List of Disney References

This page lists Once Upon a Time and Once Upon a Time in Wonderland's references to various Disney works.

Once Upon a Time

 * -|Season One=

"Pilot"

 * Snow White is placed in glass coffin mourned by the seven dwarfs, and is awakened by a kiss from Prince Charming.
 * Regina is notably known as the Evil Queen in the Enchanted Forest.
 * Emma wishes on a candle shaped like a blue star, an allusion to the scene in Pinocchio, in which Geppetto wishes on a blue star and his wish is granted by the Blue Fairy.
 * As Emma's car passes into town, a lawn pinwheel of Tinker Bell spins in the wind.
 * Archie shares his name with Hopper, an actual hopper.
 * "The Blue Fairy" was a name given to the character in the Disney film version of Pinocchio, as her name in the original story was simply "The Fairy with Turquoise Hair".
 * Archie is heard whistling the song "Give a Little Whistle" as he walks away from Emma and Henry.
 * Snow White attracts a blue bird that flies onto her hand. Mary Margaret sets free a blue bird from her hands into its nest house.
 * There is a plush of Minnie Mouse in Emma's baby room at the castle.
 * The fairy with the turquoise hair is called The Blue Fairy like in the film.
 * Pinocchio plays with a wooden whale; a nod to Monstro the Whale.
 * Leroy whistles, "Whistle While You Work" when he sees Emma in jail.

"The Thing You Love Most"

 * The Forbidden Fortress resembles the one in Sleeping Beauty, where Maleficent's domain is called the Forbidden Mountain.
 * Maleficent made the sleeping curse to use on Sleeping Beauty.
 * Regina's apples are alluded to being poisonous. Fearful it's poisoned, Henry refuses to let Emma eat one.
 * The Gnome, who is turned into stone by the Evil Queen, has a similar characteristic and behavior to Creeper, the Horned King's lackey.

"The Price of Gold"

 * Cinderella's dress is similar to the one she wears in the film.
 * When Cinderella and Prince Thomas kiss, it's similar to a scene from the film.
 * A Minnie Mouse figurine is seen in the pawnshop when Ashley breaks in.

"That Still Small Voice"

 * Archie's dog is called Pongo, the main character from this film.
 * Martin and Myrna have costumes resembling the characters Honest John and Gideon respectively from the film.
 * The talking cricket is named after Jiminy Cricket from the film.

"The Shepherd"

 * When zoomed up close, the back of the dish Mary Margaret is washing has a Disney logo on it.
 * There is a Mickey Mouse figurine in a case in the pawnshop.

"The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter"

 * The Evil Queen and Regina both collect human hearts of their enemies.
 * The Evil Queen sends the Huntsman out to kill Snow White and bring her heart as proof of death, but he cannot bring himself to kill her.
 * There are giant sea shells in Mary Margaret's classroom, which is a reference to The Little Mermaid.
 * Regina's heart caskets are similar to the one the Evil Queen has in the Disney film.

"Desperate Souls"

 * During Emma's confrontation with Mr. Gold in his shop, a Mickey Mouse figurine rests in a case on the bottom left of the screen. A Minnie Mouse figurine is also on the table to the right of Mr. Gold.
 * Sheriff Graham's full name is Graham Humbert. In the Disney film, the Huntsman's name is Humbert as well.

"True North"

 * A Minney Mouse figurine can be glimpsed in the pawnshop as Mr. Gold explains to Emma about his extensive records.

"Fruit of the Poisonous Tree"

 * The Genie lives inside a lamp, that once rubbed, allows the user to be granted three wishes. The Genie is also not free, and is bound to the lamp. When he is set free, his bracelets disappear.
 * King Leopold, trying trying to clean the lamp, releases the Genie by rubbing it. In the Disney animated film Aladdin, the title character met the Genie in the same situation.

