In 2014, a dream I've had ever since I was a little boy was realized when I had accepted a position at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. I became Epcot's newest Cast Member to assist in operating the " Agent P's World Showcase Adventure." It was a scavenger-hunt type game, based off of the popular Disney Channel series "Phineas and Ferb," in which my fellow co-workers and I were secret agents enlisting the help of guests to save Agent P from the clutches of the evil Dr. Doofenshmirtz.

It was an amazing gig with every day guaranteed to bring about magical moments on a personal, intimate level with each individual guest. You see, rather than depressingly pushing buttons and asking "how many in your party?" my role was to set up the story that I actually was a real secret agent working for the O.W.C.A.--Organization Without a Cool Acronym--in desperate need of help to save each individual country in the World Showcase from the evil doctor. Working this job was an astonishing bit of fun, but it was the stories from behind-the-scenes that people were most interested in hearing.

It turns out, there are quite a bit of secrets lying past those "Cast Member Only" doors that not many people are familiar with. To those cynics out there desperately wanting to expose the magic and wonder the Disney empire has preserved so dearly, the following article I dedicate to you.

1. Closing Epcot For The Night Is Both A Dream And A Nightmare Simultaneously

The photo above is of myself and three fellow co-workers after a successful night of park clearing. You see, rather than a team of dozens of upper management employees taking on the considerably important duty of clearing out all guests, the responsibility of escorting the tens of thousands of day guests to the exits rests solely on the shoulders of four college-aged kids resisting the urge to have sword fights with their light up traffic wands.

To be given a park clear shift was always one of the highlights of the job. Park cleaning was not a duty that just anybody could apply for, mind you. This responsibility was placed solely in the hands of the Agent P cast, resulting in an exciting deviation from the norm.

Our extensive knowledge of layouts for each individual country made us the only solution to this wonderful problem, so while the rest of the daytime park employees clocked out at a reasonable time, four cast members would be scheduled into the AM to patrol the streets of Epcot and hunt down any random guest meandering through an otherwise completely abandoned park.

The problem is that cast members are normally given up to a 90 minute window to check and clear all areas before they're considered late, which could result in potential trouble with management.

To put things in perspective, the photo above is an aerial view of only five of the eleven countries located along the 1.25 mile World Showcase promenade. This is also the only large clump of countries immediately adjacent to each other--some countries must be entered by crossing bridges or walking a bit of a distance to access.

Each country must be thoroughly searched including every dining location, gift shop, restroom, character meet-and-greet, and miscellaneous exhibit for any guest still in the park. To heighten the tension even further, both Italy and Japan feature elegant dining options with great views of the nighttime fireworks. Some park guests take advantage of these locations to take their time in eating, drinking, and casually hanging around until they feel like going home...and cast members are not allowed to physically force them out.

Some nights have resulted in a 40 minute hold at Italy while some co-workers have experienced an unfathomable 75 minute hold at Japan. When time is of the essence, Italy and Japan serve as the ultimate obstacles that threaten the entire pacing of the rest of the night's operation.

Add in having to reach into bushes to scoop out the occasional poor, comatose, drunk failure of the "Drink-Around-The-World" challenge or any miscellaneous tourist demanding one last ride on Test Track, and you've got one crazy game of Hide-And-Seek that bin Laden himself couldn't compete with.

So then what makes this entire experience worth it?

What had just housed tens of thousands of people a mere hour ago, is now an eerily silent and completely desolate property the four of us buddies are in complete domination over. And with a continuously changing line of up park clearers, the combinations of teams became endless.

Some Cast Members filled their company issued water bottles with liquor and took shots for every country they cleared, while others used the acoustics from a completely empty theme park to harmonize various show tunes. Some of the best memories from the job come from these park clear shifts--it's where bonds strengthened, inside jokes were crafted, and the hauntingly beautiful image of a deserted park was burned into our brains forever. No matter what else happens to me in life, I will always vividly remember standing at the front entrance, making the final call to shut down an abandoned Epcot.

"Please be advised that Epcot is now clear of all day guests. Requesting 10-7 for the night."

