For those who don’t know, can you give a quick explanation of what a  Hidden Mickey is?

A Hidden Mickey is a partial or complete image of Mickey Mouse that has been hidden by Disney’s Imagineers and artists in the designs of Disney attractions, hotels, restaurants, shops and other areas.

Hidden Mickey hunting is quite far removed from your day job as an Emergency Room Doctor, how did you first get into it?

I first visited Walt Disney World in 1989, and it was love at first sight!  I read everything available about the Disney parks and discovered the Hidden Mickey concept in some of these publications,  such as the previous Disney Magazine.  I began to keep files and photos of Hidden Mickeys and, in 2003, organized these files into the first WDW Hidden Mickeys book.

What was the first Hidden Mickey you spotted?

I don’t remember the very first Hidden Mickey I spotted, but the classic (three-circle) Mickey on the chimney in the loading area mural of Snow White’s Scary Adventures in the Magic Kingdom at WDW was definitely a very early find for me.

Do you have a favorite Hidden Mickey?

My favorite Hidden Mickey is not currently visible; it’s the full-body Mickey image in the green broccoli-like nerve tissue in the mural above the entrance to Body Wars in Epcot’s Wonders of Life Pavilion.  As you know, this pavilion is usually not functioning.  In each of the Hidden Mickey books, I list my favorite Hidden Mickeys from the
respective areas.

Have you always been a Disney fan?

I’ve been a devoted Disney fan since my first visit to WDW in 1989.

What’s your earliest Disney memory?

My earliest (and among my fondest) Disney memories are carrying my young son on my shoulders as we explored the Magic Kingdom at WDW.

Any tips for our readers on Hidden Mickey hunting?

The main tip for Hidden Mickey hunting is to marvel at the details of the Disney surroundings, wherever on property you happen to be.  It’s inevitable that you’ll spot Mickey (don’t forget Hidden Goofys, Minnies, etc. – these Hidden Characters are considered Hidden Mickeys) hiding in the details.

Your books are quite a comprehensive list of Hidden Mickeys at Walt Disney World and Disneyland, do you think there are still some that  lay undiscovered?

I receive daily e-mails from folks who spot images, and this provides me 5 or so new decent Hidden Mickeys (not wishful thinking or “two-beer” Mickeys) every month (I’m including Hidden Mickeys in Disney parks and in Disney movies and even non-Disney areas).  New Hidden Mickeys appear constantly, as Disney refurbishes or opens new areas.

Do you have any plans to publish Hidden Mickey books for Disney Cruise Line or Disneyland Paris?

My Disney Cruise Ship Hidden Mickeys book will be published within the next two months.  I have an ebook of the Disney Cruise Ship Hidden Mickeys available from the Home Page of my website: www.HiddenMickeysGuide.com

My first iPhone app (WDW theme park Hidden Mickeys) with GPS location capability, was recently approved by Apple and is now available in the App store.  I plan to write books and/ or apps for the foreign Disney parks in the near future.

Steve Barrett, author of the Hidden Mickeys books, the Hassle-Free WDW Vacation book, and the HiddenMickeysGuide website

Steve’s books are available from all good book shops, including amazon.com-
Hidden Mickeys, 4th Edition: A Field Guide to Walt Disney World’s Best Kept Secrets
Disneyland’s Hidden Mickeys, 2nd Edition: A Field Guide to Disneyland Resort’s Best-Kept Secrets
Hidden Mickeys Goes to Sea: A Field Guide to the Disney Cruise Line’s Best Kept Secrets

and amazon.co.uk-
Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide to Walt Disney World’s Best Kept Secrets (Disneyland’s Hidden Mickey’s)
Disneyland’s Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide to Disneyland Resort’s Best-Kept Secrets (Disneyland’s Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide to the Disneyland)
Hidden Mickeys Goes to Sea: A Field Guide to the Disney Cruise Line’s Best Kept Secrets