Searching Disney with Steve

I was fortunate to able to join a tour of the special suite in Cinderella Castle, Magic Kingdom. (Actually, Deb Wills had toured the suite before, so she kindly offered me her spot! Very cool!)

We entered an anteroom through a door at the side of the walkway through the Castle. An elevator took us up to another vestibule room that opened through a door into the bedroom of the suite. The bedroom had openings to the bathroom and to a sitting room (at the far end of the bedroom) with windows that overlooked Fantasyland. Although it's easy to lose one's concentration when in this marvelous suite, I was intent on checking out the Hidden Mickeys here.

Two images impressed me. One is on the mural at the rear of the bathroom. Look in the reddish-orange clouds to the right of the castle in the mural. Some swirls approximate a classic Mickey image.

The Cast Member Tour Guide told me that some guests like an image of three blue flowers at the bottom left corner of a mural on a right wall of the bathroom, just to the right of the mural with the castle mentioned above. She implied that it wasn't an "official" Hidden Mickey. However, I agree with the guests; I like this image as a classic Mickey!

Now comes the difficult question. I'd heard of a Hidden Mickey in the fireplace in the bedroom of the suite.

Lights at the rear of the fireplace repeatedly form circle patterns. The Cast Member pointed out an image to me as a Hidden Mickey. Two light blips form "ears" on a larger circle "head." I'll put it as a Questionable image, since I'm not convinced at this point. Let me know what you think!

As to the suite itself, yes, it's magnificent! I could imagine Cinderella walking with us inside her elegant suite. I'm sure most Disney fans (including me!) would very much enjoy spending a night here.

Read more about Steve's Hidden Mickey finds on AllEarsNet.com

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 returned from a 5-day cruise on the Disney Magic. Deb Wills and I were the hosts for our group.

On the second day, I gave an introductory talk on Hidden Mickeys in the Buena Vista Theater. I encouraged everyone to search the ship for Hidden Mickeys.

The next three days, I led 5 Hidden Mickey hunts on the ship and 1 hunt on Castaway Cay. On every tour, we found one or more new Hidden Mickeys! That was a reflection of the persistence and the discriminating eyes of our group.

We started each hunt on Deck 10, overlooking the bow classic Mickey. Linda Mac took this photo.

We found two new classic Mickeys on Castaway Cay! The first one is on a barrel at the first photo area as you leave the ship. This image is formed by three coconuts; it's not a perfect classic Mickey, but it's close enough! Linda Mac and Deb did not see this image on the barrel last December.

Another classic Mickey is inside the waiting area for the tram to Serenity Bay Beach. Several of our group say that this image is new, maybe within the last year or so.

Two other cool Hidden Characters on the ship were Mickey (a Steamboat Willie version) on a pail in a wall drawing on Deck 5:

and Donald Duck on a pail in a mural at the Port Adventures counter on Deck 3:

The last day, I gave a wrap-up session and showed the audience many of the Hidden Mickeys we'd found during the cruise. We voted on several marginal images, and I'll soon post these and all the Hidden Mickeys we found on my website.

The Magic cruise was a wonderful experience! I connected again with many terrific folks that I've met before, and I was honored to meet new Disney friends. What an amazing community! Many thanks to AllEars and the MEI-Travel team for putting this cruise together!

Tropical Storm Fay visited central Florida on Tuesday, August 19, crossing (west to east) south of Orlando. She stuck around the east coast a few days and then on August 21 crossed Florida again (east to west) north of Orlando. I checked out the Magic Kingdom late afternoon of August 21. As you can see in the photo, lots of guests were there, although the MK seemed a bit less crowded than usual. The cloudy sky drizzled rain and mist much of the day, and gusts of wind blew hats off. It was a good poncho sales day for WDW!

I stopped by the Polynesian Resort to check out a Hidden Mickey sighting. Andrew and Matthew Nypower wrote to me about a classic Mickey image on the back of the Tiki statue outside the Tiki Boutique shop on the first floor. Many folks stop here for photos with the smiling Tiki guy. Sure enough, on his back is a cool (slightly distorted) classic Mickey!

The next day, Fay lightened up a bit. There were fewer ponchos in evidence at Epcot in the United Kingdom pavilion, although the walking paths were still moist.

