Disney has teamed up with Academy Award-winner Taika Waititi to bring some holiday cheer to viewers around the world. The Boy & The Octopus tells the story of a young boy who encounters an octopus while swimming at the beach, only to befriend the mollusk and share in a celebration of the holiday season. While the 4-minute short starts at the beach, the boy and the octopus also find themselves on charming wintry streets and the boy’s cozy bedroom—as well as a sushi shop for a very Waititi-esque beat.

Waititi has worked with Disney and its various companies on an impressive string of projects including The Mandalorian, Next Goal Wins, and Thor: Ragnarok. It was even announced in 2020 that Waititi would direct a Star Wars movie, though news has been sparse on that front. Even before he began collaborating with the company, Waititi was known for creating stories full of equal parts heat and quirky humor, and The Boy & The Octopus certainly falls in line with that expectation. Check it out below:

The Best Disney Nods In The Boy & The Octopus

Unsurprisingly, The Boy & The Octopus is chock-full of references to other Disney products and projects. While visual nods abound, the most stirring callback to other Disney properties is the instrumental rendition of The Little Mermaid’s “Part of Your World” which plays as the short’s titular octopus enjoys life on the surface. It’s difficult to imagine a Disney song more perfectly suited for a literal fish-out-of-water story like this one.

Other Disney properties are central to the film in different ways. One of the octopus’ first introductions to human culture happens when the boy shows it a Buzz Lightyear action figure, and it doesn’t take long before the boy and the octopus fend off imaginary baddies with a Star Wars lightsaber toy. Once the boy and the octopus go out on the town to window shop and enjoy holiday decorations, the octopus hides under a Mickey Mouse beanie with the eyes thoughtfully cut out to create a view.

Smaller Easter eggs abound as well, especially in the boy’s bedroom. Attentive viewers can find action figure versions of Goofy, R2-D2, C-3PO, Rex, Darth Vader, Emperor Zurg, Donald Duck, Pluto, and more, and wall art starring Iron Man. A TV in the boy’s home plays Disney’s The Santa Clause (1994) and, of course, the boy has a fish tank populated with a clown fish for a perfect Finding Nemo reference.

The Boy & The Octopus is on YouTube.