* The title refers to the book The Pilgrim's Progress from This World to That Which Is to Come also known simply as Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan, written in 1678.
* "I didn't vote for him" is a reference to the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
* The scene of King Stewart and his men riding into town and the song are taken from the film Blazing Saddles.
* Griffin Peterson's talent show musical number is from the film Revenge of the Nerds.
* Harry MacAfee is a character by Paul Lynde in Bye Bye Birdie, which is why he sounds like Roger from American Dad! who was vocally patterned after Lynde.
* When Peter claims that there he doesn't think "there is nothing in that black bag for me" it is a reference from The Wizard of Oz.
* In the show a banner is shown saying, "Happy 16th Birthday Madonna". This is a joke about Madonna's age, claiming that she has been alive since the 1700s.
* Quagmire refers to Madame Claude as Cool Runnings, a movie made by Disney about 4 Jamaicans who go on to play in the Olympics for bobsledding.