And the hunt begins...

I'm not sure how many of you are familiar with the concept of a Hidden Mickey, but let me tell you about it...

Hidden Mickeys started out as inside jokes among the Walt Disney Imagineers. A Hidden Mickey is an image of Mickey Mouse concealed in the design of a Disney attraction (ride, resort, etc...). Originally, it took the shape of a head and ears silhouette, (look familiar?) i.e. one large circle with two smaller circled on top in the appropriate place, but Hidden Mickeys can take on many forms. There are literally hundreds of Hidden Mickey's (HM's) throughout the Walt Disney World Resort... and today I went on a hunt for some of them.

Yesterday, while at the Animal Kingdom, I saw an HM on the ground in the village of Harambe... this was it... see what I mean?


Having seen that one, I decided to go on a hunt for more... I'll more than likely add them to the blog from time to time... but here are the ones that I found today...
If you look at the cluster of circles on the right hand side of the vine... a blue circle on the bottom, with two smaller yellow circles above it, you've seen the HM...

This one struck me as more of an Overt Mickey, but it's in the book... so it's now here for you viewing pleasure...

After the Overt Mickey, you've got the abstract Mickey... however, seeing as how this one sits on the mural in the Contemporary overlooking Chef Mickey's restaurant... perhaps one should view it as a Mickey with his chef's hat on... but that's just me...

This one truly is hidden... That's the mouse, sitting atop a maintenance building, behind the Contemporary, in an area only visable from backstage... sometimes it helps to be a Cast Member...


This is one that you wouldn't notice unless you stopped to see it... It's Mickey, sitting on top of his own head, perched above a classic Mickey head... it's kind of surreal...

This one doesn't get seen often, unless you have reservations for dinner at the California Grill in the Contemporary... again, sometimes it pays to be a Cast Member...

This is just one example of the HM's you'll find in the carpet throughout the resort... that mouse is everywhere...!

This could also fall into the category of an Overt Mickey... but it is one of the few times you'll see Mick designed as a stick figure... also, it's in the book, so it's on the blog...

This one is a special HM, as it's only seasonal... you'll find the golden mouse ears stamped eight times into the gingerbread Christmas tree on the grand concourse of the Contemporary Resort...

This is one of my favorites (so far)... it's probably the largest HM on property, and is only visible from a birds eye view... a view which took me almost an hour to achieve. I finally was able to ride a service elevator to a private club, where a very nice CM let me out on the balcony to take the picture... I've said it before, I'll say it again... sometimes it pays to be a Cast Member... for those of you who hadn't noticed... it's a giant Mickey Mouse watch...

That's all I've got for now... but I'll continue to add more as they come. If you're planning on taking your own trip to WDW, and want to condut your own Hidden Mickey hunt... I would recommend picking up this book...

An invaluable resource for the Disney guest on the hunt for the Mouse incognito... but be sure to get the 4th edition... it has some updated clues...

That's it for now...

Keep on Reading,
TheCanadian

Today was awesome (I'm sure I'll have a bad day eventually)... got my car insurance, my parking pass (a source of great consternation since before I even left home) and I did the first of many HM hunts...
4.5 out of 5 Corporate Logos

On This Day in Disney History:
December 20th, 1971:
Roy O. Disney, (one of) Walt's older brothers, business partner, and co-founder of The Walt Disney Company, passes away at the age of 78 of a cerebral hemorrhage in Burbank, California. Roy served as the company's chief executive officer (1929–1971) and president (1945–1971). While Walt was the creative man, Roy was the one who made sure the company was financially stable - and it was Roy who made sure Walt Disney World was built. With both Disney brothers gone, the board of directors for the first time will have to turn outside the Disney family for leadership. Donn Tatum will become chairman and Card Walker president of Walt Disney Productions, both of whom were personally hired by Walt to work for the company. It's also worth mentioning that December 15th (five days ago, and I day that I didn't blog due to my schedule not permitting it) marked the forty third anniversary of Walt Disney's passing. Two truly great brothers that both changed the face of the entertainment industry forever...