Our final Design and Technology talk was by Rachael Sleight, the designer behind bespoke leather brand Burnbank. Burnbank products are finished with a number of small iconic details – the name Burnbank, initials BB, and, in some cases, a horseshoe-like metal ‘buckle’. Of course, I am fully incapable of not linking something to the world of theme park design, so these branding details were quickly connected to Hidden Mickeys.
If you’re a theme park fan – even one with absolutely no interest in Walt Disney Imagineering – then I do not need to tell you what a Hidden Mickey is. Despite the name, the concept is far from secret – classic Mickey Mouse silhouettes cleverly integrated into Disney theme parks. Like, everywhere, but exclusively in ways that aren’t noticeable upon first glance. Maybe the three circles representing Mickey’s eared head are disguised in the pattern of a carpet, or the texture of a faux-rock wall, or inconspicuous set dressing… Imagineers are encouraged to hide them wherever they can. As someone who loves hiding ‘Easter eggs’ in my own set design work, the Hidden Mickey is a silly tradition that I can’t help enjoying.
Rather than rating the concept of the Hidden Mickey on a five star scale (if you missed my first D&T article, I have rated each topic in homage to The Anthropocene Reviewed, as the structure of these articles reminds me of Green’s essays), I will be rating each Hidden Mickey individually. This is not a comprehensive list – there are thousands of Hidden Mickeys, and I’ve only chosen a small selection.
Na’Vi Mickey
Location: Na’vi River Journey, Animal Kingdom
In the clothing of Disney’s most advanced animatronic is a three-circle Hidden Mickey. At first, I didn’t think this one was intentional, but the absence of other circular shapes suggests otherwise. Sneaky Imagineers.
Can’t spot it? It’s towards the lower edge of the fabric below the animatronic’s left arm.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Image: Kent Phillips
Tree of Life Mickey
Location: Discovery Trading Company, Animal Kingdom
Hidden in a framed painting above the entrance to Discovery Trading Company is possibly the creepiest Hidden Mickey on record. Ominously waiting in the shadows, staring directly into the eyes of whoever looks upon him… remember that episode of Supernatural with the haunted painting? Yeah.
Rating: ⭐
Image: Disney Food Blog
Crown Mickey
Location: Germany Pavilion, EPCOT
Hidden Mickeys have to be sneakier in EPCOT’s World Showcase. Being too obvious risks breaking immersion, so their presence in each pavilion is often found in small, quiet details. The exception, of course, being the Morocco Pavilion, but we’ll get to that in a bit.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Image: Joe Penniston
Solar Power Mickey
Location: Disney World
500,000 solar panels make up this enormous Hidden Mickey. It’s debatable whether this actually counts, since it hasn’t been stealthily worked into some set design. However, this is my website and I think it’s super cool, so I’m calling it a Hidden Mickey and there’s nothing anyone can do about it.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Blaster Mickey
Location: Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Disneyland
I like Star Wars. I like Imagineering. I’m going to give any Hidden Mickeys in Galaxy’s Edge five stars by default. I will not be taking constructive criticism on my rating system at this time.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Image: Kim Renfro via INSIDER
Rock Formation Mickey
Location: Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid, Magic Kingdom
This one is tough to see, but if you stand in just the right spot, the rocks outside Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid line up to make Steamboat Willie. The rock closest to the viewer is his front leg and part of his shorts (see the circular button?). The next furthest rock is the rest of his shorts, his other leg, and an arm. Moving up, we have his head and hat, and to the left is the wheel.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Image: Mousing Around Disney
Plate Mickey
Location: Morocco Pavilion, EPCOT
This three-plate Mickey is not the only one of its kind – there so many in EPCOT’s Morocco Pavilion alone that I could probably have made this entire article about them – so no points for originality. However, the lack of subtlety is kind of fun, especially when most Hidden Mickeys in World Showcase are really hidden.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Botanical Mickey
Location: Living with the Land, EPCOT
I don’t care what the kids on TikTok say, Living with the Land is one of EPCOT’s best attractions. It’s a boat ride about the agriculture of today and tomorrow, and I get that it doesn’t sound exciting, but hear me out. The impressive greenhouses and laboratories toured in Living with the Land are actually used for research. USDA scientists work in its biotechnology lab every day. Tell me that’s not a perfect EPCOT concept!
Hidden Mickeys are always growing in Living with the Land, so you could ride year after year and never run out of new ones to spot.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Image: The Life of Spicers
Paint Puddle Mickey
Location: Avengers Campus, Disney California Adventure
A small collection of Hidden Mickeys populates the paint puddles around Avengers Campus. Spotting them all is fun, but splattered or spilled paint is a go-to Hidden Mickey technique.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Duck-Muppet-Mickey
Location: Muppets Courtyard fountain, Hollywood Studios
A wonderful, terrible Duck-Muppet-Mickey hybrid. I want to find the Imagineer who designed this thing and study them. I want to recreate it with CAD then 3D print at least a million, and if people ask why, I’ll tell them I’ve redesigned Benchy. It might be cousins with the haggis in Kelvingrove museum. I’m pretty sure it’s sentient. It comes to life after closing and rides the Tower of Terror over and over and over again. This is what happens to Mickey Mouse during a full moon. I want Disney to hire me specifically so I can design merchandise based on it. They don’t even need to pay me, I’ll do that to the world for free.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Image: Disney
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