7. Magic Kingdom’s hidden underground

Image: Jett Farrell-Vega (@mykingdomforamouse Instagram)

This one is a little more difficult to see firsthand without a tour experience, but most kids cannot believe their ears when they learn about Magic Kingdom’s secret underground. It’s a fairly well-known Disney secret now, but what most guests don’t realize is that the network of tunnels cast members use to traverse Magic Kingdom isn’t technically underground—rather, the entirety of Magic Kingdom is built on a second story! Florida is such a soggy place that it wasn’t possible to truly put the tunnels underground (this is the same reason that basements are somewhat rare in Florida homes). Instead, all of Magic Kingdom was built at 108 feet elevation. Got a little Disney junkie in the family? Both the Keys to the Kingdom and Backstage Magic tours take guests into the tunnels. Check with Disney for age requirements (there used to be some kid-friendly versions of the tours available through Disney Institute, but these experiences are harder to find now).

8. Tom Sawyer Island

Image: Jett Farrell-Vega

We can’t go on enough about how much we love Tom Sawyer Island. It remains a Disney magic paradise, and the entire place is brimming with details to leave your little ones gaping. In Fort Langhorn, make sure to give your little ones a boost to peer through the barred windows and doors to see the sleeping fort-denizen and audio-animatronic animals (the cold, dead eyes of that chicken might haunt your dreams). The Mystery Mine is filled with glowing gem deposits and neat corners to explore, and even the signs throughout the island bearing Tom’s handiwork are fun to read… and yes, if your little adventurer is stouthearted enough, there is plenty of skin-crawling, eek-this-is-a-living-nightmare Disney magic to be found in Injun Joe’s creepy murder cave.

9. Almost everything in The World of Pandora at night

Image: Disney

We would be remiss if we didn’t give a nod to the glowing heapfuls of magic to be found in Animal Kingdom’s The World of Pandora. The place is cool enough during the day—see if your kids can find the giant bugs in the water or the sleeping stingbats hanging on the cliffs—but The World of Pandora really comes to life at night. From bioluminescent color splatters on the ground to glowing plant-life of every variety, to the giant mecha-suit outside of the Satu’li Canteen, Pandora is just so insanely cool. It’s seriously a kid’s dreamscape. Just pick a direction and point and your little one will definitely find something magical.

10. Hidden Mickeys

Image: JeffChristiansen, Flickr (license)

There is possibly no Disneyphile pastime more beloved to pass down than searching for Hidden Mickeys. Entire books have been written on the near-uncountable Mickey homages scattered throughout Walt Disney World. Helping your kid spot their first can kick off a seriously fun hobby during your Disney World time, particularly since kids see Hidden Mickeys in so many bizarre places where adults wouldn’t. A few starter ones to point out include the paint splatter in the Renaissance section of Spaceship Earth, the Mickey-shaped rock pattern in the sand on the ride portion of The Seas with Nemo and Friends, and the bark of the trees just before the entrance queue for Peter Pan’s Flight.

What is your favorite detail or secret at Walt Disney World that blew your kid’s mind?