Alien Encounter vs. Stitch's Great Escape

AKLRULZ · Post by **AKLRULZ** » Mar Thu 29, 2007 7:00 am

Here's the thing - it's all about marketing. Stitch is somehow wildly popular (I don't really know why). Disney seems to think that character overlays will provide a huge draw - unfortunately, it's short term I think and any character overlay won't hide inherent flaws in attractions.

packwingfn · Post by **packwingfn** » Mar Thu 29, 2007 10:09 pm

Stitch just doesn't fit in Tomorrowland at all. I hope Disney realizes their mistake with Stitch sometime in the near future and build some new ride there that doesn't have to do with a movie character. I wish Disney would come up with more original rides. I enjoy the rides that are more original then a ride based on a movie (COP, Horizons, Spaceship Earth, Haunted Mansion etc)

jcodirewolf · Post by **jcodirewolf** » Mar Fri 30, 2007 8:42 am

The funny part is when they want to go and replace it in 10-15 years. And there are going to be complaining, "Oh that attraction is such a classic, HOW could they do that..."

What I like to remember is that Walt's vision was that everything was changing and updating. Which is why I didn't mind them updating the PotC.

johno

packwingfn · Post by **packwingfn** » Mar Fri 30, 2007 2:06 pm

I have no problem with them updating PotC. It will always be remembered in the national sense as Captain Jack Sparrow so it defnitely fits in, and I don't think they ruined that ride too much.

Post by **js3901** » Mar Fri 30, 2007 7:49 pm

jcodirewolf wrote:The funny part is when they want to go and replace it in 10-15 years. And there are going to be complaining, "Oh that attraction is such a classic, HOW could they do that..."

What I like to remember is that Walt's vision was that everything was changing and updating. Which is why I didn't mind them updating the PotC.

johno

but there's the catch. Potc was an UPDATE. Stitch was basically a replacement. same thing with Timekeeper being removed to make the new Monsters Inc thing. Speaking of Walt's vision, he said that WDW has enough room to hold all the dreams that imagineers could build up. With the amount of acreage they have down there, they really never have to tear down an attraction to build a new one. Disneyland, doesn;t have that option, so Walt said that they would always be changing down there, not WDW...

TestTrack1 · Post by **TestTrack1** » Mar Sat 31, 2007 11:25 am

Did not enjoy stitch at all. I would not do it again. Was not worth the wait for me.

HottKidd · Post by **HottKidd** » Apr Sun 01, 2007 7:48 pm

SeasDiver wrote:There were actually two versions of Alien Encounter. The first one was only open for about 6 months or so if I recall and was a bit scarier. They closed it and toned it down. I have done both versions and Stitch's. I was really disappointed by Stitch's version, primarily for storyline inconsistency. It could have been done so much better with more consistency to the main storyline.

Aaron

I've gotta agree with SeasDiver. The Original was a great attraction for a good scare value... but it was very intense for small kids. The second Alien Encounter was toned down, but still very similar.

(Wikipedia History Link - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ExtraTERRO ... _Encounter - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stitch%27s_Great_Escape%21)

According to the Wikipedia Link, it was closed very quickly following the original opening for "Retooling" in Jan 95. If that means a rehab to De-Scare the attraction, or a postponement to match the opening with the tomorrowland rebuild, who knows.

As for the squirting at various time periods... I spent quite some time working for both Disney and Universal in attractions and operations. And by the time we notice a show element not working, put in a maintenanace request, and it actually be fixed (espically if it isn't an extremely "important" (Read - safety) issue), it can take weeks if not months.... If it's even fixed at all.

samuraiblue · Post by **samuraiblue** » Apr Sun 01, 2007 7:52 pm

HottKidd wrote:I've gotta agree with SeasDiver. The Original was a great attraction for a good scare value... but it was very intense for small kids. The second Alien Encounter was toned down, but still very similar.

(Wikipedia History Link - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ExtraTERRO ... _Encounter - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stitch%27s_Great_Escape%21)

According to the Wikipedia Link, it was closed very quickly following the original opening for "Retooling" in Jan 95. If that means a rehab to De-Scare the attraction, or a postponement to match the opening with the tomorrowland rebuild, who knows.

