At Epcot, Mickey is on the menu
Go ahead, bite Mickey’s ear off.
Slather him with dressing. Chop him into slices. Carve him up.
The Walt Disney Company doesn’t mind. In fact, it encourages you to find the signature rodent in its resort food. Mickey Mouse-shape fare has been a staple at Disney’s theme parks for more than a decade — everything from waffles to pasta are shaped like the cartoon icon.
But now, food engineering is quietly being taken a step further.
In a greenhouse on the perimeter of Epcot largely off-limits to park visitors, scientists are discreetly growing produce to look like Mickey. It started in 2003 with cucumbers.
“We wait until the cucumber has grown about four inches long before we put it in a clear plastic mold,†explains Mary Schon, a PhD plant nutritionist who is the project’s spokeswoman.
Within a few weeks, the cucumber looks like … well, a cucumber. But slice it up and look at it crossways and you’ll recognize the trademark three-ring shape. In the nearby Garden Grill restaurant the crisp slices of Mickey are hidden in each tossed salad.
The tomatoes came next. Scientists tried the same technique, growing the fruit from eight-foot long trellises and fitting them with a custom mold. But the plants refused to cooperate. “They were too soft,†says Schon. Mickey-shaped tomatoes just didn’t cut it and were abandoned.
Then, the following year, Schon’s team tried growing watermelons and pumpkins.
“The fruit has a harder shell and holds the form better,†she says. And how. On a recent visit to her lab, the pumpkin patch was crowded with clusters of ripening Mickeys, almost ready for harvest.
But would Uncle Walt approve of carving up his beloved creation?
“Oh, I think so,†says Allison Emory, a chef at the Garden Grill, a rotating restaurant above an attraction called The Land, where costumed Disney characters — including Mickey — entertain patrons. “I think people know that you’re not really carving up Mickey. It’s all in good fun. Our Mickey even comes by to take credit for the veggies shaped like him.â€Â
That can be a bit of a challenge, considering that the characters aren’t allowed to talk. So how can a mute Mickey take credit for anything?
“He does a lot of pointing,†she says.
Growing these peculiar fruits and vegetables has its roots in the Hidden Mickey movement, a fascination for finding Mickey shapes in everything from artwork to architecture that’s shared by a core group of devoted Disney fans. The park’s so-called Imagineers have rewarded these visitors by concealing Mickeys all over the park.
The produce, explains Disney spokesman Charles Stovall, was a natural outgrowth. “It’s all about the details here,†he says.
Of course there are many other ways of feeding the Hidden Mickey obsession. Order waffles for breakfast at the upscale Grand Floridian Resort and they’re served in the shape of Mickey. A favorite at the Concourse Steakhouse is the Sticky Mickey muffin. If you prefer a slice of rye for breakfast, several park resorts have toasters that burn detailed images of Mickey on your bread.
Like pasta? Try mouse-shaped ravioli at Chef Mickey’s. There’s Mickey-shaped pizza, Mickey-shaped rolls, Mickey-shaped butter, and Mickey-shaped ice cream sundaes. You may even spot a Hidden Mickey in your sushi.
Guests appreciate the extra effort. At the Garden Grill, for example, Chef Emory says patrons play a game with their salads. “Whoever finds the Mickey-shaped cucumber has to pay for lunch,†she says. “People really get into it. And I think they like the salads, too.â€Â
But does a Mickey-shaped cucumber taste any different from a garden-variety cucumber? In a decidedly unscientific poll, several visitors were asked to sample a Mickey cucumber. The result: crisp, light and sweet.
“Tastes just like a cucumber,†says Lauren Schneider, a student at the University of Florida. “I would like it — if I liked cucumbers.â€Â
– Christopher Elliott and Kari Haugeto