One of Walt Disney’s most incredible undertakings is also one most people will never see for themselves. Beneath the Magic Kingdom, a nine-acre system of tunnels connects every “land” in the park and provides a space for costumed cast members to move about freely, eat their lunch, and change without guests seeing. Disney was adamant that the illusion of stepping into another world in his park should be seamless, so he went to great expense to construct his “utilidor” system, hiring U.S. Army engineer William Potter to design it and oversee construction. Although the goings-on inside the utilidor have been the subject of speculation and urban legends by Disney fanatics since the Magic Kingdom opened in 1971, Disney World recently pulled back the curtain on the tunnel system, letting guests take a special tour and see the reality underneath the magic.
