Alien Encounter: Why did it really close?

[Ziggie]

(delete)

 

[Ziggie]

ITA. When I first went back to the "New" Tomorrowland, I thought that the ride fit into the overall scheme brilliantly. I was impressed with how clever the whole ride was - it was the perfect combination of junk science and infomercial marketing. It cracked me up, in spite of the fact that it scared the bejeezus out of me!!!!!!!!!

I'm one of those people who loves drops but not "bumps in the night"... AE would terrify me (in spite of my muttering "It's not real... It's not real..." the whole time), but I would never miss going on it!

But I nearly cried after the new Stitch ride. Keeping the fuzzy alien at the beginning only reminded me of what was lost (although I do love that stupid thing). *sigh*

Very good points. If I had to choose a park for AE tho, it most likely would've been MGM.

 

[1disneydood]

Do I look like I enjoyed the change?? :lol:

 

[Ziggie]

Do I look like I enjoyed the change?? :lol:

LoL! You look like one very UNhappy camper!! :lol: (you also look like someone who wasn't the least bit frightened by AE!)

 

[1disneydood]

Unhappy to say the least. I almost was thrown out of the attraction because I was shouting "Where's my mother-in-law!" and "eat me you little teddy bear!" during the show.

No I didn't actually do that. But I wanted to. :lol:

I got alot of attention from CM's though for wearing my AE shirt.

And things do scare me, I don't know why I look like a wannabe psycho badboy in that pic. It was hot so I had my sleeves rolled up and I always look mean in pics but not real life. I guess I'm not too photogenic. :lol:

 

[RedBaron]

Something brushing up against me in the dark is enough to give me a heart attack. But ToT? I could ride that forever with no ill effects.

You know, you raise an interesting point. Why did Disney allow parents to take small kids on AE? They have height requirements on rides, why not age requirements? Would that have been enough to keep AE around?

In regards to Mission Space, we didn't find time for it on our last trip, but hope to get there in Sept. My guess as to why they put it in Epcot? Maybe because it doesn't really relate to the other parks? (asking here) Could they be thinking that it's an extension of "tomorrow"? Something a future community would find normal?

Sorry for the confusion, I meant maybe AE would have been better placed at MGM rather than the MK and maybe it would have been around longer. And yes I think an age requirement would have also been a good idea.

 

[dxwwf3]

Do I look like I enjoyed the change?? :lol:

YEAH MAN!!!! :sohappy:

I'm going to get a pic like that with me this trip. But since my AE shirt has the big logo on the back, I'll have to face the sign and give the RVD thumb points to my back (That's a wrestling thing, if you didn't know).

Awesome pic! Thanks alot for sharing.

 

[dxwwf3]

I got alot of attention from CM's though for wearing my AE shirt.

I can tell you FOR A FACT, AE was one of the most popular WDW attractions among CM's. I talked to alot of them, not just at AE, but around the other parks and they would comment on my shirt and my hat.

If you are going to be at WDW in late June-early July, look for my purple AE hat and my grey AE shirt in the MK :lol:

 

[Ralph Wiggum]

the vision for Tomorrowland continues to baffle me. Space, TTA, COP, Indy, Buzz, the disgusting Stitch....nothing makes sense anymore, besides Astro Orbiter and Space. good concepts that still hold up. AE was in that bunch.

 

[Captain Hank]

Well I would invite you to take a look at my AE tribute video over on #disney-central. That way you can see the attraction again and not have to worry about the effects :wave:

I have it, and it's very well done!

 

[DisneyFreak529]

I'm part of the ,"we want AE back club"

 

[Shanice]

I heard a real alien actually escaped into the chamber and killed everyone inside. Disney tried to cover it up by gutting the attraction....:lookaroun

 

[AKQJ10]

Simple. You can sell a heck of a lot more Stitch merchandise than you can of "Skippy" or the alien.

