Beginning with Red's Dream and its references to previous Pixar short films, Pixar has included references in its films to other works produced by the studio. These have included cameo appearances, references to characters, objects, and titles of works. Additionally, such easter eggs or in-jokes can refer to Pixar staff, associates, or places or events from the company's past. Lastly, some items, such as A113, Pizza Planet or actor John Ratzenberger have appeared in the majority of Pixar films, establishing a set of traditions that subsequent Pixar films try to include.
The following is a list of all documented self-referential nods contained within Pixar films and shorts that the various filmmakers have incorporated into their movies.
Traditions
A113
A113 is an Easter egg that has been inserted into several animated television shows and feature films as a homage to a classroom at CalArts, the alma mater of Pixar/Disney executive John Lasseter and director Brad Bird, among others. Bird was the first to use the A113 Easter egg, on a car license plate in an animated segment entitled Family Dog in a 1987 episode of the television series Amazing Stories.
- Toy Story trilogy - License plate number on Andy's mom's minivan, later replaced by a CUV in Toy Story 3.
- A Bug's Life - Code on cereal box as Flik enters the bug city.
- Toy Story 2 - Airport announcement for "LassetAir Flight A113" (also a reference to director John Lasseter).
- Finding Nemo - Model code on camera used by scuba diver.
- The Incredibles - Room number in Syndrome's lair (not seen, only mentioned by Mirage). Also, the prison level where Mr. Incredible is held is "Level A1" in Cell #13: A1 & 13 and as, Elastigirl looks to the computer, in the "Level A1" diagram, the higher column is labeled "13".
- Cars - The number of the freight train that almost crashes into Lightning McQueen while he is first on his way to Radiator Springs. It is also Mater's license plate in both the film and the related short film, Mater and the Ghost Light.
- Ratatouille - Git, the lab rat, has a tag on his left ear that reads "A113". Also, when Linguini falls asleep to the old movie, A113 is seen on the screen.
- WALL-E - A113 is the code for the directive given to the Axiom's autopilot to never return to Earth. This to date has been the largest involvement of the "A113" easter egg in the plot of a Pixar film.
- Up - A113 is the number of the court room.
- Cars 2 - A113 is the number on Siddeley's tail. It remains the number on Mater's license plate, and it is part of the image number on the spy photo of Miles Axelrod's engine.
- Brave - A113 is written in Roman numerals (ACXIII) above the entrance to the witch's shack.
- Monsters University - A113 is the classroom of Scare 101.
- Inside Out - When Riley is walking up a street in San Francisco going towards the bus, she stops to see who is calling her. In the background, "A113" is written in graffiti on a building. When Riley Anderson heads to her new school in San Francisco, she is put in room A113.
- The Good Dinosaur - A113 can be seen in a formation of sticks.
- Finding Dory - The tags that are seen on Fluke and Rudder read "A1" and "13". The license plate on the truck then reads "CALA113", referencing to California Institute of Arts A113.
- Cars 3 - Sterling's office in the Rust-Eze Racing Center is numbered A113.
John Ratzenberger
Described as "Pixar's good luck charm" by John Lasseter, actor John Ratzenberger has played a role in every Pixar feature to date.
- Toy Story, Toy Story 2, and Toy Story 3 - Hamm
- A Bug's Life - P.T. Flea
- Monsters, Inc. and Monsters University - Abominable Snowman
- Finding Nemo - School of fish
- The Incredibles and The Incredibles 2 - The Underminer
- Cars, Cars 2, Cars 3 - Mack
- At the end of Cars, there is a drive-in theater that shows John Ratzenberger as some of the parts of the movies, which are car-versions of Toy (Car) Story, A Bug's Life, and Monster (Trucks) Inc. Mack even notes that they keep using the same actor again.
- Ratatouille - Mustafa the waiter
- WALL-E - John
- Up - Tom the foreman
- Brave - Gordon the guard
- Inside Out - Fritz
- The Good Dinosaur - Earl the velociraptor
- Finding Dory - Bill the crab
- Coco - Juan Ortodoncia, a skeleton in the Land of the Dead with bad teeth
Luxo Ball
A yellow ball with a blue stripe and a red star, which was first shown in the short Luxo, Jr., has been shown in several Pixar feature films and shorts, most prominently in the Toy Story franchise.
- In Toy Story, a Luxo Ball rolls down the hallway of Andy's house as Sarge helps an "injured" soldier to an indoor plant.
- One of Andy's friends bounces the Luxo Ball up the stairs to Andy's room.
- When Buzz Lightyear demonstrates how he "flies" in Toy Story, he bounces off a Luxo Ball.
