The original Japanese Version of the episode does include a reference to the 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968).
Originally in the English dub the scene with the float with the likeness of Escargoon and Tuff, Spikehead, and Iro running to it throwing sparklers at it causing it to burn completely was going to be retained but became scrapped for unknown reasons possibly because it took too long to dub.