Searching Disney with Steve

I met up with Shontell Crawford and Eric Hollister (of DVC by Resale) to check out some Hidden Mickeys outside the parks. We congregated first at the Grand Floridian Resort.

A friendly Cast Member, Alyssa, showed us a classic Mickey at Gasparilla Grill & Games that I didn't know about. Braces beneath the shelves at the checkout counters are shaped as Mickey!

We stopped by Saratoga Springs Resort, which has some amazing Hidden Mickeys. The classic Mickey rose in the winner's blanket on the horse and jockey statue is one of my favorites.

Shontell and Eric stand in front of classic Mickeys on a jockey's jacket in the hallway to the Turf Club.

At Downtown Disney Marketplace, Eric wanted to confirm that Goofy's shadow is still hiding in Goofy's Candy Co. Store. Take a look; he's still there!

Meeting up with Shontell and Eric for some Hidden Mickey hunting was great fun for me. It's nice to share the passion!

Related Links:

DVCbyResale.com

Shontell's Restaurants, Recess, and Relaxation blog

Read more about Steve's Hidden Mickey finds on AllEars.net

Steve maintains a Catalog of Hidden Mickeys on the Hidden Mickeys Guide.

The NEW FOURTH Edition of Steve's Walt Disney World Hidden Mickeys book is available on Amazon.com. Hidden Mickeys, 4th Edition: A Field Guide to Walt Disney World's Best-Kept Secrets

His NEW SECOND Edition of Disneyland's Hidden Mickeys is also available on Amazon.com Disneyland's Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide to the Disneyland Resort's Best-Kept Secrets

I visited Epcot on a day near the end of the Food & Wine Festival. As I walked to Epcot, I spotted the Breathless II out for a cruise.

It was the weekend, so World Showcase was crowded with local Florida visitors. I checked out many of the added Festival kiosks that showcased regional food and drink.

I visited Innoventions with some friends. At "Where's the Fire?" I took a photo of a partial classic Mickey, which is at the lower left of several of the wall graphics.

A new attraction inside Innoventions, "Sum of All Thrills," is a helter-skelter simulator experience programmed in advance by the rider.

I like to check out old favorite Hidden Mickeys, to make sure they're still visible. The tiny blue classic Mickey on the large globe in the Yacht Club lobby is intact, waiting for you to marvel at it.

A comfortable autumn day is a perfect time to visit Walt Disney World!

Read more about Steve's Hidden Mickey finds on AllEars.net

Steve maintains a Catalog of Hidden Mickeys on the Hidden Mickeys Guide.

The NEW FOURTH Edition of Steve's Walt Disney World Hidden Mickeys book is available on Amazon.com. Hidden Mickeys, 4th Edition: A Field Guide to Walt Disney World's Best-Kept Secrets

His NEW SECOND Edition of Disneyland's Hidden Mickeys is also available on Amazon.com Disneyland's Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide to the Disneyland Resort's Best-Kept Secrets

I joined up with some great folks for a Hidden Mickeys tour in the Magic Kingdom. They bid on the tour this summer at Lou Mongello's auction for the Dream Team Project (at Fred Block's MagicMeets). The Mulfingers brought along a few fellow Hidden Mickey hunters, and we met up near Goofy's statue in Town Square. The group included Yvonne Mulfinger and Brian Mulfinger, along with friends Toni, Jack, Dale and Jeff. The photo shows Yvonne, Brian and me (in the center).

We started with Pirates of the Caribbean in Adventureland and worked our way through all the lands of the Magic Kingdom, checking out Hidden Mickeys along the journey.

Two great hidden images outside of the Haunted Mansion are still visible, if you know where to look! Mr. Toad stands smiling on a tombstone at the rear left of the pet cemetery. (Chris Macri took the behind the scenes tour at the Magic Kingdom. He was showed the epitaph on Mr. Toad's tombstone. It reads: "Here lies Toad, it's sad but true. He wasn't as marketable as Winnie the Pooh.")

Just past the pet cemetery, a tiny red classic Mickey is painted on the tip of a finger on Mme. Leota's shopping stand. It's faded a bit over the years, but you can still spot it.

We noted signs of autumn at the Magic Kingdom, such as Mickey pumpkins:

We had FASTPASSES for the Jungle Cruise, so we made that our last attraction of the tour. I had a great time with the Mulfingers and their friends. The Magic Kingdom was simply spectacular that day!

I spotted a classic Mickey rope at the Magic Kingdom loading dock for the ferry. It was next to a large post on one side as I walked onto the boat. This image is not reliably present, so I was lucky to find it.