- In the accompanying "Animated Storybook" CD-ROM, a Luxo Ball appears on the page where Woody and Sid's toys thought of an escape plan (consisting of three separate minigames). It acts as an obstacle in Babyface's minigame (where Babyface had to steer the toys down the stairs, trying not to step on any obstacles).
- In Toy Story 2, one Luxo Ball appears in a TV commercial for Al's Toy Barn.
- Several Luxo Balls can be seen when the toys enter Al's Toy Barn in Toy Story 2: when entering the store, one can be easily seen to the left; when leaving, a whole container of Luxo Balls can be seen to the left.
- A Luxo Ball is present in the Toy Story 3 teaser: Bullseye is rolling around on it and appearing as the "o" in the Toy Story logo.
- A Luxo Ball appears in a trailer for Toy Story and Toy Story 2 double feature in Disney Digital 3-D.
- In the waiting room, there is a chest of toys, and you can see the yellow part of the ball and a little bit of the red star.
- In Boo's room in Monsters, Inc. When Boo returns to her room, she gives Sulley the ball.
- In the Incredibles short film Jack-Jack Attack.
- Falling out of Presto's sleeve in Presto.
- On the floor of a neighbor child's room and on one of Russel's merit badges in Up.
- The ball's design pattern appeared on the floor of the circus ring in Red's Dream.
- In Toy Story 3, the Luxo Ball can be seen in a shelf above where Woody first meets the Chatter Telephone. At the end the Luxo Ball can be seen getting played around with at Sunnyside Daycare in the Sandbox. The pattern on the Luxo ball can also be seen on the wall outside Sunnyside Daycare.
- In Monsters University, the ball is seen drawn on the wall for a demonstration of how anything a child touches is toxic.
- In Inside Out, the ball is seen in a flashback of Riley playing tag with Bing Bong.
Pizza Planet
Pizza Planet is a fictional pizza restaurant that appears in Toy Story. In the film, it is a large, sci-fi-themed restaurant with arcade games including robot guards at the entrance. The company runs a fleet of derelict Toyota Hilux pickup trucks (as evidenced by the inscription on the tailgate; it is a Toyota inscription with the first and last two letters, "TO" and "TA", worn off so it simply appears as "YO") with a rocket on the roof featuring the restaurant's logo, as seen in Toy Story, Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3 (though in Toy Story 2, the truck model is called a "Gyoza" as seen on the owner's manual). There is a Pizza Planet reference in every Pixar feature film to date except for the film The Incredibles. Lee Unkrich has said that there is no Pizza Planet truck anywhere in The Incredibles.
- In Toy Story, Woody sees the truck at the gas station and tells Buzz it is a spaceship with hyper-active hyperdrive which they head on it to the restaurant itself.
- In A Bug's Life, the truck appears in the scene where one insect warns another not to touch a motor home's bug zapper. A Pizza Planet cup also appears in the Bug City.
- In Toy Story 2, Hamm, Buzz, Mr. Potato Head, Slinky and Rex use the truck to chase after Al to the airport.
- In Monsters, Inc., when a redneck mother is beating Randall with a shovel, the truck is on the far left side of the screen. This is the same motor home that appeared in A Bug's Life.
- In Finding Nemo, while Gill is explaining his plan to escape from the dentist office, a yellow Pizza Planet truck drives by.
- In Cars, there is a Pizza Planet truck at the stadium for the final race. In fact, in this movie the Pizza Planet truck has eyes, a mouth (to stay matched with the other cars in the film) and is named Todd. There also exists a diecast car of it.
- In Ratatouille, the Pizza Planet truck is briefly seen crossing the bridge over the Seine when Skinner is chasing Remy.
- In WALL-E, EVE scans the engine of a Pizza Planet truck for plant life shortly after her arrival on Earth, and shuts the hood afterwards.
- In Up, the Pizza Planet truck is seen on the street as Carl's house floats by, although the truck has more of a delivery van appearance than the actual truck in other films. An actual Pizza Planet truck can be seen in a parking lot when Carl has a fantasy of leaving Russell. At the end, when Carl takes Russell and Dug for ice cream, the real Pizza Planet truck can be seen parked.
- In Toy Story 3, the Pizza Planet truck is the vehicle that Lots-o-Huggin' Bear, Big Baby, and Chuckles rides on to get around Sunnyside Daycare. Pizza Planet is also seen as a calendar sponsor.
- In Cars 2, Todd the Pizza Planet truck is attending to the Radiator Springs Grand Prix. He also appears in the background of a triptych poster of the movie, in front of Buckingham Palace.