Louise Herrick had informed me last year, along with a few other folks, that the classic Mickey on the Asepso box (along the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail in Disney's Animal Kingdom) had returned. It's still there, thank goodness. The reason I mention Louise is that she wrote me a story about her 6 year old son, who had a great time searching for Hidden Mickeys at WDW. One night, while Louise and her family were comfortably asleep in their Disney resort, her son yelled out in his sleep: "I've found a Hidden Mickey!" Actually, that happens on occasion to me, too!

A while back, I wrote about the tree grove classic Mickey near WDW. Several people have asked me for more information about this amazing classic Mickey image. A friend of mine, Jim, researched its history. This tree grove Mickey was not present before 1990; it appeared sometime between January 23, 1990 and March 5, 1994. It is 7.7 miles northwest from the center of the Magic Kingdom, and it's in Lake County on private property (not officially on Disney property).

Read more about Steve's Hidden Mickey finds on AllEarsNet.com

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

My wife Vickie and I strolled around the BoardWalk area recently on a warm Florida afternoon. Inside the BoardWalk Bakery, I ordered an espresso and Vickie a bottled water. I'd spotted two Mickey images in the past, on two aprons hanging on the right wall, and they're still in place. Vickie thinks they're more like decor Mickeys rather than Hidden. What do you think?

I looked for a Mickey sugar bowl that was in place several years ago on a high shelf directly opposite the entrance doors of the Bakery. Alas, it's still lost!

We drove over to Disney's Hollywood Studios later in the afternoon. My sister Donna had e-mailed me a few weeks ago that one of her favorite Hidden Mickeys was lost: the "Monet" Mickey in a display window at the end of the Streets of America!

Vickie and I confirmed that indeed it wasn't there! Another lost gem, but I hope only temporarily. Some Hidden Mickey images do reappear, and I'll wait to see if the Imagineers replace the Monet Mickey.

We checked out a Mickey sighting along the entrance queue of Lights, Motors, Action Extreme Stunt Show. I think it's a cool image.

It's on the right side of the entrance walkway. As you walk around the first building, look in the middle set of windows at a red tool chest to find the black classic Mickey magnet. (Thanks to Denise O, Elton Hughes and Jill Sullivan, and Jennifer Lynch).

Vickie and I then relaxed with an excellent meal at the Hollywood Brown Derby Restaurant, one of my favorites!

Read more about Steve's Hidden Mickey finds on AllEarsNet.com

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

My sister, Donna, recently visited WDW with a few of her friends from Texas. I met up with them at Planet Hollywood for dinner one evening. In the photo, from the left, are Donna, Debbie, Shelly, Jim and Michelle. During our meal, we talked about Hidden Mickeys, and I think I won over a few converts that night!

A few days later, Donna, Debbie and I enjoyed a Bon Jovi tribute band at the America Gardens Theatre in Epcot. These guys were terrific musicians! Donna pointed out a classic Mickey image on the side of the stage. It's almost a decorative image, but I think it's "hidden" enough; most folks probably don't notice it.

The next day, Donna and I tried out the Wave, a new restaurant on the first floor of the Contemporary Resort. Andy Jackson wrote me about a classic Mickey image made of wine bottles at the rear of the bar area. He says it was purposefully created by the Cast Members there to be a Hidden Mickey. Pretty cool!

The food theming at the Wave is interesting; it's all about antioxidants, omega 3 fatty acids, sustainable fishing, and organic food and alcohol. (It's the first time I've encountered organic vodka!). Anyway, I enjoyed my fish dish, and after dinner we wandered over to the Magic Kingdom for some more Hidden Mickey hunting.

We struck gold in a display window on the right side of Sir Mickey's Store. Kyla (and her mother Jen) Patton and Ryan and Fairen Frisinger wrote me about a classic Mickey made of buttons in that display window. Check it out!

And to top it off, Donna spotted new classic Mickeys in a painting on the rear wall of the display, along the border of the archer's collar! But you know about display window Hidden Mickeys, right? We'll have to see if they stay in place for a while.

Read more about Steve's Hidden Mickey finds on AllEarsNet.com

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

Vickie and I recently met up with old friends from Oklahoma. Dick and Debi hadn't been to WDW since 2001, so they were excited about experiencing new attractions and old favorites. T

Their son Brian, a graduate student, accompanied them for this special trip to Florida. We met up at the Flying Fish Cafe at the BoardWalk for the first evening. Vickie and my son Steven joined the group.

