The beginning of the episode shows the Simpsons being chased by Olympic employees. The scene was included because the staff knew that the episode would air during the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Homer and Rainier Wolfcastle were previously friends in the season eight episode "Mountain of Madness."
This is the last episode to use the circus couch gag.
When first meeting Greta, Milhouse greets her by saying Whassup?. The scene is a reference to an advertisement campaign for the American Budweiser beer, in which several characters are seen calling each other and saying "Whassup?"
Maggie can be seen playing with a plush toy of Bongo, the one-eared rabbit from Matt Groening's Life in Hell comic strip.