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Wow, I hope you took a shower after those two!

Someone has already proposed a Wheel for Orlando and that never saw the light of day either! Some investors must be getting smart.

I think Kentucky Kingdom holds the most if any promise. It did reopen as Freestyle and failed again. That makes four failures in Myrtle Beach area. How many does it take before they figure out it isn't a good idea? Spend even more money? It didn't work for $400 million the first time, it didn't work the second time around for $25 million. What makes you think that throwing more money at the park will work? If this park had any potential then one of the major park operators would have stepped in by now and got this park for next to nothing. Heck, it should tell you something that one of the chains hasn't stepped into to buy the park so they could move the rides to other parks.

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.

I think this is more of a baby step. Approval means nothing with out the dollars to back it up. I don't see them coming up with financing to make this thing go.

One of these days I am going to have to book a Disney cruise!

^ 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.

I think TPR would have a blast at these parks but I think I will have to pass on going to the water park! Yikes, Robb in a bikini!

Good job on the report and I love the pictures! Makes me want to get back to Europe next year.

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.

I'm so jealous I only got to see the anchor from the bus and we walked right passed it to the day before!

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.

Nice pictures Hano and I like the theming too!

Nice to see what I missed by not comng in Friday morning!

After reading this, I'm going to lunch!

^ The Mona Lisa has a no picture taking sign. The statue was probably the Venus De Milo

Do you have any idea how many mini golf places you have been too?

I like how you say that This report will contain pictures of fat, ugly, and nerdy people and the first person you show is Amy! I see now why she is going with us to Australia and your not!

I fell over my handle bars on my bike and broke both arms when I was in the 6th grade. Broke both bones in my left and one in the right. Then when I was 35, I was at a school looking for my stolen bike and I tripped over the bike rack and broke a bone in my left arm again. I haven't had much luck with bikes!

This will never work. Vegas will never be family friendly.

The older they are, the more fun they seem to be having!!

I like these out of the way parks we don't get to see to much of.

I'm sure Elissa will put up the itinerary when we get closer to the trip and your more then welcome to meet up with the group. But I recommend that you come with a friend. Not to be rude but it is hard to fit into established groups. Remember, we will have been together for a few days already and started forming new friendships and renewing old ones. We don't normally hang out as one large group, we break up into a number of smaller groups when we are at the parks. Unless you have the right kind of personality it may be hard to fit into a group. I don't want to discourage you from showing up, I just want you to know what to expect and not be disappointed. Robb and Elissa are very approachable and friendly but don't be disappointed if they can't spend more then a moment chatting with you. You have to realize that they are working even when we are in a park. There are a number of behind the scene things that need to be done so that they can present the best trip possible for the people paying for the trip.

^Awesome!!

^ All three times I visited the park they checked the restraints. It would be interesting to see how big this guy was. I know when I rode it, I would have no problem staying in the car even if the restraints came open.