Wish’s Post-Credits Scene & Disney Surprises Explained

Warning: The following article contains spoiler’s for Disney’s Wish.

Summary

• Wish’s post-credits scene is a surprise treat honoring Disney’s legacy with iconic character cameos and a classic song.
• The credits feature characters from Disney’s history in release order, highlighting the studio’s animated legacy.
• Despite mixed reviews, Wish’s credit scene pays tribute to Disney’s 100-year celebration with a heartwarming message.

The Wish end credits scene features some surprises for audiences to stick around and see, which is rare for the studio. The 2023 animated movie brings Disney back to its roots with a story about a young girl in a fantasy kingdom brought to life with 2D animation, though some 3D animation is also mixed in. Wish follows the 17-year-old Asha (Ariana DeBose) as she attempts to become King Magnifico’s apprentice to help her grandfather’s wish be granted. It is only as the story unfolds that Asha learns the truth about Magnifico and his wish-granting powers, propelling Wish‘s ending to its conclusion.

While Wish is a new, original story for Disney not already connected to a franchise, it does hold the potential to launch a new one. It has a major role to play in Disney’s legacy, as it was the animated movie chosen to come out during the studio’s 100th anniversary, which factors into the story through Asha’s grandfather having his 100th birthday. The potential franchise appeal and connections to Disney’s past and future will understandably leave audiences wondering if they need to sit through the credits as they watch Wish on Disney Plus.

Wish Does Have A Post-Credits Scene

It’s An Unexpected & Unprecedented Move By The Studio

It was confirmed in theaters that there is a Wish end-credits scene attached to the movie. The scene itself is rather short and sweet, but it is still worth sticking around for. No Wish mid-credits scene plays before this, so audiences have to wait for the entire set of credits to roll (or fast-forward through them on DVD or Disney+).

While that might leave an impression that these credits are unimportant, that is far from the truth. In addition to giving audiences a chance to see the names of everyone who worked on the movie, such as members of Wish‘s cast, the writers, and the animators, the credits include some fun surprises for longtime Disney movie fans.

Wish’s Credits Honor Disney’s Animated Movie Legacy

There Are Cameos From Disney’s History

The surprise of Wish‘s credits comes with cameos from many characters from across Disney’s animated movie history. As the credits play, character portraits from across the decades appear through stars. The characters are shown chronologically for every Disney animated movie in release order. Audiences see familiar characters connected to Disney’s legacy, including Snow White from 1937’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella from 1950’s Cinderella, Ariel from 1989’s The Little Mermaid, Aladdin from 1993’s Aladdin, Pocahontas from 1995’s Pocahontas, and Elsa from 2014’s Frozen. Every animated character in Disney’s Wish credits can be found below:

The decision for Disney to highlight these characters from previous movies came after many of them were brought together for the Once Upon a Studio short. Released in the lead-up to Wish, the short streaming on Disney Plus features many of the same characters gathering together to take a photo commemorating the studio’s historic animated legacy. Just as Asha from Wish was present for the short, her movie became another opportunity for Disney to remind audiences of the many iconic characters who have been at the center of or appeared in their animated movies.

Wish’s Post-Credits Scene Explained

It Honors An Iconic Disney Song

The actual Wish post-credits scene that comes after the star-studded Disney Easter eggs once again harkens back to the studio’s legacy. The scene shows Asha’s grandfather Sabino as he looks at the nighttime sky with his guitar. He begins to fiddle with the strings to the point when he plays a familiar tune. The first several notes in “When You Wish Upon A Star” come from the guitar as Sabino looks upon the stars. The song was created by Leigh Harline and Ned Washington for Pinocchio in 1940 and went on to become one of Disney’s most iconic songs.

Sabino is
Wish
‘s representation of Walt Disney Studios in many ways

The Wish after-credits scene is not used to directly set up a sequel, as it again becomes an example of Disney highlighting the past. Sabino is Wish‘s representation of Walt Disney Studios in many ways, so his presence is quite fitting. The movie was originally announced as being based around “When You Wish Upon A Star” which has since become Disney’s signature theme song. It makes sense that Wish included a piece of the song to wrap up the movie. The movie comes full circle as the same notes that play over the Disney intro wrap up the credits.

Why Wish’s Credits Scene Is A Highlight For The Disney Movie

Despite being a highly significant movie for Disney Studios, Wish could have been better received by audiences. The film only made about $255 million at the global box office and earned a “rotten” critic score of 48% on Rotten Tomatoes. The film’s simple plot and rehashing of old Disney tricks didn’t wow the way movies like Frozen or Encanto did, but that isn’t to say that there was nothing of value in the House of Mouse’s 100-year celebration. A touching tribute was hidden within the film’s story, and Wish’s credit scene highlighted this.

Sabino’s wish in Wish was to create something that would inspire a generation.

Sabino’s wish in Wish was to create something that would inspire a generation. As the embodiment of Disney Studios, who was also turning 100, Asha’s grandfather’s wish represented the desire of the company itself. The credits scene sees the moment in which Sabino’s wish came true, creating a song that would inspire a generation—multiple generations—to make wishes of their own. There might have been a fair amount that went wrong with Wish, but the sentiment driven home by the credits scene was heartwarmingly on the mark.

• Wish

  Director:

  Chris Buck, Fawn Veerasunthorn

  Release Date:

  2023-11-22

  Cast:

  Ariana DeBose, Chris Pine, Alan Tudyk, Dee Bradley Baker, Frank Welker

  Writers:

  Jennifer Lee, Allison Moore

  Rating:

  PG

  Genres:

  Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy

  Studio(s):

  Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Animation Studios

  Distributor(s):

  Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

  Runtime:

  95 Mins