Disney's 60th animated film has arrived with just the magic needed for the holiday season. Encanto has it all, unique characters, catchy songs, a heartwarming message, and plenty of Disney Easter eggs including Tangled, Frozen, and even Doctor Who. Here are all the Encanto Easter eggs you may have missed.
Spoilers ahead if you haven't see Encanto. Updated to add easter eggs that some great readers spotted.
Encanto Easter Eggs
Lin-Manuel Miranda was inspired by the song Belle from Beauty and the Beast for the opening number The Family Madrigal. Both songs give the audience a lot of information about the characters, the location, and set the stage for the rest of the film.
The family all wears outfits that symbolize their powers:
- Isabella's dress is layered like flower petals. There are orchids on the neckline. The Cattleya Trianae Orchid is the national flower of Colombia.
- Luisa's skirt has embroidered weights.
- Camilo's Ruana has chameleons.
- Pepa's dress has raindrops on it. She also wears sun earrings.
- Julieta's dress is full of herbs.
- Dolores has sound waves on her dress.
- Bruno's Ruana features hourglasses.
Mirabel's outfit pays homage to herself as well as the love she has for her family. A candle for Abuela, a rainbow and raincloud for Pepa, flowers for Isabella, weight lifting for Luisa, lots of animals for Antonio, and a chameleon for Camilo.
She even has something for Bruno. Mirabel's glasses are green and Bruno wears green, sees his visions with green eyes, and the animators even light his character with green lights.
The children in the town who are very inquisitive about the family are named from left to right: Cecilia after co-director's Charise Castro Smith's baby. Alejandra named after the guide Alejandra Espinosa who took the filmmakers around Colombia. And finally, coffee addict Pumped Juancho was originally named Weecho but was changed to Juancho because it is more Colombian. He is a nod to Jose “Weecho” Velasquez the development artist behind Mirabel's gorgeous stitched dress.
When Isabella enters, swinging on a vine, this is very similar to when Rapunzel uses her hair to swing around the tree, get out of her tower, etc in Tangled.
There is a book in the kitchen is called “Cerveza para el dolor de cabeza” which in English is Beer for Headaches.
One of the guests coming into Casita for Antonio's ceremony is styled similarly to Mama Coco from Coco. She is an older woman with grey hair styled in braids. Her clothing is different colors but in the same fashion as Mama Coco.
When Antonio gets his room a toucan flies up to sit on his shoulder. That toucan is voiced by Alan Tudyk.
When the other children see Antonio's room one exclaims “it's bigger on the inside!” This is something often said by characters who see the TARDIS for the first time in Doctor Who.
When Antonio sits down with the animals, there is a picture of Mickey Mouse on the wall.
Antonio running through his jungle themed room feels very Jungle Book in nature.
In Waiting on A Miracle a hidden Mickey can be seen in the fireworks.
Also during this song, Mirabel stomps her foot on the ground, similar to how Elsa does in Let it Go.
Luisa's song Surface Pressure features mentions of the Titanic and Hercules fighting Cerebrus. The latter, Disney adapted in their own animated film Hercules.
The doors line up in a similar fashion to the doors in Monsters Inc.
Also during the song, the donkeys act as backup singers, dancers, and audience members. This is a callback to Kristoff's Lost in the Woods montage in Frozen 2 where reindeer helped him sing his song.
Although technically Luca is a Pixar film, it's hard not to think Silencio Bruno whenever Bruno is mentioned. In fact, whenever he is mentioned everyone in the family doesn't want to talk about him. They want silence on the matter of Bruno.
Bruno's room was partly inspired by the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá.
During the song We Don't Talk About Bruno, you can see Bruno throughout, most obviously in the beginning when they discuss the wedding, but he is also in the balcony while Dolores is rapping her part of the song.
When Mirabel visits Bruno behind the wall, he puts on a tv show for her. One of the slides is from Colombia's 1990 FIFA World Cup game against Germany. Another slide shows a scene from the book One Hundred Years of Solitude which I get into more detail about below.
