Wherefore Art Thou, Mickey?

Although Mickey started making regular appearances at Disneyland in 1961, it was sometimes a challenge to actually find the big guy. Sure, you could see him headlining the daily parade down Main Street, but getting a personal hug or picture came down to pure luck.

That all changed in 1988. In celebration of Mickey's 60th anniversary, a whole new land was added to the Magic Kingdom. For the first time ever, Mickey's Birthdayland provided an opportunity for Disney Guests to meet Mickey Mouse at a specific time and place.

The highlight of Mickey's Birthdayland was the "Minnie's Surprise Party" show, after which Guests could go "backstage" and meet Mickey in his dressing room. Birthdayland and the show were only intended to be temporary additions to the Magic Kingdom, but the concept of having a designated place to meet Mickey turned out to be a huge hit. When the birthday celebration was over, the land stuck around, changing to Mickey's Starland (and later Mickey's Toontown Fair).

In 1993, Mickey's Toontown opened at Disneyland, bringing a west coast opportunity to meet the mouse in the Movie Barn out behind Mickey's house. Today, any Guest visiting a Disney Park around the world can have the chance to get a little face time with Disney's biggest star.

Although those greetings have become far more structured and scheduled over the years, Mickey does still occasionally get a chance to "pop up" in the parks and surprise his fans with memorable one-on-one moments. Meeting Mickey Mouse has become a right of passage and a quintessential Disney Parks experience.

Fall Festival

It's October, which means it's time for Halloween in the Magic Kingdom, and nowhere is that more evident than on Main Street, U.S.A. Halloween decor has been a seasonal feature in the park for years, but things were taken up a notch in 2007 with the addition of the Main Street Fall Festival.

The citizens of Main Street, U.S.A. are hosting an autumn celebration, and the entire town has gotten into the act. Nearly every building is dressed in leaves, gourds, and orange and yellow bunting. In the Town Square, the results of a Scarecrow Decorating Contest are on display. Participants have found inspiration for their scarecrows in some of Main Street's most prominent residents. There are depictions of colorful characters like Mayor Weaver and Miss Hildegard Olivia Harding:

Some of the scarecrows are tributes to the town's (and America's) favorite pastime and the musician's of the Main Street Philharmonic:

Still others draw inspiration from the outfits worn by the town's chefs, candy makers and merchants. For those who truly appreciate detail, notice the sugar streaming out of a hole in the baker's sack and the tiny Mouse Ears on the doll held by the Emporium shopkeeper:

Apart from the scarecrows, pumpkin carving is all the rage this season. It seems everywhere you look, you find a smiling (or scowling) jack-o-lantern looking back at you. In some places, though, folks have gotten creative. At the firehouse, for example, pumpkins are carved with the faces and spots of Dalmatians:

A personal favorite (although one that hasn't reappeared in recent years) is this one directing visitors to the nearest public restrooms:

Business owners along Main Street have even taken to using the jack-o-lanterns to promote their establishments. Those on the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor display ice cream cones or "waffle" grins. Across the way at Casey's Corner, hot dogs and baseball are the carvings of choice:

Of course, the Halloween fun isn't limited solely to Main Street. Extra holiday touches can be found throughout the park, from the Central Plaza to Mickey's Toontown Fair.

And in Liberty Square, where the Haunted Mansion keeps the Halloween spirit alive all year long, Sleepy Hollow Refreshments steps things up with a unique holiday display featuring tributes to none other than Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman.

He'll Be the Judge

Our final stop on this tour of Mickey's Toontown Fair is the Judge's Tent. This is the place where the main mouse holds court, deciding just what color ribbon to bestow on each entry in the various categories exhibited at the Fair.

Hopeful entries are lined up on tables just inside the entrance of the tent. Visitors to the Fair line up here as well, hoping for the chance to catch a moment with Mickey between judging for a photo, autograph, handshake or hug.

While they're waiting, the Toontown Hysterical Film Society has set up an old sheet and projector to entertain the Guests. Now showing is Mickey's "History of the Fair," but some of the upcoming programs listed include "The Art of Crop Dusting" by Goofy and Minnie's film "Paint Yourself Silly."

Green Thumb Mickey

While visiting Mickey's home, why not take a peek at the backyard? Mr. Mouse has quite the green thumb. His cactus garden is full of "character," and he even is growing his own vegetables.

