Have you ever seen a shape that looks like it could be a Mickey Mouse silhouette hidden in picture, ride que, or anywhere else on Disney property? Then you have found a Hidden Mickey! They say that when they were building EPCOT in the 1970’s, the idea was to make it a more adult park. They were not going to have actual characters in the park. EPCOT would be selling alcohol, and it was decided that the beloved characters and alcohol were not a good combination. The Imagineers working on EPCOT had a different idea. They decided to incorporate images of Mickey Mouse in a different way. They hid his silhouette in many different design elements throughout the park. Years later, they did decide to bring characters into the park, but by that point the Hidden Mickeys were well established at EPCOT, and throughout all the Disney Properties.
There is no “official” catalog by Disney that has all of the Hidden Mickeys. In fact, Disney has never officially acknowledged that they are there on purpose. Of course, if you look online, there are several published “unofficial” guides that you can purchase, or websites you can use to guide you to finding them.
So, how do you know if you have spotted one? There is some debate to this question. Some people believe that it is anything that is three circular shapes, one in the center, and two above where the ears would be. Some people believe that they are only a real Hidden Mickey if the center circle is larger, and the two circles for the ears are smaller. That leaves room to debate how many there actually are, and if what you are seeing is a purposeful Hidden Mickey, or a coincidence. But as for it being a “real” Hidden Mickey, that is up to you, since Disney does not officially confirm or deny their existence!
Are you wondering where you can find Hidden Mickeys? The short answer is: everywhere! Ride ques and the rides themselves are rich with Hidden Mickeys! They can also be found in the displays in the stores, in the décor of the hotels, in the restaurants in the parks and at Disney Springs! You will be surprised in how many places you can find them once you start looking for them!
I have tried to take pictures of all the ones I find, but I can’t always get my camera ready fast enough! In a way, I like it better that way! Since Disney doesn’t have an official listing of them 
with pictures, I feel like I am following in their footsteps by not documenting them! But, once you start looking for them, you will see that they are everywhere! It helps relive the Disney magic no matter where you are! My daughter pointed out a Hidden Mickey in her cereal one morning! Hearing my kids excited exclamation when they see a Hidden Mickey when we are not at Disney brings a smile to my face, and keeps the Disney Magic alive every day!
Kristin@mysticaldreamtravel.com
