Photo Friday - an Adventureland hidden Mickey?

 

Time for another Photo Friday.

Once again, we return to shots from my January 2015 trip to Walt Disney World.  As regular readers of this blog know, I like to look for new hidden Mickeys.  I was walking through Adventureland near Pirates of the Caribbean, and glanced at the stage where the Jack Sparrow Pirate Tutorial takes place.  I happened to notice the coconuts on the left side of the stage were arranged in a way that could form a classic hidden Mickey.  It is best seen when on the stage.  So a snapped a few photos and I'll put it up for your thoughts.  Is this a hidden Mickey?  Post a comment and share your thoughts.

Photo Friday: Viva Donald!

For this week's Photo Friday, I thought I'd share a random shot from my most recent trip to Walt Disney World (January, 2015).  This is from the Grand Fiesta Tour attraction at the Mexico pavilion.  Every time I ride this attraction, I make sure to check on a well-known hidden Mickey, that is shown in this shot.  Can you see it?

Enjoy and Viva Donald!!

Photo Friday: Dinner anyone?

Welcome back foolish mortals for another Tip Tuesday!

Last Friday I had the honor of sitting down at a Haunted Mansion themed table as part of Master Gracey's ball during Mousekemeets.

So this week, I thought I'd share a photo from one of the real Haunted Mansion ballroom scenes - this one from Disneyland.

It never ceases to amaze me the level of detail the Imagineers put into all their work.  The level of authenticity and believability is second to none, and I'm still blown away by the Pepper's Ghost effect, even if it is developed more than 100 years ago.

Anyway, enjoy!

Photo Friday: Honoring those who served on this historic day 70 years ago

 

As we pause to remember those who gave their lives for freedom on this day 70 years ago, I wanted to share a few images from the National D-Day Memorial, which is located in Bedford, VA, about 30 minutes to the East of Roanoke.

Here the memorial pays tribute to the brave men and women who gave their lives during the D-Day invasion, particular the "Bedford Boys," who were part of the 29th Infantry Division.  The town of Bedford lost more soldiers by proportion on D-Day than any other location in the nation.  

So why am I sharing this on a Disney fan blog?  Perhaps this second image will give you a clue.

 

This is an aerial view of the National D-Day Memorial site.  Notice the rather large hidden Mickey at the heart of the memorial?  This was done quite intentionally.  That's because the password used by solders at some point leading up to the invasion was "Mickey Mouse," and so the memorial designers decided to include a tribute to Mickey in the memorial.

I should note that there is some debate as to how widely Mickey Mouse was used as a password.  It could have been used for only one meeting, or could have been used more widely than existing documentation can prove.  One thing is clear, there is a direct connection between Mickey Mouse and the D-Day invasion, no matter how large or small that connection may actually have been.

I also want to take this moment to express my personal thanks to all our men and women who have, currently are and will one day serve our nation in the armed forces.  You are true American heroes.  I also want to give thanks and remembrance to the late Herman Angell, my wife's grandfather, who bravely served on a radio ship during the D-Day invasion.  Hearing him tell the story of D-Day from the viewpoint of one who was there was fascinating and humbling.

We miss you Gramps.

Photo Friday: A "sweet" hidden Mickey

Welcome to another Photo Friday!

Can you spot the sweet hidden Mickey in this display at the Confectionary at the Magic Kingdom?  These hidden Mickey's can be found all throughout the Confectionary, though they're not really sweet - just decorations.

Enjoy!

Tip Tuesday: Some of the Hidden Mickey of Liberty Square

 

Hello again for another Tip Tuesday!

This week, we're moseying out of Frontierland and going next door into Liberty Square.  There are quite a few Hidden Mickeys to be found in this area of the Magic Kingdom, even though it's fairly small in comparison to the other lands.

The first Hidden Mickey I want to feature is shown above and it's perhaps my most favorite Hidden Mickey in the Magic Kingdom, if not in all of Walt Disney World.  This little gem can be found in plain sight on the ground in the walkway between the Columbia Harbor House and the entrance to the Haunted Mansion.  I especially like how the hoof prints have been carefully placed in coordination with the water cover to form our favorite mouse icon.

Speaking of the Haunted Mansion, there are a few Hidden Mickey's I want to show you, but before I do, don't forget about The Columbia Harbor House and the Hall of Presidents.  There are a few Hidden Mickeys you can discover.  Here's a hint for one in the Hall of Presidents preshow lobby. 
Our first President must have been a fan of the mouse - Mickey kept giving him a tip.

