Disney License Plates have been included in the "Hidden Mickey" craze that began in the 1980's by Disney Imagineers. Starting out as inside jokes, silhouettes of the famous "Mickey Mouse Ears" have been cleverly and unobtrusively included in several of the attractions within the parks. The disguised silhouettes were placed among artwork, on walls and in displays and soon became an "attraction" in their own right with park guests searching for these elusive "Hidden Mickeys."
The craze has also developed into a search for a common set of three circles forming the classic "Mickey Mouse Ear" shape. Most of these discoveries are design flukes and were not intentionally placed there in disguise.
Hidden Mickeys that have been found on Disney License Plates have been classified into one of two categories: "True Hidden Mickeys" or "Design Flukes."
For the purposes of this website, a Hidden Mickey is a subtle formation of a silhouette of the head of Mickey Mouse and his two ears that is concealed in the design of a Disney License Plate.
Designers have also intentionally incorporated Mickey’s silhouette image into many of the Disney License Plates and they are intended to make Mickey part of the artwork or are used as a Disney identifying logo. Intentional Mickeys are those that are clearly visible and are not concealed in the artwork. Intentional Mickeys are not included on this page. Examples of these are the "Mickey Ear Sun" that is part of the Disney Vacation Club logo, or the obvious "Mickey Cloud" in the new Disney Cruise Line plate (DC-GN-05).
Below are examples of a Hidden Mickey and an Intentional Mickey.
Hidden Mickeys
Intentional designs included in the artwork.
This plate was created for Cast Members in Casting and Human Resources departments. The graphic features a "Mouse Ear" logo in the center of the design. However if you look closer, you will see several more "Mouse Ear" logos made up of the pink circles combined with the outer orange circles. The plate image was courtesy of Bob Allmon of California.
Produced for the Disney Cruise Line's Castaway Cay Island, the designers created Hidden Mickeys with the coconuts in each of the four trees. There are also two Hidden Mickeys at the bottom of the plate as part of the lettering scroll.
Produced for the Disney Cruise Line's Castaway Cay Island, the designers created Hidden Mickeys with the coconuts in one of the trees on the left. There is also a Hidden Mickey in the waves of the ocean.
A general plate created for the Disney Cruise Line. There are three "clams" in the sand below the "sand castle" that form a hidden Mickey.
A general plate created for the Disney Cruise Line. There are eight Hidden Mickeys on this plate.
Hidden Mickey on crate below Max and Pluto's whiskers form a Hidden Mickey
Hidden Mickey on crate behind Goofy (partial)
Two Hidden Mickeys on Chip and Dale's suitcase, one on top (partial) and one on the side
Goofy's whiskers for a Hidden Mickey
Dewey's eyes and nose form a Hidden Mickey
In January 2009 Bob Richardson of California discovered a Hidden Mickey on Pluto's paws.
In February 2009 Bob Richardson of California discovered a Hidden Mickey formed by the zeros in "2001" and the tiger's head.
In January 2009 Bob Richardson of California discovered several Hidden Mickeys on the plate. The star and galaxy background also yields numerous "three circle" patterns.
In February 2009 Bob Richardson of California discovered a Hidden Mickey on the plate. The engine in the center of the plate forms the Hidden Mickey.
In January 2009 Bob Richardson of California discovered several Hidden Mickeys on the plate. Hidden Mickeys can be found on the Alien's helmets and as shadows below the Aliens shown with legs.
A general plate created for Walt Disney World. The fireworks bursts behind the castle form a hidden Mickey.
Produced to celebrate the millennium in 2000 at Walt Disney World, the designer used the three zeros in "2000" to create a Hidden Mickey. For some this is very obvious, but for others, due to Mickey, Goofy and Donald, the Hidden Mickey is hard to see.
This plate distributed in October 1999 to travel agents with a promotional package to launch the new millennium at Walt Disney World. Similar in design to DW-GN-10, the designer also used the three zeros in "2000" to create a Hidden Mickey, however this time it is much more obvious.
This plate was created for the 30th Anniversary at Walt Disney World. The designer used the clouds above the castle to form a Hidden Mickey profile.
In January 2009 Bob Richardson of California discovered a Hidden Mickey on the plate.
This plate was created for the Disneyland 50th Anniversary celebration at Walt Disney World. Tinker Bell's pixie dust forms a Hidden Mickey.
This plate features Hidden Mickeys in the ornate scroll below "Princess".
Two Hidden Mickeys were discovered on the side and tail of the Ice Gator.
In January of 2009 Bob Richardson of California discovered the Hidden Mickey on the side of the Ice Gator.
Hidden Mickeys were discovered on the inner tube being held by Goofy and in the water waves in the lower right corner of the plate.
In January of 2009 Bob Richardson of California discovered the Hidden Mickey on the side of the Ice Gator.
This plate was created for the new Disney World Store in New York City. The designer placed a Hidden Mickey in the "C" of the NYC Police Department patch on Mickey's Police Officer hat.
Two Hidden Mickeys were discovered on the side and tail of the Ice Gator.
Design Flukes
Unintentional "Mickeys" found in the artwork.
This plate was created in 1991 for Disneyland. Several of the fireworks bursts above the castle form a Hidden Mickey.
Produced for Disney's Vero Beach Resort in Florida, the clouds in the background form several subtle Hidden Mickeys.
The 2004 year plate for Walt Disney World, with the fireworks bursts on the left and the three in the center forming Hidden Mickey. If you consider up-side-down Hidden Mickeys, you can find one on the right, also formed from the fireworks bursts.
This plate is for the Boardwalk Resort Hotel at Walt Disney World. The shadow below Donald Duck forms a Hidden Mickey.
Hidden Mickeys on Disney License Plate Frames
This Disneyland frame was released in 2009. The Hidden Mickey is outlined on the border of the frame.
This Disney World frame was released in 2009. The Hidden Mickey is outlined on the border of the frame.
