hidden mickeys presentation
DESCRIPTION
Hampstead Academy 7th grade Language Arts culminating project 2011.TRANSCRIPT
By:
Brennan D urd ufis
WHAT ARE HIDDEN MICKEYS?
Hidden Mickeys are partial or complete images of Mickey Mouse or other characters such
as Tinkerbell, Goofy, or Donald Duck, to name a few. They are purposely hidden by Disney
Imagineers and artists, and are meant to blend in to their surroundings.
They can be found in Walt Disney theme parks, restaurants, stores, hotels, and movies.
WHAT CONSTITUTES AN “OFFICIAL” HIDDEN MICKEY
Although there is no master list kept by Disney, “official” Hidden Mickeys are those in which there is a consensus
among all current resources. Sightings by visitors, websites, books, cast
members, and at times, artists, and Imagineers.
HOW MANY HIDDEN MICKEYS ARE THERE?
There are an estimated 400-800 Hidden Mickeys existing in Disney theme parks and resorts. Unfortunately, due to
routine cleanings, renovations, and weather, the location and integrity of
Hidden Mickeys are variable. There is no accurate documentation of the number
of Hidden Mickeys in Disney films.
THE CLASSIC HIDDEN MICKEY
The most common type of Hidden Mickey found in Walt Disney parks and movies is
the classic Hidden Mickey. The classic Hidden Mickey is a simple three-circle
form representing Mickey Mouse’s head and ears.
THE CLASSIC HIDDEN MICKEY
This is an example of a classic Hidden Mickey.
OTHER HIDDEN MICKEYS
Not all Hidden Mickeys follow the paradigm of the classic Hidden Mickey. Some aren’t
even Mickey at all! The following are examples of other types of Hidden
Mickeys.
OTHER TYPES OF HIDDEN MICKEYS
Profile of Mickey’s face or head.Side profile of Mickey’s body.A full-length silhouette of Mickey.Mickey’s gloves, shoes, or ears.Mickey’s name or initials in unusual places.Other characters which are out of place. (e.g. Tinkerbell, Goofy, etc).
EXAMPLES OF OTHER HIDDEN MICKEYS
The tie on this statue of Walt Disney in front of Cinderella’s
castle displays Japanese characters meaning “Mickey
Mouse.”
A full length silhouette of Mickey Mouse can be seen concealed in the clouds during the Splash Mountain
ride.
EXAMPLES OF OTHER HIDDEN MICKEYS
Here is a close-up version of the same frame.
Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy make an appearance “under the sea” in this scene from the 1992 movie The Little Mermaid.
“WISHFUL THINKING” HIDDEN MICKEYS
“Wishful Thinking” Hidden Mickeys are forms that may resemble Mickey, but are not
considered “official.” These representations may not really be hidden, or could be out of proportion. They are generally not well-accepted, although some are sentimental favorites with visitors and cast members
alike. The gears seen on the ground during the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad ride are
an example of “wishful thinking.”.
“WISHFUL THINKING” HIDDEN MICKEYS
These are illustrations of “wishful thinking” Hidden Mickeys. The first picture is located outside the Haunted Mansion in WDW’s Magic
Kingdom. The second picture is the sentimental favorite from The Big Thunder Mountain Railroad ride.
HIDDEN MICKEYS VS. DECORATIVE MICKEYS
Many of the Mickeys encountered in Disney theme parks are not Hidden Mickeys, but
Decorative Mickeys. Decorative Mickeys are Mickeys put on obvious display to enhance
the visual appeal to the guest/viewer. Mickeys that fall under this category include
Mickey shaped soap displayed in Disney resorts, or Mickey shaped pancakes found in
Disney restaurants.
DECORATIVE MICKEYS
This is NOT a Hidden Mickey.(until you eat it, that is!)
TRUE HIDDEN MICKEYS VS. ORGANIC MICKEYS
This is not a true Hidden Mickey, rather a tree stump that resembles the shape of
Mickey’s head and ears.
