Ten Toy Story Land ‘Easter Eggs’ To Search for in Andy’s Backyard
Pixar Animation is known for adding hidden gems throughout their films, known as “Easter Eggs,” and in the all-new Toy Story Land at Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios, there are quite a few real-life Easter Eggs waiting to be found. From hidden codes to Hidden Mickeys, there’s a lot more to this land than meets the eye. Here are ten hidden details to search for on your next trip to Toy Story Land.
Hidden Mickeys
Like most other areas at Walt Disney World, Toy Story Land wouldn’t be complete without a few Hidden Mickeys for us to hunt! Interestingly enough, there is a Hidden Mickey to be found in the waiting area of each of the three attractions and at Woody’s Lunchbox. The first Hidden Mickey can be found while waiting in line for Alien Swirling Saucers. Pay attention to the Space Ranger mural on the wall, and you’ll notice green, blue and red buttons make one familiar mouse shape! The next Hidden Mickey can be found in the waiting area for Slinky Dog Dash. Andy’s hand-drawn plans for the attraction reveal a Hidden Mickey cloud in the top right corner. In the new waiting area for Toy Story Mania, guests will find another Mickey-shaped cloud in the first room towards the top left on the wall. If you stop by Woody’s Lunchbox to grab a bite, be sure to peer into the order station for this last Hidden Mickey. Inside the building on the left side, you’ll spot a Mickey made out of berries from Andy’s lunch.
Buster’s Collar
Toy Story Land doesn’t skip a beat when it comes to theming. From the moment you walk in, you feel like you’ve been shrunk down to the size of a toy. Many wonder at what point in the Toy Story trilogy, timeframe-wise, Toy Story Land is supposed to take place, and the answer is given to us thanks to one small detail. As you walk through the entrance to Slinky Dog Dash, you’ll notice a gold medallion revealing the Standby Time, and a digital watch revealing the Fastpass Entrance time. After walking under the arch, you’ll notice that the gold medallion is actually Buster’s collar, revealing the address 234 Elm Street. Andy’s dog, Buster, was gifted to him from Santa at the end of the first Toy Story, after the family had moved into their new house. Therefore, it can be assumed that Toy Story Land takes place in the backyard of Andy’s new house at some time during Toy Story 2 – so no need to worry about ending up in Sid’s yard!
A113
The Easter Egg of “A113” tends to pop up throughout Pixar films. For example, in the Toy Story movies, it serves as Andy’s mom’s license plate. What does “A113” represent? It’s the room number of a class that was used for graphic design and character animation students at California Institute of Arts, where some of Pixar’s animators went to school. A113 reappears in Toy Story Land as well, in a few creative ways. Near Woody’s Lunchbox, there is a pen with a few blocks and dominos inside. One block represents the “A” and the other block has two “1’s” and a “3” on its sides. If you pay close attention to the surrounding dominos, you’ll also notice they read “113” as well! Guests can also find an “A113” reference in the waiting queue of Alien Swirling Saucers. The portal is called “Airlock Alpha,” which gives us the “A,” and the portal shows “Bay 1” and “Bay 13.”
Pixar Place
Before Toy Story Land existed, Pixar Place and the entrance to Toy Story Mania gave us a toy-sized feel. Once the new land officially opened, Pixar Place was no more – but what happened to Andy’s toys that could be found in that area? Some recognizable touches from Pixar Place can be found scattered throughout Toy Story Land’s attractions. For example, Mr. Spell – who hung in Pixar Place across from the entrance to Toy Story Mania until May of 2017 – is spelling once again during the final scene of Slinky Dog Dash! While exiting the new Toy Story Mania area, guests will notice the barrel of monkeys and Andy’s kite spool of thread just laying around. It’s good to know that Andy thought of every toy when creating this toy playground for us!
Jessie’s Critters
When ordering your food at Woody’s Lunchbox, take a moment to appreciate all of the foods that Andy’s mom packed for him that day. From cookies to veggies and even a juice box, she made sure he had a great meal! One detail worth mentioning is how unique Andy’s animal crackers look. You may recognize these critter cookies from the old Woody’s Roundup videos shown in Toy Story 2! This small detail is a great example of Disney Imagineers and their outstanding attention to detail. You’ll even find a turtle critter animal cracker out of the lunch box, trying to cross the path thanks to a little help from a Green Army Man.
Pizza Planet
Although there isn’t a Pizza Planet location inside Toy Story Land, the iconic pizza place is still represented throughout the area. It’s understood that Andy won his Alien Swirling Saucers game from Pizza Planet, which would explain all of the pizza details within the attraction and its surrounding queue. In Toy Story, Pizza Planet’s entrance is guarded by robot guards with pizza-shaped weapons. These robot guards are also found at the entrance of Alien Swirling Saucers! Another Pizza Planet detail can be spotted in the waiting queue for Slinky Dog Dash. Andy’s pink clipboard contains several stickers, and one is from Pizza Planet!
Founding Dates
Pixar Animation was founded on February 3, 1986, and if you keep your eyes peeled, you’re sure to find that date hiding throughout this new land. The date can be found in numerical form to create the barcode on the Dash & Dodge Mega Coaster Kit box in the Slinky Dog Dash queue. The barcode can be seen once while in the standby queue, and again during the final scene of the ride in the top left corner. The box even says the toy was “Made in Emeryville,” which is where Pixar Animation Studios is located. The second time you can find this important date in Toy Story Land is near the giant Luxo Ball. In a nearby pen, there are standing dominos. If you pay attention to the values on the dominos, they read out the date 2-3-1986!
Partly Cloudy
In addition to its full-length feature films, Pixar Animation is also known for creative short films. With some shorts dating back to before the first Toy Story, Pixar makes a point to include these titles in book form on the shelf in Andy’s Room. Shorts like Tin Toy and Knick Knacks are represented in both Toy Story and the attraction Toy Story Mania. So it’s no surprise they included another Pixar short on Slinky Dog Dash! During the finale scene with Wheezy, look above his head and you’ll notice the book Partly Cloudy. This is a nod to the 2009 short film that premiered in theaters before UP.
Let’s Eat
While enjoying a bite at Woody’s Lunchbox, it’s hard to ignore all of the toys that make up the sitting area. No detail is there by accident, and this next Easter Egg is a fun little message. Guests will noticed blocks scattered around the area. If you put these letters together it reads “Let’s Eat” which is fitting for the only eatery in Toy Story Land!
Rex’s Toy Box
As guests board Slinky and prepare to dash off on his thrilling coaster ride, Rex’s toy box can be seen at the beginning of the attraction. Like every detail in this land, even this box reveals quite a few Easter Eggs that are worth a second glance. First, you’ll notice that his box has an Al’s Toy Barn sticker, which means Andy bought Rex from the chicken man. On the price tag itself, there’s more than meets the eye. The price sticker features an “11,” a “22,” and the price of “$19.95.” If you turn these numbers into a date, it reveals the date November 22, 1995, which was Toy Story’s theatrical release date! In addition to this Easter Egg, the box also reveals some information about Rex’s past. During the first Toy Story movie, when the toys are introducing themselves to Buzz Lightyear, Rex reveals that he’s from Mattel, but originally from a smaller company that was purchased in a leveraged buyout. That smaller company’s name, Borealis, appears on Rex’s box, along with the fact that the company also manufactured a Triceratops toy. Could this other toy be Trixie who we meet in Toy Story 3?
Toy Story Land is so much more than just a new area in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This uniquely themed land is an Easter Egg playground just waiting to be explored! Next time you find yourself in Andy’s Backyard, don’t forget to keep an eye out for these fun details.