Searching for Hidden Mickeys at Disney's New Fantasyland

The "New Fantasyland" at the Magic Kingdom has opened!  At least most of it has; the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train roller coaster in the center of New Fantasyland will be completed in another year or so.  The new open sections include a circus themed area and an Enchanted Forest, which transports you into the fantasy worlds of Beauty and the Beast and Ariel, the Little Mermaid.

At the upper right of the sign at the entrance to the "Under the Sea" attraction is a Hidden Mickey made of three circular impressions (the head and ears of Mickey) in the rock.

Along the cavernous entrance queue of the "Under the Sea" attraction, Ariel left a note for us explaining some of the details of the story inside.

> IMAGE GALLERY: Hidden Mickeys at new Fantasyland

You'll see animated crabs projected in recesses along the entrance queue walls.  They're scurrying around with Ariel's trinkets.  Cool visual effects!

Another classic (three-circle) Hidden Mickey made of impressions in the rock is along the left side of the exit walkway from "Under the Sea," near the opening to the outside. Mickey's head is tilted slightly to the left.

At the end of the exit walkway from "Under the Sea," turn to your right to spot this amazing Hidden Steamboat Willie Mickey Mouse.  The Imagineers sculpted this image on a series of rocks.  His left leg is closest to you, then his right leg and shoe are on the next rock.  Two holes in the rocks represent the buttons on his shorts.  His whitish face is on a flat rock, and he's looking left.  His tall hat is the last rock above his head.

Inside the Be Our Guest Restaurant in Beast's Castle, you'll feel like you're in the "Beauty and the Beast" movie. That's because the Imagineers transported the atmosphere and detail from the movie to this section of the New Fantasyland.  They watched the movie many times and studied original movie cels to recreate as precise as possible the land of Belle and the Beast.

Inside the entrance to the restaurant, there's another Hidden Mickey to discover.

Knights in armor line both sides of this short hallway.  Stare at the knight on the far right side.  A hole in his ax forms a three-circle Hidden Mickey!

If you can, watch the Beauty and the Beast movie before you visit The Enchanted Forest section of New Fantasyland.  You'll appreciate the rich detail even more!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Steve Barrett is the author of the Hidden Mickeys Guide Book Series (Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and the Disney Cruise Ships) available in the Disney Parks and in book stores, Amazon, and on Kindle and other downloadable formats.  The WDW and Disneyland Hidden Mickeys Guide books are also offered as iPhone apps.  Steve and his wife Vickie (hiddenmickeygal) are the webmasters of www.HiddenMickeyGuy.com, and are on Twitter @hiddenmickeyguy and Facebook as Hidden Mickey Guy Disney's Hidden Mickeys Hunter.

WFTV