"Skin Deep"

 * This episode features Gaston from the movie Beauty and the Beast.
 * Belle is named after the same character from the film.
 * Belle's clothes are similar to the ones she wears in the film, and so are Gaston's.
 * In the opening scene, Belle is holding a book with a blue cover, just like the one her counterpart is reading in the opening scene of the Disney film.
 * Rumplestiltskin mentions Belle's "little town", a reference to the song Belle from the Disney film.
 * Rumplestiltskin turns Gaston into a rose, giving it to Belle, saying that he had bought it from an old woman selling roses.
 * There is a kind of fur with horns which resembles Disney's Beast.
 * Belle does not want to marry Gaston, just like in the movie.
 * Belle's father is called Maurice as in the film.
 * There is a candlestick and clock in Rumplestiltskin's castle resembling Lumiere and Cogsworth.
 * The chipped tea cup is a reference to Chip.
 * The teapot is a reference to Chip's mother, Mrs. Potts.
 * In the castle, there is a hat which resembles the Sorcerer's Hat in Disney's "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" scene in Fantasia.

"What Happened to Frederick"

 * Regina gives Henry a game called Space Paranoids, which was created by Kevin Flynn, the protagonist of the Tron film.
 * Emma eludes to Kevin Flynn by quoting his advice to Henry while he is playing the game, "It's all in the wrists."
 * Henry has a Tron lunchbox.

"Dreamy"

 * Grumpy and Leroy both whistle the song, "Heigh-Ho".
 * Sister Astrid says to Leroy, "Someone once told me, you can do anything as long as you can dream it", a paraphrase of a quote by Walt Disney, "If you can dream it, you can do it."
 * Belle wears a similar looking blue dress from the film, except this one is short sleeved.
 * Astrid gives Leroy a pie to thank him for selling candles to help the convent. Snow White bakes Grumpy a pie in the film.
 * After Stealthy dies, there are seven dwarves remaining.

"Red-Handed"

 * The fact that Peter is a hunter pursuing a wolf in the middle of winter refers to the segment "Peter and The Wolf"
 * When Peter first visits Red Riding Hood at her cabin at the beginning of the episode, he claims that if she does not come out to talk to him, he will, "...huff and puff..." and blow the house down.

"Heart of Darkness"

 * Snow White hums "With a Smile and a Song".
 * Snow White wears a similar looking red bow hairband as her Disney character adaptation.
 * A small Bambi statue is in Mary Margaret's loft.
 * When Prince Charming confronts Rumplestiltskin, there’s an arrangement of roses on the table, which references Rumplestiltskin's role as Beast in the Disney film. ''

"Hat Trick"

 * The Evil Queen disguises herself as a hag to lure in Jefferson's daughter, Grace; much like how the Evil Queen dressed as a hag selling apples to Snow White in the film.
 * The doll in the marketplace that Grace wants is a white rabbit wearing a petticoat; a reference to the White Rabbit.
 * When approached by Regina and the Mad Hatter, who are visiting Wonderland, the Caterpillar blows his hookah pipe and asks very slowly, "Who are you?" as in the Disney film.
 * Regina picks a piece of a mushroom from Wonderland for her father to eat so he can return to normal size after having been shrunken.
 * The Queen of Hearts is ruler of Wonderland, and orders her soldiers to cut off the Mad Hatter's head with the phrase, "Off with his head." In the Disney film, the Queen is constantly shouting, "Off with her head!"
 * Mary Margaret hits Jefferson over the head with a croquet mallet.

"The Stable Boy"

 * Young Snow White wears several bow hairbands; among them a blue bow as in Disney film.

"The Return"

 * A Mickey Mouse phone is in Mr. Gold's shop.

"The Stranger"

 * A small Bambi statue is in Mary Margaret's loft.
 * Henry has a Tron lunchbox.
 * There is a Mickey Mouse phone in Mr. Gold's shop.

"An Apple Red as Blood"

 * The top of a Mickey Mouse figurine can be seen in the pawnshop.
 * Snow White collapses, after eating the apple, in the same way as she does in the Disney film.