An additional example of an organic Mickey shape in a cactus.
Organic Mickeys are Mickey shapes which are naturally occurring. These are not true Hidden Mickeys.
THE ORIGIN OF HIDDEN MICKEYS IN THE MOVIES
Hidden Mickeys were placed into Disney animated movies as early as Disney’s first full-length feature Snow White in 1937. It is
said that Walt Disney wanted to pay tribute to Mickey Mouse. After all, as Walt himself said, “It all started with a mouse.” Although Disney
artists may deny the existence of Hidden Mickeys in movies, perpetuating the mystery, it has became a tradition to include Hidden
Mickeys in all Disney movies.
THE EARLIEST HIDDEN MICKEYS
Here is a frame from Disney’s second animated film Pinocchio, (1940). Observe the classic Hidden Mickey in the padlock.
THE EARLIEST HIDDEN MICKEYS
In this frame from the Disney movie Sleeping Beauty, (1959), Merryweather is eating a classic Mickey shaped cookie.
HIDDEN MICKEYS IN THE MOVIES
A frame from the movie Toy Story, (1995), shows a full body
Hidden Mickey disguised in a clock on
the wall.
Another instance of a classic Hidden Mickey
from Lilo & Stitch, (2002).
HIDDEN MICKEYS IN THE MOVIES
In this scene from Aladdin, (1992), the
face of Rajah the tiger transforms into Mickey
Mouse for a split second.
In the 2010 movie Tangled, the paint cans in
Rapunzel’s trunk are reflected in the mirror and resemble a classic
Hidden Mickey.
HIDDEN MICKEYS IN THE MOVIES
Hidden Mickeys can be found in all Disney animated films, but did you
know that they can also be detected in all Disney live action films as well?
Here are just a few examples of Hidden Mickeys in Disney live action movies.
HIDDEN MICKEYS IN THE MOVIES
A classic Hidden Mickey is found in a scene from the movie Swiss
Family Robinson, (1960).
In the movie Mary Poppins, (1964), a classic Hidden
Mickey is cleverly disguised in a chair.
HIDDEN MICKEYS IN THE MOVIES
One of the most recent Hidden Mickeys can be observed on the movie
poster for 2011’s Pirates of the Caribbean- On Stranger
Tides. A bead dangling from the skull exposes a
classic Hidden Mickey when viewed close-up.
THE ORIGIN OF HIDDEN MICKEYS IN THE PARKS
WDW’s Epcot in Orlando, Florida, was originally envisioned to be a park catering to
adults. Walt Disney made it clear to his Imagineers that no Disney characters,
including Mickey Mouse, were to be designed into the space. The Imagineers,
however, could not visualize a Disney location without its most popular icon.
Unbeknownst to Disney management, the Imagineers creatively “hid” Mickey in atypical places throughout the park.
HIDDEN MICKEYS AT EPCOT
This classic Mickey can be found in the country of
Germany in The World Showcase
at Epcot.
During the ride Mission Space at Epcot, an astute
observer will notice this classic Hidden
Mickey.
THE FIRST HIDDEN MICKEY SIGHTING
Since Epcot opened in 1982, thousands of guests have visited, all oblivious to the
clandestine world of the Hidden Mickey. It wasn’t until 1989, when Arlen Miller
penned an article for Disney employees, that the mystery surrounding Hidden
Mickeys came to light. Miller noted the form of Mickey Mouse in “unusual places” in WDW parks. Some months later, Miller
was interviewed for a national publication, and Hidden Mickey hunting
began to spread worldwide.
HIDDEN MICKEYS IN THE PARKS
Hidden Mickeys can be identified in all Walt Disney theme parks and resorts
around the world. What was initially an inside joke amongst Imagineers, has developed into one of Disney’s best
kept secrets.The following images are just a small
sample of the hundreds of Hidden Mickeys located in the parks.
HIDDEN MICKEYS IN THE PARKS
The side profile of Mickey’s head is seen here concealed in
the queue area of the Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin
ride in WDW.
