IIt's fair to say that in the world of animated films, Disney and Pixar will always be the
dream jobs of most animators and storytellers.
And once they get there, the men and women of the studio are eager to show their love
for older films, or new ones still under development.
The easiest way?
By planting clues, Easter eggs, and secret shout-outs within their very own movies.
Here are Screen Rant's 10 Hidden Messages in Disney Movies.
Aladdin Pixar's CG movies and shared universe may
be a modern invention, but Disney films giving nods to their colleagues is nothing new.
When Aladdin helped Disney climb back to the top of the animated world, it made sure to
give some credit to one of Disney's greats.
When the Sultan is stacking his toys out of boredom, make sure you catch the plush version
of the Beast from Beauty and The Beast, not even hidden in the stack.
Big Hero 6 The policeman scene in this Disney movie is
jampacked with easter eggs and references, connecting it to everything from Frozen to
Bolt.
But the name of the police officer is a message in itself: Sergeant Gerson, as in the late
Daniel Gerson, the writer of the film along with Monster, Inc. and Monsters University,
injected into the CG world as a joke most viewers won't even catch.
Brother Bear It may not have been as warmly received as
some of the Disney movies that preceded or followed it, but Brother Bear made sure to
offer some credit to the movie released by Pixar in the same year.
When the movie's human stars are fishing, just a single frame or two shows that Nemo,
the missing clownfish is visible in their net, before a mammoth helps him make his escape.
Lilo and Stitch There isn't much in common between the story
of a visiting alien creature and a Chinese daughter pretending to be a boy in order to
defend her family, but the makers of Lilo & Stitch were clearly fans of Disney's Mulan
anyway.
A playful reference is made by the restaurant Mulan Wok in town, but made blatantly clear
when Lilo's sister Nani is shown to have a poster for the movie in her bedroom.
Disney women gotta stick together.
Princess and The Frog Although it's one of the few Disney princess
stories set in America, the ties are strongest between the Princess and the Frog and Disney's
Aladdin.
Not only has Genie's lamp made it all the way to North America, but even Aladdin's trusty
flying carpet can be seen in the background of one wide shot of New Orleans.
But it wasn't just past easter eggs included in the Louisiana adventure, but a hint of
what was to come.
You'll have to look closely, and you'll catch a copy of Rapunzel on Tiana's bookshelf.
Before the title was changed to Tangled, Disney was set to release their follow-up with that
same name.
Clearly, the animators never got the message.
Robin Hood Disney's Robin hood remains something special
for its world populated only by human-like animals.
But the love story at its heart is the exact same as any other.
Which is probably why the carriage that Robin and Marian ride off in at the film's conclusion
is the exact same one that took Cinderella and Prince Charming away after their wedding.
A subtle sign that people or animals, it was true love, through and through.
Cars The world of Cars is filled to the brim with
inside jokes, tongue in cheek car puns, and references to nearly every other Pixar movie
ever made.
But the number of star Lightning McQueen - 95 - is a reference to the studio itself, with
Toy Story releasing in 1995, making them household names overnight.
The same number even makes an appearance in Toy Story 2 on the front of the train in the
opening sequence.
Wreck-it Ralph Few expected Disney to turn their story of
a video game villain turned hero into a critical and commercial success, but just as much credit
was earned by Paperman, the short film which preceded it in theaters.
It earned Disney its first animated short Oscar since 1970, but fans may still miss
the easter egg in the movie itself.
Take a close look at the bulletin board of the Bad-Anon meeting, and you'll spot the
exact piece of paper from the short - red lipstick and all.
Tangled Nobody, and we mean nobody, expected Disney's
Tangled to become one of the studio's biggest hits, kicking off a second renaissance of
digitally-animated Disney films.
Luckily, some of Disney's most beloved mascots were able to see the movie up close.
During the angellic musical number at the Snuggle Duckling, keep an eye peeled for both
Pinocchio observing the action from the rafters, and even a warthog mixed in with the crowd.
When you see a warthog in a Disney film, it's a safe bet that it's one more animator paying
credit to the flatulent hog... even if Timon is nowhere to be seen.
Those are just a few of the clever easter eggs, homages, and hidden jokes snuck into
Disney's biggest hits, but which ones are your favorite to spot?
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