- In Brave the Pizza Planet Truck appears as a wood carving in the witches cottage. John Lasseter commented in an interview that although the story of Brave takes place in the past, they found a way to put the Pizza Planet Truck in the story.
- In Monsters University, the Pizza Planet truck is parked outside the first house party.
- In Inside Out, the Pizza Planet truck can be seen in one of Riley's memory orbs.
- In The Good Dinosaur, the Pizza Planet truck can be seen in the asteroid belt.
- In Finding Dory, the Pizza Planet truck can be seen underwater in the wreckage.
- In Cars 3, Todd the Pizza Planet truck is attending at the ThunderHollow speedway.
- In Coco the truck appears in a brief montage playing loud music to show Abuela's ban on music.
Pizza Planet restaurants at Walt Disney World's Disney's Hollywood Studios and Disneyland Paris are named after the site in the film and are designed to resemble it.
Companies
To avoid overt product placement in Pixar films, a series of fictional companies are used as placeholders. Some appear only in one franchise (such as fictional NASCAR sponsors in Cars) but others serve as recurring themes.
Buy n Large (BnL)
Buy n Large is a fictional mega-corporation that first appeared in WALL-E as the entity which controlled all economic and government services on the future Earth.
- WALL-E
- Buy n Large logos are seen throughout the movie and the company president appears in a message to the captain of the Axiom.
- Up
- BnL logos are seen on the construction equipment surrounding Carl's house.
- Tokyo Mater
- A jumbotron in Tokyo advertises a "lugnut in a cup".
- Toy Story 3
- Buzz Lightyear's batteries are "BnL Alkaline".
- Cars 3
- Jackson Storm was racing in the BnL Raceway
Dinoco
Dinoco is a fictional oil company that first appeared in Toy Story as a small gas station. It plays a central role as a key race car sponsor in Cars, and made a small cameo in WALL-E. The company's logo is a dinosaur, but with an Apatosaurus in Toy Story and a Tyrannosaurus in Cars (a reference to Sinclair Oil, which uses a similar dinosaur logo).
- Toy Story
- Andy's Mom goes to the gas station to fuel and it's where Woody and Buzz fight and were left behind.
- Cars
- The company's branding uses a pale blue shade referred to as "Dinoco blue", originally created for Richard Petty's racecar. "The King" is portrayed with Dinoco branding as #43, a Plymouth Superbird. Dinoco is the most lucrative sponsor in the Piston Cup, a parody of NASCAR's Grand National driver's trophy series, lending its name to the "Dinoco 400" race at the "Motor Speedway of the South", an enlarged Bristol Speedway. Its owner Tex is a loyal, longtime sponsor of The King #43, a veteran racer on the verge of retirement. This corporate sponsorship is the primary trophy for which the race cars in Cars contend. The Dinoco brand features prominently in much Cars-related merchandise.
- WALL-E
- The Dinoco name and logo appear on a lighter.
- Cars 2
- On the plane to Tokyo, a Stewardess is seen holding cans with the Dinoco logo on them and Mater, in Japan, drinks Dinoco fuel at the sumo fight.
- Cars 3
- After trainer Cruz Ramirez wins the final race of the film (the first of the new Piston Cup season), Tex offers her a chance to race for Dinoco and she accepts.
Movies
Toy Story trilogy
These Pixar films contain the following references to Toy Story, Toy Story 2, or Toy Story 3:
- A Bug's Life
- In one of the bloopers that play during the end credits, Flik, as he is about to take flight, quotes Buzz Lightyear's catchphrase "To Infinity and Beyond".
- One of the additional bloopers features Woody as a crewman, running the clapperboard, appearing after Dr. Flora accidentally pronounced Atta as "Princess Abba", and she, with Mr. Soil, jokes of it after.
- Monsters, Inc.
- Andy's cloud wallpaper is shown while Randall is practicing his scares.
- When Boo returns home at the end, a Jessie doll is seen on her table. She then hands Sulley the doll.
- During a blooper, while Mike and Sulley are walking to work, they wait at a crosswalk next to Ted's leg, who roars and stomps his feet. The camera zooms out to reveal that the leg belongs to Rex, who then asks anxiously how it went, if he can do it again and promises to be taller. In the actual film, Ted makes chicken sounds.
- A larger version of a clown toy from Andy's Room appears at the laugh floor at the end near the scream canisters.
- Fungus gives Randall a copy of the Monstropolis Horn, which features an article by Al Whiggin. Al's full name from Toy Story 2 is Al McWhiggin.
- The toy airplane that Buzz lands on when first attempting to fly is seen on a shelf at the beginning of the film.
- Finding Nemo
- When Nemo is frantically looking for a way to escape the fish tank in the dentist's office, a Buzz Lightyear action figure can be seen lying next to the toy box in the waiting room.