2. Disney's Backstage Is Another World Entirely

As is tradition for all major corporations, outsiders quickly embrace their animalistic urges to dig up as much dirt in an attempt to unearth some of the company's dirtiest secrets. One of the finest and most common examples of this practice can be found behind-the-scenes at Disney. The countless secrets that lie backstage have been sought after for decades, and any bit of information one could attain is enough to make the public go crazy--isn't that literally why you're reading this article in the first place?

In fact, the Disney empire has done such a wonderful job of preserving these secrets over the years, don't be surprised if this article leads to me being driven off the road by executives donned in white gloves and mouse ears. The mysteries that lie behind those famous "Cast Members Only" signs aren't protected because they're dangerous or risque, mind you, it's all out of desperation to preserve the magic for guests that Walt had longed for....especially considering how different backstage is compared to onstage.

Disney security holding cells are not themed with pirate skeletons chained to the walls or cartoonish bars that can be bent, ensuring an escape comprised of hilarious hijinks. They're barren, gray offices with a water cooler and maybe a few desktops--nope, not even MACs. The most exciting thing about our break rooms is that the vending machines sell the cheapest food options within a 25-mile radius. And cafeterias have never, ever looked like this.

They look like this.

But excluding the common workplace areas, backstage at Disney is a completely separate world I've had the distinct pleasure of being paid to roam. Unfortunately, behind-the-scenes photos are difficult to find as backstage photography is strictly prohibited--I was incredibly lucky to find that cafeteria photo above--you must believe how monumentally large the properties are.

From Magic Kingdom's labyrinth of underground tunnels to the miles and miles of forest of Disney's Animal Kingdom, the world of Disney's backstage is large enough to put the worlds of C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and George R.R. Martin to shame. Some areas are literally only accessible by walking, while others can literally only be found by being utterly lost. On my first week on the job, I accidentally encountered a parking lot for a collection of office buildings I've already accepted I will never find again. The Walt Disney World property is twice the size of Manhattan and a large portion of that is dedicated to these mundane office areas.

But backstage doesn't solely consist of drab offices and workplace areas. There are places Cast Members can purchase unwanted items and memorabilia from the resort--a friend of mine once purchased bed sheets from a Disney hotel--libraries dedicated to Disney history and films, a wardrobe department where thousands of Cast Members can check out millions of uniforms each day, banks/credit unions that can easily be accessed nearly everywhere backstage, and even barbershops for shaving and haircuts by appointment. These amenities are put in place to entertain and help the diverse collection of 70,000+ Cast Members operating the resort's basic functions.

Which reminds me....

3. There Is An Unspoken Class System All Cast Members Belong To

Accepting a position at any Disney park essentially means reverting back to a high school-like environment in which the popular kids are shoving the chess club into lockers. This time, however, the popular kids are literally princesses, the chess club is comprised of janitors, and "lockers" is a term synonymous with "the tiny break room with a TV that seems to only play syndicated episodes of 'Reba.'"

Ask any cast member, former or current, and they'd excitedly address the hilarious insanity of the behind-the-scenes hierarchy. While neither confirmed nor denied, the unspoken social status of all individual cast members is a large contributing factor to the increasing tension that lies past those "Cast Members Only" doors.

The Disney elite can be found in the perfectly sculpted faces and bodies of Disney's "Face Characters," a term used to describe the characters that don't hide underneath masks and body suits. Gaston, the princesses, Alice, Peter Pan, Mary Poppins, Flynn Rider, Tinkerbell, etc.

Below them are the "Fur Characters," a term used to describe the full-bodied, mascot-style costumed characters such as Mickey & Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck, Pluto, The Beast, Chip & Dale, etc.

Below them are the standard Cast Members such as attraction attendants, park greeters, food & beverage, etc.

Below them are security guards.

Resulting in the bottom of the Disney food chain where the janitorial staff waits.