A full silhouette of Mickey is painted into a mural in WDW’s Animal Kingdom, disguised as a shadow
amongst the trees.
HIDDEN MICKEYS IN THE PARKS
Note the classic Hidden Mickey located in the
queue area on the Test Track ride in Epcot.
An additional example of a classic Hidden Mickey
seen during Snow White’s Scary
Adventures ride in the Magic Kingdom.
HIDDEN MICKEYS IN THE PARKS
This Hidden Mickey is actually the silhouette of Minnie
Mouse observed on The Great Movie Ride at WDW’s Hollywood Studios.
You can catch a glimpse of this classic Hidden
Mickey in a rock during Heimlich’s Chew-Chew
Train ride at Disneyland’s California
Adventure.
Hidden Mickey hunting has grown to be something of a “sport” for individuals and families alike. There are numerous books and websites dedicated to the discovery,
documentation, and authentication of Hidden Mickeys.
Next time you pay a visit to a Disney park or watch a Disney movie, keep your eyes wide open, enter this surreptitious world, and see if you can spot the elusive Hidden Mickey.
HIDDEN MICKEY HUNTING
CAN YOU SPOT THE HIDDEN MICKEYS?
In this first clip from the Disney movie The Hunchback of Notre Dame, (1996),
see if you can locate cameo appearances by Belle, and Aladdin’s
magic carpet.
Ready? Don’t blink!
WHO IS HIDING IN WALL-E’S HOUSE?
In this brief clip from the movie Wall-E, (2008), a visitor from another Disney animated movie pays Wall-E a visit.
Let’s see if you recognize him.
WHERE’S MICKEY?
The following game is from the DVD release of The Lion King 1 ½, (2004).
Keep your eyes glued to the screen.There are 10 classic Hidden Mickeys
throughout.
How many are you able to locate?
THANK YOU
I hope you have enjoyed this presentation on the secret world of
Disney’s Hidden Mickeys.
With any luck, you too will find Hidden Mickeys of your own.
Happy Hunting!
HIDDEN MICKEY RESOURCES
The Art of Being a Hidden Mickey. HiddenMickeys, 13 May 2006. Web. 05 June 2011. <http://www.hiddenmickey.com>.Barrett, Steven M. Hidden Mickeys: a Field Guide to Walt Disney World's Best Kept Secrets. Branford, CT: Intrepid Traveler, 2003. Print."Easter Eggs." Easter Eggs - Eeggs.com. Eeggs, 31 July 2010. Web. 05 June 2011. <http://www.eeggs.com>."Google Images." Google Images. Google, 1 July 2001. Web. 05 June 2011. <http://images.google.com>."Hidden Mickeys." HubPages. HubPages, 1 Sept. 2009. Web. 05 June 2011. <http://www.hubpages.com>.Home - FindingMickey.com. FindingMickey, 24 Nov. 2009. Web. 05 June 2011. <http://www.findingmickey.com>.The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Dir. William Dieterle. Prod. Pandro S. Berman. By Sonya Levien and Bruno Frank. Perf. Charles Laughton, Cedric Hardwicke, Thomas Mitchell, and Maureen O'Hara. Disney, 1939. Film.The Lion King. Dir. Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff. By Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, Linda Woolverton, Tim Rice, Elton John, Matthew Broderick, James Earl Jones, and Jeremy Irons. Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, Inc., 1994.Shaw, T.R. "What Is A Hidden Mickey?" Hidden Mickeys of Disney. T.R. Shaw, 1 Mar. 2007. Web. 27 May 2011. <http://www.hiddenmickeys.org/WhatIs.html>.WALL-E. Dir. Andrew Stanton. By Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon, Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, and Jeff Garlin. Prod. Jim Morris. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, 2008."Wikipedia." Wikipedia. Wikipedia, 10 Jan. 2001. Web. 05 June 2011. <http://www.wikipedia.org>.