Hidden Mickeys at Disney World

So what exactly is a Hidden Mickey? Where can I find them at Walt Disney World?

It is much easier to show you a picture than to try and describe it! So can you see the Hidden Mickey in this picture?



Disney's Hidden Mickey's were created by the Disney Imagineers as a kind of unofficial signature. A symbol of Mickey Mouse that they could show their friends and relatives that they had placed their own mark on a ride or attraction. It remained a Disney

insider secret for some time. However, the Hidden Mickey secret was out following the publication of an article which appeared in 1989 which was written for the Disney World Cast Member weekly publication, Eyes and Ears.

A Hidden Mickey can take many forms. One of the most common is the traditional tri circle head symbol. Other examples are a full figure silhouette, complete drawing, a plush Mickey, his name or initials, or even a pair of Mouse Ears on someone or something.

It does not have to be a Mickey Mouse. There are other hidden characters too. Look for Minnie,Goofy, Donald Duck, Pluto and others.

When you first start looking for Hidden Mickey's it can be a little difficult. They are meant to be hidden after all - but hidden in plain sight. A Hidden Mickey has three essential features. It should not need to much of a stretch of the imagination, it should not be too big, and it should have correct proportions. As a general rule, if you are in any doubt that it qualifies then it is almost certain that it does not. You will get better at finding Hidden Mickeys with practice.



Look very closely at this picture. It is at the entrance to Mickey's Phillarmagic in Magic Kingdom. You need good eyesight to find the Hidden Mickeys on the original art work as they are quite small.

Magic Kingdom

In Cinderella's Royal Table restaurant look at the crest for the dinnerware.
In The Haunted Mansion in the Ballroom Scene there is an arrangement of the plates and saucers which creates the classic Mickey tri circle.

EPCOT
On the Norway ride Maelstrom look at the large wall mural facing the loading dock. There is a Viking in the painting wearing Mickey Ears. Here is a picture for you - can you find Mickey?



When riding Test Track, look out during the environmental testing sequence, for the Mickey doll in the office and a Mickey pencil in the cup.

Disney's MGM Studios
When you enter the park,look up at the globe above the Crossroads of the World store.
When you are riding the Tower of Terror and entering the final drop area look in the swirl of stars. That is if you are not too scared to think at this point!

Animal Kingdom
In the Bone Yard look for a fan with two hard hats at the Woolly Mammoth Dig site.
At the photo image pick up site on Dinosaur look for a shadow under a fold in the dinosaur's lower jaw.

Looking for Hidden Mickeys soon becomes second nature. The search is endless as new ones are created all the time, some move, others are lost forever.



This Hidden Mickey is at Disney's Animal Kingdom at Conservation Station - can you find it on your next visit?

This one takes a second look sometimes. Can you make out the Mickey Mouse Ears?

A good place to start looking for Hidden Mickeys is to look up. The Hidden Mickeys in light fittings in the Disney resort hotels and theme parks are sometimes the easiest places to find them quickly and relatively easily.

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You can even look for Hidden Mickey's without leaving home! Check out the Disney movies for many sightings of the Hidden Mickey.

Here are just some to start you off:

Toy Story 2

In Andy's room, in an early film sequence, a Mickey Mouse "watch" clock is visible on Andy's wall.

Mulan

Shang's Horse has four hidden mickeys, two on each side. One on each side of the neck with the others on each side of his hind flanks.

Atlantis - The Lost Empire

When Milo is talking to his grandfather's friend, there are some fish in the background in the aquarium. On each fish, there are spots of which three of them form to make a Hidden Mickey.