Hidden Mickeys
Hidden Mickeys started out as inside jokes among the Walt Disney Imagineers. A Hidden Mickey is an image of Mickey Mouse concealed in the design of a Disney attraction (ride, resort, etc). Originally, it took the shape of a head and ears silhouette, i.e. one large circle with two smaller circled on top in the appropriate place, but Hidden Mickeys can take on many forms.
In designing, constructing or adding the final touches to an attraction, Imagineers subtly “hide” Mickey Mouse silhouettes in plain sight. Soon, it became a tradition, and as the word spread, Disney fans everywhere went on the search for Hidden Mickeys in Disney movies and theme parks.
The first published sighting of a Hidden Mickey was made by Arlen Miller. Arlen wrote an article back in 1989 on Hidden Mickeys for WDW’s Eyes and Ears (Cast Member weekly publication) in the parks. This was the first time it was made publically known and then months later the author was contacted by Disney News for more information for an article on Hidden Mickeys.
Big Thunder Mountain Hidden Mickeys
Look for three rusty gears lying on the grass as you re-enter the station.
On the right side of the station, there is a clock where you can see a little Hidden Mickey on the extremity of the minute hand.
Near the bottom left of the highest peak of Thunder Mountain, there is a diagonally-turned Mickey head. It is slightly dis-colored from the rest of the peak and is very hard to see.
The Enchanted Tiki Rooms Hidden Mickeys
The wooden doors to the Tiki Room are elaborately carved with all sorts of designs. If you look carefully, you will see three perfect circles forming the head and ears of Mickey Mouse. They are in a few areas on the doors.
There is a hidden Mickey on Ilago’s first perch. It is just underneath the Tiki God carved on the front, with two red jewels as the ears.
“it’s a small world” Hidden Mickeys
In the Africa scene, look closely at the purple flowers on a vine at the elephant’s left side.
On the outside of the ride the nutcracker solider paintings have hidden Mickey’s.
At the end of the Africa room, on the elephants’ left side, there are purple vines with flowers. The leaves/flowers up and to the right are Mickey silhouettes.
In the Hawaiian section, there is a hidden Mickey. It is located on the swim trunks of the surfer. There is a purple shape of Mickey’s head at the top of the trunks.
Pirates of the Caribbean Hidden Mickeys
In the final scene of the ride, there are several lamps hanging on the walls and columns of the room displaying a flickering candle effect. The iron works at the bottom of all of these lamps are twisted to show the traditional Hidden Mickey. Best place to view is right before you make the left-hand turn to the unload dock, look to the column on your left. They are actually the smallest hidden Mickey in the park. There is one other one of the same size at Epcot. However, there is a smaller one at Animal Kingdom.
In the right queue when you are almost to the boats there is a metallic Mickey embedded in the floor in the pavement.
Right after you load onto the boats, you go straight ahead. Right before you make the first right turn, look straight ahead at the wall. It seems as if the entire center of the wall is carved with a giant tri-circle Mickey. The shadows make it hard to see, but also the shadows also help to form the Hidden Mickey. It is clearly visible just as your boat begins the ride before the first right hand turn. It is created from shadows as well as the wall itself.
In the pirate ship scene, right after the drop, in the background in back of the ship, there is a set of clouds that clearly resembles Mickey Mouse.
Magic Kingdom Hidden Mickeys
Pay close attention to the ring Walt is wearing on the Partners Statue, located in front of Cinderella’s Castle, for a surprise.
If you go to the Liberty Square Harbor House look carefully at the picture frames to spot a hidden Mickey.
As you get on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority look at the first dome that you go under. There is a hidden Mickey up on top. It is hard to see but it is there. Once you see it, you will never miss it again!
Look carefully in the clouds of the sign for Peter Pan’s flight to spot a hidden Mickey.
If you have a moment free while playing Buzzlightyear Space Ranger Spin, look at the console of your vehicle to spot a hidden Mickey.
Snow White’s Scary Adventures: In the queue mural, there is a Mickey on a pair of shorts hanging on the clothesline. Also 3 stones on the chimney of the Dwarf’s cottage form a Mickey.
Splash Mountain Hidden Mickeys
In the “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah” scene, you’ll recognize a famous shape lying on his back in the pink clouds to the right of the riverboat.
As you are approaching the area where you actually enter the lines, on the ground there are a bunch of cracks and on the left a set of cracks make a hidden Mickey.
In the architecture of Splash Mountain, if you look at it from directly in front of the big waterfall, the opening of the chute is in the shape of a Mickey head, rotated to the side 90 degrees.
There is a hidden Mickey formed by three bobbers from fishing gear. They have been placed on a little desk next to/behind Brer’ Frog where he is sitting on an alligator and fishing with his toe.
Look at the A pink cloud floating above Lady paddle wheeler in the final scene to see a lying down hidden Mickey.
Carousel of Progress Hidden Mickeys
In the second scene, look at the sink area to spot a hidden Mickey.
When mom is ironing, her shadow forms a hidden Mickey.
Look for a glass with Mickey Mouse ice cubes
In the final scene, watch the son’s video game. As the ship leaves port you will spot a hidden Mickey.
Country Bear Jamboree Hidden Mickeys
Above the main stage there is a hidden Mickey. There is a big circle and then there are little swirls that make up the ears.
When Henry (the host) has the raccoon hat on his head look at the shadow it gives for a hidden Mickey.
On the center stage if you look up you see a flower in the middle with a squirrel. The squirrel’s tail splits to form a hidden Mickey.
Haunted Mansion Hidden Mickeys
In the ballroom scene, check out the arrangement of a certain plate and adjoining saucers on the banquet table.
About half way through, there is a big spider on a web on the left side. He is wearing a red Mickey tie on his back. There are two spiders in the Mansion. The spider that has the Mickey tie on its back is the 2nd spider.
As your leaving the graveyard on your right is the fat lady singing. Right next to that is a tomb with a grim reaper ghost. The ghost is holding up his left arm. In that hand he is holding a Mickey head.
Mickey’s PhilharMagic Hidden Mickeys
Look to the right of the stage at the French horn picture to spot a hidden Mickey.
Space Mountain Hidden Mickeys
Every third window of stars while you wait in line has a Mickey constellation.
During one of the news reports in the video shown in the queue area, a satellite comes toward the camera and it is a three-dimensional, fully-detailed Mickey head.
You can see a Hidden Mickey from either of the loading bays or the Tomorrowland Transit Authority. Look for the big meteor, followed by a comet, then followed by the three “chocolate chip cookie” looking meteors that spin and briefly form a Mickey head when they meet for a short second.
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