Disney World is a magical place for many reasons — the incredible theming, the fantastic rides, the amazing shows, and the delicious food (of course). But, perhaps, the most important thing that makes Disney World the Most Magical Place on Earth is something else entirely. It’s…

…the Cast Members. We’ve said it time and time again, Cast Members are the true magic makers in the Disney parks. They are what makes things so incredibly special. Just a kind gesture, a free sticker, or a small sprinkle of “magic” from a Cast Member can MAKE your trip. Special Cast Member interactions are often the things we remember for years and years to come. Cast Members sometimes get special celebrations to mark big work anniversaries with the Company. Recently, we got the chance to attend one and now we’re giving you an EXCLUSIVE look inside!

We were able to attend this Cast Member-exclusive event as a guest of a Cast Member, so first we have to give a HUGE thank you to that Cast Member for allowing us to experience the magic with them!

On May 3rd, 2022, Magic Kingdom closed EARLY (like REAL early — around 4:30PM) to allow for this special Cast Member celebration to take place.

If you’re wondering exactly what this Cast Member event is, it’s called a “Disney Service Celebration.” These events are meant to honor Cast Members who are celebrating “milestone anniversaries” of working with the Company, starting at their 10th year of service.

According to Disney, these celebrations actually date back as far as the early 1970s! This month (May of 2022) Magic Kingdom will actually close early TWICE for these special celebrations. The next event will take place on May 15th.

This year, the celebrations will honor Cast Member anniversaries from 2020 and 2021.

The planning that goes into these events is actually really extensive. The events usually include access to many Magic Kingdom rides, buffet-style dinners and desserts, DJ parties, rare characters, and SO much more.

So, just what did we experience during the event? Well…a LOT! Our journey began by passing some special “service celebration” signs and banners.

We then passed by a special photo-op area where Cast Members could take pictures with trophies representing the years of service.

Then we saw the Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, Josh D’Amaro, walking around, saying “hello” to the Cast Members in attendance.

There was a GIANT red carpet for Cast Members to walk down on Main Street, U.S.A. — truly proving that the Cast Members are the STARS of this show!

And some Cast Members along the red carpet held signs of appreciation for the Cast Members attending the celebration. Is someone cutting onions in here? JEEZ.

One of the biggest parts of the celebration is the chance to see Disney characters, especially super RARE characters. So next it was time for us to check those out! What characters did we get the chance to see? Well, prepare to be verrrrrrry jealous. We saw Merida and her bear-brothers (a true rarity since she hasn’t been meeting in Magic Kingdom as of late)…

…Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum…

…the Mad Hatter and Alice in Wonderland…

…Mike and Sulley…

…the Evil Queen…

…Ariel, Prince Eric, and SEBASTIAN…

…Robin Hood and Friar Tuck…

…Gaston…

…Belle and the Beast…

…Elsa and Anna…

…some faces from The Haunted Mansion…

…even MORE Haunted Mansion folks…

…Abu and the Genie…

…and MEEKO. LIKE, IT IS ACTUALLY MEEKO. We are not freaking out, we are not freaking out, we are not freaking out. Like seriously y’all — this was the jackpot of all jackpots of rare and just generally awesome Disney characters.

Not to mention, there were dancers by the Haunted Mansion…

…and a silent DJ party at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe.

And don’t even get us started on the fireworks. Prepare for some waterworks friends. Do you want to know what Disney did to celebrate these special Cast Members?

They truly pulled out ALL the stops and did a portion from the Wishes fireworks, a portion from the Happily Ever After fireworks, AND an extended version of Enchantment. WE CANNOT HANDLE IT.

Seriously, it was a fantastic night full of fun all made to celebrate these fantastic people who fully deserve a sprinkling of magic for themselves. A major congratulations to all Cast Members who celebrated big anniversaries during that night or will celebrate during an upcoming night.

You are the magic. We thank you so much for how much you’ve dedicated to our own magical vacations and we cannot wait to see more spectacular Cast Members celebrated in the years to come.

Stay tuned to DFB for more Disney news!

Click here to learn 7 of the best pieces of trivia we’ve heard from Disney Cast Members!

Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!

Don’t Miss Out on Any Disney Fun!

Order Your Copy of the 2022 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today!

With more than 750 pages, the 2022 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is full of tips and planning tools developed by Disney World experts over 30+ years of visits. We’ve done the research for you, so you’ll know just which spots will uniquely suit your family’s needs!

With mini-reviews of every single restaurant, bar, lounge, kiosk and more; an entire chapter on the best snacks in Disney World; full Disney Dining Plan analysis (and how to get FREE dining); and a full chapter on discounts and deals; you’ll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet.

Click here to order your copy of the 2022 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2022 to save 25% off the cover price today!

Use code WDW2022 at check-out for 25% off the cover price today!

Our guides are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose.

What is your favorite part from the Service Celebration? Tell us in the comments!

The post PHOTOS: EXCLUSIVE INSIDE Look at the Disney World Event You’ll Likely NEVER Experience first appeared on the disney food blog.