There are many articles online that outline the more grown-up references in beloved and long-standing children's movies. But those are not the kind of references we are here to discuss today; for the simple fact that, while those jokes can be amusing, I am not the biggest fan of the fact that they have become the sole focus of the online discussion surrounding these films. There are so many other elements that make up these films that are worth discussing. The themes of chosen family and individuality. The amazing technology needed to bring these models to life. The effort put into each and every frame.

And the countless references to other films snuck into each and every Disney Pixar product. And those are the references that we are going to seek out and discuss today. The little easter eggs (just in time for spring) littered throughout the Pixar films that connect each and every story within its canon universe. Now those are references worth discussing.

25 Totoro's Toy Story 3 Cameo

Via Reddit

For a brief second, fans of the 1988 animated classic My Neighbour Totoro will be able to see their favourite grey fuzzy friend amongst the Toy Story toys in the third film in the franchise. While Woody and his friends are gathered around the computer, searching for information that will help them achieve their goals, Totoro can be seen sat beside Woody. Though his appearance is very brief, it is a much appreciated easter egg and one I thank Pixar for including.

24 Everyone Owns That Star Emblazened Ball

Via Sasaki Times

The famous Luxo ball (that fun looking bouncy rubber ball with the stars and stripes emblazoned on its surface) has appeared in pretty much every single feature film released by the Pixar company. And that is not an exaggeration. Originally appearing in a Pixar Short and later becoming a staple in pretty much every Pixar film ever, the Luxo ball has become an identifying symbol of the films that raised us. Though there is no personal or emotional story behind it, it has become a staple in all Pixar films in which it can logically appear.

23 Bomb-Voyage Was A Mime In Ratatouille

Via: Disney Movies & Facts - Tumblr

Did you know that some devoted Pixar fans believe that the supervillain, Bomb-Voyage, from the Incredibles series, can be seen in the culinary and rat-oriented film, Ratatouille? Though there has been no official confirmation of this, their character design is incredibly similar and there is no reason to think that they are not, in fact, the same character. I wonder if the experience as a mime drove him to a life of crime or if he was simply playing the lon con and it was all a part of his plan from the start.

22 Car Pun Versions Of Classic Pixar Films

Via WIki

If you need to know anything about me, the most important fact (besides the fact that I do not like ice in my soda) would be that I love a good pun more than life itself. Anyone who thinks that puns are a form of comedy that should be thrown out deserves to be PUN-ished without mercy. Which is why the Car related puns from the Cars series bring me infinite joy. There is a movie theatre within the Cars films which plays Car pun versions of classic Disney Pixar films and nothing has ever brought me so much joy.

21 The "A113" Reference In Every Film

Via ScoopWhoop

Next to puns, inside jokes are the best kind of jokes. They make you feel like you are a part of something, and that is a great feeling. You may have noticed that the “A113” sequence appears literally everywhere throughout the Pixar films. Well, there is a reason for that. It turns out that that number is, in fact, the classroom at CalArts where a large portion of the original animators hired by Pixar studied and honed their craft. A beautiful homage to how far they have come and the place that started it all.

20 Scar Becomes Hercules' Portrait Pelt

Via Reddit

Funnily enough, I am currently watching Hercules as I pen this article and can say that this easter egg was one of the first references that I ever noticed in an animated Disney film growing up. When Herc poses for his pottery painting, he is adorned in a pelt. But as he tosses the pelt to the ground, it is revealed that the pelt is more familiar than originally thought. Herc was literally wearing Scar like he was last season's Prada.

19 The Inescapable Pizza Planet Delivery Car

Via Slashfilm

The only easter egg that exists as a bigger symbol of the Pixar universe than the Luxo ball is the Pizza Planet cruiser. That delivery truck has been in more films than I have fingers to count and has become a beloved hallmark of the series. This pizza truck has appeared, in some way/shape/or form, in pretty much every single Pixar film and there is something so comforting about seeing it. It’s like a little piece of home. Nostalgic, familiar, and welcoming at the same time.

18 Wall-E's Buy N' Large Gives The Toys Their Power

Via Pinterest

In the third installment of the Toy Story franchise, there exists a scene in which a battery-powered toy has its case opened and its batteries are exposed. Though the batteries are only on screen for a short moment, if one were to pause the screen and examine the writing printed on the visible bits of the batteries, one would see that they were created by the Buy N’ Large company that controls...well...pretty much every single thing in Wall-E.

17 Riley Frequented The Playground From Toy Story 3

Via Science Fiction and Fantasy Stack Exchange

Every single memory ball in the film Inside Out contains a specific memory that shaped the person that Riley was on her way to becoming. And, if one looks closely, one can identify several of the memories when they appear on-screen. For example, the playground from one of Riley’s joyful memories could possibly be the same playground from Toy Story 3 as well as the dinosaur statue that Riley and her family visits being the statue version of one of the dinosaurs from the film, The Good Dinosaur. There is something just a little bit sad about that last one...