- The Incredibles
- The Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots from Toy Story 2 appear in Bob Parr's office.
- Cars
- The tires of all the Piston Cup racers (including Lightning McQueen) are Lightyear Buzzard tires, a reference to Buzz Lightyear and Goodyear Eagle tires.
- The drive-in movie shows Toy Car Story, featuring stylized car versions of Toy Story characters Woody, Buzz, and Hamm.
- Lightning McQueen's race number is #95, the year the first Toy Story was released.
- WALL-E
- Rex is seen in Wall-E's house.
- Barbie's car and a Buzz Lightyear lunchbox are seen.
- Hamm can be seen in Wall-E's house when EVE visits.
- The orange traffic cones from Toy Story 2 can be seen in garbage piles and Wall-E's room.
- Up
- The grape soda brand for the bottle cap that Ellie gives to Carl is the same as seen in the Buzz Lightyear commercial in Toy Story.
- Lots-O'-Huggin' Bear can be seen as the balloons pass a child's room.
A Bug's Life
These Pixar films and shorts contain the following references to A Bug's Life:
- Toy Story 2
- The opening video game sequence takes place in a space-themed, differently-colored version of Ant Island.
- The calendar in Andy's room shows a still image of ants carrying food and walking across a blade of grass.
- When Mrs. Potato Head is waiting for her earring, she's reading a storybook of A Bug's Life.
- Heimlich can be seen as a small caterpillar, crawling on a branch just before Buzz cuts through.
- Characters are seen as toys after the "NEW" banner at Al's Toy Barn is seen.
- The tree on top of the hill during the "When She Loved Me" sequence is the same tree that tops Ant Island.
- The main theme from A Bug's Life can be heard in an elevator music rendition in the elevator where Al is going down to head to Japan.
- Flik and Heimlich are the only two cast members to reprise their roles from A Bug's Life, appearing in an outtake of the movie, expressing their excitement of their first day of filming as they climb the branches. Flik is pleased with Heimlich, thinking that he talked to the producers about doing a sequel, but the latter later clarified that the sequel is not A Bug's Life 2, leaving Flik confused. When he asks Heimlich what the sequel is, the camera starts rolling and the giant Buzz makes his entrance by clearing the bush they are on, sending them flying.
- Monsters, Inc.
- The place Randall gets banished to is the old trailer with the deadly bug light.
- Cars
- The drive-in movie shows A Bug's Life, featuring stylized car versions of characters Flik, the circus bugs and P.T. Flea.
- Your Friend, The Rat
- P.T. Flea appears when the rats are talking about fleas causing the Black Death.
- WALL-E
- The bug-zapper is seen.
- Toy Story 3
- An ant toy is seen during the breakout.
- When Woody climbs into the ceiling at Sunnyside, letters spelling ATTA, the name of the Princess are seen.
- A toy version of Flik can be seen jumping away as the line of children are about to come back in from recess.
Monsters, Inc.
These Pixar films contain the following references to Monsters, Inc. or Monsters University:
- Finding Nemo
- The fish mobile found in the dentist's office is the same one featured in Boo's room.
- Mike can be seen swimming in scuba gear during the credits.
- Boo's teddy bear can be spotted in the toy chest at the dentist's office.
- Cars
- The drive-in movie shows Monster Trucks, Inc, featuring stylized car versions of characters Sulley, Mike, and the Abominable Snowman (here known as the Abominable Snowplow).
- Tokyo Mater
- while Mater is trying to drift Mike and Sulley, in their stylized car forms, can be briefly seen when he has drifted out of the restaurant.
- WALL-E
- One of the many garbage cubes in the movie is the garbage cube Sulley had thought Boo was in. Also, a Mike Wazowski antenna ball is seen.
- Toy Story 3
- A girl in the Butterfly Room at Sunnyside looks like a slightly older Boo.
- Toy versions of Boo and Mike Wazowski are seen in Sunnyside Daycare.
- Brave
- A wood carving of Sulley can be seen in the Witch's shack.
Finding Nemo
These Pixar films and shorts contain the following references to Finding Nemo:
- Monsters, Inc.
- Before Mike says "And he is....outta here!" as they're throwing Randall through the door, Nemo can be seen hanging on the wall.
- Boo gives Sulley a Nemo toy before he leaves her room. (As Monsters, Inc. was made before Finding Nemo this was a sneak peek)
- On the wall behind the sushi chef at Harryhausen's, there is a clownfish.
- WALL-E
- In the end credits, Crush appears as a mosaic.
- Boundin'
- The arm that grabs the lamb belongs to the dentist.