Now there's another very popular and well-known Hidden Mickey to be found inside the Haunted Mansion.  It seems Mickey is a popular dinner guest in the ballroom scene.  He can be found created by some carefully placed plates on the large dining table.  But that's not the only place where you can find a Hidden Mickey formed by plates.  The other is close by, but you'll need to keep a sharp eye out...

Here's a Hidden Mickey I found a few years ago.  As you enter the loading area for the Doom Buggies, look at the light fixtures mounted on the walls.  On each end is a small Hidden Mickey.  These are on each light, so there are a few opportunities to find this one!  This might be a DisneyDaddy exclusive!  I haven't heard anyone else talk about this one.

There are a few more Hidden Mickeys to be found among the living... and the dead... here in the Haunted Mansion, so as our ghost host would say, "look alive," and see how many you can find!

Tip Tuesday: Some of the Hidden Mickeys of Frontierland

I'm back!!!  It's been way too long since I had a post, but that was then and this is now.  So, without further adieu, let's continue our series highlighting some of the hidden Mickeys in the Magic Kingdom.

This week, let's mosey over to Frontierland for some great hidden Mickeys, both in attractions and beyond.

Let's start over at Splash Mountain where there are two (among many hidden Mickeys) that I'd like to share.

The first can be found while making an outside loop around the backside of Splash Mountain.  You'll see this still of Muskrat Moonshine on the right side.  Look above the "S" in Muskrat to see a small painted classic Mickey.  There's no doubt about this one!

Next, we plunge down the main drop and again return inside the mountain for the final scenes.  You'll see a riverboat with several characters (which were from an extinct attraction called America Sings, but I digress).  To the right of the boat, you'll see a cloud formation that looks like Mickey laying down with his snout pointing straight up.

Heading outside Splash Mountain, we next venture over to the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.  Like Splash Mountain, there are several Hidden Mickeys to be found both in the queue and on the attraction.  Here's one that you'll see on the right side just before you return to the load/unload area.

Now this is a possible hidden Mickey.  See those "feathers" on the rooster?  They're circular in shape and some of them come together to form what looks like a classic Mickey.  What do you think?  Hidden Mickey?  Yes or no?

Same story with our friend Mr. Pig here.  See that white area on his body?  It reminds me of the side-profile Hidden Mickey in Adventureland that I featured in a previous post.  Is this another Hidden Mickey?  You be the judge!

So there you go -- just a few of the many Hidden Mickeys to be found in the rough-and-tumble Frontierland.  See how many you can find?  Yee Haw!!!

Tip Tuesday: Some of the Hidden Mickeys of Main Street USA

 

Time for another Tip Tuesday!

A few weeks ago, I shared a few of my favorite hidden Mickeys from Adventureland in the Magic Kingdom.  This week, let's head to Main Street USA for a few more of my favorite hidden Mickeys.

Right off the bat, (seen above) is one of my all-time favorite hidden Mickeys in all of Walt Disney World - partly because it's a two-fer and because it's part of a tribute to Walt Disney.  This door can be found along the western side of Main Street outside the Emporium.  A tribute to every Disney Cast Member, this door includes two hidden Mickeys at the top and bottom.  I always make it a point every trip to stop by this door and say a silent thanks to Walt and to the countless Cast Members for creating the world I love and cherish.

Next up is an example of hidden Mickeys in plain sight.  This is a display window along Main Street from a few years back.  Notice the spilled bucket of Mickey-shaped antenna toppers?  There you go!  Hidden Mickeys can take any form.

Speaking of windows, there are hidden Mickey's to be found in several of the window displays along Main Street.  This display of Agrabah from Aladdin has a clever and hard-to-find Hidden Mickey tucked away in a small part of the left side of the city.  Look closely and see if you can see Mickey hiding in there!

Finally, many hidden Mickeys are up to interpretation.  Take this one for example.  While searching for photos of some of the hidden Mickeys mentioned above, I ran across this shot from the Main Street Confectionary.  See that tile mural in the back?  I wondered if Mickey might be hiding there and, sure enough, I saw something that might be considered a hidden Mickey.  It could just be me though.  What do you think?  Hidden Mickey?  Yes or no?

