Find all the Hidden Mickeys in Disneyland
Going to Disneyland is almost certainly every kid’s – and every adult’s, really (that’s where I went on my honeymoon) – dream come true. It is the happiest place on earth. You will never run out of things to do at the park: go on awesome rides more than once, watch shows, see your favorite Disney characters come to life. You can even go on a scavenger hunt, but instead of looking for whos its and whats its and thing-a-mabobs, your task is to find all the Hidden Mickeys in Disneyland.
A Hidden Mickey is a design element cleverly added into various Disney properties, including movies and TV shows, merchandise, and yes, locations, rides, and other attractions in a Disney theme park. The most obvious and popular Hidden Mickey is composed of three circles combined, making it look like a shape that resembles someone needing no introduction:
While it may seem easy to spot potential Hidden Mickeys everywhere there are circular objects, true Hidden Mickeys will always be proportionally correct: one big circle, two smaller circles exactly where Mickey’s ears should be. They are also rather obscure and camouflaged, making it more challenging to find them. Finally, Hidden Mickeys are always hidden within Disney-related things and places, so if you run into a live giraffe with a Mickey-shaped spot, no matter how incredible that is, it doesn’t count.
On your next trip to Disneyland, do allot some time to go on a Hidden Mickey hunt with your companions (the more, the merrier!). They are everywhere in the park, but here are some places you can start your search:
Your car
Yes, the ‘Find all the Hidden Mickeys in Disneyland’ contest may start the moment you get into the car with your family and friends. When you look up Disneyland Drive on your smartphone for directions, switch on the satellite view. It’s between the Grand Californian and Paradise Pier Hotels:
BAM. Your first (and the biggest) Hidden Mickey, and you haven’t even arrived at the park yet.
Parking lot
Check the concrete floors on the Daisy level in section 2A and you might find a Hidden and textured Mickey on the ground two spots away from the pillar. Also check every level for posters that have Disney characters dancing amidst confetti – some of those pieces are Mickey-shaped.
Posters, signs, posts, and statues
Once you arrive at the Entrance Plaza, there will be a number of benches around the plaza that obviously have Mickey-shaped arm rests as well as a compass on the floor in the center of the esplanade, so you might as well skip those. Try finding a Hidden Mickey masquerading as a Dalmatian spot at the Disneyland Kennel Club. Check all the ticket and information booth signs and posters you run into, for some of them may have the familiar symbol in them.
The iron tree guards encasing plants in the plaza have Mickey-shaped rivets, while window counters have Mickey-shaped brackets. Most sign posts, street lamps, and turnstiles have Mickey patterns in them, and some are completely noticeable and out in the open.
Décor, rides, and games
Paintings, bookcases, gift shop displays, wallpapers and the like will almost always include an homage to the beloved Disney character – observe how certain objects are arranged and see how they form the three-circle configuration whenever possible. Check doors and wall designs for decorative accents that form a Hidden Mickey.
Screws that keep rides together will most definitely be in the shape of Mickey. Go over every door, window, machine, console, cubicle, and gondola you get into and you’re bound to uncover a myriad of Hidden Mickeys.
For a more comprehensive Hidden Mickey expedition, consult this list*.
*compiled by FindingMickey.com
