Anyone who has followed Pixar closely knows that there is a lot more to these movies than you'd get from a typical film aimed at children. These are layered stories with complex characters but even more than that, Pixar is also known to throw in a handful of surprises.
The animation studio will include nods to their upcoming films and easter eggs that connect to previous works. On top of that, they also feature plenty of hidden tidbits that you only probably catch on your second or third viewing. That's certainly the case for their modern classic from 2015, Inside Out.
Good Dinosaur Preview
One thing that Pixar has always done is give a small preview of their next film with whatever the current one is. In 2015, they released Inside Out and it was followed later in the year by The Good Dinosaur. The nod to it wouldn't have been caught originally since the film wasn't even out yet.
During a scene where Riley and her family take photos of a dinosaur statue on the side of the road, it just so happens to resemble a prehistoric creature from the upcoming film. It's not just any dinosaur either, as it seems to be Forrest Woodbush, who had a memorable scene in it.
Memories From Up
Pixar's penchant for hiding nods to past films is evident in Inside Out. There's a key scene where Joy and Sadness are going through Riely's long-term memories and when Joy is distressed on the floor, the orbs in the background hold some of those memories, and two are familiar.
They depict pieces of the heartbreaking opening montage from 2009's Up. This raises a few questions since it doesn't add up that Riley would know these bits of Carl and Ellie's life. However, it could mean that Up is a movie in the Pixar universe and never actually happened. It's an out-there theory but it's possible.
Birds
That drive happens to feature another nod to one of Pixar's works. However, this one might even be tougher to fully grasp because it comes from one of their short films and not a feature-length release. It's a reference to For the Birds, which came out in 2000.
For the Birds was shown in theaters just before Monsters Inc. in 2001 and went on to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. While Riley and her family are driving, the titular birds from it are seen sitting on a telephone wire.
Long Term Memory Is A Brain
Looking back at the long-term memory section of Riley's mind, a viewer most likely overlooked an interesting tidbit about it. The Up reference is easy to miss given how small it is but this one kind of stares the audience in the face and it's still something to miss.
When Joy and Sadness walk through the long-term memory section, the camera shows them from above for a moment. It details how many memories are included there but it also is designed to resemble a brain, which is a pretty cool concept that fits in with the movie.
Foreshadowing
It's pretty often that a good story includes some kind of foreshadowing. These are ways that the filmmakers throw in little hints to set up something down the line. Inside Out does that a few times and one of them involves a newspaper being read by Anger in Riley's mind.
The headline on the front page reads, "FUTURE IS SHAKY!" just as the emotions discuss an earthquake, while the back says something about a funny smell as Riley said something similar entering her new house. Joy's colors are also a form of foreshadowing. She's the only emotion not in one solid color as she has a blue glow, which is meant to indicate that sadness should be accepted with happiness.
Pizza Planet Truck
One consistent thing found in Pixar movies is the Pizza Planet truck. It has become a game for longtime fans as they try to spot it in every film. Sometimes it's blatantly obvious, like when it plays a key part in Toy Story but it has been harder to spot in movies like Cars.
Other than 2004's The Incredibles, the truck has been featured in each Pixar release. In Inside Out, it is one of the tougher cases of finding it. The Pizza Planet truck can be seen in one of the memory orbs in Riley's mind. However, the interesting bit is that the orb shows up three different times.
Colette
It's telling of Pixar's style that a lot of the things you might miss about their movies are connections to other films. That's the case here again, as Inside Out features a callback to 2007's Ratatouille that is so slight you might miss it even after several viewings.
When some of the apartment is shown, a quick clip of the coffee table can be seen. On the table is a magazine, seemingly related to cooking, that features Colette on the cover. For those who don't recall, Colette is the talented female chef who is clearly doing well after helping Linguini and Remy.
Deck Of Cards
Leave it to Pixar to make sure that almost every little bit of Riley's mind is fully fleshed out and matters. Even something as simple as a deck of cards can actually explain a bit about whatever mindset the young girl is in.
While traveling through Riley's imagination, a house of cards can be spotted but the faces on the cards aren't what they seem. Instead of a joker, there's an "R" card with Riley's face on it, while her parents are the king and queen. It showcases how Riley sees the dynamics of her family.
Bing Bong Early Introduction
The most emotional scene of the film is arguably when Bing Bong sacrifices himself to make sure that Riley is okay. As her old imaginary friend, it's heartbreaking to see him allow himself to be forgotten as long as it could help Riley. His introduction when Joy meets him is a great moment.
However, the audience actually meets him way before that. During the first few minutes of the movie, a young Riley can be seen drawing a picture of Bing Bong and his trusty wagon on the wall. You can even hear her say his name if you listen close enough.
Toy Story 3 Daycare Memory
The memory orbs are once again the host of one of the coolest hidden things about Inside Out. One of them displays a playground that Riley clearly has a fond memory of. At first glance, this just seems like an ordinary thing that a child would remember.
Of course, there's more to it than meets the eye. The playground is basically an exact copy of the one seen at Sunnyside Daycare in Toy Story 3, with the only difference being a slide. It could just be a coincidence or it could mean that Riley was once a kid at Sunnyside.