Disney World’s Hidden Shoutout To West Michigan

I recently spent the day at World Disney World, specifically Hollywood Studios, so my friend could see the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge part of the park (which he loved).

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Since Toy Story Land was nearby and we had some time to kill, we decided to take a stroll through there. Upon approaching the park, we were greeted with a large painting of Jesse the Cowgirl, and to my surprise, there was a very subtle reference to one place in Michigan that only a select few would understand.

Kellogg’s 100+ Year History in Michigan

Kellogg’s, the grandfather of cereal and a Fortune 500 company, was started in Battle Creek, Michigan, in 1906. Kellogg’s started with Corn Flakes in the beginning, but has now grown to over 17 brands. Some of its most popular brands include Rice Krispies, Frosted Flakes, and Froot Loops. The logo for Kellogg’s is almost as iconic as the brands it owns. The uppercase K in red, cursive font is incredibly well-known. 

READ MORE: Steelcase, Kellogg’s, SpartanNash, Utz: Big Changes in Michigan

Another popular cereal company is General Mills, headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It owns popular brands like Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Reese's Puffs, and seasonal favorites Frankenberry/Count Chocula/Boo Berry. The General Mills box above is beloved by many, to the extent that General Mills has brought it back as a throwback in recent years.

A unique combination of these two companies is where the nod to Michigan can be found.

Shoutout Battle Creek

The “Toy Story” franchise is known for its use of toys to tell its stories, featuring iconic toys from years past in our world, having revitalized the popularity of toys like Mr. Potato Head.

Some of the original characters, like Woody, Buzz, and Jesse, were immensely popular in the world of Toy Story, appearing on collectible items like cereal boxes, as seen in Toy Story 2.

When the Imagineers were building the Toy Story Land area in Hollywood Studios, they wanted to recreate the world of Toy Story in real life. They did this by featuring toys and “collectibles” for the film’s world in the park, one of which was a big cereal box featuring Jesse in the style of a General Mills cereal box from the 70s.

While the box design is a nod to General Mills, the actual title of the fictional company is a nod to Kellogg's (and Michigan). Disney created a fictional version of Kellogg's in the “Toy Story” universe, called Battle Creek, the place where Kellogg’s is headquartered, and designed a font similar to Kellogg’s but in a blue color scheme.

It’s fantastic that, rather than just creating a new cereal company, they instead combined two of America's top cereal brands into one.