Disney Movies That Are Set In The Same World

Summary

  • Disney movies are filled with clever homages to other films, interconnected through Easter eggs and cameos.
  • Characters from different Disney movies are subtly linked through visual references, sparking fan theories.
  • Disney’s history of including hidden connections between films adds depth and richness to the cinematic universe.

Disney has a well-established history of creating countless childhood legends. These stories have stuck with viewers for decades, and they’ve left echoes throughout time – and throughout other movies.

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Disney loves to leave little homages to films in films being made. Be it references to classic works from the Walt era or movies yet to come, little tidbits of information are everywhere in Disney films. Get out the Easter Eggs and break out the cameos – these are some of the best references to other films in Disney movies.

Updated on December 24, 2024 by Emily McElroy: Disney is one of the masters of movies, but they’re the undisputed Kings of Cameos. Disney animators love to put little homages to films past, present, and future. These are some of the best we’ve spotted – let us know if there’s any we missed.

16

Encanto & Frozen

We’re Gonna Sing About Elsa, Oh, Woh, Oh

Bruno dances while Pepa and Felix watch.

This cameo is one of the most clever of all the Easter eggs in the Disney universe. When Bruno of Encanto fame finally gets to return home, he gets to sing a verse of apology to his sister, Pepa. Pepa can control the weather, and can create pretty much any kind of storm she wants. Sound familiar to somebody?

When Bruno tells his sister to “let it snow, let it go”, the famous Frozen piano section from ‘Let It Go’ briefly plays. You have to listen closely to catch it, but it’s there. Maybe Bruno heard about another weather-magic user who worries too much.

15

Moana & Frozen

It Happens To Everyone, Maui

Maui has accidentally turned into Sven the Reindeer in Moana.

It can be hard to be a demigod. Maui’s arc in Moana revolves around him wanting to get his magic fish hook back. However, when he finally gets it back, it doesn’t go as he planned. Indeed, it gets far weirder…and familiar.

The first form Maui wants to take after getting the hook is a shark. However, he turns into a reindeer. Not just any reindeer – he turns into Sven from Frozen. He quickly tries to transform away, but the Easter Egg remains. Moana may be set in the Pacific Ocean, but it seems even they can’t escape Frozen.

14

Tanged & Frozen

A Wedding To Remember

Anna runs down a road while Flynn Ryder and Rapunzel walk into the coronation.

Fans of Frozen already know that the King and Queen of Arendelle met a presumably grisly fate when their boat capsized during a powerful storm, but have you ever wondered where this royal duo were heading in the first place? There’s a tiny clue in one particular scene in Frozen that gives everything away.

Look carefully in the scene where Anna is opening her castle to royal guests, and you’ll spy none other than Rapunzel and Eugene from Tangled among the masses. Fans have used this evidence to postulate that the King and Queen of Arendelle were on their way to Rapunzel’s royal wedding when their ship sank. While this was eventually debunked in Frozen II, the possibility of a tragic link between the royal families is still a juicy thought.

13

Hercules & The Little Mermaid

Greco-Roamin’ For Love

Zeus and Hera look at their newborn baby Hercules.

One of the biggest ‘hidden secrets’ relates to the 1998 classic animated film, Hercules. The character of Hercules comes from an existing Greco-Roman myth about a demigod descended from the all-mighty Zeus. In the traditional canon of Greek Myths, Zeus’ brother is Neptune, the Ruler of the Sea. Can you think of any other magical Sea Kings from Disney movies?

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That’s right: King Triton from The Little Mermaid is Zeus’ brother, making Ariel and Hercules cousins. What’s really interesting is that both of these characters make the same choice to give up their magical powers in exchange for love. Maybe it runs in the family.

12

The Little Mermaid & Frozen

A Frozen Mystery

Ariel and Flounder explore a sunken ship.

