When Whoopi Goldberg receives the ticket in the park, the officer says "Hakuna Matata," the Swahili phrase that became popular after being featured in The Lion King (1994). Whoopi provided the voice of Shenzi the hyena in that film.
Whoopi Goldberg and Sheryl Lee Ralph had both previously appeared in Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993).
The film cast includes one Oscar winner: Whoopi Goldberg; and two Oscar nominees: Gérard Depardieu and Haley Joel Osment.