwater. Good luck getting your little mermaid out of that water!

5. Pascal’s garden

Image: Amy, Flickr (license)

Not all Disney magic has to be flashy to awe your kids. Every kid loves discovering secrets that grown ups miss. Next time you visit Fantasyland, take a detour into the Tangled courtyard next to It’s a Small World. See if your sharp-eyed little one can spot Pascal’s friends hiding in the garden in this area. Supposedly there are 10 little Pascals hiding here, though some guests claim there are more. Even many longtime Magic Kingdom fans have missed this neat scavenger hunt. Oh, and see if you can find Maximus’ footprints too!

6. A very goofy birthday greeting

Image: Disney

This one is for families with a child visiting near their birthday. Princes and princesses visiting Disney Hollywood Studios around their birthdays might receive a little extra touch of Disney magic at the opening gate (this can also happen at other parks, but my experience was at DHS). You can pick up a birthday celebration button from Guest Services or any of Disney’s resorts or drop a hint to a cast member at the gate. They will direct you to a nearby phone where your little one will receive a special birthday phone call from Goofy himself! If it doesn’t work out to do this in the parks, back in your resort room, dial 8-224-2144 to kick off that special call. There’s even a second one you can do for your non-birthday kids by dialing 8-224-2142.