As for the squirting at various time periods... I spent quite some time working for both Disney and Universal in attractions and operations. And by the time we notice a show element not working, put in a maintenanace request, and it actually be fixed (espically if it isn't an extremely "important" (Read - safety) issue), it can take weeks if not months.... If it's even fixed at all.

I can definitely vouch for HottKidd. It takes forever to get some of those issues dealt with. And that's once we actually know about the issue!!!

The Maintenance request system at disney can take a long time to make it through the computers.

Post by **subsonic** » Apr Mon 02, 2007 11:00 am

To answer Schnemo's question. The design and idea of transporter technology was quite futuristic. But then, they have the same stuff for Stitch. I think AE felt more real / Sci-Fi because it wasn't a cartoon.

Captain Schnemo · Post by **Captain Schnemo** » Apr Tue 03, 2007 6:29 am

subsonic wrote:The design and idea of transporter technology was quite futuristic.

Ah, OK...so they really could have used the transporter on Donald or a hippo or anything, it still would have been futuristic. That's fair, I guess, although obviously not optimal.

Was the transporter human tech or allegedly designed by whatever the hell a Stitch is?

Post by **subsonic** » Apr Tue 03, 2007 10:51 am

Captain Schnemo wrote:Was the transporter human tech or allegedly designed by whatever the hell a Stitch it?

In AE it was alien tech from a human looking race.

In Stitch, they don't explain, it's just assumed.
Stitch also ends abruptly with Stitch escaping into the park. It's pretty stupid but I can see why they decided the have Stitch vandalize the castle when the attraction first opened. They show Stitch jumping around on the castle at the end of the attraction. So stupid.

secondstar · Post by **secondstar** » Apr Wed 04, 2007 3:56 pm

The first time I rodw XS-Tech Alien Encounter I was blown away. I thought it was really well done from the pre-show and throughout the attraction.

Although I haven't ridden Stitch (and probably will not this upcoming October), from what I've read it's a far poorer attraction. I wish they just would have moved AE to Disney-MGM and put something completely brand new in its place.

Captain Schnemo · Post by **Captain Schnemo** » Apr Thu 05, 2007 7:49 am

subsonic wrote:In Stitch, they don't explain, it's just assumed.

Well, OK, I guess they get off on a technicality. I can't dislike it purely on thematic grounds, even if I think Stitch sucks. Also I don't think Disney cartoon characters should be the focus of Tommorowland attractions, but that's another story.

DisBeamer · Post by **DisBeamer** » Apr Thu 05, 2007 7:51 pm

dinosaur33 wrote:The problem with Stitch is that he isn't meant to be scary. Trying to give Stitch the job of a blood thirsty alien just didn't work well. They should have just kept Alien Encounter, and given Stitch a new ride where he would fit in.

I think this about sums it up for me. I'm actually a big Stitch fan (yes, one of those) and even I don't like the new attraction very much. I wouldn't consider it a must-do attraction or be particularly upset if I missed it several visits in a row. That said, Alien Encounter didn't really do it for me either, though I did think that show had much better execution in terms of story.

I'm very sorry to see Timekeeper go too, and wary of what they're planning with the Monsters Inc. crew (and again, I enjoyed that movie). Stitch and his intergalatic-ness sort of fit Tomorrowland to me (kinda) but monsters? The future is monsters? I don't get it.

samuraiblue · Post by **samuraiblue** » Apr Sat 07, 2007 4:45 pm

subsonic wrote:
Captain Schnemo wrote:Was the transporter human tech or allegedly designed by whatever the hell a Stitch it?
In AE it was alien tech from a human looking race.

In Stitch, they don't explain, it's just assumed.
Stitch also ends abruptly with Stitch escaping into the park. It's pretty stupid but I can see why they decided the have Stitch vandalize the castle when the attraction first opened. They show Stitch jumping around on the castle at the end of the attraction. So stupid.

I've got to agree... they just didn't flesh the story out to the points that they could have. At least with Alien, they had a preshow that gave a backstory, explained why they were there, and what your role in the story was.