Also in the room there is a brown boot with a plant growing out of it, a reference to Wall-E. Thanks to reader Lauren for pointing this one out.
The picture of the rat in this same frame resembles Sorcerer Mickey from Fantasia. Another hidden mickey.
During Bruno's vision, hummingbirds fly from their nests in Antonio's room. They are the same color as Flit from Pocahontas.
In Bruno's part of All of You, he says “Let it snow, let it go” a reference to Elsa's infamous ear worm in Frozen.
Gabriel Garcia Marquez a famous Colombian novelist, short-story writer, screenwriter, and journalist was known for showcasing magical realism in his work. The yellow butterflies seen throughout the film are a nod to his famous story One Hundred Years of Solitude.
Also the multiple butterflies and butterfly shapes seen throughout the film are representative of the overall theme of transformation and change. From the candle to the walls and even on clothing, they are everywhere in the film.
Mirabel's power is seeing her family for who they are beyond their gifts. She is helping them to heal from the generational trauma that started a long time ago.
Encanto is now in theaters.
Also, in Brunos room behind the walls, there’s a boot with a plant growing in it – WALL-E!
I need to go back and look for that. Thanks for the comment!
Also, for the part Bruno says “let it go” if you listen to the background music, you can hear the du du dun dun dun from the beginning of the song let it go😂
Also, all the things that mirabel wishes she could do in “waiting for a miracle” she does end up doing:
Moving mountains – the mountain cracks when the casita falls apart
Make new trees grow – she plays a huge part in Isabella’s realising that she can grow different types of trees
Heal what’s broken – she heals her broken family and their home
Show my family something new – she shows them that that they are more than their gifts.
Oh gosh ur right
Also on Mirabella’s outfit the butterflies. On her shirt and skirt
Brunos chair also looks like a combination of Carl’s and Elli’s from Up
Also, the scene of Bruno running from Maribel reminds me of the live action Aladin
The cruise ship has MAGICAL as the name and it looks like a Disney Cruise ship!
I think the ship is called ‘Madrigal’ after the family 🙂
when the birds blow away during bruno’s vision with mirabel it looks like flit from pocahontas coming out of one of the nests
When mirabel stomps her foot in waiting for a miracle it like when Elsa does hers in let it go
Oh in pressure there is a part wear Luisa and Mirbel fly that looks like the part in toy story 2 at the end
I also noticed during Luisa’s song the doors that line up look like the ones from monsters inc.
The valley looks like the trench in Finding Nemo
I feel like Mama COCO makes an appearance when entering the Casita for the candle ceremony
The trees and view of the village looks like the island village in Moana
When Abuela restarts the party, the pianist plays the intro to Joe Arroyo’s “En Barranquilla me quedo.” He was Colombia’ greatest salsero born in Cartagena and died in Barranquilla. The gorro de Barranquilla also shows up.
Also there’s the scene when Mirabel asks Dolores if she’s heard anything about the magic and Dolores responds that she could hear the rats talking in the wall hinting that she could hear Bruno talking to the rats
Also in the song “we don’t talk about brouno” she claims “I can hear him now”
Doesn’t look one of the village kids like Anna from Frozen?
Moana’s mom appeared in a scene when abuela alma singing “family madrigal”
Bruno actually shows up about 6 times before you meet him hiding behind walls and such
I have nothing to support my little fan theory, but, I belive the river where they first received the miracle and where Mirabel and Abuela come together to heal is a hat tip to one of Colombia’s famous natural landmarks: the Rainbow River. Again, only a little fan theory. But it’s convinced me with the colors and shallow water fall. If you search a picture, it’s a dead ringer.
There’s also a scene at dinner where Peppa crates a cloud/lightning and you can see Bruno’s eyes behind the wall!
Camilo looks like Quasimodo at the proposal dinner when he is told to fix his face.
Another nod to Elsa & Frozen when Isabela sings to Mirabel in her room and, with a sort of embarassed flick of her hand, makes a floral image of herself explode, as Elsa did in Frozen 2 when she’s walking through old memories of herself.
when Bruno says let it go and then says let it snow then that’s when Olaf’s voice comes in and says that’s what i’ve been trying to tell you bro and that’s what he says.
