Hidden Mickey hunting is a wildly popular activity among Disney fans. Although numerous guides exist, including Steven Barrett’s excellent books and website, no one really knows for sure where all of them are. If you have never heard the term, a Hidden Mickey is a depiction of Mickey Mouse (often just the three circles, but sometimes a profile or full body) or another character that is hidden in plain sight. While obvious Mickeys, often called décor Mickeys, don’t count, anything that is not readily apparent does. Hidden Mickey hunting can be addictive, and people sometimes find themselves running into walls trying to find a particularly good one.
Everyone has his or her favorite Hidden Mickeys, and the topic can be a source of much spirited debate between fans. I chose my favorites based on their unusual nature, difficulty to find, and overall coolness. Interestingly, 4 of my top 5 are located in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, which is not even my favorite park! However, I think that park does a masterful job of concealing Hidden Mickeys in creative and dynamic ways. Rounding out my favorites is Animal Kingdom’s stunning collection of tiny Hidden Mickeys that take some real effort to find. What do you think? Did I leave out one of your favorites?
1. Mortimer & Co. at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
I particularly love Hidden Mickeys that don’t follow the traditional rules. At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, people walk all over one of my favorites without ever noticing its existence. Check the sidewalk at the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard. Stamped into the concrete is a Mortimer & Co., 1928, Contractors label.
Of course, Mortimer was Walt Disney’s original name for the mouse that would become Mickey. As the story goes, Walt’s wife, Lillian, strongly disliked the name. It was her suggestion to change the name to Mickey. The character was born in 1928.
References to Mortimer are hard to find at Walt Disney World, and I love how subtle this one is. The type of stamp and date fit perfectly into the overall theming of the area, so your eye is never particularly drawn to it. Yet once you see it, you realize just how devious the Imagineers can be in placing Hidden Mickeys right in front of your face.
2. Gangster poster at The Great Movie Ride
The Great Movie Ride, at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, is home to two of my top Hidden Mickeys of all time. The first comes in the Gangster set. As your ride vehicle rounds the corner onto the set, your eyes will naturally be drawn to the action taking place on your right. To your left is a collection of old movie posters, handbills, wanted posters, and other set dressing. At first glance, it just looks like some great theming, filling in the wall with things that make sense to the setting rather than leaving it blank.
Take a moment to study the posters, particularly the big one that advertises the James Cagney film, Public Enemy. At the very bottom left corner of the poster, Mickey’s feet and tail are peeking out beneath.
This is another great example of the attention to detail for which the Imagineers are famous. A full Mickey would be jarringly out of place in these dark and dangerous streets, but a mouse could easily get up behind a poster. On a more meta level, this Mickey seems to be hiding from the imminent shootout, adding a whole new meaning to the term, Hidden Mickey.
3. Mickey and Donald Raiders of the Lost Ark at the Great Movie Ride
Also on the Great Movie Ride is, in my opinion, one of the best-integrated Hidden Mickeys of all time. The Raiders of the Lost Ark scene is filled with impressively detailed hieroglyphics. Again, the action takes place to your right, but you’ll want to keep your eyes focused to the left. At the very end of that room, look three blocks up from the floor. You’ll see a seated Mickey Mouse facing a Donald dressed in servant’s garb.
The characterization in this one is brilliant. Although both Mickey and Donald are seen in full-body depictions, they blend absolutely seamlessly with the overall theming. This is a very tough one to spot, but once you see it, you will never forget it.
4. Original Disney-MGM Studios map
Easily the biggest hidden Mickey ever created, the entire Disney-MGM Studios was originally built in the shape of an upside-down Mickey head, complete with a relatively detailed face. As the park expanded and became Disney’s Hollywood Studios, portions of the original Mickey were lost. You can still see where it was, however, by turning your current guide map upside down. Ignoring Sunset Boulevard, which was a later addition, and the Streets of America, which were once accessible only as part of the Backstage Studio Tour, you can get a good impression of how the park once looked.
5. Rafiki’s Planet Watch mural
The only non-Hollywood Studios Hidden Mickey to make my list, Animal Kingdom’s stunning mural is easily one of the best. Located at the front entrance to Rafiki’s Planet Watch (formerly Conservation Station), the brightly colored mural features more than 600 animals and dozens of Hidden Mickeys. What makes these Mickeys so cool is that they are found in the tiny details—in an animal’s eyes or as part of the coloring on a butterfly’s wings.
I could easily spend hours here, searching for these miniature and tremendously well hidden Mickeys. Just keep in mind that this area is only accessible by train, so if you have later plans elsewhere in Animal Kingdom, be sure to leave plenty of time to stand in line and take the ride.
