Disney/Pixar: 15 Hidden Details In Onward Everyone Completely Missed

Everyone knows by now that if you go to see a Disney Pixar movie that you should expect plenty of hidden details and Easter eggs. There are often subtle nods to previous movies and sometimes even glimpses to some of the films that will be coming in the future.  Pixar’s latest installment, Onward, is no different in that regard. The film might be set in a mystical world where unicorns and wizards exist, but that doesn’t stop Pixar from filling it with some amazing hidden details.

However, with so much going on in terms of the emotional storyline, many people actually miss out on some of the hidden moments throughout the film.

Updated on May 9th by Matthew Wilkinson: While many people might miss certain hidden details, there are others who will watch movies countless times just to find them. This is especially true with Pixar films since the company is notorious for creating them.

With Onward now available on Disney+, even more great hidden moments have been found. Luckily for you, we picked up many of those moments, so here are 15 hidden details that everyone completely missed from Onward.

15 Pizza Planet

Ever since Toy Story, Pixar has fit in Pizza Planet references into its movies, and Onward kept that trend going with several references to the famous pizza location. The truck itself does feature on the troll toll bridge, being in the background on the right-hand side.

However, there are more references to this Toy Story restaurant. The name is changed in this film to Pizza Realm, simply to suit the world better, but the logo still has the classic planet on. The logo can be seen in the background of the movie several times, proving that even trolls, unicorns, and elves love a good slice of pizza.

14 A113

Much like the Pizza Planet truck, something else that is referenced in every Pixar movie is the code ‘A113.’ This was the number of the classroom in California where lots of the original Pixar artists studied together, and because of that, each film gives a nod to where things began.

In Onward, that moment comes slightly differently. While normally A113 is shown, such as on a number plate or on a door, in this film the code is said. During the movie, police officers ask for Officer Bronco by stating there is “An A113 in progress.”

13 A Familiar Voice

While the A113 and Pizza Planet trucks are something that pop up within every Pixar film, that isn’t the only thing that makes consistent appearances in these movies. That’s because John Ratzenberger also has a role in every single Pixar movie, voicing a character in all of them.

His voice is iconic and while he is best known as Hamm from the Toy Story franchise, he does have a role in every movie, including Onward. He plays one of the construction workers who is taking down one of the historical monuments that Barley tries to save.

12 A Brave Connection

The ‘Pixar One Universe Theory’ is something that a lot of Pixar fans really have bought into. This is the idea that all of the Pixar movies exist within one universe, and Onward certainly has a clue about how it could fit in, with some subtle nods to Brave.

If you look at the map in close detail, in the far left corner the land is labeled the ‘Brave Wilderness.’ This just happens to be located next to ‘Loch Lake,’ which is a good reference to Scotland. It is easy to imagine these two worlds existing together, especially since Brave does have some magic within it as well.

11 Luxo Looming

The Luxo ball is something that all Pixar fans are familiar with. It pops up as an Easter egg in countless different Pixar movies and Onward is one that can be added to that list! While the ball itself isn’t seen, Pixar cleverly placed it into one of the shields hung up in Manticore’s Tavern.

It’s a blink and you’ll miss it sort of Easter egg, and because of that a lot of people didn’t see this one. But when the brothers are in the Tavern, pay attention to the background on the walls.

10 The Pixie Dusters

During Ian and Barley’s journey, they encounter many different characters, and some of those end up being part of a tough biker gang. While the characters they meet seem like friendly little pixies, that couldn’t be further from the truth, as they are vicious, dangerous, and not to be messed with.

They appear in some of the movie’s best scenes, including a great car chase. But people might have missed the name of their gang, which is the Pixie Dusters. This is obviously a nod to Peter Pan’s Tinkerbell, who provides pixie dust throughout the movie.

9 Triple-Dent Gum

Who remembers the Triple-Dent gum that features in Inside Out? You know, the one with the really catchy theme song that annoyed all of the emotions inside Riley’s brain. Well, Pixar brought it back for Onward multiple times, with this clearly being the gum of choice in this fantasy realm.