It may be easy to assume the obvious class system put in place here--it's literally no different than most other groups of people--but you might be surprised the heated tensions that arise when the natural order is upended. I've seen a Snow White viciously harass a janitor who happened to "take her parking spot." I've seen a Baloo storm out of the trailer because his character attendant happened to be a few minutes late for his break. I've even overheard a security guard scolding a furious attraction attendant for using foul language in front of guests.

But as is all things in life, exceptions do happen. An Alice happened to be a wonderful friend and one damn excellent drinking buddy. A Cruella De Vil politely held the door open for me as I walked backstage for a break. A janitor and I swapped music playlists for a brief time. And a Mickey Mouse went out of his way to make me smile when I needed it the most. Not everybody that works for Disney succumbs to the petty drama, but it sure is fun to watch from afar. I've yet to see anything funnier than Aladdin ignoring Jasmine for an Aurora backstage and I've seen Mary Poppins punching a vending machine for eating her dollar.

4. You Will Never Be The Same Again

I'll let you in on a little secret--working at Walt Disney World comes at a price. The pay is cruelly low, the hours can be borderline illegal, and inept management can surely drive someone to madness. There were days I literally could not afford gas to drive to work. Other days saw the 100 degree heat index taking a heavy toll on myself and my fellow co-workers. Working at Walt Disney World is not easy. In fact, it could even be taxing on one's sanity.

So then why do it to begin with? Why belong to a company often ridiculed for being "too powerful?" Why voluntarily accept the torture found in the fine print?

Simply put? It's the most emotionally rewarding experience one could ever hope to belong to.

When you accept a position at Walt Disney World, you aren't casually clocking in and out at a disposable part-time summer job, you are agreeing to go above and beyond to ensure the guests entering our "home" make life-long memories, all while preserving the magic and wonder Walt Disney often stuck his entire reputation on delivering. You are now a part of a legacy that defines the very history of entertainment, as well as humor, hope and the dreams of a better tomorrow.

It sounds cheesy, sure, but it's true. While you may find a few bad apples here and there, 90% of the remaining workers hired under the Disney Park payroll truly believe in Walt's vision and agree to uphold it to the best of their ability. Nobody is there for a paycheck. They are there because they believe in the magic all of us are capable of; the same magic Walt once had to convince the world to believe it had.

From your first day of training to the final time you clock out, you have been indoctrinated into being a part of a place where dreams come true. You are being paid to make memories with people from all across the world. You are being paid to be a part of stories from different cultures. You are being paid to bring pure, unadulterated joy into a personal, intimate encounter with each individual guest. It's that aforementioned magic that will never leave you once it's been unlocked. Even long after your final day, the wonder, hope, and optimism you were once paid to emulate will forever be a part of who you are.

I once found myself walking back to the breakroom with a co-worker/friend. As we approached the final corner to get into backstage areas, an adorable little girl dressed in an elaborate Elsa costume walked past us.

"Hello, Queen Elsa!" I said with a bow. The little Elsa smiled, blushed, held tightly to her mother's side, waved to me, and quickly ran away. Hours later after I had clocked out, I stuck around in the park as a guest, waiting for a fellow co-worker to get off. While waiting in line for a ride, I felt a light tugging at my jeans. Upon turning around, the little Elsa I once bowed to was grasping my leg as she and her mother both smiled at me.

"Queen Elsa! Do you remember me?"

"Yeahhhhhhh but you aren't in your uniform anymore!"

"Nah, I had to change since I'm working undercover. I have to help Agent P make sure no bad guys are hiding in any of these rides. Do you want to ride it with me and be on the lookout?"

"You mean it?!"

The mother and I all boarded the vehicle as I proceeded to point out Hidden Mickeys and neat little details the normal tourist might not see, all while being on the lookout for any fictional bad guys who might have sneaked on to the ride. When the ride ended and we said goodbye, the look on the mother's face was of immense appreciation and happiness. I inducted the both of them into the secret agency my attraction character worked for with a quick ceremony I had improvised right then and there. I hugged them both goodbye and proceeded to walk into the unknown. As I left the two, I heard little Elsa excitedly exclaim,

"Mom! See? I told you he was a real secret agent!"