Mickey's overalls and tools are right here, waiting for him to find some time to tend to the garden. Looks like he's been doing okay for himself, though. His pumpkins (the Pumpkin Pie Are Squared variety) are so big, each one could be a blue ribbon winner. He's got a healthy crop of tomatoes, too. Of course, they're Hollywooden Vine Tomatoes of the species Maximus Ketchupicus.

Look closely, and you might discover one of the secrets of Mickey's gardening success. He uses Super Toon Plant Food which he borrows from Minnie (there are boxes of Super Toon Plant Food in her greenhouse). In this case, Mickey must have tipped over the box by mistake when he rushed off to judge at the Fair. The enormous size of the tomato plant growing up from the spilled food indicates that this stuff really works!

The backyard is also home to Mickey's best pal Pluto. His doghouse and bowl are here, but you'll be hard pressed to find the pup. He's a big star, often out meeting his fans in the park. Besides, even when he comes back home for the night, Mickey's such a softie that Pluto probably ends up getting to curl up next to his master to sleep.

Handy Mouse

Adjacent to Mickey's house is his garage. Primarily used as an exit for those not continuing on to meet Mickey in the Judge's Tent, the garage is packed full of details that many Guests never get the opportunity to see.

On one side of the garage are automotive parts, oil cans and an old Florida license plate, along with a collection of books on car repair: "How to Toon Up Your Car," "Replace Your Wheels Without Tiring," and "The Auto-Biography of Susie the Blue Coupe - It's Not the Years, It's the Mileage." The last is a reference to a Disney cartoon short, "Susie the Little Blue Coupe" from 1952, which helped inspire the character designs from the Disney-Pixar film Cars.

Turns out, Mickey's quite the do-it-yourself-er. His collection of "How To" books also includes such titles as "Build a Staircase in 3 Easy Steps" and "Repairing Electrical and Bermuda Shorts."

It looks like Mickey's latest project is building a birdhouse, one modeled exactly on his own home.

Mickey's got all the tools he would need to do this or any job. Only Craftsmouse, of course. They're the best. And just in case there's an accident (and First Aid isn't enough), he even has a Last Aid case handy.

Of course, Mickey's a very responsible mouse. He recycles all his cans, bottles and used gloves. He's also a bit sentimental. The picture he keeps framed in his garage is of a quiet moment spent fishing with his best pal, Pluto. It's actually from a film called "The Simple Things" (1953), the last of the regular series of Mickey Mouse shorts. In fact, Mickey wouldn't appear in another film until "Mickey's Christmas Carol" 30 years later.

House of Mouse

No visit to Mickey's Toontown Fair would be complete without stopping in at the big mouse's house. Mickey may not be home at the moment - he's out back judging items for the Fair - but his door is always open.

Just inside, there's mail on the table and a framed photo on the wall of Mickey overseeing construction of this very house. From the looks of things, the place turned out okay in spite of the efforts of Donald Duck and Goofy!

The first room we come to is Mickey's bedroom. His night shirt and slippers are laid out, waiting for him, and there are plenty of his favorite suit all pressed and hanging in the wardrobe. Take a look at the back wall, and you'll even spot Mickey's baby photo and a picture of him as a little mouse on Santa's knee.

The pet gate is up, keeping us from going too far in. If it was meant to hold Pluto, though, it doesn't look like it quite did the trick.

Just across the foyer is the family room, where it looks like the gang just stepped out for a bit. They've been in here enjoying a game on TV, a competition between Duckburg University and Goofy Tech. There are pennants, pompoms and popcorn... even mouse ears (as opposed to rabbit ears) to ensure good reception on the TV set.

Most interesting in this room are the photos hung on the back wall. Here, we finally find out about the gaping hole in the side of the Miss Daisy. It turns out a shark took a bite out of the hull.

Next up is the game room with plenty of fun activities and an even more fun collection of trophies. On the inside wall of this room is a pennant for Disney University, a real entity in that it's the place where Walt Disney World Cast Members go to learn everything from Disney Traditions to management or computer skills. Also on this wall is an often-overlooked gag. Notice the darts that have missed the board. One has landed squarely on Goofy's nose, while the other has found Donald's backside.

Finally, we come to Mickey's kitchen where (probably unbeknownst to him) Donald and Goofy have undertaken a massive remodeling project. Judging from the mess - not to mention the holes in the wall with exposed insulation - they still have a long way to go.