Photo TR: Hidden Mickey's of WDW

Last month I was able to connect a business conference in Orlando with a little vacation to Disney World. No family with me this time, the timing with work and school kept them home. I have been to the parks a number of times before so there was nothing I just really had to do. I had 4 days to explorer the parks and what better way than to search for Hidden Mickey’s!

They sell the books all over the place but why get the book when there is an app for it! In fact there are a number of apps but I downloaded the one that is based on the book you can buy at the park. The app is so much better than the book because it keeps track of the ones you find and you don’t have to lug around a book. Besides, you don’t look as nerdy looking at your phone all the time instead of the book.

The classic Hidden Mickey is the three circles but it can be anything from a full profile, to parts of his clothes or any Disney character for that matter. It is something Disney that you wouldn’t normally expect to find!

A few disclaimers, finding Hidden Mickey’s is like counting coasters. Not everyone agrees as to what makes up a Hidden Mickey. The purest thinks the head and ears must be touching, proper position and proportions. Disney is at the other extreme saying that if you think it is a Hidden Mickey then it is! I kind of fall somewhere in between those two. I think that as long as there is intent it is a Hidden Mickey. I kind of divide them up into three groups, true Hidden Mickey’s, decorative Hidden Mickey’s and skeptical. There will be examples of all three.

One more thing, opinions and discussions are great but do not get into an argument over what is and what isn’t Hidden Mickey. I didn’t write the app, I just searched out what they thought were Hidden Mickey’s. I didn’t agree with everything either as you will see and this was done all in fun.

On to the pictures.

First time staying here. I love the fact that when you stay in a Disney Resort, your room key is your park ticket and can be used to charge almost anything back to your room.

First Hidden Mickey on my bed .. not! Nice touch. Only bummer is that they used the towels from my bathroom so I had to take one of the ears for a hand towel.

My search for the first Hidden Mickey started here. The clue was that it was in the Toy Story area. I spent at least 5 minutes looking. I gave up and took this picture. When I looked at the picture later, I realized there were three in the picture.

See them now? I think of these as somewhere between a true Hidden Mickey and a decorative one.

Epcot Ball for Matt, Check! Monorail for Scott, Check! Not a Hidden Mickey in flowers, check!

Near the sign to Mission: Space you will find this one next to a drain cover There is supposed to be two in this collection of stones but I thought the other one was stretching it. Could be random placement but I think there was some intent here.

This one is in one of the blue strips that radiate from the entrance to Mission: Space.

On the wall of the gift shop as you exit the ride. On a side note, while you are on this side of the park, there is one in the Universe of Energy during the ride. It is only there for a fraction of a second and if you miss it you will have to waste another 45 minutes to reride.

Test Track has a number of them. Here are three I was able to photograph. This one is on a bench just before you get to the briefing rooms. A better view can be had from the regular queue. I was in the single rider line and had to shoot across.

Inside the briefing room for the single riders. I don’t think this is in the other rooms

Another in the same room.

This is my favorite one! It is in the Imageworks sign as you exit Journey into Imagination.

I wish I had a better picture of this one. This is the door to Club Cool and the door has to be open to see it. The proportion of the ears is off a little but I have to think the intent was there!

Here are a few that I think are Decorative Mickey’s and not true Hidden Mickey’s.

All the racks in the store had this pattern. If only one rack had this pattern and only one rack had the Mickey wing nut then I would say it was hidden. This is decorative in my opinion.

When you board the ride for Norway there are supposed to be two Hidden Mickey’s in this Mural.

Check!

In the folds of the right pocket of the cruise director. I don’t see it. Maybe someone else does. I think this is one of those that is stretching it.

One morning I was there for opening and this is the crowd heading for Soarin’. There are two in the preshow video. The guy that is told to remove the mouse ears and the kid next to him wearing the Grumpy shirt. Ears, decorative. Shirt maybe. On the ride itself the fireworks at the end make a Mickey!

When you are in the building for Soarin’, look up at the World. Classic Mickey upside down.

If you take the Living with the Land ride you can spot this one in the fish farming area!

In the Seas with Nemo and friends look for this wall painting. See it?

How about now?

Bubbles seem to be very popular!

Look closely for this one.

Hard to miss this one on the bottom of the aquarium.

They call this a Hidden Mickey. I call it decorative because you can find these around a number of different trees. I forget where in Epcot this was but I have seen them in Animal Kingdom too!

Germany behind the bell.

I crown thee Sir Hidden Mickey!

Hi Jeff & Matt! These aren’t listed as Hidden Mickey’s but a Topiary of Mickey and Donald in a German village I think makes them so.

Cheap figures of Buzz and Woody. Lame attempt here.

This is the real Hidden Mickey in the Exhibit. The bush needs to be trimmed but it is a classic Mickey. It is upside down. The picture was taken from the walkway that goes through the middle and the bush is to the left of the village.

Jolly, Jolly, Jolly. Hi Lou! I end this segment with one from England. More to come later.

Edited June 6, 2011 by gisco

Very cool!

 

I've never really been into the 'hidden mickey's' thing, but it's certainly interesting to see!

