This episode originally aired directly after a two-episode arc in which the Conner family goes to Disney World. The Disney company, which had just bought out ABC at this point, forced Roseanne Barr to create these episodes as part of company-wide product placement for the parent company. An episode or set of episodes shot at Disney World or Disneyland was a frequent requirement of family shows on ABC after the network merged with the Walt Disney Company in July 1995; other ABC shows that were obliged to do this included Boy Meets World, Step by Step, and Family Matters. "Springtime for David," in which David goes to work in a sinister and secretive amusement park, was widely understood to be a parody of the Disney parks and a dig at the mandate from the parent company.
The title is a reference to the fictional stage play "Springtime for Hitler" that features prominently in the Mel Brooks film "The Producers".
The Germanic theme of the fictional amusement part in this episode, Edelweiss Gardens, is a reference to the many signs of influence from Germany and German culture heavily present in the early days of the Disneyland park in Anaheim, California, the first in the Disney empire of parks and resorts worldwide. Both use a blackletter typeface for their logos and name mark (blackletter typefaces have been strongly associated with Germany for hundreds of years). The central landmark of Disneyland, Sleeping Beauty Castle, was modeled on the Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria, Germany.
In a sign of how restrictive Edelweiss Gardens is for its employees, the Daily Schedule in David's room lists Free Time at 11:00--followed by a Smile Workshop at 11:05.