Walt Disney World in Florida is filled to the brim with secrets, include a large batch of hidden Mickeys. These come in the form of the three circles making up the silhouette of Mickey’s head that can be found in many forms throughout the Disney resorts, including the four parks, the many resorts, and more. But which are best and most well-hidden? Well, on the road to the 50 greatest hidden Mickeys at Disney World, we’ll be starting with 15 best at each of the four theme parks, starting with Magic Kingdom. This list will only include “hidden” Mickeys, and only ones you can still find at the park as of writing. We’ll also only be including hidden Mickeys in the park itself, not in the nearby resorts. So with that out of the way, let’s begin.
Part Three: Hollywood Studios
#15: Hollywood Studios From Above
This is a classic hidden Mickey that’s pretty well-known as Walt Disney World, but nowadays it’s pretty hard to notice. So, when MGM Studios was originally created, the large hub area you’re in after walking through Hollywood Boulevard was shaped to look like Mickey Mouse’s face. It’s hard to tell now since the park is now more than 30 years old, so it doesn’t look the same. This area doesn’t resemble Mickey at all on the in-park maps, and even on sites like Google Earth don’t look perfect. This image is from the park’s opening year 1989. If you really want to know where the Mickey is on a modern map, Echo Lake is Mickey’s right ear and the Chinese Theater that used to locate The Great Movie Ride is where his mouth was. I do think it makes sense to include this Mickey since it is there, just covered up a bit. Now, even though this might be the coolest hidden Mickey at Disney World, just the fact that you can’t really tell it exists anymore puts this hidden Mickey lower on the list. It’s still cool though, especially from this picture.
#14: Rock’n Roller Coaster Pre-Show
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith is a classic at Hollywood Studios, and one of the best thrill rides at Walt Disney World. It also, like every other Disney ride, has a hidden Mickey hiding somewhere in the ride. This one can be found in the pre-show. Once you get to the pre-show, take a look toward the right in the room. There’s a few guitars in front of a hidden Mickey made out of cords on the floor. This might seem easy to notice, but you’ll definitely miss this one if you don’t know where to look. So next time you ride the famous Rock ‘n’ Roller coaster, check out this clever hidden Mickey in the pre-show. It’s always neat to see hidden Mickeys tying into the theme of the ride, like here made out of cords for the instruments. This is Aerosmith after all.
#13: Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway Queue
After 65 years, the mouse himself finally got his own ride, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. And this isn’t the only hidden Mickey from this attraction on the list. Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway has a boatload of interesting and well-hidden Mickeys everywhere, so it was hard not making only the ones from this ride fully take over this list. This specific Mickey can be found in the queue right before you enter the pre-show room. Circular light displays hang on the ceiling. If you look closely at the intricate design on the side, one area has Mickey’s face. It’s easier to tell from this picture, but if you look extremely closely at these lights, you’ll see it.
#12: Alien Swirling Saucers Queue
Alien Swirling Saucers is a pretty simple ride at Hollywood Studios, but still fun – especially as you head through the queue. There are some pretty cool details hidden in the murals you’ll walk by in line, and one of these murals is hiding a hidden Mickey. This mural shows the inside of a spaceship. Look closely at the control panel made out of three buttons on the right side. This one isn’t too hard to spot, but it is clever since you’ll be looking at buttons next to it as well and not even realize it’s a hidden Mickey.
#11: Galaxy’s Edge Wires
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge can be found at Disneyland Park and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and it’s arguably the best themed land at any Disney park. This land is amazing, and will probably make hardcore Star Wars fans cry (no joke.) So, this land has a ton of cool details, but not that many hidden Mickeys I could find. But that didn’t mean I didn’t find any at Hollywood Studios. The hidden Mickey in this video was found by StarWars IRL on YouTube. As you can see in the video, there’s a hidden Mickey made out of the wires on this tower. It’s very small and hard to see, but somehow I found it. I just looked up and saw this tiny hidden Mickey in Galaxy’s Edge. Don’t ask me how I did it. But anyway, this is a very neat hidden Mickey since it’s so hard to spot and in a location you wouldn’t expect. Plus it’s creative how it’s made out of cables from the tower, especially since cables are also surrounding it making it very obscure. If you can actually see this hidden Mickey at Hollywood Studios, then I say good for you. If you want to look for it, may the force be with you because it’s very hard.
#10: Voyage of the Little Mermaid Marquee Sign
In Animation Courtyard, you’ll find Voyage of the Little Mermaid. This attraction has a couple of neat hidden Mickeys, but my favorite is just outside on the marquee sign. So, the marquee for Voyage of the Little Mermaid has statues of characters from the movie including Ariel, King Triton, and Ursula in front of an underwater background. The water is filled with bubbles, and one of these bunches of bubbles actually forms a hidden Mickey. It’s a little to the left of Ursula near the top. It may be a bit difficult because it’s small and high up, but it is a cool one nevertheless. Just look closely at the sign. And don’t flounder around looking for it. It’s there. (I’m sorry but I needed to put in a Flounder pun. Sorry.)
#9: Star Tours Queue
Personally, C-3PO is one of my favorite animatronics at Walt Disney World. It really makes it seem like C-3PO is real. It’s insane. In the queue for Star Tours, you might be focusing on this wonderful animatronic figure when you’re missing a very clever hidden Mickey. Next to C-3PO is a couple of screens. On the bottom of the top screen, you might have noticed 3 planets: 2 small planets in the top corners of a bigger planet, at least the top half of that planet since the bottom is off-screen. This layout mimics Mickey Mouse, with the 2 small planets as the ears and the bigger planet as his face. So next time you’re admiring the C-3PO animatronics as you wait to experience Star Tours: The Adventures Continue, check out this interesting hidden Mickey.