Read more about Steve's Hidden Mickey finds on AllEars.net

Steve maintains a Catalog of Hidden Mickeys on the Hidden Mickeys Guide.

The NEW FOURTH Edition of Steve's Walt Disney World Hidden Mickeys book is available on Amazon.com. Hidden Mickeys, 4th Edition: A Field Guide to Walt Disney World's Best-Kept Secrets

His NEW SECOND Edition of Disneyland's Hidden Mickeys is also available on Amazon.com Disneyland's Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide to the Disneyland Resort's Best-Kept Secrets

I attended the September D23 Expo in the Anaheim Convention Center, along with a few thousand other Disney nuts! I shared some of the fun with Deb Wills and Deb Koma in the middle of the Disney magic.

I rented a booth to highlight my Hidden Mickeys website. Each day, I displayed different photos of compelling Hidden Mickeys and challenged novice and pro Hidden Mickey hunters to describe the locations of the little gems. (A few folks scored 100!) The Expo was a wonderful experience for me; I met many new people interested in Hidden Mickeys.

I managed a quick trip over to Disneyland (about a 25-minute walk from the Convention Center).

I checked out some Hidden Mickeys in Innoventions in Tomorrowland. Tom Morrow still has a Mickey-shaped pen in his pocket. (Thanks to Brian Bergstrom.)

Unfortunately, Tom's shoelaces have been replaced and are no longer covered with classic Mickeys. I hope his Hidden Mickey shoelaces will return some day.

Inside Big Thunder Ranch at the exit, a classic Mickey hole is in the wood under the soap dispenser to the left of the hand washing basin. It appears that the "head" of Mickey was chiseled and enlarged to make the image more proportional. (Thanks to Reyna Gonzalez, Diana Poncini, and Laura.)

I hear that the D23 Expo will return annually to Anaheim for the next few years. I encourage you to attend if you can; it's a blast!

Read more about Steve's Hidden Mickey finds on AllEars.net

Steve maintains a Catalog of Hidden Mickeys on the Hidden Mickeys Guide.

The NEW FOURTH Edition of Steve's Walt Disney World Hidden Mickeys book is available on Amazon.com. Hidden Mickeys, 4th Edition: A Field Guide to Walt Disney World's Best-Kept Secrets

His NEW SECOND Edition of Disneyland's Hidden Mickeys is also available on Amazon.com Disneyland's Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide to the Disneyland Resort's Best-Kept Secrets

Just after noon, I met up with Bret and his family outside 50's Prime Time Cafe. Bret is a member of the Disney Moms Panel, and we'd recorded a Hidden Mickeys video segment for the Panel last September. In the photo, Bret and his children, Allie and Peter, are in front of The Great Movie Ride.

Later, I caught up with Marc Lorenzo and relatives at Epcot's Camera Center near Spaceship Earth. At an auction for Lou Mongello's Dream Team Project during Fred Block's MagicMeets this summer, Marc bid on a Hidden Mickeys Tour with me, and he won!

We wandered around Epcot this sunny afternoon, checking on Mickey. In the photo, Marc and Josiah (his son) are standing with me in front of the Mexico pavilion. (I'm the one in the hat).

Marc's sister Melissa and her daughter Carolyn were also with us. We enjoyed a few great Hidden Mickeys on Spaceship Earth and Journey into Imagination with Figment. I like to show folks a classic Mickey on the cement path at the rear of Mouse Gear shop. This image was discovered several years ago by a child, and it will probably stick around a while!

The classic Mickey made of rocks at the bottom of the aquarium in The Seas with Nemo & Friends pavilion is moved around from time to time. We found it through a window at the end of the circular observation area on the second level.

We meandered around World Showcase, spotting Hidden Mickeys along the way and taking in the Gran Fiesta ride several times. Marc and Melissa tasted chocolate eclairs at Boulangerie Patisserie in France. I think the tour was a success; at least I had a great time!

Read more about Steve's Hidden Mickey finds on AllEars.net

Steve maintains a Catalog of Hidden Mickeys on the Hidden Mickeys Guide.

The NEW FOURTH Edition of Steve's Walt Disney World Hidden Mickeys book is available on Amazon.com. Hidden Mickeys, 3rd Edition: A Field Guide to Walt Disney World's Best-Kept Secrets

His First Edition of Disneyland's Hidden Mickeys is also available on Amazon.com Disneyland's Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide to the Disneyland Resort's Best-Kept Secrets

My wife Vickie and I recently checked out the new Kouzzina restaurant for Hidden Mickeys.

