The Hidden Mickey Club

Disney, I am handing you this idea for free. The best part of Disney isn’t the attractions, isn’t the food, and it isn’t even the scenery. The best part of Walt Disney World is all the little intricate details that hold it all together. Think about it, every restaurant has a story, every attraction has a story, and even most of the trees have a story as imported plants are usually associated with a sign mentioning their origin and their features. Now, lately the details have been a little slacking, with the dismal parade at Hollywood Studios and some additions that doesn’t match the themes of said park. My idea (this is free, once again) is that the Imagineers should form a squad called the Hidden Mickey Club.

The Hidden Mickey Club consists of several cast members whose sole purpose is to come up with little tiny fun additions to random parts of all the parks and resorts. Small little changes that can enhance the entire experience of the area. For example: Big thunder Mountain Railroad. On the other side is Tom Sawyer Island, one of the few remaining attractions in all Disneys around the world with Walt Disney’s personal touch. This island has a fort with guns complete with sound effects. You can actually aim and fire at the Big Thunder ride.


Now, how awesome would it be that every time a child (or adult) fires his/her gun towards Big Thunder, you can hear the gunfire on the other side while riding the train? Even better, what if we can provide a special effect that would include sand or small rocks jumping, signaling that bullets are being fired at you? Now that would make a fun addition, eh? Not only is your train out of control, but you hear gunfire while going through the next major turn. It is a small cheap addition that would make the ride much better, and much crazier.


Now we are getting to my main point, and that is the Streets of America in the Hollywood Studios. What a wasted opportunity this has become. This street’s main attraction is the excellent photo opportunities, and when Mulch, Sweat, and Shears perform. The Hidden Mickey Club would be put in charge to add little tiny things to the area to enhance it. What would I do? Very simple, New Yorkerize it. Sell actual New York merchandise, stuff like “I Love New York,” and some of the popular sports teams. The Yankees and Knicks are among the most popular professional teams in the world, why not give the New York street a little more realism by selling their product? We don’t have to stop there.

Where is the New York music? In my opinion, no man represents old-school (and perhaps even modern-day NYC) like Frank Sinatra. How much better would the streets be if you heard Frank Sinatra songs in the background? I am aware that Chicago and San Fran also exist in this section, but we should all be aware that New York is the largest section by far. To top it off, we can even have a Frank Sinatra look-alike come out and perform and dance and serenade the female guests a few times a day. And at night, the place can come alive with some popular Broadway musical numbers by street performers. Wouldn’t it be cool to see some tap-dancing and singing from musicals such as Mary Poppins, Chicago, West Side Story, and Cats? (Okay, the last one I am exaggerating)

And then, the food. Oh my, where is the New York food? Where are those massive slices of pizza? The massive hot dogs (Herbie’s Drive-In doesn’t count)? The Shish-kabob? It’s borderline-cruelty that we have a sign for New York pizza when it’s just a decoration. I know Pizza Planet is close by, but they barely qualify because it’s small personal pizzas. I am talking about the thick slices of pizza we all have heard about. There is indeed a kitchen located behind the pretzel stand (the only street food linked to New York street cuisine) and I am sure they have a space to make pizzas so a place can sell them by the slice. Slice of pizza, Frank Sinatra, and Yankees gear close by—THIS is New York City.

And that is just one example of what the Hidden Mickey Club can pull off. They don’t have to create a new attraction per say, they can add small lovely details to things that already exist. Other examples of places that can benefit from small inexpensive changes: Innoventions, the Ferryboat in Frontierland, Tom Sawyer Island, Club Cool, Tomorrowland Speedway, Journey to Narnia (which should just turn into The Art of Pixar in my opinion), Space Mountain (the new pre-ride stuff doesn’t cut it), Main St. USA, etc.

Bottom Line: Disney can definitely improve, but not by major changes, major additions, and new rides to rival Universal. Sometimes, it’s the little things in life that provide the most improvement. Streets of America was the example I provided because the place is a wasteland when it’s not December. The Hidden Mickey Club can definitely bring something special to the table, as it not only helps the parks, but they can also provide reasons for frequent visitors to pass by lesser-known areas.

Once again, this idea is free.