Baileywick's line "Make it work everyone!" during the setup for the ball, is a nod to the show Project Runway, which he co-hosted. It is a line he says frequently on that show.
Amber's jealousy of Sofia is based on the five stages of grief. Denial: She is initially unwelcome over Sofia after becoming a princess. Anger: She is upset when all the students devote their attention to Sofia instead of her. Bargaining: She ruins Sofia's dance lesson by giving her trick shoes. Depression: After James calls her out and she rips her ballgown, Suzette and Marcie are too focused on helping Sofia and Amber breaks down. Acceptance: She finally admits her jealousy and apologizes to Sofia, accepting her as a true sister.
The sleeping spell is "Somnibus populi cella". "Somnibus" means "dream" in Latin, while "populi" means "people". The counterspell is "Populi cella exitate"; "exitate" means "excite" in Latin.
Although Tami Tappan Damiano was Cinderella's main singing voice in the early-mid 2000s, Jennifer Hale took in this role herself in this special.