"A Land Without Magic"

 * Maleficent transforms into a fire breathing dragon.
 * Emma throws the sword, directly hitting the dragon in the heart, just as Prince Phillip did in the Disney film.
 * -|Season Two=

"Broken"

 * Aurora mistakes Mulan to be a man after she sees her dressed in heavy armor. However, when Mulan takes off her helmet, Aurora is surprised to see a woman.
 * Prince Phillip cut down thorns to get to the sleeping Aurora.
 * The prince is named Prince Phillip like in the Disney film.
 * Aurora shares the same name as the character in the Disney film.

"We Are Both"

 * Leroy says, "It's off to work we go", from the song "Heigh-Ho".
 * Regina uses the line, "Fairest of them all".
 * In Mr. Gold's shop, there is an African mask, which is an allusion to the Disney film.
 * A Mickey Mouse figurine can be seen in Gold's pawnshop.

"Lady of the Lake"

 * Mulan tells Emma and Mary Margaret, "You might survive", a line from the song "I'll Make a Man Out of You".

"The Crocodile"

 * A Mickey Mouse figurine can be seen in the pawnshop in Belle's dream.
 * Mr. Gold gives Belle a library to try to regain her affections, similar to what the Beast does in the Disney film.
 * Mr. Gold attempts to make Belle eat something after their fight. Similarly, in the Disney film, when the Beast makes Belle eat dinner with him, she refuses, claiming to be not hungry.
 * William Smee's hat is red as it is in the Disney film.
 * As Rumplestiltskin prepares to kill Captain Hook in their first duel, he says, "Tick-tock dearie, Tick-tock!" This is an allusion to the crocodile that takes Hook's hand in the Disney film. Furthermore, Hook's nickname for Rumplestiltskin is "Crocodile."
 * Neverland is alluded to by Captain Hook as a place "where people never grow old."

"The Doctor "

 * Rumplestiltskin's witch-in-training replacement, Trish, bears a resemblance to Esmeralda.

"Child of the Moon"

 * Billy's Enchanted Forest counterpart is Cinderella's household mouse, Gus.
 * A small Bambi statue is in Mary Margaret's loft.

"Into the Deep"

 * David pricks his finger on a spinning wheel.

"Queen of Hearts"

 * The Queen of Hearts tells Hook to call her "Your Majesty".
 * The mask Cora holds resembles the baton the Queen of Hearts carries in the Disney film.

"The Outsider"

 * Mulan tells Belle to only fight for what's worth fighting for is a reference to the song from the Disney song "A Girl Worth Fighting For".
 * Belle reverses a curse which makes a beast human again.

"In the Name of the Brother"

 * The Star Wars theme is heard as a ringtone in an episode broadcast shortly after Disney purchased the franchise.
 * Leroy mentions the movie Splash as an example of how magical beings discovered in the real world are likely to be "studied to death".
 * A small Bambi statue is sitting on a wall shelf in Mary Margaret's loft.

"Tiny"

 * Leroy and the other dwarves whistle the melody of "Heigh-Ho".

"The Queen Is Dead"

 * A small Bambi statue is in Mary Margaret's loft.

"Welcome to Storybrooke"

 * Kurt and Owen's last name is Flynn.
 * A bench outside the Marine Garage features an advertisement for computers with the Encom logo.
 * A small Bambi statue is in Mary Margaret's loft.
 * When Regina visits Mr. Gold Pawnbroker & Antiquities Dealer, Gold is polishing a teakettle, a reference to Mrs. Potts.
 * Emma mentions magic laws are not capable of bringing back the dead or making someone love another.

"Selfless, Brave and True"

 * A small Bambi statue is in Mary Margaret's loft.
 * There is a honey neon sign for a pub called "Winnie's".

"Lacey"

 * In the Enchanted Forest, Belle wears a similar dress to the one in the ballroom scene in the Disney film.
 * Rumplestiltskin shows Belle the library in his home, similar to what the Beast did in the Disney film.