16 Dinoco Is The Go-To Gas Provider In The Pixar Universe

Via Pixar Planet

It turns out that while America runs on Dunkin’ (Doughnuts), the Pixar universe runs on Dinoco. When gas stations are needed, Dinoco is the fictional company that the Disney Pixar animators turn to. The gasoline sold by this company not only provides the means needed to make the cars of the mortal Pixar world run smoothly (as seen in Toy Story) but it also provides the gas for the cars of the Cars world as well. If sentient cars have deemed it acceptable, then it must be decent gasoline.

15 Belle Visits Notre Dame

Via Pinterest

Though I have not seen this film since it spooked me as a small child (I don’t care what anyone says, it is very spooky), many devoted and dedicated fans on the internet have noticed that Belle can be seen walking through the streets of Notre Dame. I wonder what the Notre Dame bookstores are like? They must be better than her local one. The shopkeep is a lovely man and I mean nothing against him, but a store with only one customer cannot have that diverse of a selection, can it?

14 Sully's Woodcarving In Brave

Via Pinterest

One of the internet's favorite easter eggs from the Disney Pixar oeuvre can be found in the witches woodcarving-filled hut in the film Brave. When Merida is taken through the cluttered hut, a carving with a monster who bears a striking resemblance to the blue, loveable, go-getting monster named Sully from Monsters Inc can be seen placed amongst the plentiful carvings. The appearance of this carving has sparked numerous theories about how each and every Pixar film is connected (as well as theories of there being multiple universes in order to accommodate the Cars films).

Via Reddit

This may be a controversial opinion but, personally, I was not a fan of the third Toy Story film. In fact, I think that the second film is the best film in the series. And I cannot decide if that is because of the introduction of Tour Guide Barbie or is it due to the multiple Bug’s Life references. Yes, there are multiple. This article includes the classic branch scene but there is another. In one of the many shots that feature Mrs. Potato Head, she can be seen reading a book which is essentially a novelization (with pictures) of the plot of A Bug’s Life.

12 Goofy Swims With The Fishes

Via Pinterest

Now, I do not mean this in the threat type way. I mean it in a literal way. Like Goofy was actually seen at the bottom of the ocean with his fish friends. In the orchestral introduction scene in the first (an according to some Disney purists, the only) Little Mermaid film, Goofy can be seen amongst the people of King Triton's kingdom; patiently waiting for the show to begin. He is also seen without scuba apparatus which creates a lot of question about Goofy’s abilities.

11 What Becomes Of Sid

Via Film School Rejects

Though there have been mixed reactions and receptions to the third installment in the Toy Story franchise, most viewers agreed that it was a rewarding experience to see what came of the human characters that we grew up alongside. While viewers tuned in to see what came of their beloved Andy, they were also met with a bit of closure on the fate of his ex-neighbor Sid. In a later scene in the film, a garbage man can be seen wearing the same shirt that Sid wore in the original film. Though one could write it off as coincidence, it is important to note that there is no such thing in the Pixar universe. When every frame is created by hand, nothing happens by accident.

10 Andy's Books Are Named After Pixar Shorts

Via Wordpress

When Woody stands before his plastic friends in order to commence the toy meeting in the original Toy Story film, there is a bookshelf behind him. But the names that are written into the spines of these books do not resemble any classic books that the children of the real world would have grown up reading. However, these titles should ring bells of familiarity as it turns out that these titles are the titles of numerous Pixar shorts that played before their films.

9 Carl And Ellie Sent Andy A Postcard

Via RetroEnt

Though the film Up was released eons after the original Toy Story film, that does not mean that there is no room for connection. In one scene from the original Toy Story film, a bulletin board is visible for a brief moment. Dedicated fans paused the film to inspect that pile of notes and discovered a postcard from our favorite couple, Carl and Ellie. Did any of you out there spot this rare easter egg or is this news to the majority of the Pixar fans of the internet?

8 Merida Watches Over The Cars Universe

Via Ixora

How many of you (without kids and/or little siblings) actually watched Cars 2? Now, I don’t like to be negative so I will simply just say that that movie was created with a demographic in mind that I am not a part of; therefore I never felt the need to see it. However, those who have seen it have revealed that the family tapestry from the Pixar Princess film, Brave, made its way into the cars universe...well, a version of it. A version of the tapestry which contains cars instead of humans hangs on the walls in one of the scenes in Cars 2.

7 King Triton Rules Over Mardi Gras

Via Pinterest

When the parade floats explode onto the screen in the Princess and the Frog, one of the floats bears a striking resemblance to the King of the Merfolk himself, King Triton. I wonder if King Triton is part of the local folklore and mythology, or if his inclusion was meant to be a fun easter egg to entertain the audience. If he is part of the folklore, would Ariel’s story be included in that? Would they know the tale of the Little Mermaid who went on to become Queen?

6 Rapunzel And Eugene Visit Arendale

Via Miaziply Toys

This is one of the better-known references/easter eggs. For a brief second, both Eugene and Rapunzel can be seen walking into the castle which houses Arendelle’s royalty (and its biggest secret). Though it has not yet been officially confirmed that the wedding of Eugene and Rapunzel was the wedding which the previous king and queen were heading to when they met their grim fate, we can confirm that Corona’s power couple were spotted at Elsa’ coronation.