All of the previous HM's at Spoodles have been removed, except one! A smiling Mickey still peeks out from an upper recessed light in the waiting area.

Vickie and I found a classic Mickey made of plates in the waiting area, on the wall to the right of the door to the seating area.

Our server showed me another smiling Mickey on a side wall of the lower shelves with bowls to the right of the kitchen.

The menu is Greek-inspired, with a large olive influence and even including Greek red and white wine. I had the grape leaf with goat cheese appetizer, and Vickie sampled a chicken and rice soup (which she said was bland). The customers seemed to be enjoying the Greek entrees, one of which is a lamb burger and another is cinnamon stewed chicken.

We met friends at the Grand Floridian Resort. Jessica and Jessica (roommates in college), Jim, Jake and Ginny are posing inside the antique vehicle in front of the hotel entrance.

Two friendly Cast Members showed me a new Hidden Mickey in the corners of the marble tile floor, which was recently installed on the second level.

New and lost Hidden Mickeys; Disney keeps us on our toes!

Read more about Steve's Hidden Mickey finds on AllEars.net

Steve maintains a Catalog of Hidden Mickeys on the Hidden Mickeys Guide.

The NEW FOURTH Edition of Steve's Walt Disney World Hidden Mickeys book is available on Amazon.com. Hidden Mickeys, 3rd Edition: A Field Guide to Walt Disney World's Best-Kept Secrets

His First Edition of Disneyland's Hidden Mickeys is also available on Amazon.com Disneyland's Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide to the Disneyland Resort's Best-Kept Secrets

My sister Donna visited WDW recently. We first took in the sights and sounds of the BoardWalk area in late afternoon. The Florida heat had diminished only slightly, so we walked leisurely. Folks were pedaling surrey bikes around Crescent Lake, a real workout on a hot day, to be sure!

Donna rested for a few minutes on an antique car near the Yacht Club.

I wanted to confirm one of my favorite Hidden Mickeys was still present, on the globe in the Yacht Club lobby. It was there, undisturbed.

Donna and I enjoyed dinner at Boma. I always taste the various soups.

I hadn't tried the Mulligatawny soup before, and I wasn't disappointed. In fact, I finished off two servings of this slightly sweet chicken and vegetable soup.

I asked our server about the soup's ingredients, and she brought me the recipe! Very cool!

Donna and I sampled many of the fish, vegetable and other offerings, including a mandatory zebra dome dessert to wind up the feast. Another satisfying Boma meal!

Read more about Steve's Hidden Mickey finds on AllEars.net

Steve maintains a Catalog of Hidden Mickeys on the Hidden Mickeys Guide.

The Third Edition of Steve's Walt Disney World Hidden Mickeys book is available on Amazon.com. Hidden Mickeys, 3rd Edition: A Field Guide to Walt Disney World's Best-Kept Secrets

His First Edition of Disneyland's Hidden Mickeys is also available on Amazon.com Disneyland's Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide to the Disneyland Resort's Best-Kept Secrets

I had the privilege of meeting up with Lou Mongello one recent weekend. As you know, Lou is the favorite Disney trivia guy for many Disney fans, including me!

Late one morning, we had coffee (I had cappuccino) at the Kona Island Coffee Bar in the Polynesian Resort. Lou recently redesigned his website and is working hard on his Audio Guides and his many other projects. (I know he doesn't sleep much!) As per the last two years, I'm auctioning myself (a Hidden Mickeys tour with me at WDW, that is) at Fred Block's 2009 MagicMeets for Lou's Dream Team Project, which supports the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

We rode the monorail to the Magic Kingdom. In Town Square, I took a pic of Lou and Goofy:

I checked out a few Hidden Mickeys, although I don't think these images will be going anywhere soon. At least, the great classic Mickey in the Aladdin window display outside the Emporium Store is still there!

I spotted the horseshoe Hidden Mickey in Liberty Square, near the Yankee Trader Shop. I like to stand there a while and watch as most folks just walk right by it or over it, not appreciating this unique image.

I stopped to admire the chimney stone Mickey in the mural along the queue for Snow White's Scary Adventures. It's the image on the lower chimney, under the flowers and near Snow White's head. This was one of the first Hidden Mickeys that I ever spotted. I wrote about it "long ago" in 2002, in the first edition (2003) of the WDW Hidden Mickeys book. As you can understand, it's a sentimental favorite of mine!

Lou and I said our goodbyes, but rest assured that we'll meet up again soon at our favorite place on earth!