"Second Star to the Right"

 * John is carrying an umbrella and a top hat and Michael carries a teddy bear.
 * The time on Big Ben is 8:15, the same time that is shown in the Disney film.

"And Straight On 'Til Morning"

 * Hook references the song "Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life for Me)".
 * A small Bambi statue is in Mary Margaret's loft.


 * -|Season Three=

"The Heart of the Truest Believer"

 * Neal references Mulan to a Disney film of the same name.

"Lost Girl"

 * Emma notes Captain Hook's appearance in the animated film as sporting a "waxed mustache and a perm".
 * Pan's map of Neverland is highly reminiscent of the map from the animated film.

"Quite a Common Fairy"

 * The title card features Tinker Bell lighting up the title with her magic, a reference to what the Disney animated version of the character does for the company's logo at the beginning of several of its motion pictures.
 * Tinkerbell wears a similar costume to the animated version in the Disney animated movie.

"Nasty Habits"

 * The Sheriff of Hamelin is exactly dressed like the Mayor of Hamelin in the Silly Symphony.

"Good Form"

 * The second star to the right is mentioned.
 * Pegasus is mentioned by Captain Liam as a legendary horse whose feathers were used to create a magic veil in allowing their ship to fly into the sky.

"Ariel"

 * Ariel saves Snow White from drowning, the same way she rescues Prince Eric in the movie.
 * The names of Ariel, Prince Eric and Ursula all come from the Disney animated version of the story, since in the original fairytale, the characters are unnamed.
 * The Under the Sea dance is a reference to the song of the same name.
 * While masquerading as Ursula, Regina says to Ariel, "My dear sweet child", which are the spoken words at the start of the song "Poor Unfortunate Souls" sung by Ursula in the Disney film.
 * Regina says,"You can be part of Eric's world", alluding to the Disney film song "Part of Your World".
 * Regina takes away Ariel's voice and calls her a little mermaid.
 * Ariel learns what a fork is.
 * Both Ariel and Eric mention a ship wreck where they first met.
 * Ariel likes to collect random human objects.
 * Eric states one of the places he will be traveling to is Agrabah.
 * Regina mentions the evil munchkins' dirt road.
 * Snow White's ball dress has small Mickey Mouse faces on it.

"Dark Hollow"

 * Leroy says, "No time for whistling, boys", alluding to the Disney song "Whistle While You Work".
 * How Henry meets Wendy is similar to the opening of this film.
 * Keychain is dressed in pink and has a teddy bear on his rear view mirror, alluding to the film's version of Michael Darling.
 * While in the Mr. Gold's shop, Ariel says, "Look at this stuff", which are the first words to the Disney song "Part of your World".

"Save Henry"

 * Regina mentions the game Space Paranoids from Tron.

"Going Home"

 * Henry has a Tron lunchbox in the 2011 flashback.

"New York City Serenade"

 * Aurora's food features a hidden Mickey Mouse head.
 * As Emma leaves the restaurant, you can see that the house number on the establishment is 1138. References to this number are scattered throughout the Star Wars films (and other Lucasfilm productions).

"Witch Hunt"

 * Henry plays a hand-held video game and mentions "derezzing" an opponent.

"Quiet Minds"

 * Lumiere is named after the same character from the film.

"It's Not Easy Being Green"

 * The Wizard's figure looks like James Franco's from Oz the Great and Powerful.
 * The title of the episode comes from a song by Kermit the Frog made famous on Sesame Street in the early 1970s. }

"The Jolly Roger"

 * Hook opens his eyes and sees the face of Ariel, which is reminiscent of the scene in The Little Mermaid, where Eric opens his eyes and sees Ariel's face after she rescues him from drowning.
 * The shadows against the sail during Hook's duel with Black Beard is reminiscent of the scene where Peter Pan engages Hook in single combat in Disney's Peter Pan.
 * When Emma sees Ariel and Eric through the mirror, they reenact the beach scene from the Disney film.

