Recently I found an unexpected surprise . . . a Hidden Mickey at Laity Lodge.
“What is a Hidden Mickey?” you ask. If you’re a fan of Walt Disney lore, you probably know the answer. But if not, let me explain (or you can read more here). A Hidden Mickey is a group of three circular objects that looks like the head of Mickey Mouse, more or less. Hidden Mickeys are placed in Disney media, usually in their theme parks, by Disney employees (often Imagineers, the creative geniuses who design the theme parks). Some of the Hidden Mickeys are quite obvious, such as the configuration of plates in the banquet scene of the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland. I have seen this one. It is easy to spot and most certainly a true Hidden Mickey. (Photo: Hidden Mickey from plates in the Haunted Mansion.)
Some folks are quite “into” Hidden Mickeys. They look for them endlessly, sometimes seeing them when they’re not really there. But several websites (for example, hiddenmickeys.org) try to collect and verify sightings. When I’m at a Disney theme park, I like looking for Hidden Mickeys, and have seen a few, but haven’t discovered any.
Last week I did discover a Hidden Mickey,however. It wasn’t at a Disney theme park, or in some other Disney product. Rather, it was growing naturally on the H.E. Butt Foundation property of which Laity Lodge is a part. I was hiking about a half-mile from Laity Lodge when, lo and behold, I saw this!
I did not doctor this photo in any way. It is, truly, a miracle, proof that God also a fan of Hidden Mickeys. Or, well, maybe not . . . .