Disney World opened the EPCOT Center in 1982, a new theme park intended to appeal to a more adult audience. At the time, Disney had decided that featuring Disney characters in a park that sells alcohol would be inappropriate for the brand, so the company forbade park designers from including any images of Mickey, Minnie, or any other animated character. Some imagineers took this as a challenge, and decided to hide Mickey Mouse iconography all throughout the park.
Thus, the Hidden Mickey was born, which has now become a beloved tradition for Disney fans. The famous three-circle shape of Mickey's head is hidden throughout the Disney theme parks, movies, and even the Kingdom Hearts video games for eagle-eyed fans to find. Trading card game Disney Lorcana is getting in on the fun too. As new cards have been slowly revealed over the last year, Lorcana fans have noticed Hidden Mickeys cleverly disguised in the art. Sometimes obvious and sometimes obscure, you'll find Hidden Mickeys on the various Disney characters featured in the game, as well as in the background, and even on the back of the card.
The Card Back
Lorcana brand manager and co-designer Ryan Miller first clued fans into the existence of the Hidden Mickeys while promoting the game at Nevada's GAMA Expo earlier this year. The first Hidden Mickey is actually on every Lorcana card - but its on the back. The circle surrounding the game's logo is flanked by two curved lines that extend off of the card and suggest the image of the classic three-circle Hidden Mickey image.
This one is incredibly subtle and doesn't technically fall into the most commonly understood definition of a Hidden Mickey, but since the designer of the game confirmed it himself, it's Lorcana's first legitimate hidden Mickey.
Pongo, Ol' Rascal
Pongo's Hidden Mickey is one of the easier ones to spot, because it's literally hidden in his spots! This Hidden Mickey is found just below Pongo's collar on his right-front leg.
An interesting thing about Hidden Mickeys is that they don't have to be an intended element of the design to qualify as a legitimate example, so while some may debate whether the artist meant to include a Hidden Mickey here, it's a matter of fact that the pattern exists, so it's real whether they meant to do it or not.
Jetsam, Ursula's Spy
This Hidden Mickey has a more traditional shape than Pongo's, but it might be harder to spot if you're not looking for it. Three of the bubbles rising up from Jetsam form the classic Hidden Mickey image, just above the middle of his body. Mickey may be a hero, but he isn't afraid to visit Dinsey's villains too.
Coconut Basket
Coconut Basket is practically a test of your Hidden Mickey spotting skills becuase it seems to contain so many. The big coconut at the center and the two directly above it form one Hidden Mickey, while the circles on three of the coconuts each form their own separate Hidden Mickey. There's at least four Hidden Mickeys on this card, but could there be more?
Let It Go
This is a tricky one, since Elsa's ice magic is made up of hundreds of small circles. There are many patterns that nearly make a Hidden Mickey, but they're a little too squished together or off-kilter to really be considered true Hidden Mickeys. The clearest one here can be found right at the bottom edge of card, just to the left of the world "LET". There are others here that may qualify, but that one is the most accurate.
Robin Hood, Unrivaled Archer
The background of this card is a forest made up of dozens of little circles, but if you look far in the distance you'll see one clear Hidden Mickey in the furthest tree. It's a little off-axis, but it has the right shape and proportions to be considered a true Hidden Mickey. You can also see the suggestion of a Hidden Mickey in the tree above Robin Hood's bow
Sebastian, Court Composer
Sebastian is surrounded by bubbles emanating from the orchestra he's conducting. You can spot three Hidden Mickey's around him, though one of them is iffy. There's one at the tip of his baton, one just above his left claw, and a third, close to the top right corner of the card - but you may not want to count that one since the shape is quite a bit off.
Duke of Weselton, Opportunistic Official
Not an easy one to spot, the Duke of Weselton's Hidden Mickey is ornately carved into the background of the ravaged Great Hall. There are a lot of mysteries surrounding this card, so it's great to see a Mickey hidden in its midst.
Elsa, Snow Queen
Perhaps a little abstract, but the swirls on the front cover of Elsa's book are distinctly Mickey-shaped. The ears curve off of the cover, just as they do on the card backs. I'll let you decide if this one counts, but we say if the card backs do, so does Elsa.
Mother Gothel, Selfish Manipulator
Mother Gothel's Hidden Mickey is easy to spot. It appears as a blemish on the wall behind her; a bright spot in an otherwise dark scene.
Ursula's Cauldron
Another villainous scene where Mickey hides in the background; Ursula's Cauldron features a smudgy Hidden Mickey made of seafoam just to the right of the cauldron. A little misshapen, but we think it still counts.