Disney and Pixar are creative companies that both have a well-established history of creating countless childhood legends. From their memorable characters, to the depth of their world-building, it's clear that these two animation powerhouses know exactly what they're doing when it comes to crafting memorable and meaningful movies. Whether you're into Walt Disney's classic hand-drawn animated films, like Snow White And The Seven Dwarves and Alice In Wonderland, the 90s childhood-defining movies of Michael Eisner's Disney Renaissance, like Beauty And The Beast and Aladdin, or Pixar's contemporary 3D animated masterpieces, like The Incredibles or Toy Story, these companies truly have something to offer for all audiences and ages.
However, even hardcore Disney fans might not know that several of these films are connected in ways that are secret, surprising, and unexpected. Some of these connections are based on clever fan observations, and some of them have even been confirmed by studio heads at Disney and Pixar. It's no surprise that some of Disney and Pixar's more contemporary works are laden with Easter Eggs, cameos, and ties to other series, but a lot of these secret connections go back several decades, possibly even before you were born. Take a look and see if your favorite childhood classic movie has secret ties to other films in the Disney and Pixar cinematic universe.
Here are twenty-five Disney and Pixar movies with secret connections too wild to be believed!
24 Royals Like To Keep It In The Family
Fans of Frozen already know that the King and Queen of Arendelle met a presumably grisly fate when their boat capsized during a powerful storm, but have you ever wondered where this royal duo were heading in the first place? There's a tiny clue in one particular scene in Frozen that gives everything away.
Look carefully in the scene where Anna is opening her castle to royal guests, and you'll spy none other than Rapunzel and Eugene from Tangled among the masses. Fans have used this evidence to postulate that the King and Queen of Arendelle were on their way to Rapunzel's royal wedding when their ship sank.
Some have further speculated that Anna and Elsa are actually Rapunzel's cousins, and that Elsa and Rapunzel's blond hair is a family trait that indicates magic ability.
23 Andy's "Closeted" Secret
Considering the vast differences between these two worlds, it seems unlikely that any connection could exist between Toy Story and the Monsters Inc. universes. However, there's a surprising amount of evidence linking these two films together in ways that you might not expect.
The first and most immediate clue we can see is that Boo actually owns a Jessie doll, which you can see strewn on the floor with her other toys. Another huge clue is that Andy's bedroom closet is one of the many doors featured in Monsters University, which begs the question: who was Andy's monster?
The answer is: Randall! There's tons of evidence to support this theory. Randall's shadow appearing on Andy's cloud-print wallpaper is the main clue here, but when we see grown-up Andy in Toy Story 3, there's also a little nod to this theory with a small "Newt X-Ing" sign on his closet door
22 The Greek Connection
Disney is known for pulling stories from the folklore and history of many different countries and cultures. Due to the not-so-PG nature of several classic tales, this can sometimes cause complications and conflicts that Disney sure hopes you won't notice.
One of the biggest "hidden secrets" relates to the 1998 classic animated film, Hercules. You probably already know that the character of Hercules comes from an existing Greco-Roman myth about a demigod descended from the all-mighty Zeus (or Jupiter, if you're in Italy.) In the traditional canon of Greek Myths, Zeus' brother is Neptune, the Ruler of the Sea. Can you think of any other magical Sea Kings from Disney movies?
That's right: King Triton from The Little Mermaid is Zeus' brother, making Ariel and Hercules cousins. What's really interesting is that both of these characters make the same choice to give up their magical powers in exchange for love.
21 Hope Floats (But Boats Don't)
We've already established that there's a connection between the Kingdom of Arendelle in Frozen, and the Kingdom of Corona in Tangled, but there's actually another Disney movie that ties into this complicated cinematic world.
One of the earliest scenes in The Little Mermaid features the film's protagonist, Ariel, exploring the ruins of a sunken ship in search of treasures for her hoarder-like and not-at-all creepy grotto. One common theory is that the ship that Ariel swims around in is actually the very same ship that the King and Queen of Arendelle traveled on to reach Rapunzel's wedding.