"A Curious Thing"

 * Henry mentions the movie Peter Pan, and how he's seen it "a million times".

"Snow Drifts"

 * The foster child carries a Mickey Mouse doll.
 * Emma mention the movie The Lion King as an example of a royal baby coronation.
 * Emma's alias in the Enchanted Forest is Princess Leia, from the Star Wars trilogy.

"There's No Place Like Home"

 * Emma's alias in the Enchanted Forest is Princess Leia, from Star Wars.
 * The dress and hairstyle of the woman who comes out of the urn is from the movie Frozen.


 * -|Season Four=

"A Tale of Two Sisters"

 * Season 4A is a continuation of the movie Frozen. This episode introduces the characters Elsa, Anna, their parents, Grand Pabbie, Kristoff and Sven, as well as their homeland Arendelle.
 * When Elsa stops Leroy's car by magically freezing it, she is in exactly the same pose as in the movie when The Duke Of Weselton's guards attacked her.
 * Belle and Mr. Gold dress in similar clothes as their counterparts in dance scene from Beauty and the Beast. They also dance to an instrumental version of the title song on the gramophone.
 * Regina says to Sidney, "Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who do I want to kill most of all"; a spin on the classical line from the Disney film: "Magic mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all".
 * Elsa summons the ice monster known as Marshmallow to protect herself.
 * Elsa asks Anna, "Have you forgot your last dalliance? Hans...", a reference to their disastrous relationship from the movie.
 * Kristoff reminds Elsa of what happened the last time she left her kingdom behind.
 * The scene with Emma and Regina on opposite sides of a door is a reference to the "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" sequence from Frozen.
 * The object transformed by Mr. Gold is Master Yen Sid's hat from "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" scene from Disney's Fantasia.

"White Out"

 * Anna goes by the name of Joan. This is a reference to Anna's line, "Hang in there, Joan", during the song "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?".
 * Anna asks to sleep in the barn. Just as Kristoff sleeps in the barn in Frozen.
 * When Storybrooke looses its power, an advertisement for computers with the Encom logo from the movie Tron can be seen on the street.
 * In the ice cave, Elsa says comments on the cold and says that "It's never bothered me", a reference to the famous song "Let It Go".
 * Elsa asks Emma if she was born or cursed with her powers. This is what Grand Pabbie asked the King about Elsa in the movie.
 * David says to Elsa that Anna wouldn't her to live alone in an ice cave, which harkens back to the movie.
 * When Anna is leaving the farm, Ruth packs Anna sandwiches for the journey. Anna gratefully accepts, and says, "I love sandwiches". This is a reference to Anna and Hans' line, "We finish each other's- sandwiches!" during the song "Love Is An Open Door".
 * Anna says to David that she nearly froze to death when helping her sister.

"Rocky Road"

 * This episode introduces Hans, the villain from Frozen.
 * The Arendelle soldier refers to Kristoff as the official ice master and deliverer; a reference to his character in the film.
 * Maid Marian gains a streak of white hair in the same fashion Anna did in the film.
 * Hans states he did not kill Anna, but left her to die.
 * Elsa asks her aunt if she has ever built a snowman; a reference to Olaf and the Frozen song "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?". She also talks about the ice palace she built.
 * Dr. Hopper advises Mary Margaret that it's okay to let go of her child. This is a reference to the song "Let It Go".
 * Kristoff says that he's seen Anna fight wolves and snow monsters and "that idiot from the South Isles"; a reference to events from Frozen.

"The Apprentice"

 * The Sorcerer's Hat is from the from "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" scene from Disney's Fantasia. However, the Apprentice being turned into a mouse is a reference to Mickey Mouse, who portrayed the Apprentice in the Disney version. Also the broomstick that the Apprentice and Mr. Gold uses looks very similar to the one Mickey Moused enchanted and used.
 * The man and woman eating spaghetti at the restaurant is a reference to the famous scene from Lady and the Tramp. The waiters are dressed like Tony from the same movie. The candles in a bottle and the table cloths are similar to the ones seen in the famous movie scene.
 * Anna says, "Wait, what?", one of her favorite phrases from Frozen.

