Every “Descendants” Easter Egg the Cast Wants Fans to Find (Exclusive)

The Disney Channel Original Movie premieres on Disney Channel July 16

NEED TO KNOW

• Descendants: Wicked Wonderland features Easter eggs inspired by Disney classics like Alice in Wonderland and Encanto
• Cast members teased hidden details in costumes and set design, encouraging fans to look closely for clues
• The film premieres July 16 on Disney Channel and July 17 on Disney+

Disney fans know there’s always something hidden in plain sight. And according to the cast of Descendants: Wicked Wonderland, the newest installment is packed with them.

Ahead of the premiere of Descendants: Wicked Wonderland, the cast and filmmakers shared the Easter eggs that they’re most excited for eagle-eyed fans to spot when the latest installment arrives on July 16. From costume details honoring Encanto and Puerto Rico to subtle nods to Alice in Wonderland, plenty is waiting to be discovered.

The sequel follows Red and Chloe as they face the unintended consequences of changing the past, forcing them to team up with a new generation of heroes to stop Maddox Hatter and save Wonderland. The film reunites franchise favorites Kylie Cantrall, Malia Baker, Leonardo Nam, Rita Ora, Brandy, Melanie Paxson and Paolo Montalban. It will also introduce newcomers Liamani Segura, Brendon Tremblay, Alexandro Byrd, Kiara Romero and Awkwafina.

While some clues are easy to spot, others are tucked into the background for viewers willing to look a little closer. Here are several hidden Mickeys the cast says are worth keeping an eye on.

Cantrall, 21, who returns as Red, says fans should keep track of her character’s signature heartbreak symbol, which appears throughout Red’s wardrobe.

“I think these aren’t very hidden, but Red’s icon, the heartbreak icon, is all over her wardrobe,” she tells PEOPLE. “We tried to count. I’ll let the fans do it. I think that’d be a fun little game for them to count every time that you see Red’s icon because it’s a lot.”

Baker, 19, teased that Chloe’s biggest clue actually appears before audiences hit play.

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“It’s actually in the first poster that came out with Chloe. She’s by the Jabberwocky’s cave, and I feel like that’s an interlude into a whole bunch that happens with her,” the actress teases. “Look at the clues even before you watch the movie. I think they’re all there.”

For Encanto fans, Byrd, 26, said Luis Madrigal’s costume is filled with meaningful details. 

“I think it’s really all in the vest,” he shares. “The embroidery on the vest — the candle, like the Casita and all the flowers — everything is right there.”

Romero, 25, revealed she added a personal touch to Hazel Hook’s look. “I got to put [it] in my hair: one of the tokens is the Taino sun, which represents Puerto Rico,” she shares. “I feel like it’s a piece of me in Hazel. So if you look real close, you’ll be able to spot that.”

Some Easter eggs are a little more mysterious.

Tremblay, 22, wouldn’t give too much away about Max Hatter, only hinting, “I think there’s some cool details on Max’s hat. I think keep an eye out for that and try to see what that’s about.”

However, Nam, 46, who plays Maddox Hatter, says even his character’s wardrobe offers clues about his evolution.

“One identifying color of Maddox in the previous film was green,” he explains. “In the tradition of the Mad Hatter, we still have some elements of green touched through this. But this other element of having the purples and the maroons to signify and to represent these different kinds of emotions that he has — the different furies and different colors of madness that he has — I think they’ve done a wonderful job.”

Some Easter eggs are hiding in plain sight. Ryan McEwen, who plays one of the Smee brothers, revealed that viewers should look beyond the main action during the chessboard musical number.

“If you look in the background, most importantly in the chessboard number, I’m crying in the background, being really scared,” says the 24-year-old actor. “I’m just staring at Chloe, just crying because I’m scared and I need my brother and I miss my dad.”

The filmmakers say the hidden details don’t stop with the costumes. Director Kimmy Gatewood packed Wonderland with playful nods to Alice in Wonderland and other familiar Disney touches.

“If you look in the White Rabbit’s cottage, you can find all sorts of fun things like little carrots on the stairs,” she says. “You can find self-portraits of the white rabbits. Look for those little kinds of details. And then obviously there’s tons of little Cheshire Cat things. There’s teacups, there’s mushrooms.”

Gatewood, 45, also points to a few blink-and-you’ll-miss-it details elsewhere in Wonderland.

“I think the Smees are even a little Easter egg of Tweedledee and Tweedledum. They’re definitely channeling that. There’s also the icons and such. You can look for little top hats in places. I’m not sure that you saw them, but if you look at the chandelier, it is a top hat with little top hats on it.”

Executive producer Suzanne Todd, 61, added that the “Dancing with the Enemy” chessboard sequence is filled with nods to Alice in Wonderland lore, saying, “I think audiences will really appreciate that.”

Disney’s Descendants: Wicked Wonderland premieres on Disney Channel July 16 and the next day on Disney+.

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