It's been stated by the creators of Frozen that the King and Queen of Arendelle did not have their lives come to an end aboard the sinking boat, but we'll get to that in a minute.
20 Paris Isn't Exactly "Provincial"...
It's no secret that Disney likes to include Easter Eggs and visual references to their earlier films, but sometimes these cameo appearances raise more questions than they answer. One such appearance occurs towards the beginning of Disney's The Hunchback Of Notre Dame.
In the opening scene where Quasimodo looks out onto the streets of Paris, we can see a quick shot where Belle from Beauty And The Beast is seen walking through the town. It's no secret that Belle was a highly-educated woman who had probably spent some time in urban environments, but a large portion of Belle's plot focuses on how much she hates the "poor, provincial town" she's stuck living in, so what's she doing in Paris, one of the largest (and oldest) metropolitan centers in the entire world?
We can only assume that the Beast has an apartment in the city, or that Belle basically lives in the suburbs.
19 This Unlikely Connection Will "Hook" You
It's well known that a key aspect of Disney movies is that one (or both) parents are usually missing from the life of our protagonists. We'll cover more on that in just a minute, but for now, let's take a look at The Little Mermaid.
We get a brief look at Ariel's mother, Athena, in the direct-to-DVD sequel Ariel's Beginning. We also learn that Athena's life was ended by being run over by a large pirate ship. So who was responsible for this tragic accident? We can if we look to another Disney animated classic that features mermaids: Peter Pan.
In Peter Pan, a mermaid who looks VERY similar to a younger version of Ariel's mother appears, establishing that these two worlds have some kind of an existing connection. The pirate ship that attacks Athena is also incredibly similar to that of Captain Hook.
18 The British (And French) Love A Spot Of Tea
There's a really interesting Tarzan theory that involves the cast of Frozen that we're going to get to a little later in this article, but right now, let's focus on an unusual connection between Tarzan and Beauty And The Beast.
In a scene in Tarzan, we can clearly see the enchanted tea set from Beauty And The Beast featured on a cart. This begs the question: who is so posh that they bring a tea set to a safari, and furthermore, why Jane possess the tea set of a French royal family in the first place?
The answer is quite simple. Many fans believe that Jane is actually the great-granddaughter of Belle. Their appearances are similar enough, and an aristocratic background explains how Jane has the finances and education to pursue an academic expedition on the Atlantic coast of Africa.
17 A VERY Unlikely Comparison
Our next entry falls into the category of "least likely (but most interesting) fan theories." Some eager beavers over on Reddit have developed a theory that Disney's High School Musical takes place in the exact same universe as the dystopian horror series, The Purge.
How could these two radically different franchises possibly be connected? Firstly, fan theorists establish that High School Musical takes place in a universe where there is no legal system, explaining how the cast of this movie constantly gets away with crimes like property damage. The musical numbers are explained away by the idea that in this lawless alternate universe, teens are free to partake in whatever mind-altering illegal substances they can get their hands on with zero consequences.
It's definitely a stretch when compared to some of the more tangible theories that populate this list, but it's still a lot of fun to think about.
16 Your World, Or Ours?
There's always been some element of question as to which movies and worlds in the Disney and Pixar universe overlap with our own real world. While a lot of place names have been changed, there are some elements between our world, and the world of several of these films, that imply that the worlds of these characters might not be too far from our own.
One such example is present in the 2002 release Lilo And Stitch. It's true that this film is set in Hawaii during contemporary times, but there's even stronger evidence that this film is meant to take place in our world.
In a scene where we get to see the inside of Nani's bedroom, a poster for the 1998 animated movie Mulan can very clearly be seen, establishing that the film occurs at some point after the release of this film.