- The fish are based on Gurgle.
- Toy Story 3
- Mr. Ray is on a shelf at the daycare.
- One of the dolphins is on a shelf at the daycare.
- A Nemo sticker is seen on Andy's toy dresser.
- Images of Nemo and Dory are seen on the wall at Sunnyside Daycare when Buzz escapes the Caterpillar room.
The Incredibles
These Pixar films contain the following references to The Incredibles:
- Finding Nemo
- A young boy in the dentist's office is reading a Mr. Incredible comic book.
- Ratatouille
- Bomb Voyage appears as a mime.
- Linguini's boxers have The Incredibles logo on them.
- WALL-E
- A Frozone bobblehead is seen in WALL-E's truck. In some BnL advertisements, including those in the special edition DVD, there is a family who resembles the Parr family.
- Toy Story 3
- A poster of the Omnidroid is seen on the wall in Andy's room.
- Cars 2
- The marquee at the Radiator Springs Drive-In Theater reads "The Incredimobiles".
Cars franchise
These films and shorts contain references to Cars, Cars 2 or Cars 3:
- Toy Story 2
- Al's car looks a lot like Flo.
- Finding Nemo
- Luigi can be seen driving across the street.
- The Incredibles
- When the Incredibles and Frozone fight against the Omnidroid, a non-anthropomorphic Doc Hudson can be seen parked in the background. It actually survived being crushed or broken from the fight.
- WALL-E
- A Lightning McQueen toy is seen.
- A Leak Less bottle is seen.
- Boundin'
- Stanley makes a cameo appearance.
- Up
- The airplane that was used to skywrite "Piston Cup" in the final race is the same one Beta, Gamma and an unknown dog used to attack Russell.
- When Carl gets the worker's megaphone, he talks to the construction boss, and says to him, "Take a bath, hippie!". This line is a switchblade of Sarge's line to Fillmore in Cars, "Take a car wash, hippie!"'.
- Toy Story 3
- In the Western action sequence at the beginning of Toy Story 3, the runaway train has the engine number 95, a reference to Lightning McQueen and the year the original Toy Story came out.
- A Lightning McQueen-styled wooden car appears in the Daycare.
- "ReVolting" batteries are seen on a table where some of the toys are playing cards. (ReVolting was the sponsor for Car #84.)
- When Buzz shakes hands with Sparks, a tractor toy similar to the "cows" rolls past them.
- The calendar in Andy's room which used to show an image from A Bug's Life now has a picture of a non-anthropomorphic Snot Rod from Cars. Both calendars, years apart, are turned to the month of August.
- Finn McMissile is seen on a poster in Andy's room.
- A firetruck that resembles Red is seen at Sunnyside Daycare.
- A child at Sunnyside Daycare wears a shirt with a 95 emblazoned with a lightning bolt, a reference to Lightning McQueen.
- The Muppets
- Even though this isn't a Pixar film, a poster for Cars 2 is seen several times.
Ratatouille
These films contain references to the film Ratatouille:
- WALL-E
- Skinner's scooter can be seen in the junkyard.
- The mechanical mice on the Axiom are classified REM-E.
- Lifted
- The farmer in the film, Ernie, is the same character model as Linguini.
- Cars 2
- In Paris, a car version of Gusteau's Restaurant is seen as "Gastow's" in the background.
WALL-E
These films contain references to the film WALL-E:
- Cars
- In a modified Piston Cup scene, WALL-E is seen as part of a team.
- The Incredibles
- In a modified version of the sequence with Bob's new vintage sports car, WALL-E is seen in the garage.
- Your Friend, The Rat
- WALL-E can be seen driving a bus-like ship on a future human-colonized Mars.
Up
These films contain references to the film Up:
- Ratatouille
- As Remy runs through Paris, a shadow of Dug is cast against a wall.
- Toy Story 2
- One of the boxes Al of Al's Toy Barn is holding whilst arranging shipping of Woody and the other toys to Japan over the phone, has a house shaped arrow and the phrase 'This End UP' on the side. The word Up is displayed in capital letters and is quite prominent.
- Toy Story 3
- One of the papers (which is a postcard) on top of Andy's dresser says "Carl and Ellie Fredricksen" on it.
Newt
These films or shorts contain references to the shelved film Newt.
- Toy Story 3
- The "Newt Crossing" sign is seen on Andy's door.
- Brave
- The witch scene in safe Newt spell
Brave
These films or shorts contain references to the film Brave.
- Cars 2
- During the London chase scene, the Lemons crash into a pub. On the wall is a tapestry depicting Princess Merida and her family as cars.
