Hidden Mickeys (and a Minnie)

A picture taken of our newly decorated tree:

To The Max

Many of you might already know that I am a big fan of Disney's Black Hole. This is why I was very surprised and excited to find the following pin in the mail last week:

Sometimes the best villains don't need to utter a single word.

It's a shame that the characters from this movie (mainly, the robots) only show up on a few pins. Though with their appearances in Tron Legacy, and rumors of a remake, I can hope to see their proliferation once again.

Stations of the Mouse

Sometimes people look for conspiracies where there are none. Sometimes the conspiracies exist, based on misdirected truths. Sometimes the conspiracies are very real, but the evidence connecting the salient points only mock the person who just knows something isn't right, when viewed from a more grounded standing.


Oh, before I go further into this post, you should probably play the following on repeat until you are done reading:

We see references to the number three everywhere we look. It's a magic number, after all. Three signs of the Holy Trinity. Three rings in a circus. Three circles to draw...a mouse?

How could I have been so blind?

Well if one 3 is magical, then two of them would be twice as nice, right? Plussed, even. Here I present Walt Disney's own exclusive Club 33 - named after (according to the two stories) the address of the club (located at 33 Royal St. in New Orleans Square in Disneyland) or the 33 corporate sponsors of Disneyland when the club opened in 1966-67. You decide.

Let me offer up a different theory. Club 33 exists because Walt himself (along with Winston Churchill, John Adams, Buzz Aldrin, and a host of others, if you believe the list) was a 33rd Degree Mason. The highest of the order, and privy to all sorts of historical secrets, Walt probably designed both parks as giant maps to Masonic and Templar treasures. 

And what better way to hide those secrets than with grinning cartoon mascots? Seriously, who would believe a person ranting about the secrets of the Founding Fathers, along with the true Grail Legends and location of the hidden Templar treasure, if he or she told you that everything was revealed by following the Hidden Mickeys at the Disney Resorts, or by analyzing the motions of the little audio-animatronic children on the It's A Small World ride, correlating them to astrological charts, and then discovering that the ultimate answer in in the chemical bonds of a Dole Whip?

This is how Disney discredits Dan Brown, Michael Baigent, and the History Channel in one fell swoop.

So what is the real truth? What am I trying to reveal in this article that is so urgent that I will stop at nothing to let the facts be known?

Well, the first thing of note is that the black and yellow pin in the first picture is from the Cast Lanyard Collection 4 from Walt Disney World. It was released in 2005 and contains a Hidden Mickey in the lower right of the circle.

The second is the pin below. It depicts a skull wearing a Mickey crown, with a Hidden Mickey at the bottom of the pin itself. It's from the Disneyland 2007 Hidden Mickey Lanyard Pirate Collection.

In Hoc Signo Musculus

Special thanks to PinPics.com and the fine folks at DisneyPinForum.com for information on these pins.

Certifiable

I took yesterday off from blogging, but today I was met with much in the way of pins. (SO MANY PINS...yet somehow, never enough.) I was happy with that, and found myself bouncing around the house at the new and shiny arrivals, but there was also another package. It contained...

MY D23 MEMBERSHIP KIT!

That's right. Back in the early part of September, my wife gave me the gift of a D23 membership (still getting a foothold on this Disney delirium, I had no idea what this was or what it meant), and I saw that the kit with official papers, a card, and a watch (more on that in a little bit) would be arriving in 3-4 weeks, so rather than marking days on the calendar, I started reading about the D23 Club, what it means to be a member, and what I can and can't do with the bestowed privileges (that part is an experiment in progress). 

The club is designated as D23 in commemoration of the year (1923) when Disney opened up his animation studio in Hollywood. Members get a card (shown at the bottom of the photo above), a certificate signed by both Robert A. Iger (President and CEO of the Walt Disney Company) AND Mickey Mouse (though between you and me, I think the first signature may have been forged), and watch.

The watch itself is very interesting, as the face depicts Mickey as a bandleader (I've heard something similar in a song somewhere), and the only positions that are marked with numbers are the 2 and the 3. 

Get it?

Pretty cool, huh? But (I say to you, adjusting my plaid blazer, polka dotted bow tie, and tipping my straw hat) that's not all! 

You see, being  D23 member isn't just about being able to show off a watch and a club card to people in order to see how many different types of shrugs have been developed by people, or to have even those closest to you smile and nod in hopes of mollifying one's Disney-related madness*. It also allows you to receive invitations to events that regular Guests (and if you like any aspect of Disney, you're far from regular) cannot attend, as well as being able to buy merchandise exclusive to D23 members. 

Yes. In addition to being able to attend special events, my D23 membership allows me to empty my wallet in ways no one else can!

Of course there are exclusive pins!

