15 Mind-Blowing Easter Eggs in Toy Story

Hidden Details Fans Will Love to Discover

Toy Story is full of Easter Eggs, paying tribute to not only Pixar but characters from other movies and franchises. It can get hard to spot these references, especially when there’s a load of them.

Lucky for you, we’ve curated a list of Easter Eggs that appear throughout the 4 movies. Keep reading to find out what these are.

A113

Andy’s SUV in the Toy Story series has A113 written on the license plate. The iconic A113 is an animator’s inside joke.

The number refers to a classroom situated at the California Institute of the Arts. The institution has catered to several Pixar animators, giving them a head start in their careers.

The Luxo Ball

Luxo Ball is a tribute to the iconic Luxo, Jr, Pixar’s first computer-animated shorts. The Luxo Ball is a yellow ball with a blue stripe and a red star and has made its way into the playrooms featured in the Toy Story series.

Only the eagle-eyed viewers could have spotted this easter egg. Besides the Toy Story series, the ball has also made an appearance in Soul, Up, and Monsters, Inc.

Mickey Mouse Clock

Have you ever looked closely at Andy’s room in Toy Story? It has a Mickey Mouse clock hanging on the wall.

Toy Story is one of the many Disney films that has featured hidden Mickey’s. The cartoon has also been included in The Little Mermaid, Frozen, Sleeping Beauty, and The Lion King.

Boo From Monsters Inc

Toy Story 4 is packed with a long list of Easter Eggs that can’t be spotted immediately. Boo from Monsters Inc. made a brief appearance during the movie, not once but twice.

In the first instance, she’s seen in the background in Bonnie’s class. The other appearance was made during the carnival scene.

Binford Tools From Home Improvement

Sid from Toy Story used to perform experimented on his toys and relied on various tools to do so. He would keep these tools in a toolbox with the Binford Tools logo.

People from the 90s would remember this brand from Home Improvement. This 90s sitcom was a popular one at the time and Tim Allen who’s the man behind Buzz Lightyear’s voice, also played Tool Man Tim Taylor on Home Improvement.

A Nod to Pixar’s Origins

The Toy Story series is full of shoutouts to Pixar’s origins. One such shoutout included a scene in Toy Story 2.

The scene involved all the toys coming together to draw up a rescue plan for Woody, who was trapped at Al’s Toy Barn. A neighborhood map is drawn with Al’s Toy Barn address being 001 West Cutting Boulevard in Richmond, California. This location is one of Pixar Studio’s original homes.

A Tribute to Coco

In Toy Story 4, Buzz Lightyear goes after Woody as he jumps from the moving car to go after Forky. Lightyear, however, ends up being lost at a carnival and finds himself on the prize wall for a game booth.

If you look closely, you’ll see a set of guitars attached beside Lightyear, similar to the one used by Miguel in Coco. Even though there’s a difference in colors, the guitars share the same elegant design.

You Hockey Puck

In the beginning scene of Toy Story, when all the toys come to life for the first time and are assembled to prepare for Andy’s upcoming birthday party, Mr. Potato Head rearranges himself to impress Hamm, calling himself “Picasso.”

Hamm doesn’t get the reference, which prompts Mr. Potato Head to turn around furiously and yell, “What are you looking at, honey puck?”. Don Rickles, who voiced Mr. Potato Head, used “honey puck” to tease the audience throughout his standup comedy career in the 1950s.

Finding Nemo Reference

In Toy Story 4, the antique store that makes an appearance during the film caters to not one but two Finding Nemo references. The goggles that Marlin uses to find his son are placed in the shop.

Similarly, the tiki heads that first appear in the fish tank in “Finding Nemo” are also in the shop.

Lightning McQueen Easter Egg

In Toy Story 3, during the Sunnyside Daycare scene, a child is seen wearing a t-shirt with the number 95 written alongside a lightning bolt. This is a playful reference to everyone’s favorite Lighting McQueen.

If you don’t know, Lighting McQueen is the main protagonist in the Cars series. Even though the series isn’t as famous as the other Pixar movies, this didn’t stop Toy Story from showing some love for its sibling.

Big Fluffy Clouds

During the opening scene of Toy Story 1, big fluffy clouds appear on the screen, and these clouds are revealed to be Andy’s wallpaper design.

During the ending scene of Toy Story 3, the movie ends with a shot of the blue sky filled with big fluffy clouds. This made up for a simple but smart nod to the first film in the series.

Bug’s Life

A Bug’s Life has gotten more than a few shoutouts during the Toy Story series. One such shoutout included AI’s Toy Barn in Toy Story 2.

When Buzz Lightyear was running the store by himself, Flik and Dim from A Bug’s Life are seen in the store as toy versions. You wouldn’t notice the characters unless the movie was being watched with a keen eye.

Shining’s Carpet

The Toy Story villain Sid Phillips had something in common with the horror film, The Shining. During the scene in which Buzz and Woody sneak across to escape from Scud’s dog, Scud notices the carpet design.

It is identical to the carpet pattern that Danny Lloyd famously bikes down on. Sneaky right?

Hakuna Matata

In Toy Story, as the Davises are traveling towards their new house, Andy sits in the back with a brooding face, sad about losing both of his favorite toys.

His little sister Molly, on the other hand, is singing Hakuna Matata, a famous song from Disney’s The Lion King.

The beloved animated series Shrek competed directly with Toy Story 4. Check out Shrek vs. Toy Story: A Box Office Showdown to see which came out on top.

New Horizons

In the original Toy Story, Woody’s first appearance is accompanied by New Horizons in the background. New Horizons is a powerful score by Randy Newman.

This same tune is played at the end of Toy Story 4, as Woody watches his friends leave to be with their kids. Toy Story isn’t the only film series that has Easter Eggs.

The Harry Potter series is full of clever Easter Eggs that even the eagle-eyed can’t spot. Check out Harry Potter Easter Eggs to Watch For Next Time to find out what these are.

Read More,

15 Hidden Disney Movie Easter Eggs You Missed

Spot the Easter Eggs in Christmas Classics