15 Look For The Lamp
While most of these connections are between some of Disney and Pixar's newest films, there are a surprising number of connections spanning the three major "generations" of these movies. One of these long-distance connections is between 1992's Aladdin and 2009's The Princess And The Frog. For those keeping count, that's a seventeen-year difference (anybody else feeling old, yet?)
Aladdin's magic carpet makes a brief appearance towards the very beginning of this movie, but that's not the only visual connection between these two films. The Genie's magic lamp also shows up as an object in Mama Odie's bayou hideout.
This is actually part of a larger theory that indicates these two items tend to appear as harbingers of magical elements in a Disney story. You can also see the lamp and rug in Disney's Celtic-inspired animated movie, Brave.
14 A Secret Prince
Frozen is connected to several other Disney films, including Tangled, The Little Mermaid, Pinnochio, and even Hercules. It's time to add yet another film to this complicated web of fan theories. In an interview with Frozen's director Chris Buck, we learned that the King and Queen of Arendelle actually survived their dramatic boat crash.
According to Buck, the royal couple drifted for several weeks at sea, until they finally landed off the coast of Africa, where they survived until just shortly after they gave birth to a son. Can you think of any other Disney movies where a baby is abandoned in Africa? That's right: Tarzan. According to Buck, Tarzan is actually Anna and Elsa's little brother.
We admit that this theory is ridiculously far-fetched, and that it retcons the established canon of the Disney universe, but who are we to tell the director of Frozen anything?
13 A Heartwarming Connection (That Nobody Noticed)
Disney and Pixar are both renowned for their ability to create films that really pull on your heartstrings. Everyone who has been through the traumatic first ten minutes of Up, and the incinerator scene in Toy Story 3, can attest to the heart-shattering quality of these films.
However, one of the most tragic moments in the Toy Story series probably slipped right under your nose. In Toy Story 2, we see Jessie's traumatic experience of losing her owner, Emily, but there's more to this scene than meets the eye. It is widely believed by many fan theorists that Emily is actually Andy's Mom.
There are dozens of visual references in the series that support this claim, but the biggest one is clearly that Andy's Mom bought her son a cowboy doll at a time when "Cowboys And Indians" gear was already passé.
12 A Tiny Clue With A HUGE Implication
Even though Big Hero 6 was largely panned by North American audiences, this film has several interesting clues that allude to yet another super complicated fan theory that combines Frozen, Big Hero 6, and WALL-E in an interesting way.
In Big Hero 6, we can clearly see that there are statues of Hans, the evil prince who's after Anna's throne, as well as a historical boat built in the style of Arendelle's navy. This film is set in the fictional futuristic city of "San Fransokyo" which could very well be located on top of modern-day Denmark.
This unusual historical footnote supports the theory that Big Hero 6 takes place at some point after the events of WALL-E, and that Big Hero's Baymax robot is just a highly-advanced update of WALL-E's EVE.
11 Our World, Or Yours?
It's been established that several Disney films seem to take place not in a fictionalized universe, but in our own real world. This is certainly the case when it comes to Ratatouille. I know what you're thinking: rats can't talk, so how is Ratatouille anything close to reality? Well, stating that it's "our" world might be a stretch, but it's at least a world where other Disney movies are fictionalized.
In a quick shot in Ratatouille, we get a look down Alfredo's pants to reveal that he's wearing Incredibles-branded boxer shorts. This means that in the Ratatouille world, The Incredibles is established as a fictional movie.
This is similar to Lilo In Stitch, in which Nani's Mulan poster reveals that at least some Disney movies exist as fictional stories in this universe.
10 Pixar LOVES Cameos
One especially cool secret about Pixar's movies is that they often debut characters from upcoming movies within the backgrounds of their newest releases. These characters are often presented in quiet or understated ways, so it can be difficult to figure out who or what was "foreshadowed" in a film until it's official release.
