Along with the fabled presence of “A113” in every Pixar movie, the appearance of the Pizza Planet truck is another easter egg that eagle-eyed Pixar fans look out for upon every new film release. But why does the Pizza Planet truck get this special treatment out of all the iconic Pixar characters and imagery?
In this guide, we’ll dive into the history of the Pizza Planet truck and answer why this old vehicle makes an appearance in every Pixar film!
We’ve also included a table detailing where you can find the Pizza Planet truck hidden in each movie.
Questions We’ll Answer About The Pizza Planet Truck:
- What Is The History Of The Pizza Planet Truck?
- Why Does The Pizza Planet Truck Appear In Every Pixar Film?
- Where Is The Pizza Planet Truck In Each Pixar Film?
What Is The History Of The Pizza Planet Truck?
The Pizza Planet truck made its first appearance in Pixar’s first-ever feature film, “Toy Story,” released in 1995.
The first time we ever see the Pizza Planet truck in Toy Story is when Buzz and Woody are accidentally left behind at a gas station as Andy, and his family are on their way to the Pizza Planet restaurant and arcade. By chance, Buzz and Woody spot the delivery truck at the gas station and sneak aboard to hitch a ride to Pizza Planet.
Since this first appearance in Toy Story, the Pizza Planet truck has appeared in every Pixar movie except for one…
The Incredibles!
Technically, the streak of the Pizza Planet truck appearing in every Pixar film ended back in 2006 when Pixar’s sixth film, The Incredibles, was released, but the car has appeared in every other movie.
The reason for the Pizza Planet truck’s absence from The Incredibles is quite simple – the film’s director and writer Brad Bird simply forgot to even include it in his movie.
The Incredibles went on to become one of the most beloved Pixar films in history and win two Oscars, so it’s easy to forgive Brad for this little slip-up.
Why Does The Pizza Planet Truck Appear In Every Pixar Film?
Pixar is a company built on the backs of some of the most talented creative minds in history, and while much of Pixar’s original leadership and employees have moved on from the company, the current generation of filmmakers are immensely influenced by their work.
A fun way to pay homage to Pixar’s roots is by including the Pizza Planet truck in every movie moving forward.
What began as just a simple easter egg in the first few Pixar films became a deep tradition over the years to honor Pixar’s past and the incredible slate of films that paved the way for the current generation of Pixar creatives.
While we’re convinced the Pizza Planet truck appears in every Pixar film mainly to continue the tradition of having a fun easter egg for fans to spot, as well as honor the legacy of Pixar films and filmmakers, there is one other reason why the Pizza Planet truck may appear in every Pixar film…
The Pixar Theory
The Pixar Theory was popularized by author and Pixar fan John Negroni, who built up the online Pixar fan-led concept that all Pixar films were interconnected and took place in one Pixar Universe.
That’s right – Toy Story, A Bugs Life, Elemental, and Cars all take place in the same universe… similar to how Iron Man, Captain American, and other superheroes all coexisted in the same Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The presence of the Pizza Planet truck is just one clue that all Pixar films are connected and exist in the same universe.
Understanding all of The Pixar Theory takes quite a bit of time, and we recommend taking a look at this guide for the full breakdown, but in short, the Pixar universe began 65 million years ago with The Good Dinosaur and currently ends in the year 5201 with Monster’s Inc.
Sounds crazy, right? The Pixar Theory gets even more interesting when you learn the events of A Bug’s Life takes place after Wall-E!
It’s a very entertaining read and interesting way to explain why the Pizza Planet truck appears in every Pixar film.
Where Is The Pizza Planet Truck In Each Pixar Film?
| Film Title | Scene Description |
|---|---|
| Toy Story (1995) | The Pizza Planet truck plays a pivotal role in “Toy Story” as the vehicle that carries Buzz and Woody to the claw machine game at Pizza Planet. |
| A Bug’s Life (1998) | In “A Bug’s Life,” the truck appears in the city, serving as a landmark in the background during the circus scene. |
| Toy Story 2 (1999) | The truck appears briefly when Buzz, Rex, Hamm, and Slinky Dog chase Al’s Toy Barn delivery truck, hoping to rescue Woody. |
| Monsters, Inc. (2001) | The Pizza Planet truck makes a cameo in the locker room scene, driven by a monster who tosses a ball into the front seat. |
| Finding Nemo (2003) | While Dory and Marlin navigate the busy Sydney Harbor, the Pizza Planet truck can be seen parked outside the dentist’s office. |
| The Incredibles (2004) | The truck quickly appears in the city during Dash’s pursuit of the bad guys. |
| Cars (2006) | Being a part of the Cars world, the Pizza Planet truck makes a more prominent appearance as a recurring character, Todd the Pizza Planet truck. |
| Ratatouille (2007) | In the background of the final scene, the Pizza Planet truck can be spotted driving on a bridge. |
| WALL-E (2008) | On the Axiom spaceship, a Pizza Planet billboard can be seen, signifying a brand presence in the future world of “WALL-E.” |
| Up (2009) | The truck appears in the city scene when Carl’s house takes flight, hovering above the streets. |
| Toy Story 3 (2010) | The Pizza Planet truck makes a cameo in the background during the Sunnyside Daycare scenes. |
| Cars 2 (2011) | In this sequel, the Pizza Planet truck reprises as Todd and joins the Radiator Springs gang on their international adventure. |
| Brave (2012) | The truck appears in the Witch’s workshop as Merida seeks a solution to her predicament. |
| Monsters University (2013) | The truck is seen during the scare games on the Monsters University campus. |
| Inside Out (2015) | As Riley and her family drive to San Francisco, the Pizza Planet truck can be spotted on the freeway. |
| The Good Dinosaur (2015) | The truck appears briefly in the background as Arlo and Spot journey through the wilderness. |
| Finding Dory (2016) | While Dory and her friends travel in a truck, the Pizza Planet truck can be glimpsed on the highway. |
| Cars 3 (2017) | Todd the Pizza Planet truck makes another appearance, joining Lightning McQueen’s racing crew. |
| Coco (2017) | The truck can be seen parked on the streets of Santa Cecilia. |
| Incredibles 2 (2018) | The truck makes a background appearance in Municiberg during the city’s chaos. |
| Toy Story 4 (2019) | The Pizza Planet truck returns for another cameo, appearing briefly in the antique shop scenes. |
| Onward (2020) | In this fantasy world, the Pizza Planet logo can be seen on a magic van’s air freshener. |
| Soul (2020) | The Pizza Planet truck can be seen in the Hall of Everything about 26 minutes into the film. |
| Luca (2021) | You can see the Pizza Planet truck parked in the street during the bike chase scene near the end of the film. |
| Turning Red (2022) | The Pizza Planet truck is parked in the streets of Toronto when Mei runs to the SkyDome towards the film’s end. |
| Lightyear (2022) | 27 minutes into the film, the Pizza Planet truck can be spotted during Buzz and Sox’s escape scene. |
| Elemental (2023) | When Ember is making deliveries around Firetown, she gets stopped behind a “Treeyota” which is actually the Pizza Planet truck designed to fit into the world of Elemental! |
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