Hidden Mickeys – How Many Can You Find?

Walt Disney once said, “I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing: that it was all started by a mouse.”

So, it is no surprise that when you are visiting the parks, whether it is at Walt Disney World or Disneyland or one of the many resorts, you are in fact surrounded by all things Mickey. The thing that makes it the most fun is sometimes you might not even realize it!

Why? Because there are Hidden Mickeys everywhere!

It is known that Disney has a certain way of adding a unique touch to everything they do to make your experience memorable. One of the ways they do this is by incorporating Hidden Mickeys into their rides, buildings, paintings, architecture, and even landscape.

Hidden Mickeys are thought to have been started as an “inside joke” between the Disney Imagineers. There is a rumor that as Imagineers were designing Epcot in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, management felt that characters, such as Mickey and Minnie, only belonged in the Magic Kingdom.

However, the Imagineers did not see it that way, so they would slip renderings of Mickey into the design of the park, and boom! Hidden Mickeys were born.

They got to be so popular among guests that they are encouraged to be incorporated into the construction of new designs, rides, and resorts even to this day.

Hidden Mickeys can be described as simply being a rendering of Mickey that can be found in the design of the park, ride or maybe it is within something, such as tiles on the floor as shown here.

Sometimes Hidden Mickeys are easy to spot. The easiest way to spot one is by looking for a three-circle shape in the shape of Mickey Mouse.

Others are more subtle, and these are the ones that guests usually enjoy trying to find. Hidden Mickeys have become so popular that there are websites and books devoted only to Hidden Mickeys and where they can be found on Disney property.

Land is not the only place where Hidden Mickeys can be found. They can also be found at sea on Disney Cruise Line ships. How much fun is that?! Hidden Mickeys can be found everywhere on the ships and their own private island, Castaway Cay.

Hidden Mickeys can also be found in the animated films, by simply making a reference to Mickey or Disney itself. It is probably most understood as spotting an “Easter Egg”.

For example, I spotted one in Frozen 2 right in the very beginning. Do you know which scene I am referring to? Though I cannot say whether it is “official,” it is believed that every animated film since Snow White has a Hidden Mickey in it.

Do you make it a game to find Hidden Mickeys at Disney? What Hidden Mickeys have you spotted? Tell me all about them in the comments below or share on Kenny the Pirate’s facebook page!

Maggie Baltz