Zootopia 2: Every Disney, Pixar & Pop Culture Easter Egg We Could Find
Zootopia 2 is shattering box office records around the world. As if fans needed an excuse to see it again, the sequel is also chock-full of Easter Eggs. Over the course of two viewings, I tried to find as many as possible, and here’s what we noticed.
Voice Cast Easter Eggs
There are a ton of celebrity cameos in Zootopia 2, many of whom play like little Easter Eggs.
- Disney CEO Bob Iger voices a weather mammal named Bob Tiger
- Singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran lends his pipes to a sheep named Ed Shearin
- Songwriter/record producer Blake Slatkin, who co-wrote “Zoo” with Ed Sheeran, voices Baalake Lambkin
- Conservationist Robert Irwin voices a travel agent koala named Robert Furwin
- Michael J. Fox voices Michael J. The Fox
- News anchor Peter Mansbridge voices Peter Moosebridge
- LA ABC entertainment reporter George Pennacchio is immortalised as George Purrrnacleo
- Celebrity chef Nick DiGiovanni plays reptile bartender Slick Di'Giguani
- Comedian Tig Notaro voices Big Tig
There are also quite a few legacy Disney voices making cameos in the film, some of which serve as mini-reunions.
- Voices from Moana and Moana 2 include Auli'i Cravalho (Moana) as Gary’s talking anti-venom pen, Dwayne Johnson (Maui) as Zeke (aka that Dik Dik stuck in that tuba), Rachel House (Gramma Tala) as a giraffe named Gramma Taller, and David Fane (Kele) as Truffler
- Encanto cast members include Stephanie Beatriz Mirabel) as Bloats, Wilmer Valderrama (Agustin) as Higgins, and John Leguizamo (Bruno) as Antony Snootley
- Anika Noni Rose (Tiana in The Princess and the Frog) is the squeal heard on the in-universe game show Squeal of Fortune
- Josh Gad (Olaf in Frozen) voiced the disgruntled IT mole Paul Moledebrandt
- Patrick Warburton (Kronk in The Emperor’s New Groove) stars as Mayor Winddancer
Naming Rights
Disney Animation president Clark Spencer has a character named after him in the film, Clark the mouse, who appears in the Partners in Crisis sequence.
Also in the Partners in Crisis scene is Marlon the bear and Greg the pangolin, named after visual effects supervisors Marlon West and Gregory Smith.
Film editor Jeremy Milton has a character named after him, Lynxley patriarch Milton Lynxley.
Directors Jared Bush and Byron Howard voice the mountain-climbing goats Jürgen Ziegenkäse and Berthold Hufschmerz. While their last names are types of cheese, their first names were chosen to have the same first initial.
Shanghai Disneyland On Screen
Shanghai Disneyland’s City of Zootopia opened in 2023, bringing to life locations from the first film, but also adding some new ones of its own. The sheep barber shop from the car chase sequence and the elephant fitness center Gym Trunks above Nick Wilde’s apartment were created for the land and ended up in the film.
a bug’s life
Pixar’s second feature-length film gets a shoutout on Paul’s desk. The film’s leaf logo has been adapted into a computer anti-virus sign that reads “Crush the Bugs.”
What Does the Fox Say?
Early in the film, one of Nick Wilde’s ZPD colleagues taunts him by saying, “What Does the Fox Say?” This Easter Egg is a reference to the 2013 song of the same name by Ylvis.
Nick Wilde’s Address
Zootopia 2 introduces Nick Wilde’s apartment, which is a cornucopia of Easter Eggs, starting with his unit number - 23. D23 members are well aware that this is a reference to the year the Walt Disney Company was officially founded - 1923.
Zootopia’s Streaming Service
Zootopia+ previously poked a bit of fun at Disney+, so in Zootopia 2, Nick Wilde searches for something to watch on the in-universe equivalent of Hulu, Huluzoo.
The interface, however, is much more like Disney+, with brand tiles that include twists on Pixar (Pigsar), Star Wars (Star Roars), Nat Geo (Rat Geo), and ESPN (ELKS).
Options for Nick’s viewing pleasure include Zootopia variations of Hamilton (Ham-ilton), Futurama (Futurllama), Gravity Falls (Piggity Falls), Andor (Ramdor), Die Hard (Die Herd), Prometheus (Platypus), and The Mandalorian and Grogu (The Pandalorian and Growlgu).
Comics in Zootopia
On Nick’s coffee table is a comic — Thorse — a parody of Marvel’s Thor. The cover features a horse-clad version of the god of thunder. Instead of being published by Marvel, this publication is from JB Comics, presumably a reference to Jared Bush.
Aladdin’s Magic Carpet
When Judy Hopps visits Nick’s apartment, we get a good view of a vintage concert poster for the Roaring Stones (a Rolling Stones gag). Look closely at the texture of the poster, and you’ll see the same pattern as the Magic Carpet from Aladdin.
Ratatouille Everywhere All at Once
At the Zootennial Gala, as Judy chases Gary De’Snake through the kitchen, a lion chef is preparing ratatouille. As his chef’s hat is knocked off, it’s revealed that he had a rat under his hat pulling on his mane, the real chef of the dish, a parody of Pixar’s classic.
