Frozen: Olaf’s New Short’s Moana Easter Egg Explained

The new Disney+ Frozen short Once Upon A Snowman reveals how Olaf first learns what summer is, and sneaks in a clever reference to Moana in the process. Once Upon A Snowman shows what happened to Olaf after he is brought to life by Elsa during “Let It Go,” but before he runs into Anna and Kristoff. The Disney+ short expands the mythology of Frozen and further explains Olaf’s mysterious origins as the snowman tries to find himself and ends up at Wandering Oaken’s Trading Post and Sauna.

Much like Olaf’s storylines in Frozen and Frozen 2, Once Upon A Snowman finds the snowman struggling with existential questions about his purpose and identity, and how he comes to realize that “I’m Olaf, and I like warm hugs.” A central part of Olaf’s character in Frozen is his fantasy about summer, which is detailed in his solo, “In Summer.” However, Frozen never explains how Olaf even knows what summer is since he was first brought to life in the middle of a snowstorm. Once Upon A Snowman answers that question when Oaken shows Olaf several pictures of summer, and one of them is an instantly identifiable shot of the beach from Moana.

Oaken is trying to help Olaf find a nose after he sells his last carrot, and one of the options is a retro stereoscope. A stereoscope takes two photos of the same image taken from slightly different angles so that when it is looked through, it forces an impression of depth that makes the photo seem three-dimensional. When Olaf looks through the stereoscope, he sees images of summer and falls in love. One image, in particular, stands out: an image of a beach, with turquoise water and stony cliffs that is clearly the same Polynesian-inspired beach from Moana. Disney fans will recognize the image from most of the movie, but it’s prominently featured in the song, “How Far I’ll Go.”

The Easter egg has bigger implications for the world of Frozen, by implying that Frozen and Moana might exist in the same universe. Wandering Oaken’s Trading Post seems like it’s the only shop for miles in the mountains, and probably sees travelers from all parts of the world. If Moana and Frozen take place in the same world, it’s likely that a visitor from the island might pass through Oaken’s shop and peruse his wares, or even make a trade.

Once Upon A Snowman answers several questions about Olaf’s past, including how he came to fall in love with the idea of summer. The Moana Easter egg isn’t the only one hidden in Once Upon A Snowman, but it suggests that the two movies are more interconnected than they appear. Once Upon A Snowman does a great job of giving Olaf an origin story, and the Moana Easter egg in the Disney+ short confirms that the world of Frozen is going to keep on growing.

About The Author