Top 10 Toy Story Franchise Easter Eggs You Missed
#10: A113 "Toy Story" franchise (1995-)
Never forget where you came from. Perhaps this is the message behind our first "Toy Story" Easter egg, the sequence A113. This represents Classroom A-113, where several Pixar employees studied animation, including John Lasseter. When Lasseter made his feature film directorial debut with “Toy Story,” he paid homage to the classroom through the license plate on Andy’s mom’s car. A113 would resurface in “Toy Story 2” as a flight number and in “Toy Story 3” on another license plate. This Easter egg isn’t just limited to the “Toy Story” franchise, as it’s appeared in every Pixar film to date.
#9: ‘Cars’ References "Toy Story 3" (2010)
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There is more than one reference to the "Cars" franchise in "Toy Story 3." For starters, there's a striking similarity between the toy trucks in Sunnyside Daycare and the trucks featured in the "Cars" universe, while Lightning McQueen's number 95 appears on a shirt worn by one of the children there, as well. The number also pops up in other places, such as the train upon which Woody and the Potato Heads are fighting during the film's opening scene. The significance of "95" isn't just limited to McQueen, however, as it also symbolizes the year 1995, when the first "Toy Story" film was released.
#8: Binford Tool Box "Toy Story" (1995)
The next Easter egg on our list is somewhat meta, as it references the real life gigs of one of the franchise's voice actors, Tim Allen. Astute viewers and T.V. fans will notice the Binford Tool Box located in Sid's house when the young boy is holding Woody hostage in the first "Toy Story" movie. Binford was the fictional tool company that sponsored Tim Taylor's T.V. show, "Tool Time," on the classic sitcom "Home Improvement." Taylor was played by, you guessed it, Tim Allen, bringing everything full circle with a fun bit of pop culture humor.
#7: Sid the Garbage Man "Toy Story 3" (2010)
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We're staying on the subject of Sid for a minute with our next entry, although we're fast forwarding to the third film in the franchise. Here, what looks like an older version of Sid, complete with skull T-shirt, working as a "sanitation engineer." Turns out Sid the Garbage Man is bit more even-tempered than his younger shelf, as he seems to be in a pretty good mood, with his headphones on and orange safety vest. Although it'll be hard to shake that mental image of young Sid terrorizing Buzz and Woody, we're glad to see he grew up to become a (relatively) well-adjusted young man.
#6: ‘A Bug's Life’ Calendar "Toy Story 2" (1999)
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Characters from Pixar's "A Bug's Life" have appeared in the "Toy Story" universe on more than one occasion. "Toy Story 2" in particular features two different Easter eggs, one being a brief glimpse of toy versions of the characters who appear in Al's Toy Barn (xref), as Buzz is running down a hallway. Elsewhere, a slightly more easy-to-spot Easter Egg appears in Andy's Room, where a calendar is seen hanging which contains a photo from "A Bug's Life," right next to the window. They're blink-and-you-miss-them moments, but cool ones, nonetheless.
#5: Nemo & Darla "Toy Story 3" (2010)
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If you're a toy, you do NOT want to end up in the Caterpillar Room, as it's here where playthings get played with, in a most violent fashion. Yup, the toddlers at Sunnyside Daycare aren't always the most careful lot, but all is not lost, as there are a couple of cool "Finding Nemo" themed Easter eggs to be found! For starters, Darla can be seen on the cover of a "Tween" magazine Andy's sister is reading, but the little clownfish himself also makes an appearance as a sticker if you look really closely on Andy's toy chest in the bottom right hand corner of his room.
#4: Buy n Large "Toy Story 3" (2010)
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The global conglomerate known as Buy n Large first appeared in the Pixar film, "WALL-E," but it also makes an appearance in the third "Toy Story" film. The company's "BnL" logo can be seen on Buzz Lightyear's batteries, and, although this seems like something of a small Easter egg on the surface, it becomes a bit more sinister when doing a little research into the fictional company's history. Buy n Large basically created a monopolized stranglehold on every conceivable aspect of human existence, eventually doing so much harm that it abandoned Earth in the year 2110. Man, this entry was kind of a bummer, huh?
#3: Andy's Books "Toy Story" (1995)
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Pixar super fans need only take a quick look at Andy's bookshelf in the first "Toy Story" movie to uncover a small treasure trove of cool Easter eggs. The spines and titles of the books all reference either Pixar employees or the titles of some of their early short films. For example, "Tin Toy" is the title of a short that inspired the "Toy Story" franchise, while "Knick Knack" and "Red's Dream" are two other early shorts from Pixar, both directed by John Lasseter. Eagle-eyed viewers can even spot Lasseter's name running down the spine of "Tin Toy," right there for all to see.
#2: The Shining "Toy Story" franchise (1995-)
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Okay, so Stanley Kubrick's horror classic "The Shining" is probably the last thing one might think would be referenced in a family friendly film franchise such as "Toy Story." This is indeed the case throughout the series, however, beginning with the very first "Toy Story" in 1995. The infamous carpet pattern featured in The Overlook hotel also appears in Sid's house, while "Toy Story 3" also drops multiple references to the number "237," which was the room number where some disturbing things happen to both Jack Torrance and his son Danny in Kubrick's take on Stephen King iconic novel. Before we name our number one pick, here are a few honorable mentions! Hidden Mickey "Toy Story" (1995) Lamp Constellation "Toy Story 2" (1999)
#1: Luxo Jr. "Toy Story 2" (1999)
It all had to start somewhere, and for Pixar that "somewhere" was "Luxo Jr.," the studio's very first short film. The two-minute short is a cute and heartwarming piece about a parent-and-child set of desk lamps, and showcased early on the sort of charm and wit Pixar was capable of creating with their animation magic. Since then, Luxo Jr. has become a mascot for Pixar, appearing in numerous Easter eggs throughout their filmography. The little lamp appears for a brief moment in "Toy Story 2" when Hamm is flipping through channels on a television and has also graced the opening credits of each Pixar feature film.