Great idea for a trip report! Just another reason why this place is so amazing, no matter how many times you visit there is always something new to see.

This is pretty awesome Bob. My brother-in-law has the book of Hidden Mickey's for Disneyland and I love going there with him because we are nerds and actually have a great time looking for these. It's awesome to see the ones from Walt Disney World. Did you enjoy looking for these or was this just "time to kill" while you were at the park?

 

Jimmy "Mr. Hoffman is awesome" Bo

I love Disney! I have a Visa card with Mickey on it that earns Disney dollars. So yeah, I had fun looking for Hidden Mickey's.

Great idea! I personally have always wanted to see all the Hidden Mickeys, but I haven't been to WDW in a while. I definitely will be following this TR.

Is that another Hidden Mickey on the railing above Rex's head?

Edited April 18, 2011 by larrygator

I've always been tempted to look deeper into the whole "Hidden Mickey" thing and seek 'em all out, but I always find myself getting lazy about it. It's much easier to sit back and watch someone else put together a great look at it like you have. And the monorail pic helped me smile on what's been a bad Monday thus far, so thanks for that!

 

EDIT: Also, unless they're referring to the three gray spots on her shirt pocket which loosely form an upside down Mickey, I don't see it either. Or, do they mean the right shirt pocket as we're looking at her, and not actually "her" right side?

^ They are refering to her right pocket above the clip board. I can kind of see a distorted face but I think people are just trying to see something that isn't there.

^Probably just a coffee stain.

Loving this! Have a hidden Mickey guide book, but unfortunately haven't really been able to take the time to hunt for them on the past few trips. There's so many it seems that it would take forever to find them all! It's a cool extra thing to do though when wandering the parks or waiting in line for a ride...

 

I also had trouble seeing the Mickey on the shirt in the Maelstrom mural. I think it's one ear on the flap of the pocket, one ear on the pocket itself and the face to the left. It's definitely pushing it...

Iffy

Even turned upside down, that's pushing it

^Yeah, I am not seeing that one at all.

My favorite "hidden" Mickey is in the movie Tron. I should say the first Tron movie.

Tron Hidden Mickey

I LOVE finding Hidden Mickey's....really such a fun part of being at the park.

 

Here are two that I was able to get photos of at my last WDW trip:

At Toy Story Mania....there is also a little one on the wall to your right in the loading area, right before you enter the attraction.

At the Canadian gift shop in EPCOT.....there is another in that land on the totum pole, but it was too high and too dark to get an image of it.

My favorite one is @ DL a that;s my local. I dont know the ride vehicles for pooh, but you guys might have these as well.

Its easy to see it, but it doesn't occur to tons of people since it's part of the ride car, but I love it.

More, Bob, more!

I love this report. I never would have noticed most of these. I'm a gemini and therefore easily distracted.

Matt, maybe tonight! I would have done it last night but I got tied up watching TV. I don't normally watch the Biggest Loser but they were in Queenstown, NZ and I was just there so I had to watch.

 

For the Mickey in the cruise directors shirt, here is where the book tells you to look. "To the left of the top of the clipboard, the creases in her white shirt form a side profile of Mickey's face. His face is slightly distorted and he is looking to your left" Anyone see it now? I still don't.

Okay, yeah, I think I see what they're saying. Still, that's a HUGE stretch.

I remember seeing a couple by Barnstormer a couple of years ago, and reading about 7 or 8 just at Splash Mountain in the book! Very awesome idea for a TR!

^ Splash Mountain has a number of them. One of the easiest to spot is when you see the river boat, one of the clouds looks like Mickey!

 

On to finish up Epcot!

Signs like this amuse me. Do you really need to be told where to take a picture from?

I can't belive there is a line for this and this was late in the day! There are a number of Hidden Mickey's on the ride, maybe that is what they are all in line for!

American pavillion, upstairs before you enter the theater.

Ever watch these guys? You can actually see parts of three Mickey's!

#1

#2 and #3 is a little hard to see

#3

A little differant angle

My lone China Mickey!

You can tell this a a well looked for Mickey in Japan! It can be found on the far right side of the pavillion by a little walkway in a bush.

Koi pond.

Mickey in koi pond!

This one looks a little funny because the top of the bamboo is gone. The other ear is to the right on the proportion of the ears is off because of the angle of the picture. Like my shoe?

In the back of Morocco this wall painting can be found with three Mickey's!

#1

#2

and witty caption #3! This one was actually easier to see in this picture then it was looking at the painting.

Now we are in France. See the Mickey? Give up? The French do all the time! Hard to get high enough to get a good picture.

My last one for Epcot found on a building in the France Pavillion.

This report is fascinating! I've always been impressed with how meticulous Disney is with thinking out...well, everything, but this is really hammering that home.

 

Also, I think this is what they were going for in Norway...?

I believe this fits all the parameters the book laid out

And the original to compare

^ This Hidden Mickey is still quite a stretch for me. On first glance it looked more like a side profile of Donald with his hat on.

^^I think Mickey's head goes all the way to her arm and you can see a second eye maybe? I still think this one is stretching it a bit.