Inside Out
TBA
Shorts
The Adventures of André and Wally B.
These films contain references to The Adventures of André and Wally B.:
- Red's Dream
- André is on a clock.
- Toy Story
- A book with the same title as the short is visible on Andy's bookshelf.
- WALL-E
- Wally B. is seen.
- Toy Story 3
- Wally B. is seen on Bonnie's backpack.
Red's Dream
These films contain references to Red's Dream.
- Toy Story
- The title of this short film is seen on a book in Toy Story.
- Toy Story 2
- Scenes from the short film can be seen on Andy's TV when Hamm is quickly flipping through the channels.
- WALL-E
- The unicycle is visible at the left of the screen as WALL-E falls from the ceiling.
Luxo, Jr.
These films contain references to Luxo, Jr.:
- Red's Dream
- The older lamp from Luxo, Jr. can be seen.
- Tin Toy
- A picture from Luxo, Jr. can be seen on the wall.
- Toy Story
- On Andy's desk is the older lamp, although painted red instead of gray. It's also seen in Toy Story 2 and a trailer for Toy Story 3
- Toy Story 2
- As Buzz is flying back to Earth, Luxo. Jr appears as a constellation.
- Scenes from the short film can be seen on Andy's TV when Hamm is quickly flipping through the channels.
- Monsters, Inc.
- When Sully shows Mike the block of garbage that includes the remnants of Boo's costume, the antenna flops over with the same squeak that Luxo makes.
- WALL-E
- When WALL-E builds a statue of EVE from garbage, one of her arms is the older lamp.
- Toy Story 3
- When Woody is escaping from Sunnyside, he uses a motion sensor floodlight to get onto the roof. As he climbs on top of the light, it makes Luxo's distinctive squeak.
Tin Toy
These films contain references to Tin Toy:
- Toy Story
- A book named after the short is on Andy's bookshelf: the author is Lasseter.
- Toy Story 2
- Billy can be seen several times briefly on one of the channels on Andy's TV when Hamm is quickly flipping through the channels.
- Lifted
- Tinny can be seen underneath Ernie's bed.
- Toy Story 3
- The same toys are cowering beneath a counter as Rex approaches the door.
- El Materdor
- The baby's crying is used when Mater is "dead".
Knick Knack
These films contain references to Knick Knack:
- Toy Story
- Knick Knack is the title of a book on Andy's bookshelf.
- Toy Story 2
- Scenes from the short film can be seen on Andy's TV when Hamm is quickly flipping through the channels.
- WALL-E
- The snowglobe is seen.
- Up
- When Carl is at the Travel Agency, the brochure on the desk features a picture of "Sunny Miami," which includes the girl in the bikini from this short.
For the Birds
The following Pixar films reference For the Birds:
- Cars
- The birds are seen sitting on a powerline during the musical segment as Mack and Lightning drive across the country. They chirp as the camera pans by them.
- Inside Out
- The birds can be seen sitting on a powerline at the beginning of the film when Riley and her parents are driving to San Francisco.
Geri's Game
These Pixar films contain the following references to Geri's Game:
- Toy Story 2
- Al hires Geri to restore Woody (credited as 'Geri the Cleaner'). His chess pieces are seen in the middle drawer of his toolbox.
Boundin'
These Pixar films contain the following references to Boundin':
- Cars
- During the opening race, just before a fan trailer whistles, a picture of the Jackalope is seen at the back of a van.
- At the menu screen of the DVD, a Dinoco 500 symbol pops up for a short period of time. Highlighting and selecting the symbol will reveal Lightning and Mater watching a part of Boundin' at the drive-in theater and later "boundin'" around to the film themselves.
The Pixar logo
- Tin Toy
- The original Pixar logo (an indented circle on a beveled box) can be seen on a bag lying on the ground.
- Toy Story 2
- The original Pixar logo is briefly seen on Andy's TV when Hamm is flipping through the channels.
Apple
These Pixar films contain the following references to Apple Inc..
- Monsters, Inc.
- On the back cover of the magazine Mike receives near the end of the film reads “Scare Differentâ€, a reference to Apple's slogan "Think Different".
- Cars
- A car in the opening race is number 84 and features the Apple logo on its hood. The 84 is in reference to the release date of the first Apple Macintosh computer in 1984.
- WALL-E
- WALL-E watches Hello, Dolly! on a video iPod.
- WALL-E makes the Mac startup chime when done charging.
- Auto’s voice is created using PlainTalk.
- An old Mac keyboard is in WALL-E’s truck.
- Up
- In one credit sequence photo, Carl is seen investigating a Mac mouse.
- A merit badge next to the Pixar Senior Staff credit references the spinning ball icon on Mac operating systems.