"Breaking Glass"

 * Elsa builds an ice staircase of the one she made in the movie Frozen during the song "Let It Go".
 * Snow Queen tells Elsa that she going to "build a snowman", just like in the song "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?".
 * Elsa says "I'm not afraid", which is a reference to the line Anna says right before the reprise of the song "For the First Time in Forever" from the movie Frozen.
 * David tells Mary Margaret that Belle will be able to reach them even if they fall through a portal to Asgard; a reference to the fictional realm Asgard from the movie Thor, in which Josh Dallas originally portrayed the Asgardian Fandral.
 * Elsa said that she sent a giant ice monster to chase her sister away, a reference to Marshmallow from Frozen.

"Family Business

 * This episode introduces the character Oaken from Frozen.
 * While Belle is researching, she wears a dress with embroidered roses.
 * Oaken say's "Hoo-hoo" and maces his hand like in the movie.
 * Kristoff says that Anna fell in love with Hans only ten minutes after meeting him.

"The Snow Queen

 * This episode introduces the Duke of Weselton from Frozen.
 * When Ingrid enters the clock tower, the clock (seen from inside) is set at 10:15, a reference to the scene from Frozen where Anna and Hans are singing "Love Is an Open Door" in front of a clock tower.
 * One of the babies, during the 'Mommy and Me' class, is wearing a Mickey Mouse outfit.
 * When Emma uses magic to handcuff the Snow Queen, the clock (seen from inside) is set at at 12:25, a reference to the time on the White Rabbit's pocket watch in Alice in Wonderland.
 * The instruments and the position of the musicians playing at the royal ball, are the same as in the movie.
 * The Duke dances similar to the way he does in the movie.
 * Rumpelstiltskin gives Ingrid a pair of gloves to conceal her magic, which are almost identical to the ones Elsa wore in the movie.
 * The Duke asks, "Did I say that out loud?", just like he did in Frozen.
 * Helga pronounces his name "Weaseltown" instead of Weselton, and intends to stop the trading business between their kingdoms.
 * Ingrid freezes Helga similar to the way Elsa freezes Anna in Frozen.
 * Emma runs away after her powers become out of control the same way Elsa does in Frozen.

"Smash the Mirror"

 * When Anna says, "Go away Anna, go away Anna", she recites dialogue from the "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" sequence in Frozen.
 * Kristoff uses his pickaxe from Frozen.
 * Elsa expresses Anna's love of chocolate in Frozen with a table full of chocolate desserts for her return.
 * When Ingrid first arrives in the Land Without Magic in 1982, there is a Tron advertisement in the city streets.

"Fall"

 * Anna says to Hans that she sang with him, referring to their duet "Love Is an Open Door" from Frozen.
 * Elsa and Anna embrace, just like they do in the movie.
 * As the shards from Ingrid's spell fall from the sky, an advertisement for computers with the Encom logo from the movie Tron can be seen on the street.

"Shattered Sight"

 * Mary Margaret snidely remarks, "Still wanna hold hands, sing "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah"?"
 * About Arendelle, David says, "The whole place is frozen!"
 * Kristoff mentions that his sister-in-law "sets off eternal winters", a reference to the events of the movie.

"Heroes and Villains"

 * The fact that Maleficent sends her message through a raven and later shapeshifts from a flock of ravens is a reference to the Disney film, where Maleficent owns a pet raven named Diablo.
 * Maleficent's costume and headgear is similar to what she wears in the classic Disney film.
 * Cruella De Vil's hairstyle and clothes are similar to her Disney animated counterpart.
 * Cruella refers to Ursula as 'darling'. "Darling" is a word that her Disney counterpart always uses in the movie.
 * Ursula wears a shell necklace similar to that in this movie.
 * Anna says, "Wait, what?", one of her favorite phrases from the movie.
 * Right before the wedding, Elsa says "What is that amazing smell?" and then she and Anna say "Chocolate" in unison, just like they do in the film Frozen.
 * When Anna says "Did you see these bruises?" and Elsa says "Have you seen Hans's eye?" is a reference to the part of the Frozen film where Anna punches Hans in the face.
 * Before Anna gets married, Elsa asks, "You ready?", just like in the film; once with young Elsa and again at the end of the film.