I was wondering about that! I’m glad I’m not the only one who had that thought
Bruno tells one of his rats that he is never satisfied, which I think is a nod to Hamilton.
I need to watch that part again! I wouldn’t be surprised if he worked in a Hamilton reference
have you noticed that in we dont talk about bruno when abuela says ” marianos on his way” then dolores sings ” he told me that the man of my dreams would be just out of reach, betrothed to another, i think i hear him now” dolores sings that when mariano is on his way, and mariano and dolores end up together.
After Mirabel ruined Isabela’s proposal it shows Pepa’s room.
Also I love in this movie how they give the gift of being strong to a girl. Finally not a sexiest movie!
PREACH! I love this too.
My son and I were watching and toward the end when there are waterfalls he said, “hey it’s paradise falls from up”. I wonder if that’s what was happening.
Where bruno has been living is very similar to Cinderella and her mouse friends,
Maybe it’s me, but in ‘We don’t talk about Bruno”, it looks like Dolores looks around to make sure no one is looking at her and then knocks on the wall to let Bruno know it’s dinner time, when they’re all around the table
YES I THINK THAT TOO!!!
Also did you guys know that Dolores was the one who broke the magic not Mirabel
Also, when the Grandma is younger, she looks like Ana from Frozen. Lots of the characters resemble characters from Frozen.
I would love to know what the “ Camilo, we need another José! Jose.” Is in reference to, I know I’ve heard that line before!
in family madrigal just before abuela’s part the madrigal form an M shape
At one point in “Surface Pressure,” Luisa and Mirabel strike a pose that Lilo and Stitch do when Stitch is doing his “Elvis” impression. In the same song, when Luisa stands in a circle on the floor and dances with the donkeys, her moves are reminiscent of Genie’s in “Aladdin.”
Also during the family madrigal song Mirabel does a dance move very similar to Moana’s when she’s teaching the young kids how to dance.
Bruno sits in one of the chairs from up in his hidden room.
After the proposal gone wrong, Mirabel follows the rats into the hidden passages in the house. There is a short scène where you see tia pepa’s room. Her son is trying to comfort her and calm her down while pepa has a cloud above her head. The wallpaper in That room is yellow with blue raindrops. Beside her on a little table there is a weather device on display.
When Mirabel sings “but stars don’t shine, they burn”, the word “burn” is sung exactly on the same note as the “burn” in Hamilton
Dolores was the one who broke the magic not Mirabel.
Hidden Mickeys : Julietas bowl of food in the beginning. flowers on left pillar at the bottom when Antonio is receiving his gift. The cloud in the song under the surface and the mountain Louisa is hanging from.
A bunch more Easter eggs:
1. When Abuela is singing in the family madrigal the melody is the same as the song that plays in the background of her and Abuelo Pedro’s scene
2. On the Encanto poster Bruno is holding a rat in the background
3. Dolores covers her ears when everyone is cheering for Antonio’s gift at the gift ceremony
4. Dolores claps with her fingers because she has sensitive ears
5. The woman complaining about her fish dying in We Don’t Talk About Bruno – her name directly translate to Mrs Dead Fish
6. Mirabel’s glasses are green, and Bruno’s eyes glow green when he is using his gift, and it’s coincidental because they are both seen as outcasts in the family
7. Dolores said to Mirabel, “the only person worried about the magic is you. And the rats talking in the walls.” This is a reference to her being able to have heard Bruno living in La Casa Madrigal the whole time
8. At the end in the last song Dolores references that she heard Bruno living in La Casa Madrigal every day
9. We see glimpses of Abuela Alma’s room, and it is the same as the room she lived in with Pedro
In the song pressure I noticed a row of doors falls in front of them. The first door looks like the magical doors in the house. Once it’s opened the door behind looks very similar to the Tardis. Another nod to Dr. Who?
did nobody see the rat in the final scene taking a photo of the whole family? RATATOUILLE?? no? :-))