I Just Learned About A Disney World Hidden Mickey That Can Only Be Seen One Day A Year, And It’s Wild

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It’s hard to think of a more famous image than Mickey Mouse’s face – just three simple circles. It’s so iconic that people can recognize it even without all the details. Over the years, Disney has cleverly included these three circles as ‘Hidden Mickeys‘ in their movies and throughout their theme parks.

It’s nearly impossible to know about every Hidden Mickey at Disney World, but I was particularly surprised by one I hadn’t noticed before. For just a short time each year, on November 18th, a unique Hidden Mickey appears in the queue for Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid at Magic Kingdom. Attractions Magazine managed to capture a photo of it before it vanished.

@attractions ♬ original sound – Attractions

As a huge Disney fan, I always get a kick out of Hidden Mickeys, and it’s especially cool to learn why one appears on November 18th. It turns out that date marks the anniversary of Steamboat Willie – the short that first introduced Mickey Mouse and revolutionized animation with synchronized sound! So, you could say this Hidden Mickey is like a little birthday present for Mickey himself. It’s a neat little detail that really connects everything for a lifelong cinephile like me.

It’s honestly incredible how this came to be. Someone at Walt Disney Imagineering had the idea to design the ‘Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid’ attraction so that, on November 18th each year, the sun would hit Orlando, Florida at just the right angle. This would create a beam of light that shines through a specific opening and projects three circles onto a wall, forming a Hidden Mickey. It was a remarkably precise and clever bit of design.

This attraction is unique because it’s one of the few places at Disney World where an outdoor queue could actually work. Most lines are indoors to protect guests from the Florida heat and rain. However, a Little Mermaid-themed ride naturally needs some artificial rocks to create the right underwater environment, making an outdoor queue a perfect fit.

Walt Disney Imagineering is full of talented people, so I’m not surprised they could pull this off. What is amazing is that anyone even came up with such a creative idea, let alone made it a reality.

I absolutely love this! While I probably won’t ever be lucky enough to spot this Hidden Mickey – it would be really difficult to be in the right place at the right time – I’m thrilled it’s there.

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2025-11-19 02:37