One of the earliest scenes in The Little Mermaid features the film’s protagonist, Ariel, exploring the ruins of a sunken ship in search of treasures for her hoarder-like and not-at-all creepy grotto. One common theory is that the ship that Ariel swims around in is actually the very same ship that the King and Queen of Arendelle traveled on to reach Rapunzel’s wedding.

It’s been stated by the creators of Frozen that the King and Queen of Arendelle did not have their lives come to an end aboard the sinking boat, but then… who did?

11

The Hunchback Of Notre Dame & Beauty And The Beast

Guess She Got More Than Her Provincial Life

Belle can be seen on the streets of Paris in the Hunchback of Notre Dame.

In the opening scene of The Hunchback of Notre Dame where Quasimodo looks out onto the streets of Paris, there’s a quick shot where Belle from Beauty and the Beast is seen walking through the town.

It’s no secret that Belle was a highly-educated woman who had probably spent some time in urban environments, but a large portion of Belle’s plot focuses on how much she hates the “poor, provincial town” she’s stuck living in, so what’s she doing in Paris, one of the largest (and oldest) metropolitan centers in the entire world?

10

The Little Mermaid & Peter Pan

From Neverland To Atlantica

Ariel's mother, Queen Athena, sits looking at a music box.

It’s well known that a key aspect of Disney movies is that one (or both) parents are usually missing from the lives of the protagonists. The Little Mermaid direct-to-DVD sequel Ariel’s Beginning features Ariel’s mother, Athena. Athena’s life was ended by being run over by a large pirate ship. So who was responsible for this tragic accident?

In Peter Pan, a mermaid who looks very similar to a younger version of Ariel’s mother appears, establishing that these two worlds have some kind of an existing connection. The pirate ship that attacks Athena is also incredibly similar to that of Captain Hook.

9

Tarzan & Beauty And The Beast

Tea Time For Cameos

The teapots and teacups from Beauty and the Beast cameo in Tarzan.

In a scene in Tarzan, we can clearly see the enchanted tea set from Beauty and the Beast featured on a cart.

This begs the question: who is so posh that they bring a tea set to a safari, and furthermore, why does Jane possess the tea set of a French royal family in the first place?

8

Aladdin & The Princess And The Frog

Light The Way

A woman airs out a carpet which looks like the Magic Carpet.

There’s also a connection between 1992’s Aladdin and 2009’s The Princess and the Frog. Aladdin’s magic carpet makes a brief appearance towards the very beginning of this movie, but that’s not the only visual connection between these two films. The Genie’s magic lamp also shows up as an object in Mama Odie’s bayou hideout.

This is actually part of a larger theory that indicates these two items tend to appear as harbingers of magical elements in a Disney story. You can also see the lamp and rug in Disney’s Celtic-inspired animated movie, Brave.

7

Big Hero 6 & Frozen

We Gotta Hans It To Them

A statue of Hans is found in Big Hero 6.

Big Hero 6 has several interesting clues that allude to yet another super complicated fan theory that combines Frozen, Big Hero 6, and WALL-E in an interesting way. In Big Hero 6, we can clearly see that there are statues of Hans, the evil prince who’s after Anna’s throne, as well as a historical boat built in the style of Arendelle’s navy.

This film is set in the fictional futuristic city of San Fransokyo, which could very well be located on top of modern-day Denmark. This unusual historical footnote supports the theory that Big Hero 6 takes place at some point after the events of WALL-E, and that Big Hero’s Baymax robot is just a highly-advanced update of WALL-E’s EVE.

6

Alice In Wonderland & The Great Mouse Detective

London Calling, Bill

Ratigan dances with his henchmen.

While there are tons of cameos and crossovers in more recent Disney movies, there are actually a few truly surprising connections between some of Disney’s older films. Such a connection exists between 1951’s Alice In Wonderland and 1986’s The Great Mouse Detective.

