I was a bit verklempt when I learned that the Back to the Future attractions at both Universal Studios parks in Orlando and Hollywood were being removed to make way for new Simpsons rides. Sure, the time-traveling rides were getting, um, dated, and weren't relevant for today's kids. But many credit Back to the Future's must-ride cachet with helping to save the day for Universal Studios Florida, which was experiencing ride breakdowns, lackluster attendance, and other King Kong-sized problems when it first opened in 1990. It was especially significant for me, because the first theme park industry article I wrote was a 1992 magazine piece about Back to the Future--the Ride.

I recently returned from Universal Orlando and got to try The Simpsons Ride, which opened in the spring. I must admit that it was a load of fun. The motion simulator action is very convincing, and the attraction is in tune with the distinctive, uproarious sensibility of Simpsons creator, Matt Groening. Fans of the show--and there are legions of them--will love taking a ride with the Simpsons. And more casual fans will likely adore the attraction as well. Read my The Simpsons Ride review. But, please excuse me while I momentarily get choked up over the loss of Doc Brown and Biff Tannen. In the meantime, do Itchy and Scratchy contribute to the moral decline and violent tendencies of children, or do they help kids develop a sense of irony? Discuss.

• Universal Studios Hollywood Overview
• More Universal Parks Ride Reviews

Photo: The Simpsons Ride into Universal Studios Florida. Arthur Levine, 2008. Licensed to About.com.

Disney has always incorporated leading-edge technology into its theme parks, such as its pioneering work in what it dubbed "audio animatronics," the talking robotic characters that perform at its attractions. According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, the company is taking the next step in robotics and plans to create autonomous characters that will be able to interact with park guests. Disney is partnering with Carnegie Mellon University and a team from Switzerland for the project. It all sounds vaguely like a subplot from "The Stepford Wives," doesn't it? Here's hoping the new breed of park robots doesn't run amok.

• Pirates of the Caribbean- Ride review of the classic animatronic attraction.
• The Haunted Mansion- Another classic animatronic attraction
• Walt Disney Imagineering