Asha (voiced by Ariana DeBose) and her sidekick, Star from Disney’s Wish (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection) (©Walt Disney Co./Courtesy Evere)Needless to say, Wish is a great way to kick off your centennial celebration.
Wish, an animated adventure, is filled with over 100 Easter eggs, allusions, and nods to classic Disney films. This is a record-breaking amount for the studio and rivals the pop culture extravaganza Ready Player One.
The film’s creators are proud to confirm this, with over 100 entries on a comprehensive spreadsheet that tracks all the references. Wish was created as a tribute to the 100th anniversary of the Walt Disney Company, and the story follows Asha, a young girl who leads a rebellion against the wish-suppressing ruler of an otherwise utopian Kingdom of Rojas.
In the film, Asha goes through themes and sequences that are familiar to viewers of classic Disney films, including aspiring to be an apprentice to a sorcerer and receiving powers from a wish upon a star. The movie is filled with both subtle and direct nods to Disney classics, ranging from recognizable characters to hidden, playful references throughout the film.
Ariana DeBose, an Oscar-winning actress from West Side Story, has discovered several of the Easter eggs, such as references to Alice in Wonderland, Pocahontas, Sleeping Beauty, Fox and the Hound, Bambi, and Atlantis. Some references are very subtle and easy to miss, such as a Mickey-shaped mask and a poison apple hidden on the king’s desk.
The film also draws inspiration from classic Disney films such as Sleeping Beauty, with artistic styles, aspect ratios, and incorporation of classic Disney characters into the storyline. All in all, Wish is a treasure trove of hidden gems for Disney enthusiasts to find and enjoy.
