A Walt Disney World vacation is an experience full of magical moments. From enchanting character encounters to mesmerizing attractions, guests flock to The Most Magical Place on Earth every day expecting the see dreams come to life and fantasy made reality.

Spontaneous “magical moments” brought about by thoughtful cast members can easily become the highlight of a trip. These special experiences are wholly unique, and not every guest can expect to have them. You can’t just ask for them. Magical moments represent the personal touch that sets Disney apart from many of their competitors. It’s the surprise attention lauded on a honeymooning couple, the stormtrooper escort for a tiny Captain Phasma, or the miraculous free ice cream pass that appears when your little one drops their Mickey ice cream sandwich onto Main Street.

Have you ever experienced a Walt Disney World magical moment? Here our some of our favorites we’ve experienced or seen!

1. Unexpected celebrations

Image: Disney

It started off as a typical bus ride between our resort and Magic Kingdom. My husband and I sat surfing the web on our phones as the bus chugged along, excited for our evening in the park but not paying attention to much else. Halfway through the ride, the bus driver made an announcement over the intercom.

“Ladies and gentleman, I have a very important announcement to share with you. We have a prince and princess on board with us celebrating an extra magical anniversary today!”

We looked up at each other, realizing at that moment we were both wearing our “Happy Anniversary” celebration buttons. The entire bus applauded us. We laughed as the bus driver had the whole bus sing “Happy Anniversary to you” to us. It was a seriously adorable magical moment that made our day.

If you are celebrating anything at all, from a birthday to a graduation, make sure you wear a celebration button on your next Disney vacation. You never know what will happen. Disney can’t guarantee VIP treatment for every one of the millions of guests who visit for a celebration, but somehow, they manage to make these visits magical every time. From free desserts to surprise character encounters, you never can guess what to expect when that one cast member with a mischievous glint in their eye catches wind that you are visiting on a special day.

Another favorite magic moment happened when I was celebrating a birthday at Epcot. As an adult visitor without kids, I didn’t expect too much in the way of special treatment. We were walking through World Showcase when an eager janitor from Columbia spotted my celebration button. He swept up to my husband and I, took my hand like I was the Queen and asked me if he could sing me the birthday song. When I agreed, he proceeded to sing a full opera style aria rendition of Happy Birthday in front of all the passing guests. It was hilarious. He sent my husband and I off with blessings, and we will never forget that magical moment so long as we live!