Hidden Mickey

A Hidden Mickey is a deliberate or accidental placing of a circle with two other circles connected to it on the top in the shape of Mickey Mouse's head. These have been known to be placed in Disney-themed movies, Disney rides, and other such media. Some have been known to occur by happenstance when something is in the right spot at the right time, such as lamppost or railing shadows.
A "Hidden Mickey" can refer to any Disney-related object hidden in one of the various Disney Parks for visitors to find. Goofy, Donald Duck, and Tinker Bell have all been found as hidden characters in Disney Parks.
For the Happiest Homecoming on Earth, Disney placed Hidden Mickeys with the logo of the Happiest Celebration on Earth at Disneyland.
==History==
The origin of the Hidden Mickey goes back to the creation of EPCOT Center in 1982. The Disney Company had decided that EPCOT Center would be a more adult park, including selling alcohol. As alcohol and Disney characters were deemed to be an improper combination, it was decided instead that none of the Disney characters, including Mickey Mouse, would ever be seen at EPCOT Center.
To some of the Imagineers working on EPCOT Center, this was taken as a challenge. They surreptitiously included hidden Mickey Mouse profiles into various design elements of that park. Eventually, guest comments led Disney to include the characters in EPCOT Center. In the meantime, a tradition was born at Walt Disney Imagineering and Hidden Mickeys (as well as other Disney characters) have become a staple of all theme park designs since.
==In Media==
Don Rosa often included small Mickey Mouse heads or figures in the art for his Uncle Scrooge comics.
The Kingdom Hearts series has depicted Hidden Mickeys throughout the franchise, most prominently as the Keychain of Sora's Keyblade, the Kingdom Key. Kingdom Hearts III places a larger emphasis on the Hidden Mickeys, referred to in-game as "Lucky Emblems". There are ninety Lucky Emblems scattered throughout the worlds, and taking in-game pictures of them are important, as depending on the difficulty selected, a certain number of them are required to unlock the game's secret ending.
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Sora appears as a downloadable fighter, and his Keyblade retains the Hidden Mickey Keychain. The Keychain is the only explicit Disney reference in the game, with all other Disney properties omitted (characters and elements co-owned by Square Enix and Disney were included, however).
==Gallery==
==External links==
*
*Hidden Mickeys Guide, site of author Steven M. Barrett
*Hidden Mickey Mystery novels & Game/Quest books, site of author Nancy Temple Rodrigue
*HiddenMickeys.org
*HiddenMickey.com The Art of Being a Hidden Mickey
*TheHiddenMickeys.com - One Family's Hidden Mickey Finds
*Hidden Mickey Controversy - Imagineering Disney Blog
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Category:Mickey Mouse
Category:Disney terminology
Category:Kingdom Hearts
Category:Walt Disney Imagineering
Category:Walt Disney Parks and Resorts
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