Alien Encounter questions

[CTXRover]

As the day grows closer to the Stitch re-do of AE, I have two questions.

First, about Skippy. When he "disappers" from the chamber in the preshow, where does he go? It looks like there is nowhere for him to go beneath the glass chamber and the "grey dome" at the top looks too short to fit Skippy into. I have always wondered what happened to him when the smoke fills the chamber. Does he go up or down or maybe even flatten?

Second, about the maintenance guy who walks overhead during the blackout in the main show. He's the guy that shines a flashlight into the chamber and then is eaten by the alien. Here is my question, is this a robot/animatronic that walks across or is it a 'real' cast member that walks across at the appropriate time.

Thanks to anyone who can answer my questions.

 

[mkepcotmgmak]

i am 99.9 % sure that skippy moves downard. there is plenty of room in the tube, but it is more of an optical illusion.

as for the flashlight. there have been MANY a debate on a real cm or not? you will get different questions. i do not have a def. answer, but i feel like it is a CM.

 

[imagineer boy]

Skippy: THere is no room under the tube. If you look, the tube is supported by a smaller tube that Skippy couldn't possible fit in. My hypothisis is that when the smoke fills his tube, the AA turns around, and attatched to his back it a big mirror. That's my theory anyway.

Matinence Man: Definately not a CM. Disney would never do somthing so cheap. Its either a mirror effect, or a flash light on an AA arm.

I have another question, could anyone tell me how the broken tube effect works?

 

[mkepcotmgmak]

if you look closely and study the tube during preshow, you will see that it is big enough for skip. just dont look at the defining lines, rather than the outlining tube. the mirror thing couldn't work becuase the people are too spread out around the tube, and would be able to see him, and their own reflection in the mirror. the flashlight thing could be an AA Arm, but skip has to go down the tube.

also the broken glass is a facade. the main glass moves down, and the broken glass already rises up into place. much like the walls at muppet vision. the walls acutally do not have the brick or wallpaper, it is all lighting, and when it blows up, the lights project those images on the wall. if you stick around a few seconds after the show you can witness that...

 

[Figment1986]

Originally posted by imagineer boy
Skippy: THere is no room under the tube. If you look, the tube is supported by a smaller tube that Skippy couldn't possible fit in. My hypothisis is that when the smoke fills his tube, the AA turns around, and attatched to his back it a big mirror. That's my theory anyway.

Matinence Man: Definately not a CM. Disney would never do somthing so cheap. Its either a mirror effect, or a flash light on an AA arm.

I have another question, could anyone tell me how the broken tube effect works?

Are you shure, i have the AE cast study guide and it has the script for the persion up there, even timing...

 

[MrNonacho]

The person up on the catwalk is a real Cast Member. If you sit in the right place you can see the person walking up there.

As for Skippy, that question has been asked and answered before. It really is done with mirrors below the tubes. Check out this thread:

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6958

 

[isnet396]

The "Catwalk" position originally was intended for cast members who wanted to undergo extra training. Now I think its a mandatory position. So yes, that IS a real CM up there.

Fact: While they're up there, they have to flip the "Tesla Coil ON" switch, or something to that degree.

Ian

 

[NemoRocks78]

Funny you ask this question. I just read about this on an Alien Encounter fan site just a couple minutes ago.

Skippy in fact does not go downward,yet a mirror comes down in front of him.

A cast member does in fact walk up there.

Hope this helps you.

 

[Coaster Guy]

Alien Encounter was my first attraction that I ever worked. I loved working there and the cast there was so much fun. I can tell you that the person up at "Catwalk" is a real person. That is everyone's favorite position in the rotation. You work for 2 minutes, then sit for 8, unless we are running 2 chambers. There are certain queues that Imagineering gave us to maintain the consistancy of the attraction, a type of script if you will. The cast member is on the Catwalk from the time Maintanance One says "Hello, hey, hello" to just before he gets shocked. Since the speakers are up there hanging from the ceiling, if you don't make it out of the chamber before the shock, it will get INSANELY loud!! If you are sitting on the side of the chamber where you enter, right before the shock, you can see a little light from the door as the cast member leaves catwalk.

As for skippy and the tube breaking: keep guessing. As a cast member I am going to "preserve the magic" and not tell you how they do it. That is one of the goals of Disney as to accomplish incredible things and have the audience be astonished. I will tell you that you are on the right track with the mirrors, but next time you visit, look behind the tube. There is nothing there except a wall and cables for decoration. When skippy is gone you can see through the tube and the cables match up perfectly for everyone in the audience. Having a mirror to hide Skippy and still match up with the cables would be an impossible feat to accomplish . The Skippy is effect is so easy and effective, but people think about it too much. The key is to think outside the box (or tube in this case). And as for the big tube breaking with the Alien, it is not done anything like Muppets. It is not done with lighting, the tube is really broken. But, mkepcotmgmak it is only one tube. You said that one moves down and another moves up. Sorry but that is not the case. There is only one tube and the outer casing or the "sheild" as the show refers to it, and both move independantly of each other. The sheild has nothing to do with the glass breaking except covering everything up after the show.

