Spoilers! The best Disney references in 'Wish' (including that tender end-credits scene)
Spoiler alert! The following post discusses important plot points and the ending of Disney's new movie “Wish” (in theaters now), so beware if you haven’t seen it yet.
Grab a pen and paper alongside your popcorn when watching “Wish,” because there are so many Disney callbacks and references, you’re going to need to take notes.
The animated fantasy musical is a culmination of Disney’s 100th anniversary, and “Wish” does not skimp on the celebratory bells and whistles with the tale of an idealistic teen named Asha (voiced by Ariana DeBose) who wishes on a star and makes enemies with one-time sorcerer/cruel ruler King Magnifico (Chris Pine). The animation is a throwback to the watercolor textures of early Walt Disney classics like 1937’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” past personalities make an appearance in Asha’s kingdom of Rosas, and even Mickey Mouse gets a subtle shout-out.
Chris Buck (“Frozen”), who directed “Wish” alongside Fawn Veerasunthorn, says he counted “over a hundred” Disney nods in the new movie – enough where an Excel spreadsheet was needed to keep them all straight. “Maybe after a while we should release that,” he says.
Until that happens, here’s a breakdown of the best Disney references in “Wish”:
The plot of 'Wish' is an ode to ‘Pinocchio’ and other Disney jams
Asha wishing on a star immediately conjures memories of Geppetto doing the same, dreaming his puppet would be a real boy in 1940’s “Pinocchio.” But when developing “Wish,” filmmakers pinned a still from every Disney animated movie on a bulletin board as they looked for connections, and “so many of them had our lead characters wishing on stars,” Buck says. "This is Disney DNA. In a way, Walt kind of guided us to that idea.”
Mickey Mouse influenced Asha's ‘Wish’ sidekick Star
Asha’s wish leads to the introduction of Star, a precocious little ball of energy who enables all the animals to talk – including Asha’s pet goat, Valentino (Alan Tudyk) – and becomes her magical helper. “Star was a challenge to design,” Veerasunthorn says. They went with a round shape since “everyone's first animation lesson is a bouncing ball,” and art director Bill Schwab gave Star a heart-shaped face inspired by Mickey Mouse and his iconic brow line.
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Asha’s friends are based on Snow White’s Seven Dwarfs
In “Wish,” Asha has a diverse crew of seven pals who are gradually revealed as throwbacks to Disney’s earliest big-screen effort, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” Gabo admits to being grumpy, big-eared Dario is pretty dopey, Hal is always happy and smiling, Bazeema is consistently bashful, Simon is sleepy, sneezy Safi has allergy issues, and Asha’s BFF Dahlia has glasses like Doc.
“We knew we wanted to have a group of friends who represent the younger generation that has to make a decision: Will they give their wish to Magnifico, or will they choose a different path?” Veerasunthorn says. “We thought, ‘Why not seven of them?’ ”
King Magnifico is totally the Magic Mirror from ‘Snow White’ (maybe)
While Buck won’t confirm or deny, all the evidence is there for the villainous king being the magical man in the mirror who tells the evil queen that she’s the fairest of them all. Throughout “Wish,” Magnifico is either looking at himself or having his image reflected, and in one moment after the sorcerer has given himself over to forbidden magic forever, he even goes: “Mirrors, mirrors, on the wall, who’s the handsomest? Me!” Also, when defeated by Asha, Star and their friends, he gets sucked into the mirror in his magical staff, and for just a second it shows the face of the “Snow White” character.
“We kind of played with it,” Buck says. “We even said, ‘Hey, let's put him in the dungeon.’ And who knows what could happen from there.”
Recent movies like ‘Frozen’ and ‘Zootopia’ get a shout-out
Buck didn’t want any “Let It Go” references, but one “Frozen” bit did make it in: When the mushrooms in the forest start talking after Star appears, Asha says, “This is crazy” and the mushrooms shout, “We love crazy.” That comes from the “Love Is an Open Door” scene where Hans says, “I love crazy.”
And at the end of “Wish,” Valentino offers a little ode to his fellow furry brethren in “Zootopia”: “I dream of a metropolis where all mammals are equal. And wear clothes.”
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Peter Pan and Bambi are among the A-list ‘Wish’ cameos
Famous Disney characters are littered throughout “Wish.” Some, like Rapunzel from “Tangled” and Grandmother Willow from “Pocahontas,” make more subtle appearances, while others are more apparent. The adult version of the title deer from “Bambi” thanks a bear for not eating him, while Magnifico literally crushes the wishes of two Rosas residents named Peter and Mary – who resemble Pan and Poppins, respectively. (“You want to be the perfect nanny?” Magnifico snarls while holding Mary's wish. “Popping this one!”)
So does this mean everything’s connected Marvel-style and “Wish” is in Phase 35 of the Disney Cinematic Universe or something? Not so much, “but if the fans want to believe it and go there, I'm all for it,” Buck says.
A ‘Wish’ post-credits scene offers one last heartfelt Disney nod
After the credits roll with starry portraits of animated Disney characters through the years, Asha’s 100-year-old grandpa, Sabino (Victor Garber), is seen looking out over the ocean and plucking on his lute. He gently chuckles, seemingly inspired, and plays the opening few notes of “When You Wish Upon a Star.” He happily laughs once more and then plays the whole song as the Disney end logos appear.
The moment is Sabino’s greatest wish fulfilled. “Sabino had always wanted to write something that would inspire generations,” Buck says. “It's really sweet and wonderful.”
