Fox To Open Amusement Park In Malaysia

It looks like Twentieth Century Fox will be opening a new 25-acre theme park in Malaysia. The studio plans to have up to 30 film-themed attractions, including rides based on both “Rio” and “Alien.” So far, we can only guess what the $125 million overhaul of the Malaysian park (pictured above) will look like, but here are some ideas:

  • An “Independence Day” ride that looks like a UFO or flying saucer
  • “Dude, Where’s My Car?” bumper cars
  • A “Cast Away” water park
  • “Glee”- and “Moulin Rouge!”-themed stage shows
  • A “Die Hard” freefall drop
  • An “Avatar”-themed rainforest attraction
  • “Alvin and the Chipmunks” kiddie park

Anything related to “Star Wars” and “X-Men” would also be pretty amazing, as would something related to “The Simpsons,” but Universal Studios already has that covered. I guess we’ll just have to wait until 2016, when the park is slated to open, to see what Fox comes up with.

‘The Simpsons’ Finds Home At New Universal Studios Theme Park

There’s a recurring joke throughout “The Simpsons” about where, exactly, the fictional town of Springfield is located. The exact location is still a mystery, but it looks like the animated series will soon find a real-life home in Orlando, Florida. Universal Studios has plans to bring the cartoon to life at a new section of the theme park opening this summer.

According to a press release from Universal, Springfield will be anchored by The Simpsons Ride, an attraction that opened in 2008. Around the ride, guests will be able to walk the streets of Springfield, complete with a Simpsons-inspired Fast Food Boulevard, where guests can dine on sandwiches at Krusty Burger or throw back a Duff Beer at Moe’s Tavern. Besides the boulevard, a new attraction called Kang & Kodos’ Twirl ‘n’ Hurl will take “foolish humans” on an intergalactic spin.

Although the exact geography of the Simpsons will likely remain a highly debated mystery amongst die-hard fans, this new theme park will likely become a new pilgrimage spot for fans of the animated series.

[via news.com.au]

Speaking in tongues; dubbing the Simpsons around the globe

One of the more enjoyable aspects of travel is coming across a version of the Simpsons dubbed in the local language.

Most of you reading this website are probably accustomed to the original American English voices of Homer, Bart, and the rest of the crew. Others around the world, however, have grown up hearing an entirely different voice when Chief Wiggums says something stupid or Homer screws up, doh!

The strange experience of hearing the Homer you know so well speak with a different voice in a different language is one of the many wonderful disconnects that make travel so rich and rewarding.

Below is a collection of various languages in which America’s greatest export can be heard around the globe. I just hope I got them all right, doh!

German

Czech
French
Spanish
Turkish
Japanese
Danish

Springfield, Vermont Wins Simpsons Challenge

USA Today announced today that Springfield, Vermont (pop. 9,078 in 2000) has won the Simpsons movie Springfield Challenege. The small town received 15,367 votes out of 109,582, less than almost 1,000 more than the much larger Springfield, Il. If my math is correct (and it rarely is), that’s 1.6 votes per person in Springfield, VT. Weird!

The new Simpsons movie will premiere on July 21 at the Springfield Movie Theater located at 26 Main St.

Where to Find the Simpsons-Themed 7-Elevens

Remember that story we posted a few months back about the possibility of a dozen or so 7-Elevens being morphed into Kwik-E-Marts to promote the forthcoming Simpsons movie? If you hadn’t heard yet, it happened. Eleven stores across the United States were completely remodeled, while 6,000 more joined in the fun by selling Simpsons-themed snacks like Buzz Cola, KrustyO’s cereal and Squishees.

Here’s a list of the 11 remodeled stores, complete with directions on how to find them.

Oh, and on July 11th, (7/11/07!), they’ll be giving away free Squishees!

Related: Watch the videos from 14 different Springfields across the United States as they battle it out to become the home of the Simpsons!