Read more about Steve's Hidden Mickey finds on AllEars.net

Steve maintains a Catalog of Hidden Mickeys on the Hidden Mickeys Guide.

The Third Edition of Steve's Walt Disney World Hidden Mickeys book is available on Amazon.com. Hidden Mickeys, 3rd Edition: A Field Guide to Walt Disney World's Best-Kept Secrets

His First Edition of Disneyland's Hidden Mickeys is also available on Amazon.com Disneyland's Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide to the Disneyland Resort's Best-Kept Secrets

As I'm sure you'll agree, one of the great pleasures in life is meeting up with friends and family at Walt Disney World. Recently, I joined my wife Vickie, my sister Donna and our friend Amy in World Showcase at Epcot. The crowds at Disney World this summer have been erratic. Some days see the usual large numbers of visitors for this time of year, but other days are less crowded. This day at Epcot was not that crowded.

We studied the Times Guide and planned our afternoon. At the United Kingdom pavilion, the musicians in The British Invasion band were decked out in their Beatles Sgt. Pepper's colorful outfits. Nearby in Canada, the Off Kilter guys in their kilts were especially energetic and humorous. I usually try to catch a performance by the Voices of Liberty at the American Adventure.

In the next photo, Donna is standing at the podium at the right rear of the rotunda on the first floor inside the American Adventure pavilion. She's in front of the painting which has a classic Mickey made of holes at the top of a vertical beam behind the workers.

We enjoyed a terrific performance from one of the Summer Concert bands at the America Gardens Theatre. On the stage today, "52nd Street" pounded out the music of Billy Joel. They are outstanding musicians! We topped off the evening at Jellyrolls, and our son Steven joined us. Scott, one of the best piano entertainers you'll ever hear, played a favorite request of ours: Rainbow Connection by Kermit the Frog. Awesome! The photo below, from left to right, shows me, Amy, Vickie, Donna and Steven at the BoardWalk Resort.

Later, I spotted Mike Scopa at the Flying Fish Cafe. Happy Birthday, Mike!

Read more about Steve's Hidden Mickey finds on AllEars.net

Steve maintains a Catalog of Hidden Mickeys on the Hidden Mickeys Guide.

The Third Edition of Steve's Walt Disney World Hidden Mickeys book is available on Amazon.com. Hidden Mickeys, 3rd Edition: A Field Guide to Walt Disney World's Best-Kept Secrets

His First Edition of Disneyland's Hidden Mickeys is also available on Amazon.com Disneyland's Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide to the Disneyland Resort's Best-Kept Secrets

I just finished updating the Disneyland Hidden Mickeys book, so now we're involved with proofing and readying the book for the printer. I want to mention several more compelling Hidden Mickey images at Disneyland.

This classic Mickey image in the cement may be relatively new. In California Adventure's Sunshine Plaza, face away from the Sun Fountain and locate to your right a cement bench that surrounds a planted area. A small classic Mickey is etched in the ground under the right side of the round lip of the bench that juts out. Cast Members and Security Guards nearby may know about this Hidden Mickey, so ask if you need help! (Thanks to Kristi B., Annie Lin, and Phillip Lemon).

The second Hidden Mickey may have been recently placed as well. After the ballroom scene on the Haunted Mansion ride, as soon as you enter the attic, look to the right for a clock on a bureau. It's to the right of the round portrait of a bride and groom and just to the right of a bright orange and blue lamp. A brown classic Mickey is behind the pendulum of the clock. Remember, look for this gem as soon as you enter the attic. (Thanks to Sarah, Alex Goslar, Brad Steinbrenner, Sylvia McNeil and Matt Dickerson, Tamera, and Jennifer Peterson).

You know how excited you feel when you spot a Hidden Mickey that's hard to find? (At least, that's how I feel!)

Well, I finally found this reference to Mickey in Indiana Jones Adventure. Across from the first drinking fountains in the inside Standby queue, Mickey’s initials “M M” in Mara script are on the left wall, just above a horizontal crack in the wall. "M M" is on the far left of the photo below. (Thanks to Luis Valdez).

Read more about Steve's Hidden Mickey finds on AllEars.net

Steve maintains a Catalog of Hidden Mickeys on the Hidden Mickeys Guide.

The Third Edition of Steve's Walt Disney World Hidden Mickeys book is available on Amazon.com. Hidden Mickeys, 3rd Edition: A Field Guide to Walt Disney World's Best-Kept Secrets

His First Edition of Disneyland's Hidden Mickeys is also available on Amazon.com Disneyland's Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide to the Disneyland Resort's Best-Kept Secrets