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Less than a week after its debut, Disney has removed a reference to The Simpsons from its theme parks.
Credit: Disney
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At the tail end of July, Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion dark ride finally reopened following a months-long refurbishment. This refurbishment is still ongoing, with several outdoor areas being changed and expanded upon. Haunted Mansion is currently operating as its seasonal overlay, Haunted Mansion Holiday, a special, limited-time version based on The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993).
During this update, many aspects of Haunted Mansion are changed, updated, or removed entirely, but one of the changes surprised guests, with Disney adding a reference to The Simpsons inside the ride.
However, the reference to America’s favorite animated sitcom was removed just days later for unknown reasons.
The Simpsons and Disney
Credit: Inside the Magic
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Fans have been speculating for years whether and when Disney would start adding members of the Simpson family to its theme parks. The company’s purchase of 21st Century Fox in 2019 only excited fans further, though not much has come of this acquisition, at least in the theme parks.
The Simpsons is arguably one of the world’s most iconic and cherished animated TV shows. First premiering in 1989, the show has become a quintessential part of the entertainment world and a cornerstone of American culture.
The neon yellow family has a big presence at both U.S. Universal Studios Resorts but has yet to fully enter the Disney theme parks. It’s theorized that this will all change once Universal’s contract ends, which also keeps Disney from using certain Marvel characters in its theme parks.
The Simpsons made its official/unofficial Disneyland debut at the end of July, though the company has seemingly backtracked on the update less than a week later.
Credit: Disney
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Last week, guests noticed a reference to Krusty the Clown was added as part of Haunted Mansion’s holiday makeover. A picture of the clown could be seen on the front of one of the presents inside the ride.
However, as reported by Twitter/X user thecalibae, the reference to Krusty the Clown is now nowhere to be seen.
Disneyland removed the reference to The Simpsons from the boxes inside Haunted Mansion Holidays
Disneyland removed The Simpsons references from the boxes inside Haunted Mansion Holidays pic.twitter.com/KaU5qBh3ii
— 🔥 FIVE FIRES 🔥 (@thecalibae) August 3, 2024
It’s unclear why Disney decided to remove this character from the ride. It’s possible it was only meant to last a few days, acting as a little hidden gem for fans to discover in the background. It’s also possible Disney may have not received full approval for the reference and decided to pull it just days after its debut.
Haunted Mansion Holiday is slated to run through October 31, 2024, giving guests a few months to enjoy the updated version of the ride.
The Simpsons’ theme park future is uncertain, with multiple reports claiming the Universal Orlando Resort has been looking to axe its Simpsons-themed land and attraction. While these no changes have occurred yet, it’s likely that both Disney and Universal’s relationship with The Simpsons will look quite different in the coming years, with this Haunted Mansion development being a small tease of things to come.
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