#8: Muppet Courtyard Stage 1 Company Store
The Stage 1 Company Store in Muppets Courtyard is hiding many details, including a unique hidden Mickey, as it’s technically not Mickey himself! To find this secret, you’ll need to look up. Look for the corner with a line of hanging clothes. You know those doors by the ceiling? The clothes line is right under doors 6 and 7. One of the pieces of clothing is a pair of red shorts with white circles. You know, like Mickey’s red shorts? I guess Mickey needs the Muppets to clean his shorts.
#7: Toy Story Mania Queue
The Toy Story Mania queue is a vibrant piece of art all over the walls, and still seems like something Andy would create – including a hidden Mickey. You’ll find this hidden Mickey in the carnival room. Along the top of the wall, you’ll notice circular-shaped clouds. One of these is a hidden Mickey, peeking its head out. Above the balloon popping stand to the left of the large circus tent, you’ll find a hidden Mickey in the shape of a cloud. Maybe I’m including this just because it’s one I actually found at the park, but I still think it’s well hidden. Your eyes are drawn more towards the carnival booths and not the clouds; and even if you are looking up, many of the clouds are also circular shaped, but only one forms a hidden Mickey.
#6: Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway On-Ride
Ah, here we are back at the Chinese Theater, exploring Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. In the nighttime city scene, you can find a boatload of hidden Mickeys. One of these is on a billboard. Look for a billboard on one of the rooftops that says “Delux-O-Detergent” curving over a pink bottle. Look closely inside the bottle to find a tiny hidden Mickey made out of the bubbles. You might have seen this billboard, but have you seen this hidden Mickey? It’s a tough one, and one of my favorites on the attraction. Now, before we move on, let’s look at one more cool hidden Mickey in this area – sort of an honorable mention. As you pass by Pete drilling a hole in the ground, look to the right to see an ice cream shop. The sign is an ice cream cone, with a Mickey-shaped scoop of ice cream.
#5: Slinky Dog Loading Station
Slinky Dog Dash is hiding some pretty cool secrets referencing Toy Story, Pixar, and Disney. In the loading station, you can find a map drawn by Andy of an epic roller coaster on what is supposed to be pieces of loose leaf paper. Look in the top right of the drawing in the clouds. Here you can find a neat hidden Mickey right above the army men. This is a pretty neat hidden Mickey, especially since it’s so small in this huge drawing. So next time you ride Slinky Dog Dash in Toy Story Land, check out this hidden Mickey in the load station.
#4: Tower of Terror Preshow
Another Hollywood Studios classic is the Twilight Zone Tower of Tower. This ride has a few neat hidden Mickeys, but this one in the pre-show is definitely the most clever. You might never think to look in the queues and pre-shows of attractions for hidden Mickeys, but you’d be surprised. Look closely in the pre-show video on Tower of Terror to find a hidden Mickey – doll? When you see the people in the elevator after the Hollywood Tower Hotel is struck by lightning, look closely at what the little girl is holding. Why, it is a Mickey doll! Yes, the little girl is seen holding a Mickey doll as she becomes a ghost in the pre-show. Does that mean Mickey turned into a ghost as well? Maybe he’s on It’s A Small World somewhere. A creepy, ghostly, Mickey doll animatronic. How cool! (I know I’m heading off track.)
#3 Toy Story Mania Queue #2
Here’s another Toy Story Mania hidden Mickey that’s just in the queue. At the beginning of the queue, you’ll see a poster for Toy Story Midway Games featuring the toy dinosaurs Rex and Trixie. If you look closely at the design of Trixie, you might spot a hidden Mickey to the right of her left eye. It’s a little slanted, but still pretty easy to spot. Toy Story Land really has a bunch of neat hidden Mickeys, but this one might be my favorite. The clever location of being part of the design of Trixie is smart since some might see it and not realize it’s Mickey. It’s very well-hidden.
#2 Star Tours Queue #2
Star Wars characters might not know anything about Walt Disney or Mickey Mouse, but that won’t stop R2-D2 from wearing a pair of Mickey ears. In the queue for Star Tours – The Adventures Continue, you’ll pass by a screen on the wall shaped like a vertically-stretched octagon. On the screen, silhouettes of famous Star Wars characters, including droids, will pass by. At one point, R2-D2 passes by. On R2’s head are two circles, implying the droid is wearing Mickey ears. It’s a funny way to blend Disney and Star Wars together for a neat hidden Mickey. It might seem easy to spot, but the scene is only on-screen for a couple seconds, so keep your eyes on this screen.
#1 Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway On-Ride #2
One more hidden Mickey for Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, alright? This one is right past the billboard one we spotted before. As you turn into Daisy’s Dance Studio, check out a shirt hanging on a clothes line next to the flower shop, directly ahead from the next room. On the clothes line above Donald’s truck parked outside is a white shirt with a picture of Mickey on it. It is a pretty well-hidden Mickey, I’ll say, and just for it being on a shirt and being cleverly hidden, this is my favorite hidden Mickey on Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. Alright, let’s stop talking about this ride.
So, Hollywood Studios has a bunch of hidden Mickeys. There are so many to find. Some great ones at the park weren’t included on this list, but that doesn’t mean they are bad. Let me know what your favorite hidden Mickeys are at Magic Kingdom in the comments!