Firstly, it seems Ian is a big fan of Riley’s favorite gum because a pack can be found in his bedroom on his desk. But later when he and Barely head to the gas station, a more clear example of the Triple-Dent gum can be seen, with the Pixie Dusters fluttering nearby a pack.

8 Soul Nod

Pixar’s next release is set to be the movie, Soul, which will have a big focus on jazz music. And within Onward, there is an Easter Egg that is all about that film. It is showcased in the Lightfoot household after Colt Bronco knocks over Barely’s board game.

Some of their music albums can be shown and one of them is a Dorothea Williams album, which is how Pixar gave a nod to the upcoming Soul film for eagle-eyed fans to spot.

7 A Gigantic Reference

Pixar movies often like to give nods to other movies that are coming, and Onward clearly does this to the originally planned Disney animation, Gigantic. This film was originally slated to be focused on the classic Jack and the Beanstalk story, but it ended up being scrapped.

However, there are references to the film anyway, as it was originally set to be released in 2020. When Ian leaves the gas station he walks past a packet of crisps that happen to be ‘Magic Beans,’ and during their adventure, they just so happen to drive through some beanstalks.

6 Remy

Pixar might like to make nods to movies that they thought would be released in the future, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t references to other classic Pixar films. Ratatouille is an incredibly popular movie from the company, and Remy actually appears in Onward.

Remy’s passion is with cooking and therefore it isn’t a surprise to see the loveable rat working as a chef in the background at Manticore’s Tavern. While it isn’t quite French fine dining, it’s about as good as it gets in this medieval world.

5 Burger Shire

Onward doesn’t just reference other Disney films though since it is in a fantasy world, it references other films from that genre as well. One of those movies is Lord of the Rings. There is a restaurant called Burger Shire show in the film, which is a clear nod to the area that the Hobbits come from.

To further that point, underneath the sign it says that they are now serving ‘Second Breakfast,’ which is, of course, something else that Hobbits enjoy. It’s a subtle nod to the fantasy film, but one that Middle Earth fans will certainly enjoy.

4 Sword And The Scone

Burger Shire might be the most obvious of the Easter eggs that people can enjoy, but there are actually lots of other food restaurants in the film that are only briefly showcased in the background. One of those is “Sword & The Scone,” which is a clear nod to Disney’s The Sword In The Stone.

It’s a smart choice when it comes to a Disney reference though with that movie being set in a world where magic exists, it is quite easy to believe that they could be the exact same world, which makes this a fun link.

3 Indiana Jones

Another popular franchise that is referenced in Onward is Indiana Jones, which comes towards the end of their incredible quest. With nowhere to run back, the brothers must go forward through a booby-trapped path that sees spikes flying up and across them, in traditional Indiana Jones fashion.

To really add to the subtle nod, the brothers get to the end of the path and are met by a door that is starting to shut. While they slide through, their father’s legs don’t, and they have to make a last-ditch save just as Indy would do with his hat.

2 Dungeons And Dragons

Throughout the movie, Barley Lightfoot references his roleplaying game, Quests Of Yore. Obviously, this is going to bring parallels to the popular franchise, Dungeons & Dragons, and Pixar clearly saw it coming and decided to add plenty of hidden nods to it.

The book he carries around himself is almost exactly the same as a D&D manual. However, the most obvious ways it references the game is through the 20-sided dice that he has on his jack and jacket sleeve, as well as the gelatinous cube which appears later on in the movie.

1 Marvel References

When you have Chris Pratt (Star-Lord) and Tom Holland (Spider-Man) voicing the lead characters, it only makes sense to have a few MCU references. They will only be picked up by Marvel fans, but they are a lot of fun to look for, with Barley Lightfoot’s jacket having an infinity gauntlet as one of its patches.

As well as that, he happens to use mixtapes for his van, just as Star-Lord uses in Guardians of the Galaxy. There is another reference to Thanos’ gauntlet inside the van, with a sticker showcasing it, and he also has a patch that says Hydra, to add to the MCU fun.

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