Exactly what is a concealed Mickey? How can a five-foot person in a Mickey Mouse costume be hidden, and in so many places and where are they anyway? Are any hidden on my Disneyland tickets? How about in my hotel room, my car?
Well, as if Walt Disney and his Imagineers didn't offer us enough to take a look at when we visit their fantastic parks, they likewise had a little joke running.
Hidden Mickey's were suggested to be just that, concealed. They were initially positioned in specific attractions and rides by the Imagineers so they might show their family and friends that they in fact did work on that attraction. It became their little secret, a sort of signature only to shared with a select few.
Still baffled regarding what a Hidden Mickey is?
To make things a little more intriguing, there are two primary types of Hidden Mickey's. The very first type, and the original, is the most obvious, and includes 3 circles, one big circle with 2 smaller circles placed above and to either side of the bigger circle to provide the well-known Mickey Mouse silhouette.
The 2nd kind of Hidden Mickey is somewhat harder to see, taking the kind of a side profile of the Mouse. Think side profile of Hitchcock at the start of his motion pictures and you will get the idea.
So where are these Hidden Mickey's hidden anyway?
Well this is the fun part. You need to find them yourself. If you have never gone to any of the Disney parks then we are sure that when you do make your very first trip the last thing you will be considering are Hidden Mickey's, but, if like us you have visited several times, you can think about the Hidden Mickey's as a new challenge, something else to do besides standing in line. Many lines have Hidden Mickey's stratigically placed, some are well hidden, others are in plane sight.
There are books out there to assist you, all unofficial of course. Maybe you've seen guests running around with these books, or looking intensely on an attraction instead of straight ahead. These people are most likely looking for a Hidden Mickey, it might even be us! Some individuals devote a whole day just to looking for Hidden Mickey's. It is excellent fun!!
Want to understand where to start?
Well first off, if it isn't concealed then it isn't really a Hidden Mickey. For instance a Mickey shaped ice cream of cookies are not Hidden Mickey's. And not every set of three circular items are Hidden Mickey's, like random oranges in a fruit bowl. They are simply random oranges in a fruit bowl. Likewise, if it is really difficult to make-out such that you have to tilt your head to one side and squint with both eyes to see it, then it's probably not a Hidden Mickey.
Always remember that Hidden Mickey's can be made of anything and show up anywhere. An good example of this is at California Adventure's new Guardians of the Galaxy — Mission: Breakout! facade where there's a Hidden Mickey placed on the Fortress glimmering machinery.
POPSUGAR - Photo by / Kyle Hartman
Have a look next time you are in the parks, or if you see someone is looking intensely at some strange spot in a ride line, inquire if it's a Hidden Mickey. Guests will share it, and that's exactly what Disney is about, having fun.
Wish to see more concealed Mickeys and where there are? HiddenMickeyGuy.com is a good place to start.
There are many books and websites out there to help you, all unofficial of course but and certainly not hidden!