Krusty the Clown is opening a new ride at his namesake theme park, Krustyland, and the Simpsons are first to take the ride. Little do they know that Sideshow Bob -- pushed over the emotional edge by being shot from a cannon and nailed by cream pies -- has escaped from jail, stolen Scratchy's character suit and is loose in the park. His goal: Destroy it all.
This theme-within-a-theme park is located halfway between Springfield and Krustyland -- otherwise known as Universal Studios Orlando. The new Simpsons ride opened recently in the Orlando park and will open soon at Universal's California park.
You know the drill: Things go awry in the course of this motion simulator ride, which marries all-new two-dimensional images from Matt Groening and the crew at Gracie Studios with music and what feels like a tooth-chipping roller coaster. But after inventive and intestine-jarring mishaps, all ends well for Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie. Krusty, well, his theme park has seen better days.
To create the attraction, the Universal team transformed a remnant of the future past, the old Back to the Future ride, disguising once-cold steel in a brilliantly colorful set. Guests enter through a fiberglass Krusty head measuring 36 feet tall, 38 feet tuft to tuft and head for the preshow, then slide into 12-person Krusty clown cars for a four-minute spin through the story.
The tale features some bound-to-become classic lines. ''A fate worse than death -- a kiddie ride,'' exclaims Marge.
''I'm scared, Dad,'' screams Lisa. ''Sweetie, they won't kill you in an amusement park as long as you've got a dime left to spend,'' Homer replies.
You gotta love a place that can poke fun at itself.
-- JANE WOOLDRIDGE
Video | Experience Universal Orlando's The Simpsons Ride