Top 25 Fun Disney Movie Easter Eggs

Disney Imagineers, filmmakers, and animators love adding Easter Eggs to their projects for fans to find while enjoying the newest Disney film or attraction. Easter Eggs can be defined as a hidden message or image within media, such as a movie.

Even famous musicians like Taylor Swift often create Easter Eggs on social media posts or interviews to give hints at upcoming projects or to pay tribute to past albums or films. Besides enjoying the Disney storytelling and animation, finding Easter Eggs is just another way to find magic and fun within Disney movies.

As huge Disney fans, we love re-watching movies to find the various Easter Eggs! In the list below we will go over 25 fun Easter Eggs to look out for next time you watch a Disney film!

1. Wish (2023)

According to Wish producer Juan Pablo Reyes Lancaster-Jones, there are over 100 Easter Eggs throughout the film! Apparently the producer even kept a spreadsheet of all the references to other Disney films throughout the movie. It has been stated that Wish contains the most Easter Eggs in a major movie release since Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One.

Although there are clearly so many to choose from, one of my favorite Easter Eggs is when Valentino the goat makes a wish for a “a safe haven for talking animals who wear clothes.” This sentence appears to be a hidden reference to Zootopia, where we see all kinds of animals wearing clothes and living in a world similar to humans!

2. Haunted Mansion (2023)

The most recent revival of Haunted Mansion brought so many amazing Easter Eggs and callbacks to the famous attraction found at both Disney World and Disneyland Resort. Many Haunted Mansion attraction fans, such as myself, absolutely loved the many references to the attraction while still keeping the storyline on track.

One of my favorite Easter Eggs was how the pumpkins were carved at the mansion near the end of the movie. It may be hard to spot, but they were carved in the same patterns as the famous purple wallpaper and glowing eyes you see throughout the attraction.

3. A Goofy Movie (1995)

There a few quick subtle nods to various Disney characters throughout A Goofy Movie, including Mickey Mouse himself. Although there are a few easier ones to spot, such as the Mickey Mouse phone in Max’s bedroom, some are a bit tougher to see. One of my favorites within this classic 90s Disney film is during the Powerline concert when a quick pan of the crowd is shown. If you look closely, you can spot Mickey enjoying the concert!

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4. Coco (2017)

There are several great Pixar Easter Eggs throughout Coco! Towards the beginning of the film, while Miguel is wandering through the marketplace, you can spot several Disney/Pixar characters hanging from a pole. These characters include Woody and Buzz from Toy Story and Mike and Sully from Monster’s Inc!

5. A Bug’s Life (1998)

The Pizza Planet delivery truck from Toy Story appears in almost every Pixar movie, however it is probably the hardest to spot in A Bug’s Life. This quick shot of a trailer outside the bug circus shows the delivery truck parked just beside it under a shadow. However the spaceship on top is a total giveaway!

6. Zootopia (2016)

One of the funniest Disney Easter Eggs can be found towards the end of Zootopia. In this scene we see Duke trying to sell pirated DVDs, including several that are spoofs of Disney films. These include Pig Hero 6 (based on Big Hero 6), Wrangled (based on Tangled), Wreck-It Rhino (based on Wreck-It Ralph), Meowana (based on Moana), Floatzen 2 (based on Frozen 2), and Giraffic (based on the eventually canceled film Gigantic).

7. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

At the end of the iconic “Out There” song in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, you can spot Belle from Beauty in the Beast in the lower right hand corner of the screen wandering throughout the marketplace in her blue and white dress! Although a lot harder to see, Aladdin’s Magic Carpet and Pumbaa from The Lion King can also be found in this scene.

8. Aladdin (1992)

Another Beauty and the Beast Easter Egg can be found in Aladdin, during the scene that show the Sultan’s animal toys. If you look closely you can spot the Beast!

9. Monster’s University (2013)

You’ve probably heard about the “A113” Easter Egg that appears in almost every Disney/Pixar movie. If you haven’t, this frequent Easter Egg is a tribute to a classroom number at the California Institute of the Arts (Cal Arts), where many Pixar animators have studied. The A113 classroom specifically taught animation students, which is why it is frequently seen throughout Disney/Pixar films.

The A113 Easter Egg in Monster’s University can be tricky to spot, but I like this one in particular because it is used on an actual classroom door within the film, paying tribute to this Easter Egg’s origination.