The photo of all of us (from the left, me, Steven, Brian, Debi, Dick, and Vickie) is a bit blurred; I think I made the cast member nervous? No, I'm just kidding. Most CM's don't know who I am, unless I tell them that I wrote the Hidden Mickeys book. Thankfully, every CM I've talked with knows about my book!

The next day, I joined the group at opening (9 a.m.) of the Magic Kingdom. We used FASTPASS to our advantage and hopped onto any major attraction with a short wait during the morning hours. We didn't have lunch reservations, so I recommended snacks inside the old Diamond Horseshoe in Frontierland. We were pleasantly surprised! The sandwich portions were generous, and we satisfied our hunger in air conditioned comfort.

Later in the afternoon, we headed to Epcot. The wait for Soarin' was too long, and all FASTPASSES had been distributed for that day. My friends would enjoy Soarin' later in the week. Dinner was at San Angel Inn (one of my favorites). Like many WDW veterans, I have my favorite spots for viewing IllumiNations. If I have time, I check out the small alcove behind the Yorkshire County Fish Shop in the United Kingdom Pavilion; it's usually rented beforehand and roped off. Alas, the rope wasn't up! We walked leisurely down to the small area and stood behind the benches near the fence to watch the spectacular show, which seems to erupt right in front of you!

A few days later, I returned to Epcot for research (someone's got to do it!). In the late afternoon, I listened to a great band at America Gardens Theatre, a tribute band for the Bee Gees.

I met Vickie and some local good friends, Jimmy, Ginny and Jake at the Portobello Yacht Club Restaurant at Pleasure Island. After dinner, we checked out some Hidden Mickeys at Downtown Disney. Frank Tonra III wrote me about a rat with a Mickey hat in a display window on the side of the World of Disney store.

Jake and Jimmy are pointing to a map on the rear wall of this display window. Mickey and other character images are on the map.

This type of map has been in Pirates displays around WDW. We'll see if the rat with the hat and the pirate's map last a while. As you know, displays in WDW windows change periodically.

Read more about Steve's Hidden Mickey finds on AllEarsNet.com

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

New Hidden Mickeys can appear anywhere on Disney property at any time. Your best bet is to check out a refurbished area or a new attraction.

Toy Story Midway Mania, a new attraction at Disney's Hollywood Studios, doesn't disappoint!

A compelling new classic Mickey image is near the end of the Standby queue (the attraction also has FASTPASS and Single Rider queues).

It's on the wall past the large map of the U.S.A. below a green dinosaur and a red fish, near the floor and behind the handrails on the left side of the queue. So far, 14 folks have written to me about this cool image, but Matt Hochberg, Jesse Kline, and Jennifer Bogdan described it to me first.

Orlando Attractions Magazine and Jake Thompson wrote to me about another Hidden Mickey on the ride.

Look for the words "Circus Fun!" on the wall to your right as you rotate into position for the last screen stop. The dot below the exclamation point is a decent classic Mickey.

I was on the ride with Amy from Massachusetts when we spotted this Hidden Mickey, and she was in position to snap the photo for me. Thanks, Amy!

You can see this third image at loading and unloading, and you can study it as you take the exit walkway. Three ovals encircle Toy Story characters on the wall to the left of the ride vehicles.

Matt Hochberg, Alexis, and Frank Marando described this image to me, and it seems close for a classic Mickey image. Let me know what you think!

The walls, ceiling and floor inside Toy Story Midway Mania are blanketed with colorful images. Undoubtedly, more Hidden Mickeys are waiting for us to find them!

Read more about Steve's Hidden Mickey finds on AllEarsNet.com

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

Now and then, I'm enlightened about an awesome new Hidden Mickey. At least, new to me.

Kelly McAdams wrote to me about a classic Mickey image in Tony's Town Square Restaurant in the Magic Kingdom. I'll admit, I get really excited when folks direct me to any new Hidden Mickey images. However, some images are more intriguing than others.

This one in Tony's is spectacular! It's a tiny imprint on a black tile on the floor in front of the bureau to the immediate right as you enter the restaurant. Look to the lower right corner of the tile as you face the bureau. I have no idea how long this Hidden Mickey has been there; it may have been placed recently. It's a perfect classic Mickey, and it's likely to remain for a long time.