"Darkness on the Edge of Town"

 * This episode features Chernabog and the Bald Mountain from Fantasia.
 * According to a note on the board in the Storybrooke library, the owner of the Apprentice's house is Yen Sid, a reference to the powerful sorcerer from Disney's Fantasia.
 * When Cruella uses persuasion magic on her dogs, the magic comes out of her mouth in the form of green smoke, which is designed to reflect the green cigarette smoke that Cruella puffs in the movie.
 * Cruella De Vil's jerky way of driving is a reference to the eponymous' character's driving in the film One Hundred and One Dalmatians.
 * Cruella again calls people 'darling', the famous label she throws around at people in the movie.

"Unforgiven"

 * The scene where Prince Charming and Snow White find everyone in the castle asleep is a reference to the Disney film Sleeping Beauty, where the whole castle is put to sleep.

"Enter the Dragon"

 * Aurora is humming "Once Upon a Dream" from Disney's Sleeping Beauty.
 * Maleficent puts Aurora to sleep by pricking her finger on a spindle, which is the same method used in the movie.

"Poor Unfortunate Soul"

 * The episode is named after a song from the Disney film The Little Mermaid. The song is sung by Ursula to Ariel.
 * Ursula sings "Part of Your World" and "Fathoms Below" during the episode. Both songs are from the Disney film The Little Mermaid.
 * Poseidon possesses a trident similar to the one that Ariel's father, Triton, does.
 * Poseidon sees humans as dangerous, just like Triton does in the movie.
 * Ursula's mother was killed by pirates, just like Ariel's mother was in the 2008 prequel.
 * Ursula loves singing/music due to her mother's influence, and because she loves singing, she goes against her father's orders, just like Ariel does in the prequel.
 * Ursula is seeking passage to Glowerhaven, a reference to Prince Eric's line from The Little Mermaid, "You're not still sore because I didn't fall for the princess of Glowerhaven?"
 * Hook points out that if they spill any squid ink, "Storybrooke will have a giant squid in its harbor", a reference to the scene in the animated film, where Ursula grows into a giant.
 * Hook steals Ursula's singing voice by trapping it inside a sea shell, just like Ursula did when she took Ariel's voice in the Disney film.
 * Ariel finds Hook unconscious in the sea and pulls him to safety, just like she did with Eric in the movie.
 * Hook opens his eyes and sees the face of Ariel, which is reminiscent of the scene in The Little Mermaid, where Eric opens his eyes and sees Ariel's face after she rescues him from drowning.
 * Mary Margaret knocks out Cruella with a frying pan, just like Rapunzel does to Flynn Rider in the movie Tangled.
 * Ursula's father has a problem with singing/music because it reminds him of his wife's death, just like Ariel's father does in the prequel. Like Ariel's father, he realizes he was wrong and decides to accept singing/music in their lives.
 * The aria sung by Ursula when she gets her singing voice back, is the same tune that Ariel sings in the Disney film, when Ursula takes her voice.
 * Gold says regarding August "Let's see if we can pull this puppet's strings." This references the song, "I've Got No Strings".

"Best Laid Plans"

 * August Booth stated that the position of the Author "goes back eons", naming one man who held the position as Walt. This is a direct reference to Walt Disney, the famed American cartoonist, animator, film producer, and the co-founder of The Walt Disney Company.

"Heart of Gold"

 * In The Wizard of Oak furniture shop, there is a set of Mickey Mouse ears cast in steel, inside a drawer.
 * While Robin Hood is waiting for Mr. Gold outside the hospital, an advertisement for the Broadway production of Aladdin can be seen in the background.

