The music that was playing while in store was similar to that found in the film Platoon (1986). In fact, Marge dropped to her knees when she fails to acquire the desired item, resembling that of the Willem Dafoe character in said movie.
Chalkboard gag: "The fat man who works one night a year is my dad"
Second time this series has parodied the "horse head in the bed" scene from The Godfather (1972). Previously it was used in Lisa's Pony (1991). This is also the second time the series has double-dipped a Godfather reference. It has twice parodied the death of Sonny Corleone, once with Bart being bombarded with snowballs, and once with James Caan himself.
The characters found in the park: Hug-A-Bull, Mulberry Mutt, Tremendous Boar, and Thelonious Skunk. Mulberry Mutt refers to Huckleberry Hound, while Thelonious Skunk refers to the musician Thelonious Monk
Couch gag: A recreation of Luke's battle with the Wampa on Hoth