Hidden Disney Moments Almost No One Notices

They built the Happiest Place on Earth, so it stands to reason that Walt Disney Animation should be pretty well versed in the art of creating structures built to house all sorts of wonderful stuff—like, say, movies filled with overflowing assortments of little details meant to fill observant fans with surprise and delight. In fact, it wouldn't be all that hard to argue that when it comes to in-jokes and Easter eggs, no one does it better than the House of Mouse. Disney movies are full of really cool hidden secrets that keep fans talking for years—and after decades upon decades of cranking out classic entertainment the whole family can enjoy, they've compiled an impressively deep collection of clips that offer delightful fan service to hardcore fans while the average viewer remains blissfully unaware. From older favorites to more recent hits, here's a look back at hidden Disney moments almost no one notices.

In 1992's Aladdin, audiences meet a short, wacky peddler who introduces the story they're about to see, and then he's never seen again. Or is he? Over the years, fans theorized that the peddler is actually the Genie, but after he's been set free by the end of the movie (uh, spoilers). The evidence? They both have four fingers on their hands, they both have the same curly beards, and they're both voiced by Robin Williams. But after years of silence on the theory, Aladdin's co-directors, Ron Clements and John Musker, confirmed in 2015 that, yes, the peddler and the Genie are one and the same. In this case, fans' wishes finally came true.

Disney movies are so filled with references that some of them can slip by in a flash. One such example comes in 1997's Hercules, which features a quintet of singing Muses who move the story along. During Meg's song, "I Won't Say I'm in Love," the Muses take the form of five stone busts—and they're arranged exactly like five similar stone busts, known as the Grim Grinning Ghosts, from Disney's Haunted Mansion ride.

Even though Big Hero 6 was a smash hit in 2014, a lot of Disney fans might not know that it was actually the first Disney animated film to feature Marvel Comics characters. Big Hero 6 was originally a comic book that debuted in 1998. But what's really interesting is the cameo featuring the most legendary Marvel character of them all: Stan Lee. In the movie's post-credits scene, Fred and his dad bond over their, uh...mutual love of wearing their underpants four days in a row. Y'know...as one does. True Marvel zombies can't miss the fact that Fred's dad is voiced by and modeled after Lee, co-creator of Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, the Hulk, Iron Man, and countless others. Even though he's been in nearly every Marvel movie since X-Men in 2000, this is probably the one that feels the most super.

Out of all of Wreck-It Ralph's many references, there's one that truly stands out among them all. When the villainous King Candy starts to enter the secret vault to hack Sugar Rush's code, he pulls out a napkin with mysterious instructions written on it: up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, Start. If you know what that is, congratulations: you played Nintendo games in the '80s. That sequence of commands is known as the "Konami Code," and it first appeared as a way to get power-ups and extra lives in the NES games Gradius and Contra back in 1986—both made by Japanese developer Konami. The code has since taken on mythical status among fans, and it's found its way into plenty of other games...and even websites.

Disney won critical accolades for its thoughtful live-action adaptation of The Jungle Book, which added a new level of realism to the classic story while keeping the spirit of its animated predecessor. Christopher Walken provides the voice of King Louie, the fearsome orangutan-like creature. In one scene, Mowgli (Neel Sethi) is deposited in front of all the human treasures Louie and his minions have accumulated. Mowgli is intrigued by one item in particular, and he picks it up and shakes it: a cowbell. That's a clear reference to Walken's enormously popular 2000 Saturday Night Live sketch, in which he plays a music producer in the studio making Blue Öyster Cult's "Don't Fear the Reaper" who persistently demands "more cowbell!" Looks like he finally got it.

The "Twilight Bark" is a pivotal moment in 101 Dalmatians, in which every dog in London is contacted for help in reclaiming all those puppies kidnapped by Cruella De Vil. Among the dogs who hear (and heed) the call: Lady and the Tramp from Lady and the Tramp, on a dark street, barely concealed in shadow. Also in the scene, in a separate cameo, the terrier Jock from Lady and the Tramp appears, as do Peg and Bull from the same movie.

Big Hero 6 was released in early 2014, right on the heels of Disney's wildly popular Frozen, and the Marvel-derived superhero cartoon set in the futuristic city of San Fransokyo is loaded with Frozen bits. For example, Hiro and robot Baymax take a flight over the city, and in the scene, Olaf the snowman can be spotted.

An aerial shot also shows off San Fransokyo's bay and harbor, where a ship from Arendelle is ported. And when the hero crew makes a permanent headquarters out of the wealthy Fred's stately home, the robot Baymax tries out his weaponry and blows away a statue. It's a stone rendering of the villainous Prince Hans from Frozen. Hans can also be spotted on a "most wanted" poster on a police station's bulletin board.

Perhaps most incongruously in this Disney movie for tiny kids are multiple references to the 2003-2006 cult comedy Arrested Development. The Duke of Weselton can be seen doing a chicken dance—much like one of the Bluths on Arrested Development. Further, Hans and Anna have an exchange exactly like one between Michael and Lindsay Bluth, in which they claim to "finish each other's...sandwiches." (Although Frozen's writers say that it wasn't so much an Easter egg as it was an "accidental" homage.)

This 2016 smash hit takes place in a world of anthropomorphic animals that looks and feels a lot like our world—just animalized—and Zootopia's writers and animators filled the movie with dozens of animal-themed puns. Look for Lucky Chomps cereal and Vanity Fur magazine; stores like Mousy's, Targoat, and Trader Doe's; and services such as the ride share Zuber and Furs National Bank.

Kristen Bell played the very-fast-talking character of Anna in Frozen. She returns to the Disney fold in Zootopia, voicing a completely opposite kind of character: the incredibly slow-moving (and slow-talking) Priscilla the sloth, who works at the DMV. That character was given to Bell due to her well-known and obsessive love of sloths. A video of Bell being surprised with one at home and then talking about it on Ellen was a huge viral hit in 2012.

As the Hunchback sings "Out There," he looks down at a street scene, where people go about their business. Just barely visible is Belle from Beauty and the Beast—walking and reading a book, of course.

In the crowd scene at the beginning of the movie, King Triton makes his big entrance on a chariot pulled by dolphins. Lots of well-wishers have amassed to show their respects. Among them are the classic Disney characters of Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy, all in a cluster. At the royal wedding at the end of the movie, some very special guests are invited, including the King and Grand Duke from Cinderella, and Kermit the Frog.

Toy Story 3 is a sequel, so naturally some characters from the previous movies are bound to show up. But it's not always who you're expecting...or even notice. The villain of the first movie was Sid, the kid next door who destroyed toys for kicks. Two Story movies later, he makes an appearance. He's all grown up and working as a garbage collector—and he's still rocking a T-shirt with the same skull design.

This is a recurring detail that's right in plain sight, but very easy to miss. Apparently the character of Joy is so bright and sunny that she doesn't have a shadow—she's literally a source of light.