Hopefully I answered your questions about Catwalk and gave you something to think about for the tubes. If someone just gave you all the answers, what would be the fun in trying to figure things out?

 

[Dean[AU]]

David Copperfield.. where are you?

 

[doombuggie]

Skippy in fact moves down...there are mirrors underneath the tubes set in an angle such as a box to hide where he goes and to look liike it is only supported by those little tubes. I f tyou look at the water bubbles in the tubes they are exact "in" tyhe mirror.


As for the tube I feel it is one tube but a looong tube with half broken and half unbroken...and it just slides up and down....

 

[mkepcotmgmak]

Originally posted by Coaster Guy
Alien Encounter was my first attraction that I ever worked. I loved working there and the cast there was so much fun. I can tell you that the person up at "Catwalk" is a real person. That is everyone's favorite position in the rotation. You work for 2 minutes, then sit for 8, unless we are running 2 chambers. There are certain queues that Imagineering gave us to maintain the consistancy of the attraction, a type of script if you will. The cast member is on the Catwalk from the time Maintanance One says "Hello, hey, hello" to just before he gets shocked. Since the speakers are up there hanging from the ceiling, if you don't make it out of the chamber before the shock, it will get INSANELY loud!! If you are sitting on the side of the chamber where you enter, right before the shock, you can see a little light from the door as the cast member leaves catwalk.

As for skippy and the tube breaking: keep guessing. As a cast member I am going to "preserve the magic" and not tell you how they do it. That is one of the goals of Disney as to accomplish incredible things and have the audience be astonished. I will tell you that you are on the right track with the mirrors, but next time you visit, look behind the tube. There is nothing there except a wall and cables for decoration. When skippy is gone you can see through the tube and the cables match up perfectly for everyone in the audience. Having a mirror to hide Skippy and still match up with the cables would be an impossible feat to accomplish . The Skippy is effect is so easy and effective, but people think about it too much. The key is to think outside the box (or tube in this case). And as for the big tube breaking with the Alien, it is not done anything like Muppets. It is not done with lighting, the tube is really broken. But, mkepcotmgmak it is only one tube. You said that one moves down and another moves up. Sorry but that is not the case. There is only one tube and the outer casing or the "sheild" as the show refers to it, and both move independantly of each other. The sheild has nothing to do with the glass breaking except covering everything up after the show.

Hopefully I answered your questions about Catwalk and gave you something to think about for the tubes. If someone just gave you all the answers, what would be the fun in trying to figure things out?

what did you mean about running two chambers?

 

[Woody13]

Originally posted by mkepcotmgmak
what did you mean about running two chambers?

There are 2 show areas (chambers). Each has a capacity of 135 people.

 

[mkepcotmgmak]

WHAT? i would have never guessed that - where is the other chamber? i mean, after the preshow with the clench there is only one door to the skippy room, then only one door from there to the chamber - that is CRAZY! i had NO idea! that is cool!

 

[Woody13]

There are also two "streching rooms" in the Haunted Mansion.

 

[mkepcotmgmak]

no the crap way. i had NO idea. i have been back doored through the hm so many times, and NEVER knew that! thats why there are always so many people in line for the doombuggy after the stretching room

 

[BenS]

Yeah, they hide it pretty seamlessly.

 

[isnet396]

Originally posted by Woody13
There are 2 show areas (chambers). Each has a capacity of 135 people.

Unless it was changed, its 140....

the official word from the SOP Study Guide is that if 10% (which is listed as 14) seats are inoperable in a theatre, they're not allowed to use it.

 

[mkt]

Originally posted by isnet396
the official word from the SOP Study Guide is that if 10% (which is listed as 14) seats are inoperable in a theatre, they're not allowed to use it.

that doesn't mean they follow it. When I was a junior in HS and I worked Tomorrowland Attractions we had shows with like 30 guests in it before... Hell.. I specifically remember 1 show with 7 guests.

 

[isnet396]

Originally posted by mkt
that doesn't mean they follow it. When I was a junior in HS and I worked Tomorrowland Attractions we had shows with like 30 guests in it before... Hell.. I specifically remember 1 show with 7 guests.

I suppose that makes sense, although I haven't ever seen AE with a short line.