"Sympathy for the De Vil"

 * A small Bambi statue is in Mary Margaret's loft.
 * The song that Cruella hears on the radio is a jazz instrumental version of the song "Cruella De Vil", from One Hundred and One Dalmatians.
 * Madeline's car is similar in design and color to Cruella's car from One Hundred and One Dalmatians.
 * The dalmatians growl at young Cruella is similar to the Disney movie where, the dalmatian, Pongo, growls at Cruella when she enters the Dears's household.
 * Cruella stitches a fur coat for herself made out of the skin of her mother's dalmatians. Her love for wearing fur coats out of dogskin (especially dalmatians) is shown in the movie.
 * Cruella calls Isaac a fool, which is an insult her Disney animated counterpart also uses.

"Lily"

 * Lily sarcastically addresses the Apprentice as Yoda; a reference to the famous alien from Star Wars.

"Operation Mongoose Part 1"

 * One of the TVs in the electronics shops briefly airs the ABC logo.
 * On December 15th, 1966, The Apprentice tells Isaac that he is to become the next author, as the previous one has "recently" passed away, which refers to Walt Disney who had passed away on the same date. Walt Disney being one of the authors was alluded by August in "Best Laid Plans".
 * As Henry walks down the empty streets of Storybrooke, a lawn pinwheel of Tinker Bell spins in the wind.
 * At Isaac’s signing, there is a girl dressed up in a Jack Sparrow outfit.
 * When Isaac is taken prisoner, the Dwarves whistle an altered version of "Heigh-Ho", and Grumpy says, "Heigh-ho" and "off to work we go"; a reference to the song from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

"Operation Mongoose Part 2"

 * When Henry and Hook knock out the guard at Emma's prison, Henry refers to this as the "Wookiee Prisoner Transfer" ploy. This is a reference to the scene from Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, where Han Solo and Luke Skywalker pretend Chewbacca is their prisoner in order to enter the Death Star's detention area and rescue Princess Leia. Hook tells the guard his prisoner is "from the kingdom of Kashyyyk", referencing the Wookiee home planet from Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Henry says to Emma, "My name is Henry, I'm here to rescue you". This is similar to Luke Skywalker saying his name to Princess Leia in A New Hope.
 * Emma calls Hook a "regular Jack Sparrow"; a reference to the famous pirate from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.
 * In Isaac's story, Emma is locked in a tower by her "mother", just like Rapunzel was in the movie Tangled. Following the rescue, Emma is dressed in an outfit which resembles Flynn Rider.
 * -|Once Upon a Time in Wonderland=

"Down the Rabbit Hole"

 * Young Alice wears the signature blue dress from the Disney film.
 * The sorcerer is named Jafar like in the Disney film.

"Trust Me"

 * The fictional town of Agrabah appears for the first time.
 * The wish rules are mentioned from the Disney film.
 * Silvermist the fairy makes an appearance.

"Forget Me Not"

 * The Caterpillar has a personality and a leadership similar to Jabba the Hutt. His mushroom is a repair for criminals like the Cantina and Jabba's Palace.
 * One of the mentioned creatures by the Red Queen is the Sarlacc, like the name of the creature of the same name from the movie.
 * Maleficent's castle sits on top of the Forbidden Mountain, which is also the name of Maleficent's domain in Disney's Sleeping Beauty.

"Heart of Stone"

 * The Red Queen has many aspects in common with Cinderella's stepsister from the Disney film, such as her name, Anastasia, and the fact that a prince chose her stepsister instead of herself.

"Bad Blood"

 * Mirza wears similar prince attire to Aladdin of the Disney film.

"And They Lived..."

 * Jafar was defeated when the guard of the Well of Wonders, Nyx, cursed him to be a genie when he took the water from Amara before she could return it. It is very similar as to when Aladdin tricked Jafar into wishing to be a genie.