Imagineers are well known for all the “details” they add to the attractions at their Disney Parks.
Whether it’s a tip of the hat to films, such as this silhouette of Roger Rabbit found over 50′s Prime Time Cafe…
…or a nod to an extinct attraction such as those pictures in the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh of Mr. Toad passing a Deed to Owl and Mole tipping his hat to Pooh. Imagineers have always taken that extra step to put a smile on the “observant” guest’s face. However, this isn’t the only game they play.
For years Imagineers have been playing hide and seek in another way.
And what is their hidden object of choice you ask? Why, Mickey, of course. When Epcot Center opened in 1982, it was void of any classic characters. The only exception was the simple tri-circle Mickey silhouette found on man hole covers or survey markers. Surely there had to be more then that, right? Well, to answer this you first had to know where to look. Hidden Mickey’s aren’t really hidden at all. They are actually right out in the open. Anyone can find them, but only if you pay attention.
Remember that giant wall mural over the queue of the Maelstrom attraction in the Norway Pavilion? Look all the way to the far left and you’ll see a viking ship. Now, I may be wrong, but last time I researched viking history I didn’t recall seeing any vikings wearing Mickey ears.
Of course Imagineers wouldn’t do this exclusively for the Epcot park. In the Magic Kingdom, Snow White and her Seven Dwarfs greeted guests into their attraction while standing in front of their little cottage. Look close, they were quite the stone masons weren’t they? And while preparing to save the galaxy at Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, we rather liked the profile of one of the planets. Let’s not forget those interesting bends found on the music stands of Mickey’s Philharmagic.
Lets travel to Animal Kingdom.
Look to the right over the waterfall after exiting It’s Tough to be a Bug to find a carving of an orangutan. Just to it’s right is a knot formation that I believe is a Hidden Mickey head(help me out imagineers). Walking through the Maharajah Jungle Trek, I always knew something had to be hidden in the painted wall murals. I was right! Look closely at the archer’s ear ring and the leaf in the upper left hand corner of the second painting. Success!
Now let’s venture over to some resorts. The Wilderness Lodge boasts no fewer then 14 hidden Mickey’s. In the Lobby of the Beach Club Villas are a few turn of the century paintings that have some hidden objects of there own.
My final exploration for today is at Animal Kingdom Lodge’s Kidani Village. There are many decorative Hidden Mickey’s such as the ones in the pattern of the carpet of the hallway and bedroom floors. There are even some well place obvious Mickey’s such as the one pictured to the left at the entrance to Sanaa. However, My favorite Hidden Mickey that I found on my last vacation was discovered while walking inside one evening from the animal viewing platform. As you open the door, you face the stone wall of the stairwell leading down from the main lobby. In the right lighting, with the right shadows I found a perfectly placed Hidden Mickey right at eye level that was invisible during the daylight.
Incredible!
I hope you enjoyed our little trip into the world of Hidden Mickey’s. The pictures I shared today represent just a handful of the thousands of Hidden Mickey’s that Imagineers have seamlessly placed throughout the property of Walt Disney World. Ready to go find a few of your own?
Happy Hunting!
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