A cast member in Tony's told me that the roses in the rear left of the restaurant formed a Hidden Mickey. The photo shows that the roses are all about the same size. As you know, I have trouble accepting three same-size circles as classic Mickeys. Mickey's head is larger than his ears! However, I understand the CM's dilemma: how can you tell an excited child that a three-circle image is not a Hidden Mickey?

Christina Santoro wrote me about an image in the Crystal Arts Shop on Main Street. It's in the upper section of the left rear wall of the store. It's a "positional" Mickey, in that you must stand right below it to spot the classic Mickey relationship.

I've been told that the CM's in the shop made this arrangement of articles on purpose to form a Hidden Mickey image. I'm normally not fond of positional images, but I'll put these photos on my website soon, in the Questionable section, to let the voters decide. Let me know what you think.

I tend to wait a while to see if missing Hidden Mickeys reappear.

Alas, I think that the classic Mickey on the rose stem in the display window of the Uptown Jewelers Store is gone for good. Display window Hidden Mickeys are especially vulnerable, as displays are constantly changing. Find this image in the Lost section of my website.

Read more about Steve's Hidden Mickey finds on AllEarsNet.com

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

Recently, I visited Rafiki's Planet Watch at Disney's Animal Kingdom.

This area is a real treasure trove of Hidden Mickeys; you could easily spend several hours here searching for the little gems. On the order of 42 Hidden Mickeys live here, and a few more undiscovered ones may be waiting for us to find them.

One of the best side profile Mickeys anywhere is just past the entrance doors to Conservation Station, on the chin of a hippopotamus. It's the fifth animal from the left along the bottom of the entrance mural on the left wall. A side profile of Mickey Mouse is on its lower jaw, under the middle tooth. One of my favorites!

Now for some new images.

Sharon Dale alerted me to three circles arranged correctly on the ground in a mosaic just before the entrance doors to Conservation Station. This Mickey is below and between the elephant tusks and above the second "T" in "STATION". It's not a perfect image, but it's close enough for me!

Sonali showed me a new image in the main lobby of Conservation Station. It's formed from holes in the tree leaves overhead, directly above the first left entrance (as you enter the lobby) to the Song of the Rainforest area. It seems a bit distorted to me, so I put it in the Questionable section of my website for folks to vote on it. What do you think?

Read more about Steve's Hidden Mickey finds on AllEarsNet.com

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 (Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide to Walt Disney World's Best Kept Secre)

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 (Disneyland's Hidden Mickey's)

Recently, I stayed in a cabin at the Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground. The best way to research Hidden Mickeys is to stay in the middle of the magic! I like the cabins; they're spacious and well-maintained, and you can park your car right in front of your cabin.

Disney has been placing more and more Hidden Mickeys in guest rooms at their on-property resorts, in the carpets, wallpaper, wall paintings, curtains, and elsewhere.

Here are two Hidden Mickeys I found in my cabin:

One on the Bedspread

One on the Door Curtain

Guests can enjoy many activities at Fort Wilderness, including

Carriage Rides

Pony Rides for the Kids

and Trail Rides on Larger Horses

Now for some Mickey images.

Many of the classic Mickey forms at the Tri-Circle-D Ranch are decorative, in my opinion, and not hidden. The sign for the Trail Rides in the photo above has decorative Mickeys.

These images on the fences and gates in the pony ride area are too obvious to qualify as Hidden Mickeys, as is the three-circle logo under the sign for the Tri-Circle-D Farm (where the pony rides take place).

However, this sign for the Blacksmith Shop has a hidden classic Mickey between the "L" and "A" of Blacksmith. If you're not actively hunting for Mickey, it's easy to overlook this image.

In the evening, I enjoyed Chip 'n Dale's campfire program near the Meadow Trading Post in the middle of Fort Wilderness.

Folks roasted marshmallows over the campfire as a guitarist serenaded the guests with sing-a-long songs and Chip and Dale wandered around greeting everyone. A Disney movie was then displayed on a large screen.

This evening program has been a staple at Fort Wilderness for many years, and I hope it sticks around for many more!

Read more about Steve's Hidden Mickey finds on AllEarsNet.com

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 (Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide to Walt Disney World's Best Kept Secre)

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 (Disneyland's Hidden Mickey's)