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Hidden Mickeys Author Interviewed on 'Travel With Rick' PodcastSteve Barret shares his passion for discovering the mouse's favorite hauntsSteve Barrett, author of the Hidden Mickeys series of books published by The Intrepid Traveler, made two recent appearances on “Travel with Rick,” a podcast created by Rick Howard, president of Kingdom Magic Vacations. The interviews took place in the Wilderness Lodge Resort, which is home to Barrett’s “fourth favorite” hidden Mickey, a three-dimensional one tucked into a beam. The first interview was in conjunction with Rick’s 12 Days of Christmas theme in which Barrett pointed out various Hidden Mickeys found in the holiday decorations at Walt Disney World. He said they could be found in the ornaments in the Christmas trees of resorts’ lobbies and within the parks. The gingerbread houses, he added, are also a good source. “The chefs enjoy hiding Mickeys,” he said. Barrett’s own holiday favorites include the Mickeys within in the Osborne lights and the Christmas characters found in the World Showcase area of Epcot, particularly the Nutcracker. In the second interview in February, Barrett shared that his favorite hidden Mickey is a holographic Steamboat Willy in the Garden Grill restaurant. “It’s in a large mural behind a fern looking to left,” he said. “It’s a bit hard to see. “New ones occur seasonally,” Barrett said. He said they’re also placed when attractions are added or refurbished, and some are taken away. The hidden Mickeys can also be seen as three-dimensional, full body, and as Mickey’s hands, he added. Some hidden Mickeys are not official but if guests really like the images the Imagineers will keep them. Barrett explained that Hidden Mickeys came about during the time Epcot was built in the 1980s. Disney management did not want the Disney characters in Epcot; it wanted to keep them in the Magic Kingdom. So in protest, the Imagineers and designers started hiding Mickeys among the different attractions as they were being constructed. Then everyone started noticing the images and the hunt for Hidden Mickeys took off, extending now to Disneyland and Disney cruise ships. Barrett said that hidden Mickeys also appeared in early Disney cartoons and Disney movies, but it wasn’t until Epcot that they came into the public domain. Barrett has found approximately 900 hidden Mickeys and expects the next edition of his book to contain close to 1,000. His books are among the few non-Disney published books offered for sale in the parks. “It’s my passion, I look for them everywhere” Barrett encourages fans to write him with their own favorites. Barrett can be contacted through his website hiddenmickeysguide.com. Additional "Travel With Rick" podcasts can be viewed by clicking here. The Ultimate Hidden Mickey Collection, consisting of Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide to Walt Disney World’s Best Kept Secrets, Disneyland’s Hidden Mickeys” A Field Guide to Disneyland Resort’s Best Kept Secrets, and Hidden Mickeys Go to Sea: A Field Guide to the Disney Cruise Line’s Best Kept Secrets, can be ordered for just $17.91 by clicking here.
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