- Toy Story 3
- The computer the toys use is an iMac with an Apple operating system, OS X, and web browser, Safari.
- While on his laptop, Andy has an iTunes window open.
- Molly can be seen with Apple headphones as she discards her old toys.
- Cars 2
- Finn McMissile says Holley's cover identity is “designing iPhone appsâ€.
- Brave
- The end credits feature a dedication to Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple and chief executive of Pixar, who died in 2011.
- Cars 3
- One of the racing teams seen throughout the movie sponsored by Apple.
- The treadmill which Cruz Ramirez takes with her to the beach activates with the old Mac OS startup chime.
Cast and crew
Cameos
These Pixar films contain cameo appearances by Pixar employees.
References
These Pixar films contain references to Pixar employees.
- A Bug's Life
- One of the boxes in Bug City is marked "Darla" for producer Darla K. Anderson.
- Monsters, Inc.
- On the "Top Scarers" board, under Sulley and Randall, is a monster named Ranft, a reference to Joe Ranft.
- Finding Nemo
- Brad Bird's son Nicholas provided the voice of Squirt.
- The character of Darla was named after producer Darla K. Anderson by director Andrew Stanton, to get back at her for playing practical jokes on him.
- The name of a boat in Sydney Harbor is "Jerome's Raft", which is presumably a reference to Pixar sculptor Jerome Ranft.
- The Incredibles
- Legendary Animators Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston voice themselves following the big fight with the Omnidroid.
- One storefront is labeled as Lozano Records, a tribute to Albert Lozano, a Pixar production artist.
- Another storefront is labeled Arriaga & Co, after Pixar production assistant Daniel Arriaga.
- Cars
- Lightning McQueen is named after animator Glenn McQueen, who died in 2002.
- Ratatouille
- A wine bottle in the beginning is labeled Lasseter Cabernet Sauvignon, a reference to executive producer John Lasseter.
- A wine bottle labeled Chateau-Bird Champagne is named for director Brad Bird.
- A wine bottle labeled Chateau-Jessup Pauillac Medoc is named for production designer Harley Jessup.
- Colette rides a Calahan motorcycle, a reference to director of photography Sharon Calahan.
- The Bouchiba spaghetti Linguini cooks in his apartment is named after animator Bolhem Bouchiba.
- The Bradford mixer in Gusteau's is named for producer Brad Lewis.
- Susman olive oil in Gusteau's is named after associate producer Galyn Susman.
- Up
- Young Ellie is voiced by director Pete Docter's daughter Elizabeth. She also provided some of the drawings shown by Ellie in the film.
- Gamma is voiced by Joe Ranft's brother Jerome.
- Russell's appearance was based on Peter Sohn.
- The number 94070 on Carl’s court summons is the zip code for San Carlos, where producer Brad Lewis was formerly the mayor.
- One piece of construction equipment behind Carl's house reads L-R 1572, a reference to art director Lou Romano. His birthday is April 15, 1972.
- Toy Story 3
- Pins on the map in Andy’s room correspond to the hometowns of the production staff.
- Cars 2
- In the London portion of the World Grand Prix, a banner advertises “Lassetyre†tires and a road is named "Lasseter Way", both references to director John Lasseter.
- In the end credits, Mater's birthday is revealed to be January 12, 1957, the same as John Lasseter's.
Other
These Pixar films contain the following references to an assortment of other things.
Films
- Toy Story
- Sid's "laser" method to interrogate Woody about the Rebel base is a clear reference to Star Wars and Goldfinger.
- A Bug's Life
- The wagons that transport P. T. Flea's Circus are empty cookie boxes with actual turning wheels. The brand of cookies was called "Casey Jr. Cookies", named after Casey Jr., the train that transported the circus in Dumbo.
- Toy Story 2
- When Zurg reveals himself to be Buzz's father, this is a direct reference to The Empire Strikes Back.
- Finding Nemo
- During the chase scene in the submarine, Bruce the shark breaks down a door saying "Here's Brucy!", a reference to The Shining.
- The Incredibles
- The scene of Frozone being held at gunpoint by a nervous cop is a reference to a similar scene in Die Hard with a Vengeance which also features by Samuel L. Jackson. Even the officer's facial design is similar.
- Helen Parr uses the code name "India Gulf Niner Niner" (IG99) for the jet she flies to Syndrome's base, a reference to director Brad Bird's 1999 film, The Iron Giant.
- At Syndrome's base, Elastigirl looks at herself in a mirror and sighs when she sees her butt. This is a direct reference to Peter Pan, in which Tinker Bell looks at herself in a mirror at the Darlings' home and sighs when seeing her butt.