These are just a few of the many, many hidden Mickeys to be found along Main Street USA.  Hidden Mickeys come and go, so some of these might not be around anymore while new ones have popped up.  Another great place to search for hidden Mickeys is the Main Street Train Station.  There are quite a few there (I just don't have shots of them yet - perhaps on the next trip...).

Until next time - keep a sharp eye out - you never know when you might find our favorite mouse!

Tip Tuesday: Some of the Hidden Mickeys of Adventureland

 

Time again for another Tip Tuesday!

This week let's head over to Adventureland to share a few of my favorite Hidden Mickeys.  The first is one of my most favorite Hidden Mickeys in all of Walt Disney World - at the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse.  If you look carefully at the image above, you'll see a side profile Hidden Mickey on the large tree branch amidst the lichen.  It's just to the left of the wall.  This Mickey can be sometimes hard to find, especially if you're kind of being rushed along by other guests.  You have to look around to see it.  Once you know where it is, you can find it easily.  There are a couple of other Hidden Mickeys often seen here -- look for some interestingly arranged plates, or fruit placed to create the classic Mickey logo.

Another great Hidden Mickey can be found in the Jungle Cruise.  As you begin your journey, you'll come across three canoes on a beach.  Look carefully at the heads -- you'll recognize three well-known Disney characters.

Sometimes you really have to look carefully to find Hidden Mickeys.  Just as you come off Pirates of the Caribbean, as soon as you enter the gift shop (what a surprise - an attraction that empties out into a gift shop!), you'll see a set of scales with gold coins of different sizes on one side.  Look closely to see a few coins carefully placed to form a classic Hidden Mickey.

Speaking of Pirates, pay careful attention to the locks found in the queue -- they resemble a certain mouse.  Also as you round the corner to the final treasure scene, look carefully at the bottom of the lanterns to see Mickey dangling there.

There are plenty of other Hidden Mickeys to be found in Adventureland, so I don't want to point them all out for you.  Just keep your eyes open, you never know where you might see another one, and who knows?  Maybe you'll find a new one!  Mickey is popping up all the time.

Enjoy and happy Hidden Mickey hunting!

Tip Tuesday - some of the Hidden Mickeys of Tomorrowland

 

Time again for another Tip Tuesday!

This week, I'm starting a series of tips about hidden Mickeys at Walt Disney World.  If you're not sure what a hidden Mickey is, check out my post from May 2009 explaining what hidden Mickeys are.

I'm going to go from land to land throughout the parks, starting with the Magic Kingdom to showcase some of my favorite places to find hidden Mickeys.  I won't share photos of every single one, because I want you to find them for yourself and, to be honest, some are very hard to capture.

But let's start with an easy one (seen above).  As you're walking through the queue of Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, you'll come across this obvious side profile hidden Mickey depicted in an image of the planet Pollost Prime.  There are a couple of instances of this hidden Mickey.  But Pollost Prime isn't the only planet featuring a hidden Mickey, see if you can find the other one.

Coming out of Buzz, see if you can spot a hidden Stitch and another hidden Mickey.

 

Another great place to find hidden Mickeys is on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority.  During one of the interior show scenes, you'll come across this woman in a beauty parlor.  Pay close attention to her belt and you'll see a rather familiar black icon.  This one's very hard to shoot, so be ready!

While you're on the TTA, you'll pass through the upper portion of the shop, Mickey's Star Traders.  Look quickly because you may catch several hidden Mickey's embedded in the mural above the main floor.  If you didn't see them, don't worry, just go into the shop and look around as much as you'd like.  There are a LOT of hidden Mickeys, so see how many you can find!

Finally, head over to the Carousel of Progress to see a classic Walt Disney World attraction.  See if you can find our friend Mickey Mouse in the final scene (the Christmas scene).  Here's a hint:  check under the tree.

There are many more hidden Mickeys in Walt Disney World, so take your time, look carefully and you'll find Mickey all over the place!!

Enjoy the hunt!

Photo Friday: Animal Kingdom Lodge carving

It's time for another Photo Friday!

This week, I wanted to share a photo of a rock carving from the Arusha Overlook at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge.  You can find this carving in the center of the overlook area.  If you look closely, you might even find a hidden Mickey!

Enjoy!

Photo Friday: Test Track hidden Mickey

Welcome to another Photo Friday!

