Notice anything unusual about those bundles of nerves that you see up there on the "Body Wars" sign?
Photo courtesy of Jeff Lange
Does anything (or should I say anyone) look familiar?
Yep. That's Mickey Mouse. Right in the center of the above photo. Directly above the blue vein in the middle of that gross green ganglia.
Over the past 25 years, the Imagineers have literally scattered hundreds of these "Hidden Mickeys" around the Walt Disney World Resort. Some of them are fairly obvious (Take -- for example -- those three gears that are grouped together behind the "G" in the "Mouse Gear" sign below) ...
... While others are just downright obscure. Take a gander at the photo below. Which shows a painting of a Viking longboat that's used to help decorate the pre-boarding area of Epcot's "Maelstrom" attraction. If you look closely at that image, you'll notice that one of the Vikings in this longboat is actually wearing a pair of Mickey Mouse Ears.
And then there are the "Hidden Mickeys" that are just impossible to find. Take -- for example -- the one that hides in plain sight (Or should I say "plane sight" ? Given that the only way that you're ever going to see this particular "Hidden Mickey" is if you flew over that theme park in an airplane) right at the heart of Disney-MGM Studios.
You could make yourself crazy looking for these things during your next WDW vacation. Or you could take the easy way out and just pick up a copy of Steve M. Barrett's "Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide to Walt Disney World's Best Kept Secrets" (The Intrepid Traveler, June 2007).
Now in its 3rd edition, this 220-page paperback takes all of the guesswork out of hunting for "Hidden Mickeys." Mr. Barrett tells you where to look (And -- in some cases -- where exactly to stand) in order to catch a glimpse of that most elusive Mouse.
Copyright 2007 The Intrepid Traveler. All Rights Reserved
Of course, for those of you who are still up for the challenge of the hunt, Steve has put together six different "Hidden Mickey" -themed scavenger hunts. Which will then send you and your family members racing through all four of WDW's theme parks (not to mention the hotels, shops and water parks that are located on property) in search of that familiar trio of circles.
To his credit, Mr. Barrett does make a point of playing fair. His directions are deliberately clear and concise. Take -- for example -- this clue for a "Hidden Mickey" that's located in the queue area for Disney's Animal Kingdom's newest thrill ride, "Expedition Everest: Legend of the Forbidden Mountain." Which tells the guide's reader to ...
"Look for a Hidden Mickey made of light-switch devices in a display."
Sure enough, in the Standby line for this DAK attraction, in the "Tashi's Trek and Tongba Shop" portion of the queue, if you check out the glass display on the left ...
... you will in fact see a set of light-switch devices that do actually form that very familiar "Hidden Mickey" shape.
Best of all, given that this paperback was deliberately designed to fit comfortably in your back pocket, it's easy to take Steven Barrett's "Hidden Mickeys" book along with you as you wander through the four WDW theme parks. So that you can then use this best seller to help pass the time and/or entertain your family as you stand there waiting in line for your next ride, show or attraction.
Okay. So "Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide to Walt Disney World's Best Kept Secrets" ain't exactly great literature. What it is is a fun little paperback that takes a lot of the mystery & the misery out of hunting for these most-elusive mice. And for that fact alone, Steven M. Barrett's "Hidden Mickeys" is worth its $11.95 price tag.
So the next time you're headed down to Disney World, be sure and pick up a copy of Barrett's book. For the third edition of "Hidden Mickeys" really will make a trip to the theme parks seem three times as fun.
Your thoughts?
The book is a lot of fun. I highly recommend it to fellow cast members looking for new stuff to talk to guests about or for something extra to do on your day off. At World of Disney in Orlando we took twenty minutes after closing one night to search the store and were surprised how many were hiding in the murals.
I can't believe you'd make another article about Ratatouille's box office! I mean, come on, you'd have to... oh wait, I'm a day late. My bad.
This does look cool. Shame it's only for Disney World, as I'm heading to Disneyland later this month. I'll keep my eye out for them, though.
When I went to go see the American Adventure this past June, there was this family behind me that kept loudly pointing out Hidden Mickeys from the second edition of this book. They also took off their shoes and put their feet up at the backs of the chairs on either side of me. Which was gross. But ever since that incident, I vowed never to pick up one of these books. I prefer to find them on my own anyway, without deliberately looking for them.
I'm sure their probably is.... but is their a hidden mickey book for Disneyland?
Pardon my ignorance. ;o)
I do love the hidden mickey!
Here at the Animal Kingdom Lodge is a nice little hidden treasure of WDW. . .The hidden Mickey Safari! There's a ton of Mickeys here at DAKL, you get a checklist and find as many as you can and win a prize. No spoilers from me though. Like Imagine said, that ruins the fun.
I wonder of he published the hidden mickey that I e-mailed to him and he confirmed. It's not on any Disney property. It's at Fairyland in Oakland CA. on the wall inside their Alice in Wonderland walk through. This hidden mickey is very special. It was painted by a man named Walt when he visited the park!