A New ‘Simpsons’ Episode Mocks Disney World’s Biggest Flop

The November 8 episode of The Simpsons — the 815th in the history of the extremely long-running animated sitcom — is called “The Kosmic Kruiser.” The photos from the show, the description of the show, and the inclusion of a very notable guest star make it clear: The Simpsons is taking aim at one of the most notorious flops in the history of Walt Disney World.

(Disney, as you are no doubt aware, is currently the corporate owner of The Simpsons.)

Fox’s official description for the episode:

At Krustyland amusement park, Bart and Lisa break into an abandoned ride ... I'm sorry; did I say ‘abandoned’?

All signs point to a Simpsons parody of the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, the already-defunct Star Wars hotel that opened in 2022 as a unique immersive experience for hardcore fans. Instead of a typical Disney hotel, the Starcruise was designed to mimic a lavish cruise — only instead of traveling on the high seas, your “ship” took you across the “galaxy” to “Baatu” (aka Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge theme park in Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park).

Each visit to the Starcruiser was highly themed, with busy itineraries for each guest blending immersive experiences, character interactions, lightsaber training, and live performances. It was billed as the ultimate Star Wars experience ... but it was also one of the most expensive Star Wars experiences, and Disney ultimately shuttered the experiment after less than two years in operation.

Which should make for excellent fodder for a Simpsons episode!

One of the most notable critics of the Galactic Starcruiser was Jenny Nicholson, whose fascinating four-hour video about her unsatisfying experience at the hotel has more than 17 million views on YouTube. And Nicholson herself will reportedly provide a voice for “The Kosmic Kruiser,” bringing the whole story full circle.

The Simpsons is no stranger to mocking Disney and its theme parks. The fourth episode of the show’s brilliant sixth season was called “Itchy & Scratchy Land,” and followed the Simpsons as they tried to survive a trip to a theme park inspired by Bart and Lisa’s favorite cartoon (and also by jokes that the writers wanted to make about Walt Disney World). The episode later helped to inspire The Simpsons ride at various theme parks — although, ironically, those rides are Universal parks, not a Disney ones. (Disney did not yet own The Simpsons when those rides were built.)

Of course, this episode was released many years before Disney acquired 20th Century Fox, and with it The Simpsons. Do we think they will pull their punches this time?