One of the clearest examples of this occurs in Finding Nemo. In a scene where children are crowded around a fish tank, we can clearly see Inside Out's Riley pressing her face up against the glass. Another time this visual reference occurred was in the movie Up. In a quick look in a little girl's bedroom, we can clearly see Lotso from Toy Story 3 propped up in the corner.
As of right now, Pixar's most recent release is Coco. Take another look at this movie and you might get a sneak peak at a new character.
9 A London Exchange
While there are tons of cameos and crossovers in more recent Disney and Pixar releases, there are actually a few truly surprising connections between some of Disney's older films. Such a connection exists between the 1951 release, Alice In Wonderland, and the 1986 release, The Great Mouse Detective.
While these two films have radically different plots and visual styles, they are connected in two clear and immediate ways. The first connection is the character Bill The Lizard. Bill first appears in Alice In Wonderland as the White Rabbit's cockney handyman. We catch up with Bill again as a member of Rattigan's gang in The Great Mouse Detective.
The other key similarity between these two films is the setting and time period. Both movies are set in London in the late 19th Century.
8 Disney Loves Cameos, Too
Another cool crossover occurs between two seemingly unlikely films: Pinnochio and Tangled. We've already established that Tangled is tied to at least two other Disney and Pixar films, but it's time to add another classic animated movie to this interconnected web.
In a scene in Tangled where Rapunzel and Eugene visit a rural countryside pub, we can very briefly get a shot of Pinnochio slumped up against a wall in the top level of this establishment. One popular theory is that the pub visited by Eugene and Rapunzel is the very same establishment where Stromboli forces Pinnochio to perform his puppet show.
While we know that Rapunzel's Kingdom of Corona is theoretically in Germany, the location of her tower is never specified. Likewise, we know Pinnochio starts off in Italy, but is whisked away by Stromboli to another country. Could this pub be the middle ground between these two movies?
7 WHO Was The Nemean Lion?
A lot of times, the gruesome fates of defeated Disney villains are never quite clearly specified. When comparing these films to the fairy tales on which they are based, it seems like a lot of these Disney baddies get off relatively easy. However, that actually might not be the case when it comes to The Lion King's main nemesis, Scar.
At the end of The Lion King, all we really get to see is Scar plummeting off the side of a cliff. We know from the events of The Lion King 2 that Scar's life was not ended by this dramatic fall, but after that, his fate is a mystery until you watch Hercules.
In a quick scene, we can see that Hercules actually owns a lion-skin costume that is very clearly made from Scar's hide. That's more than a little graphic for a kid's movie, isn't it?
6 To Infinity... And Australia?
While we already know that a connection clearly exists between the world of Toy Story and the world of Monsters Inc., there's yet another film that connects these movies together. Toy Story's lovable spaceman hero Buzz Lightyear makes a secret appearance in the 2003 aquatic adventure Finding Nemo.
In a scene inside the dentist's office where Nemo is held captive with several other tropical fish, we briefly get a look at a toy chest. Strewn on the floor next to several other toys is none other than a Buzz Lightyear action figure.
Toy Story 2 clearly establishes that talking toys can be produced to speak in other languages, as evidenced by Buzz's Spanish mode, but it begs the question: does Australian Buzz speak in an Australian accent? We may never know.
5 What Year Is It?
This next theory starts off with a seemingly innocuous Easter Egg, but the implications of this interesting cameo have led many fan theorists to draw some truly wild conclusions about the Disney Universe as a whole. Strap in, because this is a wild one.
This theory begins with a glass figurine of The Beast appearing in The Sultan's glass menagerie in a scene in Aladdin. Some people believe this tiny reference is a part of a highly complicated theory which purports that Aladdin is actually set thousands of years in a post-apocalyptic future.
Other evidence for this theory includes The Genie's numerous pop-culture references, and that a few of his lines of dialog suggest that the film has to take place at least in the year 10,000. There's way too much evidence to cover this theory in depth now, but keep your eyes peeled for more on this theory.