Mickey News - How did you get interested in the "Hidden Mickeys?"

Steve - When I fell in love with Disney World in 1989, I stared reading every book I could get my hands on about Disney World. I read all the guidebooks and through the guidebooks and Disney books, I learned about the "Hidden Mickeys". I started collecting sightings of my own and made a big collection, eventually turning it into a book.

Mickey News - When did you decide to write the book?

Steve - The first "Hidden Mickey"s book I started in 2002. I came out here every day I had off for about 6 months, put together the Hidden Mickey list, organized them into scavenger hunts that were efficient use of your time, put it into a book and it was first published in 2003.

Mickey News - What type of research was involved, did you get any help from Disney or any official Disney sources?

Steve - No official help, again the Disney Magazine I went to the websites that were available. The first website was from the Stetson University College students in the early '90's and that started the "Hidden Mickeys" lists. I would then come out here and verify them to see if I agreed with them.

Mickey News - How many Mickey's are there in all three of your books?

Steve - The first book had about 400, the second edition which came out in 2005 had 500 and the third edition which is going to be published in May of this year has over 700, so they keep accumulating.

Mickey News - Therefore, these are all official Hidden Mickey's from Disney World.

Steve - Well they are not official, just what I believe or meet the criteria. Disney used to make a list in the past, a Hidden Mickey list, and I think it is still available. They do not update it and the list was never complete anyway. The guests find most of the "Hidden Mickeys".

Mickey News - So, you get most the Hidden Mickey's from guest input.

Steve - Yes, I have a website called www.hiddenmickeysguide.com and I get postings everyday from people who see what they think is a HM and hopefully they send me photos and I check them out. That is why the list keeps growing, Disney keeps putting them in, and we keep trying to find new ones.

Mickey News - When you get a HM from a fan, you verify it by going out and looking at it.

Steve - Yes.

Mickey News - How much legwork is involved?

Steve - Many of the postings people send, I already know about, but many are quite good and I have never see before, but yes for every HM I go out and look for myself. I am looking for permanent "HMs", not so much as the one's that come and go.

Mickey News - So there is a lot of transit "HMs" in the Parks?

Steve - Yes, there are quite a few. Some guests even put together HM shapes, but they do not tend to last.

Mickey News - So your books focus on Official "HMs" placed by the Imagineers.

Steve - Correct.

Mickey News - Was it difficult to find a publisher for your books?

Steve - Yes, its difficult to be published in any genre, non-fiction is a bit easier. My first book was a touring guidebook called "The Hassle-Free Walt Disney World Vacation" published in 2001 and it is updated every year. That was the first book published. I went through an agent who wanted to be published with a major publisher, but the contract was not beneficial, so I did not sign. I pursued smaller publishers and found one in the "Intrepid Traveler" who publishes many Florida and Orlando-type books.

Mickey News - Therefore that is your publisher for all your books.

Steve - Yes.

Mickey News - What are your criteria for a HM?

Steve - The debatable ones are the three circle Mickey's. If it is a side profile or Mickey's body, his shoes whatever those are not debatable. When you get three circles together, you want it to look like the classic Mickey that we're used to, the head and ears touching and proportional, if they are the same size, that doesn't work for me. As you might imagine, there are circles all over Disney World so it is difficult sometimes to ascribe a set of three circles to a purposeful Mickey.

Mickey News - How many "HMs" are actually done by the Imagineers as opposed to just appearing as a HM?

Steve - I wish I knew the answer to that. I'm certain that a number of HM's in my book and the website are not purposeful HM's, but sometimes you come across an image that is so striking that you know it was put there on purpose. It is a feeling you get.

Mickey News - Therefore, even though a HM was not put there by an Imagineer, it is still considered a bona-fide HM.

Steve - Yes. In fact, Disney's take over the last few years has been that if the guest thinks it is a HM, then it is. They do not put the Imagineers purposeful nature into the equation. So in my mind if the three circles approximate Mickey's shape, head, and ears then I count it as a HM.

Mickey News - What other shapes are considered as a HM, are other characters considered, or is Mickey the only candidate?

Steve - Yes, hidden characters I certainly count. There are some wonderful hidden Goofy's, hidden Donald's, hidden Minnie's, so yes, Disney Imagineers put those in as well.

Mickey News - Even thought the characters are different, they are still known as a HM.

Steve - Yes.

Mickey News - Steve, are you married, have children?

Steve - Yes.

Mickey News - With all the time you spend on your books and research, are they supportive?

Steve - Yes, absolutely. My son has found a number of "HMs".

Mickey News - Does you wife and son enjoy coming to the parks?

Steve - Yes, they do.

Mickey News - What are your plans for future HM books?

Steve - I hope to continue updating it every two years or so, and with the number of new sightings, the number will continue to grow. I have a Disneyland HM's book coming out in the summer, a first edition of that.

Mickey News - How many HM postings do you get on your site?

Steve - Normally I get two or three postings a day. That equates to probably 10 to 15 "HMs" a month.

Mickey News - Do you remember your first official HM and where is was?

Steve - I can tell you my first favorite HM that I fell in love with. The one in the Body Wars Mural at EPCOT in the Wonders of Life Pavilion. It may disappear, but it is my favorite HM of all time.

Mickey News - How much fan help do you receive, is it the majority of the input for your books?

Steve - It is now. For example, one fan contributed over 90 "HMs" that he found for my new book. He is a wonderful HM spotter. However, a number of fans e-mail me monthly or every other month with their HM sightings, it is a fun game, it really is.

Check back next week for part two of the interview with Steve Barrett soon and to order his great book, follow the link below to Amazon.