Krusty Gets His Own Roller Coasters

Woo-hoo! Simpsons' Krusty Gets His Own Roller Coasters

By Hugh Hart

"Twice the cost, same cheap fun!" So says The Simpsons brain trust as it mock-hypes The Simpsons Ride, a new amusement park attraction inspired by Krusty, the series' animated huckster clown.

Expanding the Krusty "brand" beyond appearances on the show as the fake-smiling incarnation of corporate greed and predatory fast-food practices, the Krustyland roller coaster ride officially debuts Thursday at Universal Orlando Resort in Florida and Monday at Universal Studios Hollywood.

To reach the The Simpsons Ride, visitors walk through the mouth of an 8-foot-tall, 36-foot-wide Krusty head. Once the coaster starts rolling, gargantuan pictures of Springfield's citizenry are displayed by image-warping software that projects visuals through an overlay of four 10,000-lumen projectors. "This marks the first time ever that an IMAX film-projection system has been replaced with digital technology for the purpose of making Homer Simpson's rear end appear 60 feet tall," park officials said in the press release.

To complete the Springfield experience at the ride, visitors can blow more money at the Kwik-E-Mart convenience store owned and operated by Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, which is stocked with Krusty-O's cereal, giant pink donuts and the Flaming Moe energy drink.

The motivating force behind Krustyland -- which also includes virtual attractions Krusty's Wet & Smokey Stunt Show, Happy Little Elves in Panda Land and Captain Dinosaur's Pirate Rip Off -- is rooted in Krusty's straightforward business philosophy. According to the press release: "Krustyland is the whimsical, magical, family-friendly theme park that Krusty has dreamed of creating ever since he saw how much money other theme parks rake in."