Let's take a look at a typical day in the life of a D23 member, to give you an idea of the awesomeness that is experienced:

You wake up and spring from bed, still wearing your Eeyore footy-pajamas with the tail tacked to the partially-buttoned butt flap. As you rub the sleep from your eyes, a host of woodland animals fly in through your open window (because that's the kind of safety you feel, being a D23 member), and begin cleaning your house, preparing breakfast, and dressing you for the day ahead. You bound to the door, throw it open and greet the Sun with a wink (if only because it's polite enough to wink back at you, knowingly). Marching down the street, you sing a happy tune. If you stop, a passerby will pick up where you left off, or a bird will chirp the refrain back to you. Heck, you can even cross in the middle of a busy intersection and the cars will all honk in chorus to your jaunty little song. People shower you with attention and give you exclusive deals at stores. Every day is like your birthday, winning the lottery, and being anointed King Ralph** rolled into one!

Then you really wake up. Well, you don't really wake up so much as learn about Newtonian Physics the hard way when you realize that the song you heard was really your snooze alarm going off for the seventh time, and you rolled too far in the opposite direction of the clock on your nightstand and abruptly met with the floor. Struggling to your feet, you slip once again on what may have been a bag of Doritos or one of the many Disney vacation planning guides scattered all over your bedroom floor. People on the street don't so much sing with you as much as they yell at you, because you're trying to make it to the corner store for a cup of coffee and your somnambulation is causing you to get right in the path of oncoming joggers, cyclists, and dogs who are more than happy to ensnare you in the leashes by which they are leading their owners. The cars honking at the intersection? That really happens, and it actually does sound musical if you stand still long enough while you get your bearings. You cannot (and this is important to note) pay for coffee, energy drinks, or beer with your D23 membership - nor is a card depicting Chip and/or Dale considered legal identification at most convenience stores, bars, or gun ranges. 

However, go into a Disney park, Disney store (I'm sure there's one at a mall near you), and most Disney-related areas and flash your D23 card - and you will be given glimpses and opportunities to get things that no one (save for other D23 members) else can have! Pins. Film cels. Events. Tours. Pins. Books. Ornaments. Statues. Did I mention pins? 

These are the advantages of being a D23 cardholder. It's for those few who appreciate Disney...in a very mature way.*** No jumping around. No getting giddy and squealing like an overly excited man-child. This is serious and official stuff.

Right?

* There is no mollification. Not successfully, anyway. Once afflicted, a person will forever have Disney Madness, and start seeing Hidden Mickeys in clouds, bowls of cereal, and (so help me) even bank statements.

** I have never seen this movie. I just assume (hopefully) that it's about a man who, because he witnessed something to do with Roseanne Barr in the late-80s, was granted royalty status and all the Burger King meals he could eat, as reparation for his suffering.

***Like Peek Freans

Five Days Of Figment Part IV, A New Hope

Today I have realized the true magical nature of Figment. 


This comes in the form of a gift. For you. For me. For Figment, himself. A bank error in your favor. A way out of the fun house. 


I was going through  my pin collection, when it hit me that I don't have enough Figment pins to give you a full week of happy, smiling, winged, betailed, and bepurpled (you can tell me they aren't real words when you can argue the etymological existence of words such as "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" and "Imagineer" - so ferme la bibbidi bobbidi bouche) dragons. 


Figment and I both have come to an accord. How do I feel about not having to post more about Figment? Oddly enough, the same way Figment feels about my daily harangues. 


In a word:

He's even sparkling at the notion!

This particular pin is part of the 2011 Cast Lanyard series, and features a Hidden Mickey. Actually, there are a number of pins with Disney characters holding the word "Good," such as Goofy and both Chip N' Dale, but I'm saving those characters for week-long celebrations of their own...but those posts are for WAY in the future.

As always, special thanks to PinPics.com for the factual information on this pin.

Five Days Of Figment Part III, Northwest Parking Territory

This pin arrive the other day, along with a bevy of others from a trusted seller (which were not Figment related):

I had no idea what any of this meant at first. Were there very narrow age ranges for creative activities at Walt Disney World? Is Figment a misguided Polk supporter with a poor sense of geography? Does the C stand for "citrus," and is that a scary orange in the background? Were those the numbers of the local growers unions?

A little research has shown me that this cryptic pin denotes a parking area at Walt Disney World. As in C-section (the C is for "Create" in case any of you are getting apprehensive about the qualifications for going on vacation), parking rows 38 thru 42. Oh, and that orange thing in the background? It's Spaceship Earth. There are no conspiracies to be had, save for those intentionally looking for them.

This pin is part of the Cast Lanyard Series #3, and contains a Hidden Mickey.

If you've been with me in this celebration of Figment, stay tuned for tomorrow's special entry! 

Thanks to PinPics.com for the non-speculative information on this pin.