While these two films have radically different plots and visual styles, they are connected in two clear and immediate ways. The first connection is the character Bill The Lizard. Bill first appears in Alice In Wonderland as the White Rabbit’s cockney handyman. We catch up with Bill again as a member of Rattigan’s gang in The Great Mouse Detective. The other key similarity between these two films is the setting and time period. Both movies are set in London in the late 19th Century.

5

Tangled & Pinocchio

Disney Can Do It Too

A party breaks out in the Snuggly Duckling. A Pinocchio puppet hangs on the ceiling.

Another cool crossover occurs between two seemingly unlikely films: Pinocchio and Tangled. In a scene in Tangled where Rapunzel and Eugene visit a rural countryside pub, we can very briefly get a shot of Pinnochio slumped up against a wall in the top level of this establishment.

One popular theory is that the pub visited by Eugene and Rapunzel is the very same establishment where Stromboli forces Pinnochio to perform his puppet show.

4

The Lion King & Hercules

Don’t Be So Ne-mean, Scar

Hercules takes off a fur cloak that looks like Scar.

A lot of times, the gruesome fates of defeated Disney villains are never quite clearly specified. When comparing these films to the fairy tales on which they are based, it seems like a lot of these Disney baddies get off relatively easily. However, that actually might not be the case when it comes to The Lion King’s main nemesis, Scar.

At the end of The Lion King, all we really get to see is Scar plummeting off the side of a cliff. We know from the events of The Lion King 2 that Scar’s life was not ended by this dramatic fall, but after that, his fate is a mystery until you watch Hercules. In a quick scene, we can see that Hercules actually owns a lion-skin costume that is very clearly made from Scar’s hide. That’s more than a little graphic for a kid’s movie, isn’t it?

3

Aladdin & Beauty And The Beast

Aladdin Time Travel Confirmed?

The Sultan's Toy tower is on display. One of the toys is the Beast from Beauty and the Beast.

This next theory starts off with a seemingly innocuous Easter egg, but the implications of this interesting cameo have led many fan theorists to draw some truly wild conclusions about the Disney Universe as a whole. Strap in, because this is a wild one.

This theory begins with a glass figurine of The Beast appearing in The Sultan’s glass menagerie in a scene in Aladdin. Some people believe this tiny reference is a part of a highly complicated theory that purports that Aladdin is actually set thousands of years in a post-apocalyptic future. Other evidence for this theory includes The Genie’s numerous pop-culture references, and that a few of his lines of dialog suggest that the film has to take place at least in the year 10,000.

2

The Little Mermaid & Cinderella

Mermaid Love Not War

The Grand Duke and the King are shown in a cameo at Vanessa's wedding.

While we already know that diplomatic delegation exists between the Kingdoms of Arendelle and Corona, there are even more international ties in the Disney Princess community than you might think.

In The Little Mermaid, Prince Eric hosts a royal wedding of his own when Ursula (in disguise as her alter-ego, Vanessa) tricks the prince into believing that she was the mystery woman who rescued him from drowning. When you look carefully at the background of this royal event, you can clearly see that the King and Duke of Cinderella’s unspecified kingdom are in attendance at this ceremony.

1

One Hundred And One Dalmatians & Lady And The Tramp

What A Doggone Sad Story

Lady and the Tramp make a cameo in 101 Dalmations.

There are actually several specific cross-overs, references, and connections in the movies One Hundred and One Dalmatians and Lady and the Tramp. For example, both Lady and Tramp appear quickly in the Twilight Bark sequence in One Hundred and One Dalmatians.

However, there’s one particular moment from One Hundred and One Dalmatians that’s especially heartbreaking. Outside of a pet shop, you can see Peg, the sultry-eyed dog who sings ‘He’s A Tramp’ in Lady And The Tramp’s dog pound scene, looking happy and healthy with a full litter of puppies under her care. When we see her again in Lady and the Tramp, the puppies are nowhere to be found. Was Peg dumped in the pound after her puppies were sold? Or did something even more tragic befall her litter? We may never know.

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