Toy Story 4 may not have been written by David Lynch, as our critic Bilge Ebiri asked, but like the work of that surrealist auteur, the Pixar sequel presents its own kaleidoscopic cacophony of Easter eggs and references. Director Josh Cooley has already spoken of the multitudes of callbacks found in the film, which he says has “gotta be a record” for the animation studio. While cataloguing every single one will likely occupy fans for some time, Vulture is pleased to present a visual guide to a few of references found in the film. How many did you spot?
1. The Dinoco Gas Station
We’ll start with an easy one. The Dinoco gas station is the choice for characters who need to refuel in both the Toy Story and Cars movies, with the crucial difference being that in the latter, the cars gas up themselves. (The logos are also different in each franchise, suggesting the company pivoted its marketing strategy once the automobiles rose up and killed all the humans.) In Toy Story 4, it’s where Bonnie’s dad stops to fill up the RV.
2. Pizza Planet Truck
A delivery truck from Toy Story’s Pizza Planet has popped up in every subsequent Pixar film save The Incredibles. In Toy Story 4, it takes the form of a tattoo on a carnival worker’s calf, suggesting the pizza chain retains a higher-than-average amount of company loyalty among its employees. What is their secret?
3. Carnival Wall
On the same wall of prizes where Buzz Lightyear encounters Bunny and Ducky sit replicas of Ernesto de la Cruz’s guitar from Coco, as well as rockets bearing the same logo as the ball from the short Luxo Jr., another frequent Pixar Easter egg.
4. Bo Peep’s Bottle Cap
As Bo Peep’s ovine assistants Billy, Goat, and Gruff scavenge for supplies outside the playground, they return a grape-soda bottle cap, previously turned into a merit badge in Up.
5. The Antiques Store
The bulk of the movie’s references, however, occur in the antiques store that’s home to Gabby Gabby and her ventriloquist-dummy henchmen. This frame includes the mask from Finding Dory, the cookie box from A Bug’s Life, and Carl’s walker from Up. Elsewhere, viewers can also spot a gum brand from Inside Out, an ad for the moving company from the original Toy Story, and a record by Coco’s Ernesto de la Cruz, and many, many more. I’m not sure of the actual number of Easter eggs in this shop, but I suspect it nears infinity, if not beyond. Happy hunting!