Five Days Of Figment: Part II

Does Figment have a voice?

A recent search has shown me that not only does Figment have a voice, but he also plays the foil against Eric Idle (slightly older than his role as Paspartu in Around The World In 80 Days, but younger than his last round of Watney's) in the Journey Into Imagination (with Figment) ride at Walt Disney World's Epcot.

Yup. That's Figment. Here be...mascots.

In watching the video, the veteran humorist (Google thinks it's a word, so I'm not arguing) reacts very well with the animated Figment - to the point where one cannot help but being reminded of Mr. DNA:

But Figment isn't just a perky yet informative character. No sir. Figment has an entire range of emotions:

This is Figment when he is confused.

This is Figment feeling lonely.

Here is an angry Figment. 

Why? BECAUSE YOU ARE TOO EMOTIONALLY DEAD TO READ THE SUBTLETIES OF HIS EXPRESSIVE NATURE!

These are part of the Figment Expressions Set, and each has a Hidden Mickey. They were released in 2008, and, if you do further research, you'll discover that there were at least two series of pins with Figment showing various emotions.

In short, Figment is infinite. One cannot know the whole of Figment, but one can know aspects of Figment. Figment, Most Confused. Figment, Most Lonely. Figment, Most Angry. 

I think Figment, Most Merciful is the completer pin - so if anyone has that one, please drop me a line.

Special thanks to PinPics.com for this enlightening journey in letting Figment into my soul. 

Five Days Of Figment: Part I

This is Figment:

Figment seems to be very popular with EPCOT visitors and Disney fans who have been to the parks, and I think because of this, I have very little attachment to this character. I don't know it from a movie. I don't know it from a book. I thought I knew it from something outside of the parks, but I was wrong. Figment seems perky. Figment also seems "clever" in a special or savant-type way. 

That being said, I'm appealing to you to tell me exactly what Figment is, beyond the "Two tiny wings, eyes big and yellow, horns of a steer, but a lovable fellow. From head to tail, he's royal purple pigment" description. He's not a dragon - well, certainly not a dragon that any other dragon would admit to (and I'm including the creature from Pete's Dragon in this), so what is he?

I have more attachment to O.L.D.Bob, as far as Disney characters go, and even I forget who he is at times.

To give you an example, the above picture is of O.L.D. Bob. Odds are, you don't know who he is - and that's not a bad thing - I worry that one day I'll meet the person who really identified with this character, and has built up an impressively scary collection of O.L.D. Bob merchandise, as well as homemade O.L.D. Bob action figures, costumes, an O.L.D. Bob encasement for a Segway, and possibly an O.L.D. Bob RealDoll (link not provided, and research not done for everyone's safety). I barely know who he is, and I only found a decent picture of him on MySpace (stop and think about that, because it'll save me a lot of time in explaining why this is funny). That's how much less relevant Figment is to me - I prefer the Disney equivalent of a hipster band. "I know this really cool Disney character, but you've probably never heard of it."

I have a bunch of figment pins, and this is just the first that I'll be showing this week. If you have a real interest in this character, make me an offer, or wait until I list a few pins this week.

Now for the pin trading facts:

This pin was released in 2010 as part of the Figment Collection of Hidden Mickey Pins. This is 4 of 6 in a set, and is a Cast Lanyard only pin.

Thanks again to PinPics.com for information regarding this pin.

Stay tuned for Part II, wherein Figment gets all emo on us.

Hop Low

This is Hop Low. He's one of the dancing toadstools featured in Disney's Fantasia. To me, it's always a wonder to see characters from movies/cartoons/television shows/et cetera given names - especially when they don't have speaking parts, or who aren't even addressed in any way. It's sort of like what Star Trek and Star Wars (feel free to direct your hate at my inbox, regardless of which camp you favor, for my digression in naming both franchises in one sentence) are doing to give a name and story to every Bothan wearing a red shirt in the background (I know what I typed). The only difference here is that (despite some Freudian and ethnic overtones I'm willing to overlook because, well, it's Disney) he's cute. He was also a very unexpected arrival in my collection.

Now for the history:

Hop Low was apparently released to the public at Walt Disney World in 2007 (October, to be precise), as part of a Disney Character Collection. He has a Hidden Mickey on the bottom of his...foot? Stalk? Stump? How do mushrooms move around?

Anyway, he's also 1 of 4 in the set (as stamped on the back of the pin), but I'll be darned if I can find what the other three are. I'm assuming they are either from Fantasia, or they are lesser-known Disney characters from other animated features (like the Bit from Tron, or Pink Elephant #4 from Dumbo). So if anyone knows, or has any additional information, please send me an email at d.pintrader@gmail.com so I can update this entry.

Special thanks to PinPics.com and the Disney Pin Store for the historical information