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A Hidden Mickey in the Morocco pavilion at Epcot

A souvenir shotglass for Disney World. Here, the "Hidden Mickey" is in the oranges.

A Hidden Mickey is a representation of Mickey Mouse that has been inserted subtly into the design of rides, attractions, and other locations in Disney theme parks and elsewhere on Disney properties. The most common Hidden Mickey is a formation of three circles that may be perceived as the silhouette of the head and ears of Mickey Mouse, often referred to by Disney aficionados as a "classic Mickey." Over time, the term Hidden Mickey has come to refer to a range of possibilities from a more complete representation of Mickey Mouse (such as Mickey mixed in with a crowd or in the background), or a representation of another character (such as the huge hidden Jafar at the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail in Africa in the Animal Kingdom). Hidden Mickeys are found in various Disney media, such as animated films, TV series, or the Disney theme parks.^[1] Mickeys may be painted, made up of objects (such as rocks, or three plates on a table), or be references such as someone wearing Mickey Mouse Club ears in a painting. Hidden Mickeys can take on many sizes and forms.

Hidden Mickeys are slipped into animation cels in many Disney animated classics, hidden in architecture and attractions in Disney parks and resorts, and studio buildings and many other Disney related features.

[edit] History

Hidden Mickeys started out as inside jokes among the Walt Disney Imagineers. The first published sighting of a Hidden Mickey was made by Arlen Miller, who wrote an article on Hidden Mickeys for WDW's Eyes and Ears (a Cast Member weekly publication) in 1989. The article listed Hidden Mickeys found in the Disney theme parks. Months later the author was contacted by Disney News for more information, and the resulting article made the news of Hidden Mickeys spread worldwide.^[2]

[edit] A "Real" Hidden Mickey

A true Hidden Mickey is one that is not meant to be seen immediately, and is usually placed purposefully by a Disney Imagineer or artist in a context that would not normally contain Mickey Mouse. When the shape of Mickey Mouse is used as an obvious part of the design, such as Mickey ears on the top of lampposts, it is considered decorative and sometimes referred to as a "decor Mickey." Additionally, formations of the iconic head and ears have been spotted in nature or even on animals, but they are also not Hidden Mickeys. The general rule is: "Not associated with Disney, not a Hidden Mickey."^[2]

[edit] Locations

Although approximately 600 Hidden Mickeys have been recorded,^[1] the Walt Disney Company has never compiled a complete list of all the "known" or "deliberate" Mickeys (whether created by an Imagineer or a Disney Cast Member), so there is no way to confirm or disprove every single Mickey sighting.^[2] However, various websites and books list locations of Hidden Mickeys, and usually allow Disney fans to add, dispute, and/or prove the existence of such sightings.

[edit] Books

The Hidden Mickey phenomenon has been documented in a series of guidebooks by Steven M. Barrett. Each book is arranged as a scavenger hunt, providing clues and hints to the locations of Hidden Mickeys in the various Disney parks and cruise ships; a scoring system allows groups of people to compete in the hunt. The first book, covering the Hidden Mickeys in Walt Disney World in Florida, was published in 2003. There are currently three books in the series.

• Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide To Walt Disney World’s Best Kept Secrets, 4th edition (ISBN 978-1887140843)
• Disneyland’s Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide To Disneyland Resort’s Best Kept Secrets, 2nd edition (ISBN 978-1887140850)
• Hidden Mickeys Go To Sea: A Field Guide to the Disney Cruise Line’s Best Kept Secrets, 1st edition (ISBN 978-1887140898)

[edit] Novel

Hidden Mickey is the title of an action-adventure novel about Walt Disney and Disneyland, by American authors Nancy Temple Rodrigue and David W. Smith. In the book, the heroes—and the reader—must uncover cryptic clues left behind by Walt Disney.

[edit] See also

• Happiest Homecoming on Earth
• Don Rosa's Hidden Mickeys

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• FindingMickey.com - Hidden Mickeys & Details of Disneyland Resort, Anaheim CA
• Hidden Mickeys Guide, site of author Steven M. Barrett
• HiddenMickeys.org
• HiddenMickey.com The Art of Being a Hidden Mickey
• HiddenMickeyBook.com - Hidden Mickey, the action adventure novel about Walt Disney and Disneyland
• TheHiddenMickeys.com - One Family's Hidden Mickey Finds