10. Lilo and Stitch (2002)

If you look closely, viewers can spot Cinderella’s Castle in Magic Kingdom on an Orlando postcard in Lilo and Stitch!

11. Frozen II (2019)

In the first scene of Frozen II, try to spot the Disney snow characters such as Dumbo, Baymax, and Bolt!

12. Tarzan (1998)

An easier Easter Egg to spot which makes an appearance more than once in Tarzan is Mrs. Potts and Chip from Beauty and the Beast.

13. The Princess and the Frog (2009)

There are many Easter Eggs throughout The Princess and the Frog, but one of my favorites is actually based on a character’s name. One of the fireflies, “Cousin Randy,” was named for the character’s voice actor and the movie’s music composer, Randy Newman.

14. Encanto (2021)

Encanto tells the story of Mirabel and her Uncle Bruno, both of whom are seen as outcasts within their own family. An interesting Easter Egg, or connection, between these two characters is Mirabel’s green eyeglasses and Bruno’s eyes which turn green when he has visions. This was one interesting physical attribute that can be seen between these two unique characters.

15. Chicken Little (2005)

A funny opening scene and Easter Egg in Chicken Little includes a tribute to the opening scene in The Lion King. The narrator starts off by acting as if you are about to watch The Lion King, but quickly realizes he is in the wrong movie!

16. Ratatouille (2007)

You can spot a familiar dog in an earlier scene of Ratatouille when Remy is trying to escape the house. If you take a close look at the dog’s shadow, you may recognize the outline of Dug from Up!

17. Oliver and Company (1998)

In one of my favorite Disney songs, “Why Should I Worry?” in Oliver and Company, you can spot some familiar characters! Although it might be hard to catch since there are various dogs seen in this scene, a few familiar dogs can be spotted in the background. Peg, Trusty, and Jock from Lady and the Tramp can be seen briefly during this scene. Pongo from 101 Dalmatians also makes an appearance!

18. Pinocchio (2022)

In the live action remake of Pinocchio, viewers can see several cuckoo clocks in Geppetto’s house. If you look closely you will notice several of the clocks pay tribute to various Disney classics, such as Toy Story, Dumbo, The Lion King, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Aladdin, and Sleeping Beauty. There is also a very clear cuckoo clock with Donald Duck and Huey, Dewey, and Louie.

19. The Lion King (1994)

Another very easily missed Easter Egg can be found in the scene where Simba returns to Pride Rock to confront Scar in The Lion King. When the hyenas are shown, a shadow of a Scottish Terrier dog can be seen on the mountain. This appears to be Jock from The Lady and the Tramp. 

20. Big Hero 6 (2014)

A framed photo of Hiro’s cat Mochi can be seen on the wall briefly in Big Hero 6. If you look closely, you can see that Mochi is clearly wearing a Stitch hat!

21. Moana (2016)

During the “Shiny” song in Moana, viewers can spot the genie’s lamp from Aladdin hidden amongst the treasure that Maui can be seen standing on.

22. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

Most know that the Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise was inspired by and created after the attraction was introduced at the Disney parks. Therefore, there are tons of Easter Eggs and direct references to the attraction throughout the films. One of my favorites is when Captain Barbosa reveals the skeleton curse to Elizabeth Turner and drinks a bottle of liquor after turning into his skeleton form. This appears to be a direct reference to the scene in the ride where a skeleton pirate can be found with a bottle of rum in the cave.

23. Hocus Pocus (1993)

The first time you see Max Dennison in Hocus Pocus, he is wearing a tie-dye t-shirt with red, green, and purple colors. Whether or not this was intentional, these are the same colors that make up the outfits worn by the three Sanderson sisters.

24. Enchanted (2007)

Allegedly confirmed by the film’s director Kevin Lima, Enchanted pays tribute to the three composers of Snow White and Seven Dwarves through an Easter Egg. The composers’ names, Churchill, Harline, and Smith were used to name the law firm where Robert works.

25. Tangled (2010)

There are references to several Disney princesses during the “When Will My Life Begin?” song sang by Rapunzel in Tangled. If you look closely you can spot an apple, a nod to Snow White, at the end of the staircase. The others, a bit harder to see, include a slipper and a rose representing Cinderella and Belle, as well as a shell representing Ariel on the upstairs bannister.

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