In honor and memory of the original version of Test Track, which closes for a major refurb this weekend, I thought I'd share a photo from the queue.  Test Track has to have one of the best queues in all of Walt Disney World, with all the different tests running and equipment on display.  It also may be the queue with the most hidden Mickeys in it.  I've found at least five, including this hidden Mickey (in my opinion), which is created by three black circles on an engine to your right just as you enter the standby line. 

Hopefully these hidden Mickeys will survive the refurb, which is expected to be complete sometime this fall.

Disney announces 2010 hidden Mickey pin collections

What better way to start off 2010 than with a little announcement about hidden Mickey pins?

At the stroke of midnight, Disney released the 2010 hidden Mickey pins for Walt Disney World and Disneyland.

Check them out for yourself (a few of the WDW hidden Mickey pins are pictured above):

WDW: http://eventservices.disney.go.com/files/WDWHiddenMickey2010.pdf
Disneyland: http://eventservices.disney.go.com/files/DLRHiddenMickey2010.pdf

Disney said on their official pin blog that these pins will start appearing on castmember lanyards in the coming weeks.

So all you Disney pinheads out there have some new collections to start searching for!!!

Hunt for hidden Mickey's goes digital

Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide To Walt Disney World’s Best Kept Secrets, the best-selling book by Steven M. Barrett, now has its very own “official” app for the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch.

The new app builds on the successful formula of the book. It contains all of the Hidden Mickeys from the new fourth edition of the book -- with over a hundred added, the total is now up to more than 800 – but it takes things to a whole new level of interactivity.

Using the scavenger hunt structure that made the book so popular, the new app offers cryptic “clues” for searchers to puzzle over and “hints” for if they get stuck. But asking for hints before you find a Hidden Mickey lowers your score. Separate user profiles allow family members to compete on the hunts.

But the app is not just the book in digital form. It also includes completely new features only possible with Apple’s iPhone technology. For example, users can upload their scavenger hunt scores directly to their Facebook pages without having to exit the application. This means that for the first time Hidden Mickeys hunters from around the globe can compare their scores instantaneously.

The application also uses a GPS location tracking feature that identifies the user’s location in the resort and automatically displays the nearest Hidden Mickeys up to 500 meters away. Hunters in a hurry can thus save time without skipping Mickeys.

Users of the new app are enthusiastic. “This is awesome,” raved LightningMcQueen1983 in the iTunes Store. “I have already gone through and selected all the Hidden Mickeys I knew, but there are soooooo many more to find.”

The application is available for $5.99 under the “Travel” category in Apple’s App Store via this link http://bit.ly/4E3phY.

The Hidden Mickeys app was created by Campbell/Gambill Designs of Orlando, FL, with the assistance of author Steve Barrett. Barrett’s book, Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide To Walt Disney World’s Best Kept Secrets ($12.95), is published by The Intrepid Traveler. It is available in the Disney parks, in bookstores, and online.

The master of Hidden Mickeys releases 4th edition

Steve Barrett’s day job as an Orlando-area emergency room physician is deadly serious. But on his days off, he heads to Walt Disney World Resort on a merry mission: to track down, authenticate, and document those elusive creatures known as “Hidden Mickeys.” He’s even written a book on the topic.

In the latest (4th) edition of his Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide To Walt Disney World’s Best Kept Secrets (Intrepid Traveler, $12.95), he has added some 100 previously unknown Mickeys for a grand total of nearly 900.

Barrett’s interest in writing a Hidden Mickeys guide was piqued when he noticed groups of Mickey hunters carrying loose sheaves of printed lists, passed from fan to fan, arguing over whether a particular Hidden Mickey was actually there or not, and wishing aloud that they had a book to make the whole task easier.
Hidden Mickeys filled the void. Based on his own obsessive searching and tips supplied by a growing number of fans, each Mickey is personally verified by Barrett, who then tests his observations against those of friends and family members. To add to the fun, Barrett has arranged the book as a series of six scavenger hunts, complete with clues, hints, and points to be scored.

In the Walt Disney World theme parks, it’s not unusual these days to see families and groups of friends, Barrett’s book in hand, fanning out to compete in spotting the most Hidden Mickeys. Many of them spot new Hidden Mickeys, which they report to Barrett, who meticulously records and verifies their sightings, separating the merely “wishful thinking” from the genuine article. The new edition of his book, in true scholarly fashion, acknowledges more than 900 fellow hunters for their contributions to the effort.