“I knew it,” shouts the other chef, a raccoon. It’s a hat-on-a-hat Easter Egg, referencing the Ratatouille parody moment in Everything Everywhere All at Once, the film that won Ke Huy Quan (voice of Gary De’Snake) his Oscar.
Rapunzel’s Frying Pan
When Nick catches up to Judy, he grabbed an object in the kitchen to use to knock out Gary - a frying pan. Byron Howard previously revealed that this is the exact same frying pan that Rapunzel used to knock out Flynn Rider in Tangled, and it gets used again in the third act against Pawbert Lynxley.
Hidden Mickey x 2
When Paul is first introduced, another Mole in his cubicle has a Mickey Mouse figure as a decoration.
When Nibbles Mabelstick brings Nick and Judy to Marsh Market, they pass a hat rack. Among its stored items is a pair of mouse ears, made famous by The Mickey Mouse Club and a popular souvenir at Disney Parks.
Ariel’s Grotto
Among the establishments in Marsh Market is Ariel’s Grotto, which is more than just an underwater cave from The Little Mermaid. Before Pixar Pier took over Paradise Pier at Disney California Adventure, there was a waterfront restaurant called Ariel’s Grotto, which used a similar font as this Marsh Market establishment.
Hook’s Bait and Tackle
On the same stretch of shops as Ariel’s Grotto is a reference to Peter Pan. The boy who won’t grow up’s nemesis, Captain Hook, is the namesake of this fishing shop.
It’s-A Me, Russ!
Nibbles enlists the help of Russ, a walrus plumber. Look closely at his hat, and you’ll see that he works for Blubber Bros. Plumbing. The name, and even the font, are an homage to Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros.
Disney Needle Drop
When Russ ferries Nick, Judy, and Nibbles to the reptile hangout, he mistakes the partners for a couple on their anniversary. Activating lights and romantic music, he plays “Bella Notte” from Lady and the Tramp.
If the song sounds different to you, that’s because it’s not the version from the 1955 film. Due to record label contracts, when the film was released, singer/songwriter Peggy Lee recorded her own version of the songs for Decca Records, and Disneyland Records had to wait until 1961 to release their own collection of songs from the film. As was standard at the time, they would often re-record the songs with a less-expensive cast, so Bob Grabeau’s version — the one used in Zootopia 2 — was the most-used version of the song for decades. The film version, sung by George Givot, didn’t get a soundtrack release until 1980!
Mr. Toad’s Wild Bar
In the reptile speakeasy, the bar has a neon sign declaring it “Mr. Toad’s.” Also immortalized is the face of J. Thaddeus Toad, the central character in “The Wind in the Willows” segment of The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, which inspired the classic Disneyland attraction Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride.
Hungry Hippos
When hippo ZPD officers Higgins and Bloats chase Nick and Judy through the water, the dock to the tube station breaks, and a basket of fruit falls down the inclined dock. Both hippos begin chomping on the round fruit, an homage to the popular Milton Bradley board game.
Duke Weaselton’s New Bootlegs
Duke Weaselton’s movie piracy business is thriving in Marsh Market. Just like in the first film, the character is voiced by Disney Animation’s lucky charm, Alan Tudyk, who voiced the character’s namesake in Frozen. His DVD rip-offs include Floatzen 12, mocking the fact that Frozen 3 and 4 are in development, plus a live-action adaptation of Wrangled (a parody of Tangled), which is also in pre-production at Disney.
Pack to the Future
When Nick Wilde is locked up in prison, he makes eyes with a prisoner — Michael J. the Fox, voiced by Michael J. Fox. "What are you looking at, butthead?", Michael J. asks, quoting Marty McFly’s bully, Biff Tannen.
Silence of the Bellwether
After Nibbles breaks Nick out of his cell, they walk past one that’s like no other. Former mayor Bellwether gets a padded cell with a glass wall instead of bars. She’s knitted furniture out of her own wool. The aesthetic of her cell is an homage to Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs.
The Shining
Stanley Kubrick’s classic psychological thriller gets a fitting homage when Pawbert runs away from Lynxley Manor through a snowy maze. There are multiple shot-for-shot homages to the terrifying climax, and composer Michael Giacchino even samples Wendy Carlos’ score.
Babe: Pig in the Zity
When Hoggbottom apprehends Pawbert in the De’Snake ancestral home, her partner, Truffler, quotes the 1995 classic film Babe when he says, “That’ll do, pig.”
Paying it Forward
The longstanding tradition of paying homage to the next Disney animated film continues in the end credits. Just before the castle outro, a stylized three-eyed grinning cat can be seen, a character from the next Disney animated film, Hexed.
Confirmation of a Threequel
When Clawhauser has to sign in to Paul’s computer, he plucks a tiny sticky note from the monitor with his password, which reads “P@Rt3izFr&BrdZr2.” Fans have interpreted this to mean “Part 3 is for real, and birds are too.” Paired with the post-credit scene, where a bird feather lands on Judy Hopps’ windowsill, it seems like confirmation that Zootopia 3 is not only in the works, but was in development well before Zootopia 2 was released.
Did you find any Easter Eggs we missed? You can let us know by connecting with Laughing Place on all of our social platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, Twitter/X, Threads, and Bluesky.