- WALL-E
- Auto's design is a reference to HAL 9000 of 2001: A Space Odyssey, which also featured a red "eye" in the center of his body.
- The music playing when the Captain gets up on his own two feet to defeat Auto is Strauss' "Also Sprach Zarathustra" which is well known as the theme to 2001: A Space Odyssey.
- BURN-E
- During the hyperjump of the Axiom, the reflection of a light tunnel can be seen in BURN-E's glass visor that resembles the transportation scene in the last part of 2001: A Space Odyssey.
- Up
- The license plate of the ambulance is "1934", the year Disney began work on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
- The dogs check communication similar to the Rebels before the attack on the Death Star, in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, referring to one as "Gray Leader" instead of "Red Leader".
- Star Wars is listed on a movie theater marquee during the end credits.
- Day and Night
- In the short film, "Day" watches the same western film as the dalmatian puppies in 101 Dalmatians.
- Toy Story 3
- Totoro, from Hayao Miyazaki‘s 1988 film My Neighbor Totoro makes an appearance in Bonnie's room.
- The number in Trixie's screen name (Velocistar237) is a reference to The Shining.
- Cars 2
- The bathroom fight in Tokyo is a reference to the pre-credits sequence in the 2006 James Bond film satire, Casino Royale.
TV shows
- Toy Story
- Sid uses a Binford Tools toolbox to trap Woody in a crate, a reference to the company from Tim Allen's show Home Improvement.
- Toy Story 2
- Zurg's robots in the Buzz game have scanners like those from Cyclons in Battlestar Galactica.
- Toy Story 3
- The lunchbox Buzz grabs in the landfill is of The Six Million Dollar Man.
Misc.
- Toy Story
- When Buzz is pushed out the window by the lamp the Wilhelm scream is played.
- A Bug's Life
- A poster for Disney's The Lion King musical can be seen amongst posters in Bug City.
- Toy Story 2
- The video game Rex is playing (Buzz Lightyear: Attack on Zurg!) is played on an SNES.
- Monsters, Inc.
- The letters "FIZT" on the door machine are a reference to the application used to control the movement of Sulley's fur.
- In one of the children's bedrooms, posters for Disneyland's Sailing Ship Columbia and Tomorrowland are seen.
- The Hidden City Cafe can be seen in the opening scene, which is where the idea for Monsters, Inc. was thought up.
- The Incredibles
- At the beginning of the film, the streets on Mr. Incredible's GPS are streets near the Pixar Animation Studios Building.
- Cars
- When a car is hit by a laser in Lightning McQueen's dream, there is a Wilhelm scream.
- The mountain range surrounding Radiator Springs, called Cadillac Range, is a reference to Cadillac Ranch.
- The neon lights on top of Flo's V8 Cafe are the same pattern as a 1932 Ford V8 Flathead.
- As the jets fly over for the final race an aerial view of the Pixar studios is seen to the left.
- Announcers mention that the whole town of Emeryville, the location of the Pixar Studios, is closed for the big race.
- In Lightning McQueen's Rusteze advertisement, one car's license plate reads "EVILLE", which could be a nickname for Emeryville, the location of Pixar Animation Studios.
- Lifted
- During the end credits of this short film the Wilhelm scream is played.
- Ratatouille
- A storefront called Bar Des 7 Chanceux is named for the "Lucky 7 Lounge", a secret lounge inside Pixar Animation Studios.
- In his last review from Gusteau's restaurant, Anton Ego makes reference to Chef Boyardee.
- WALL-E
- When leaving Earth's atmosphere, one of the satellites Wall-E runs into is Sputnik 1.
- Up
- Carl and Russell eat ice cream at Fentons Creamery, a famous ice cream parlor in Oakland.
- When the dogs fall off a cliff while chasing Carl and Russell, a Wilhelm scream can be heard.
- Russell passes a room where a bunch of dogs are playing poker in a reference to the C.M. Coolidge painting Dogs Playing Poker.
- Toy Story 3
- During the opening scene, when Andy and his toys watch a scary movie, the Wilhelm scream can be heard.
- Above Andy’s closet is a street sign for W. Cutting Blvd., the street where Pixar’s original headquarters were located.
- A pennant on one of Andy's walls reads “P.U.â€, for Pixar University, a development program for Pixar employees.
- An application on Andy's bulletin board is for a college in Emeryville, the location of the Pixar Studios.
- Cars 2
- Mater references the State Farm Insurance jingle, when he mistakes "secret agent" for "insurance agent".
- Cars 3
- The name of Cruz's personal assistant, Hamilton, is a reference to the musical Hamilton.
References