(my two cents. Lou gets off the soapbox and gets back to work)

 

[Hobnail Boot]

I just wanted to say that I believe that Alien Encounter fit into the Magic Kingdom PERFECTLY. Think about it: The Tomorrowland that opened in 1995 is a futuristic community where robots, aliens, and humans live together in harmony. There are convention centers in many communities and they are used to showcase the latest in techonology, latest products, and other unique stuff. At the Tomorrowland convention center, X-S Tech was showcasing their latest achievement (which turned out to be a disaster). Is that not what convention centers are for? Seems like a perfect fit to me. B)

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

For me Alien Encounter would have been better located in MGM. But to ber frank Ive always thought the ride was pretty pants. Mrs Sak loved it, but shes got poor taste, after all she married me. I can inderstand the Stitch-ification after all they are aiming the MK at younger guests (IMHO) and I will waittill summer to pass judgement on the changes, however I will not be mourning Alien Encounters passing.

 

[Fantasmic]

I LOVED Alien Encounter and if I remember rightly the ride did have a PG13 warning on the signs.

BUT.
I also enjoyed stitch, I thought it was a fun attraction and the AA's were all great. It was spoiled by stupid children screaming as soon as the lights went off though, it was almost choreographed!

 

[DisneyFreak529]

I believe that Alien Encounter fit into the Magic Kingdom PERFECTLY

Thank you!!! I couldn't have said it better!!! I have not been on Stitch yet but it can't even come close to being as good as AE!!

 

[imagineer boy]

I just wanted to say that I believe that Alien Encounter fit into the Magic Kingdom PERFECTLY. Think about it: The Tomorrowland that opened in 1995 is a futuristic community where robots, aliens, and humans live together in harmony. There are convention centers in many communities and they are used to showcase the latest in techonology, latest products, and other unique stuff. At the Tomorrowland convention center, X-S Tech was showcasing their latest achievement (which turned out to be a disaster). Is that not what convention centers are for? Seems like a perfect fit to me. B)

Exactly! AE contributee to Tomorrowland's theme and idea. It shows that we can invent great technology, but some times it can be dangerouse, and we must be careful. Now, no thanks to Stitch, Tomorrowland is becoming a garbeled mess. It has no straight forward theme anymore. If they replace Timekeeper with little green men from buzz, or the aliens from Chicken Little as rumored, it will simply be a disaster!

 

[lawyergirl77]

Exactly! AE contributee to Tomorrowland's theme and idea. It shows that we can invent great technology, but some times it can be dangerouse, and we must be careful. Now, no thanks to Stitch, Tomorrowland is becoming a garbeled mess. It has no straight forward theme anymore. If they replace Timekeeper with little green men from buzz, or the aliens from Chicken Little as rumored, it will simply be a disaster!

While I am definitely not a fan of Stitch, i don't mind the direction that they are taking Tomorroland in, IF (and it's a big if) they actually stick to the whole "future where aliens and humans live together" and just make those aliens happen to be those from their movies. Unfortunately, it seems as though they're getting lazy and not really making an effort to make the theme cohesive.

I think that getting rid of AE was one of the ways in which this "vision" was lost. When it was there as a convention center, then the part with Buzz made sense as another extension of the center etc... To me, AE was the anchor to the whole vision, and now that it's gone, it's just a bunch of cutesy characters and any cohesion is merely a happy accident.

 

[Neo54]

Adults go there too, I wonder if they know this???

I love the place, am local and probably stay overnight at Coronado Springs or Carribean every other month. We have been going for years, but it does appear as though Disney ot perhaps it's just Eisner that forgets that it's the parents that are paying the bills.
We loved Alien and the Dinosaur ride when it first opened. Why can't the adults have some fun too???
Are we only there to pay the bills and buy the kids toys???
I'm sorry, but I have seen a serious decrease in caring about the magic and the fun and more about the bottom dollar since Eisner took over.
The cast members are deffinately not as happy with their job or as concerned about the guest as they used to be.
I certainly hope that improves now that he supposedly isn't in control.