How to Find a Hidden Mickey?
Throughout Disney Parks and movies, Hidden Mickey’s appear in some crazy places. Not all Hidden Mickey’s are the same. A Hidden Mickey is a representation of Mickey Mouse that has been inserted subtly into the design of a ride, attraction, or other location in a Disney theme park, feature-length movie, TV series, or really any other Disney product. Hidden Mickey’s can be included by Imagineers or movie teams intentionally. They can also be found by people within natural parts of their work without any intent!
History of the Hidden Mickey
There is no exact date that a Hidden Mickey’s were created. During the creation of EPCOT at Walt Disney World, Imagineers started to intentionally use Hidden Mickey’s to put Mickey Mouse in a park that otherwise did not have much Disney character representation. This allowed them to put Mickey heads on places that otherwise might not have them! This included railings, columns, garbage cans, or anything else you can come up with! Some of these are less so much “hidden” as they are just not a common place to see the iconic 3 circles that make up Mickey Mouse’s head. Other Mickey Mouse heads are very hidden and require a trained eye to find them.
Hidden Mickey's today
The Hidden Mickey phenomenon has exploded in recent years as fandom in the parks has grown. People are looking for, and finding, Hidden Mickey’s everywhere. Currently, more than 1,000 different Hidden Mickey’s have been recorded by different fans. Of course, Disney and the Imagineers will sometimes allude to the Mickey, but they have never compiled a complete list and often times allow fans to find these on their own! My logo for The Disney Maven is a Hidden Mickey! There are also some much more complex Hidden Mickey’s that have existed, including the courtyard at Disney’s Hollywood Studio’s at Walt Disney World, seen below. Can you see the Mickey Mouse head?!
There are a lot of books that document these Hidden Mickey’s even! One of the most famous is by the self described Hidden Mickey Guy, Steven Barrett. His guides highlight how you, or your kids, can find all the different Hidden Mickeys on your next trip to a theme park! As for Disney Movies, there have been a ton documented, included by the team at Oh My Disney in this article! How many of these did you see while watching these movies?!
Hidden Mickey's away from Disney
When not in a Disney Park or watching a Disney Movie, you can still find a Hidden Mickey! Of course these Hidden Mickey’s are either planned by us, or are naturally occurring, but Disney fan’s always keep an eye out for these! You might find one in your breakfast, on a walk, or in the decor of your favorite store! Have you found any Hidden Mickey’s like the ones I have come across below?!
