When you’ve visited Disney World or Disneyland have you ever hunted for “hidden Mickeys?”

For those of you who have not enjoyed either of these vacation destinations, or for the uninitiated Disney fan, let me explain this Disney tradition.

The idea is to find Mickey silhouettes concealed in out of the way or unexpected places.  According to http://www.hiddenmickeys.org/ hidden Mickeys first started out as an inside joke among the company’s Imagineers.  They first came to light in 1989 in an article for the Eyes and Ears newsletter that was distributed to cast members. When the word got out, guest began to search for them in the theme parks, on signs and even in Disney movies.

Hidden Mickeys must look like a silhouette of Mickey’s head and ears –and be proportional.  If you have to squint or tilt your head awkwardly, it probably isn’t a hidden Mickey. Many times, when you spot one, you are surprised—but then you start to wonder how you could have missed it!

You will not find them in tress or in ripples of a stream or a puddle. They are placed deliberately by the designers of the attractions and venues.

The last time I was at a Disney Hotel, I delighted in finding outlines of the iconic Mickey head in carpets, wallpaper and integrated into drapes, bedspreads and other furnishings.

I’ve included a few of those pictures here. As you can easily see, the hidden Mickeys were woven into various carpets. But you will also see them in art and signs all over the resort.

The whimsy of finding these “hidden Mickeys” adds to the overall experience of the magic of a Disney vacation.

Picture credits:

Hidden Mickey drain at Disney’s Animal Kingdom http://www.ktmoxie.com

The Hidden Mickey in “Snow White” came from micechat.com

The other pictures were taken by me at The Animal K

Carpet at Animal Kingdom Lodge

ingdom Lodge.

Hidden Mickey in carpet

Drain cover at Animal Kingdom