Tim Burton, Brad Bird, and Andrew Stanton all spent time in that fabled room - hence the sacred letter-number combo. It’s a Pixar tradition to hide “A113” somewhere in the background, as a reference to the real-life classroom at California Institute of the Arts, an institution which has molded some of the biggest names in American Animation. The Stormtrooper leading the chase against Vanellope is actually an established drone, FN-3181, from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, with composer Michael Giacchino reprising the voice role. Most of the references are pretty obvious, but the team of seemingly anonymous Stormtroopers hide a subtle cameo, as has been their role in the Star Wars films of late. The Disney section of the film is chock-full with official easter eggs, which feels like Disney flexing their massive IP muscle.
Just how Ralph plays the in-game villain to Fix-It Felix, Donkey Kong used to be Super Mario’s super-destructive antagonist when both characters made their debut.Īnd of course, Donkey Kong was inspired by King Kong, so the inspiration comes full circle. Both references relate to the original inspiration behind Wreck-it Ralph, Donkey Kong.
