My first stop on my Hidden Mickeys journey took me to the Animal Kingdom Lodge, Jambo House. As the name may suggest, this resort is located by Animal Kingdom. I had been to this resort once before to eat at Jiko, but it has been many years. My Mom stayed here during my Bachelorette weekend trip in January of 2020, while the rest of the bridal party slummed it at All-Star Music. After a quick lunch at the Mara, I set off on my adventure to find Hidden Mickeys!
Boma – Flavors of Africa
Boma is a table service buffet open for breakfast and dinner. Our first Hidden Mickey to find is one the book considers A Real Tuffy, which “earmarks” the hardest-to-spot Hidden Mickeys. I was there during lunch time so the restaurant was no longer open, but a very nice Cast Member let me in to look around. In order to see this Hidden Mickey a special light needs to be on. When the Cast Member realized what I was looking for she quickly turned on that light for me. Without that light the Hidden Mickey really is a toughie.
The next Hidden Mickey in the book is supposed to be in the chairs at Boma, but they have since gotten new chairs.
The last Hidden Mickey in Boma is located at the sweets table in the buffet and, as I said earlier, I was there when the restaurant was closed, so I did not get a photo of this one. Just imagine a Mickey shape made from three trays of cookies, one larger and two smaller trays.
Entrance
Next I went back to the entrance of the resort where we have two Hidden Mickeys. The first one is located on one of the faces of the ceremonial figures of the resort’s facade. The next one is just inside the resort to the right in the mural featuring a lizard. On the lizard’s back is where you will find this Hidden Mickey.
Hallways
Continuing inside, I passed through the hallways. There are some “classic” Hidden MIckeys that can be found throughout the resort in the carpets. To be honest, I had a hard time finding the specific ones the book was talking about which were “rectangles encasing three Mickeys each, in alternating directions”. So first enjoy other Hidden Mickeys found in the carpets before I finally found the ones the book referenced. Another Hidden Mickey that is found in the “Hallways” is actually found in the elevator closest to the Fitness Center.
Jiko – The Cooking Place
Heading back towards Boma, right across the hallway is another table-service restaurant, Jiko. Inside Jiko there are two Hidden Mickeys. One is on the ceiling above the oven. To find the other Hidden Mickey, look outside the windows at the pool area just outside the restaurant. There you will find a Mickey sculpted into the rock work. This is considered to be another Real Tuffy.
Main Lobby
I walked back up the stairs to the grand main lobby of the Animal Kingdom Lodge Jambo House. This lobby is incredible with its beautiful architecture and the windows on the far end that look out towards the savannah. Inside the lobby, on either side of you, there are giant columns, which if you take a close look at you will notice there are logs tied together that create a Hidden Mickey. Now look up towards the ceiling, at the top of these pillars are African-themed shields with three circles that create another Hidden Mickey. Admittedly, looking back at the book, the Hidden Mickey it references is made up of three black circles and the one I photographed has two black and one yellow circle. Hopefully this still counts! The last stop in the lobby is back down the staircase headed for Boma, but stop on the landing to gaze at the waterfall. In the rock work there is another Real Tuffy Hidden Mickey.
The Mara
The Mara is the quick service restaurant located at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. One of the most popular items on this menu is the Zebra Domes. Chocolate mousse, covered in white chocolate with chocolate stripes to look like a zebra. When I got this snack, they came in a pack of three. My advice: if you want to save them for later, then do not store them in your backpack. They will leak! Inside the Mara, there are two Hidden Mickeys. The first one is located in the food area, you will find Mickey in a collection of leaves. I have two pictures here, the first one is the exact Hidden Mickey that is depicted in the book and the second is another Hidden Mickey that I found in the same location that fits the description. The second “official” Hidden MIckey is located in the back wall mural of this restaurant. I remember this one being difficult to find and I had to get help from several cast members to hopefully find this Hidden Mickey. The clue says that, “Mickey is found on the monkey, which is climbing a tree in the middle of the mural.” I can kind of see Mickey on the monkey’s face, but this one is questionable in my opinion if it passes as a Hidden Mickey.
Victoria Falls Lounge
Moving on, the next location is the Victoria Falls Lounge, which as the name suggests is a lounge that serves appetizers and features some South African wines. Similar to the Hidden Mickey found in the rock work by the waterfall on the way to Boma, Mickey is carved into these rocks by the lounge.
Viewing Area
The last spot before I moved over to Kidani Village, which is the Disney Vacation Club villa section of Animal Kingdom Lodge, is the viewing area over the savannah. This is probably the most unique part of the Animal Kingdom Lodge, that you can wake up to see animals right outside your window grazing on the savannah. Once you head outside of the lobby, turn around and look up at the vine-inspired columns. On the left-hand side you will find the last Real Tuffy. This is a tricky Hidden Mickey because it is not a classic three circle silhouette to represent Mickey. I definitely needed help from a Cast Member to spot this Mickey. Then turn back around and walk out towards the viewing area. On the left hand side in the rock work you will see a giraffe and her calf. Three spots on the mother giraffe form our next Hidden Mickey. Last, but not least, go further into the viewing area you will find one more example of Mickey’s head imprinted into rock work.
Toni’s Favorite Hidden Mickey
That wraps up the first stop on my Hidden Mickey journey. Overall, I think what is challenging about finding the Hidden Mickeys at the Animal Kingdom Lodge is that there are a lot located in the rock work, but this also adds to the fun because they are not so obvious at first glance. My favorite Hidden Mickey would be in the Viewing Area, the Mickey located in the vine-inspired columns because of the rare profile image rather than the traditional three circles.
Thank you for joining me, I will see you next time at the Animal Kingdom Lodge Kidani Village.
Travels with Tink & Toni 