Simpsons tweak Disney on trip to Central Florida
By Hal Boedeker
Sentinel Television Critic
December 28, 2002
Just when travel-industry experts say that image-conscious Central Florida is becoming a choice destination for well-heeled tourists with a taste for luxury, comes this news: The Simpsons are descending on Orlando!
That's right. The lower-middle-class, popeyed stars of the long-running Fox series will visit a theme park called EFCOT in the Jan. 5 episode.
In the story, the family wins a free trip to Orlando after son Bart nominates his fourth-grade instructor, Edna Krabappel, for a Teacher of the Year Award -- a competition that sounds a lot like Disney's annual American Teacher Awards.
The kids try to guess their destination: SeaWorld, Universal -- even Leisure World, a chain of upscale retirement communities. But Homer's worst fears are realized when they spot the large, distinctive Future Sphere from their plane as they approach Orlando.
"It's even boring to fly over," Homer complains, according to an early version of the episode.
In what will likely be an ouch-provoking observation for Disney park officials, daughter Lisa explains to the family that an EFCOT attraction was designed by people in 1965 who imagined what life would be like in 1987. They all go on a ride called Eastern Airlines Presents the World of Tomorrow and drive talking electric cars that apologize for not being able to go very far or very fast.
But Disney isn't fuming about the jokes.
"We're all about entertainment," spokeswoman Jacquee Polak said. "Our company is built on entertaining people, and this is a cartoon, and we have the ability to laugh at ourselves."
There's an upside to the attention: "You know you've arrived when you've been tweaked by The Simpsons," said Scott Grogin, Fox's vice president of corporate communications.
Typical for The Simpsons, there are numerous zany plot twists and misadventures in the episode before rock 'n' roll pioneer Little Richard hands out the teacher's award.
After the ceremony, Homer announces that he has had enough of EFCOT and is going to Disney World. He attempts to scale a wall topped by barbed wire dividing EFCOT from what is clearly the Magic Kingdom.
Despite a warning from a squeaky, Mickey Mouselike voice to "step away from the wall," he is undeterred. Homer marvels at the park's beauty until he is shocked by an ugly reality at a refreshment stand: a sugary Spanish pastry called a churro going for $14.
This is not the first time the Mouse has been in the Fox show's sights. In a previous episode, The Simpsons took a shot at Downtown Disney's Cirque du Soleil -- albeit in a performance in the family's hometown of Springfield -- and the show frequently ridicules the Disney empire.
Two seasons ago, the Simpsons' evangelical next-door neighbor, Ned Flanders, built a religious theme park called Praiseland, which seemed a lot like Orlando's Holy Land Experience.
Other gibes mocked early problems at Euro Disney, and, most recently, Bart had disparaging things to say about the entertainment giant's California Adventure theme park.
Apparently, the Simpsons' trip to Central Florida has been in the works for some time. In a February 1995 episode, Bart's mischief landed the family a trip to Australia. At one point, Homer said to his son, "Boy, next summer can you commit some fraud in Orlando, Florida?" Replied Bart, "I'm way ahead of you, Dad."
By Hal Boedeker
Sentinel Television Critic
December 28, 2002
Just when travel-industry experts say that image-conscious Central Florida is becoming a choice destination for well-heeled tourists with a taste for luxury, comes this news: The Simpsons are descending on Orlando!
That's right. The lower-middle-class, popeyed stars of the long-running Fox series will visit a theme park called EFCOT in the Jan. 5 episode.
In the story, the family wins a free trip to Orlando after son Bart nominates his fourth-grade instructor, Edna Krabappel, for a Teacher of the Year Award -- a competition that sounds a lot like Disney's annual American Teacher Awards.
The kids try to guess their destination: SeaWorld, Universal -- even Leisure World, a chain of upscale retirement communities. But Homer's worst fears are realized when they spot the large, distinctive Future Sphere from their plane as they approach Orlando.
"It's even boring to fly over," Homer complains, according to an early version of the episode.
In what will likely be an ouch-provoking observation for Disney park officials, daughter Lisa explains to the family that an EFCOT attraction was designed by people in 1965 who imagined what life would be like in 1987. They all go on a ride called Eastern Airlines Presents the World of Tomorrow and drive talking electric cars that apologize for not being able to go very far or very fast.
But Disney isn't fuming about the jokes.
"We're all about entertainment," spokeswoman Jacquee Polak said. "Our company is built on entertaining people, and this is a cartoon, and we have the ability to laugh at ourselves."
There's an upside to the attention: "You know you've arrived when you've been tweaked by The Simpsons," said Scott Grogin, Fox's vice president of corporate communications.
Typical for The Simpsons, there are numerous zany plot twists and misadventures in the episode before rock 'n' roll pioneer Little Richard hands out the teacher's award.
After the ceremony, Homer announces that he has had enough of EFCOT and is going to Disney World. He attempts to scale a wall topped by barbed wire dividing EFCOT from what is clearly the Magic Kingdom.
Despite a warning from a squeaky, Mickey Mouselike voice to "step away from the wall," he is undeterred. Homer marvels at the park's beauty until he is shocked by an ugly reality at a refreshment stand: a sugary Spanish pastry called a churro going for $14.
This is not the first time the Mouse has been in the Fox show's sights. In a previous episode, The Simpsons took a shot at Downtown Disney's Cirque du Soleil -- albeit in a performance in the family's hometown of Springfield -- and the show frequently ridicules the Disney empire.
Two seasons ago, the Simpsons' evangelical next-door neighbor, Ned Flanders, built a religious theme park called Praiseland, which seemed a lot like Orlando's Holy Land Experience.
Other gibes mocked early problems at Euro Disney, and, most recently, Bart had disparaging things to say about the entertainment giant's California Adventure theme park.
Apparently, the Simpsons' trip to Central Florida has been in the works for some time. In a February 1995 episode, Bart's mischief landed the family a trip to Australia. At one point, Homer said to his son, "Boy, next summer can you commit some fraud in Orlando, Florida?" Replied Bart, "I'm way ahead of you, Dad."
