Hidden Mickeys. They are the little concealed treasures left behind by Disney designers to delight visitors to the Disney Parks. Think of them as the Imagineers inside jokes. This fun Disney pastime is not limited only to the Disney attractions on land. You can also find the hidden Mickeys on the high seas aboard any of the Disney Cruise Line ships. We found our Hidden Mickeys aboard the Disney Magic and found it was a great way to entertain the kids on the days at sea.
Wait a Minute!! What Is a Hidden Mickey?
A Hidden Mickey is a representation of Mickey Mouse that has been inserted subtly into the design of rides, attractions, and other Disney location. The most common Hidden Mickey is the head and ears of Mickey Mouse, known by fans as the “Classic Mickey,” although Hidden Mickeys can take on many forms. Although there is debate among fans about what constitutes a true hidden Mickey, most agree that a “true” Hidden Mickey is one that is not immediately obvious, and is placed purposefully by a Disney Imagineer in a place where you would not expect to find a Mickey.
Hidden Mickeys Aboard the Disney Magic
Six days at sea gave us plenty of time to search for Hidden Mickeys around the Disney Magic. Here’s a guide to what we found on each deck and around the ship.
Deck Three
The Grand Lobby is your first glimpse of the Magic, and is naturally the first place to start looking for Hidden Mickeys. There are three confirmed Hidden Mickeys in the Grand Lobby and several more Mickeys that are part of the décor, but are still fun for especially younger kids to find.
1. Elevator Mickey: The art deco half circles in the grand glass elevators are a nod to the classic Mickey, but you will only find a complete Hidden Mickey at the bottom of each set of elevators.
2. Glass Sculpture Mickey: Stand directly in the center of the decorative carpet in the center of the Grand Lobby and look straight up. The 500 acrylic trumpets sculpted by Dale Chihuly were thoughtfully arranged to reveal a Hidden Mickey directly above in the blue trumpets with yellow rims.
3. Crow’s Nest Mickey: Look at the relief sculpture of the giant pirate ship next to the Shore Excursion desk. In addition to being a beautiful piece of art, you will also find Mickey hiding in the crow’s nest with a pair of binoculars. This is also a place to look for bonus Hidden Mickeys. There are many classic Mickeys throughout this sculpture, and although they are not necessarily hidden, it is a fun place for little kids to try their hand at Mickey hunting.
4. Grand Staircase: Mickey and his friends are sculpted in silhouette in the railings of the Grand Staircase. Again, these aren’t necessarily “hidden,” but it’s fun for little ones to find the shapes in the staircase.
Deck Four
We found two Hidden Mickeys and one extra special “Hidden Disney” that was a fun find on this deck. With all the spaces on this deck, though, I am sure there are many more.
1. Disco Mickey: Mickey is dressed in his disco best in one of the display cases near the Treasure Ketch. Look closely at the chain around his neck for a “far-out” Hidden Mickey.
2. Mug Mickey: Mickey is everywhere in Animator’s Palate, but there is a special Hidden Mickey in the coffee mug on the desk along the wall.
3. Bonus~Hidden Disney: Okay, this is not a real thing, but it’s a fun fact that they kids will love. Look at the sign above the Treasure Ketch, and you will see six nautical flags etched in the glass design. These nautical flags spell the word Disney. Fun, right?
Deck Five
This is the kids’ level, where you will find the Oceaneer Club and the Oceaneer Lab, so there are sure to be plenty of hidden Mickeys along the way. We found two real hidden Mickeys and one that was part of the décor, but is still hidden enough to be fun to find for little ones.
1. Flounder Mickey: On the sign for Flounder’s Reef Nursery, you can see a classic Mickey shaped bubble in the top right of the sign.
2. Steamboat Mickey: There are a series of framed cartoons between the forward and midship elevators that show the statistics of the boat. These are fun to study, and are a great place to find hidden characters, not just Mickeys. A likeness of Steamboat Mickey can be found in one of the pictures on the side of a sand pail.
3. Wallpaper Mickey: In the Walt Disney Theatre, gold Mickeys are worked into wallpaper design around the perimeter of the theatre.
More Hidden Mickey Fun at Sea
Of course, there are many, many more Hidden Mickeys onboard. We only really scratched the surface, but had a great time doing it. If we were to go back onboard, I would want to take our Hidden Mickey hunt to the next level.
· Check at Guest Services for a copy of the Hidden Mickey Scavenger Hunt
· There is a Hidden Mickey cult and Steve Barrett is the ultimate guru with guides that can purchased to offer clues and hints in scavenger hunt format. Hidden Mickey Goes to Sea has a great scavenger hunt for the Wonder and Magic, as well as Castaway Cay.
Happy hunting! Just be prepared to not want to stop.
I LOVED looking for the Mickeys on the Dream. We're going back in May and I'm excited that Andrew should be old enough to be interested in them this year. Y'all had such a gret trip!