“Hidden Mickey mania is contagious,” says Barrett. “Searching for them has escalated into a bona fide vacation mission for many Walt Disney World fans, and even beginners have happened upon a new, unreported Mickey or two.”

Hidden Mickeys is available in the Walt Disney World theme parks and at bookstores everywhere. Barrett maintains a site where visitors can report sightings of new or suspected Hidden Mickeys. The address is http://www.hiddenmickeysguide.com/.

Some "new" hidden Mickeys at WDW

During my WDW trip in late June, my family and I were on a serious hidden Mickey hunt. We were determined to find some new hidden Mickey we (and perhaps others) hadn't found before. And did we ever succeed!! In a series of posts, I'll show you some of the hidden Mickey's we discovered.

Let's start off with a wonderful hidden Mickey (or HM, for short) located at the Living with the Land attraction in Epcot's Land Pavilion. This HM is best seen during the Behind the Seeds tour. It's kind of hard to see from the boat-based attraction itself, due to the low angle.

See for yourself!

Having trouble finding this HM? Here's a better look:

If you're trying to find this HM, it's located in the aquaculture part of Living with the Land (the red-colored fish-farming room). Look to the right of the boat in-between the tilapia and allegator tanks. It's a lot easier to see this HM if you take the Behind the Seeds tour (something I highly recommend! Look for more about this tour in an upcoming post).

This HM isn't listed in Dr. Steve Barrett's online hidden Mickeys guide. I've sent this in for his review.

More hidden Mickey's to come!

Tip Tuesday: Hidden Mickeys

This side-profile hidden Mickey is located in the Swiss Family Treehouse (look on the big limb to the left of the door)

Welcome to another Tip Tuesday... well, alright it's more like tip Wednesday. Sorry 'bout that.

Anyway -- on to this week's tip.

Throughout Walt Disney World (and the other Disney parks and even Disney films) are thousands of "hidden Mickeys." These usually take the form of a classic three-circle Mickey head (the classic Disney icon) or a side profile of Mickey's head (see above photo). What makes hidden Mickey's so much fun is the fact that they are, well, hidden. Think of these as "Where's Waldo?" - Disney style.

The search for hidden Mickeys is one of the great things that big Disney fans can always do while at Walt Disney World. That's because hidden Mickeys come and go as many hidden Mickeys (or HM's) are created by cast members.

Now for the tip: get your kids into finding HM's. Why? Because it's a great way to help make those huge summer lines appear to go a little faster. It will also help kids explore and take in more of those little details the Imagineers work so hard to add.

Speaking of Imagineers, I learned something very interesting last December when I had lunch with Magic Kingdom Art Director Alex Caruthers. Caruthers has worked on several refurbs of major Magic Kingdom attractions including the Haunted Mansion and, I believe, is working on the current refurb of Space Mountain. I'll have to do another post sometime on my lunch with Mr. Caruthers - it was a wonderful experience.

This hidden Mickey is located on the ground near the entrance to the Haunted Mansion
Anyway, I asked him if hidden Mickey's were intentionally planned during the design of an attraction. Surprisingly, the answer was no. When Imagineers get together to Blue Sky a particular attraction, they don't consciously say, "OK, where will the hidden Mickey(s) go?" HM's, rather, just start popping up here and there. They're created in a very spontaneous manner. As an artist is working on a particular piece they may just decide to slip in a hidden Mickey. Obviously they are planned in some form as the artist makes a conscious decision to include an HM and the art directors and other folks approve them.

Just like pressed pennies, the hunt for HM's can make the parks a lot more fun, especially on days when the major attractions are packed. Best of all, you just might find an HM no one has ever seen before. As I said earlier, new HM's pop up all the time. If you do find a new HM, you can even sent it to the accepted master archivist of Hidden Mickeys, Dr. Steven Barrett.

Dr. Barrett's Web site, HiddenMickeysGuide.com, is generally accepted as the repository for all HM's at the parks, in the movies, in the resorts, pretty much everywhere. Best of all, he accepts sumbissions for new hidden Mickeys. He usually tries to verify them so don't think your new HM will show up on his site quickly. He also has a book that is easy to carry in the parks listing the location of verified hidden Mickeys.

The next time you're at Walt Disney World -- look around, look up, look down, you never know when you might see Mickey -- he's all over the place!