Alien Encounter: Why did it really close?

imagineer boy

Well-Known Member
1disneydood said:
Which is why Disney NEEDS to open up a thrill park. I could argue this into the ground.

*sigh* No, they DON'T need to open up a thrill park. There would be nothing to do there for the kids. Disney parks need to have a perfect sampling of genres of rides as such, Family rides, thrill rides, and some kids attractions ( like Playhouse Disney ). Every park would need these. Note that a majority of the WDW visitors are children. If Disney opens a thrill park, it would be a huge failiure with only half of its audience ( only teens and adults ) going. It wouldn't nearly make as much money. Look at California Adventure in DL, they put in way too many "hip and edgy" thrill rides and left nothing for kids to do, and its a huge flop! I could argue this into the ground.
 

dxwwf3

Well-Known Member
lawyergirl77 said:
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.

Could not have said it better myself. I think the term "anchor" fits AE perfectly. It was the anchor of the "New Tomorrowland". And now we are very close to seeing Tomorrowland 3: Fantasyland East :lol:
 

Hobnail Boot

Well-Known Member
dxwwf3 said:
Could not have said it better myself. I think the term "anchor" fits AE perfectly. It was the anchor of the "New Tomorrowland". And now we are very close to seeing Tomorrowland 3: Fantasyland East :lol:
No laughing matter, really. I believe "The Fantasyland of the Future" is the future that is already here... not the one that never was. :cry:
 

DigitalDisney

New Member
I'd somewhat agree with the term 'anchor' when describing AE. If only it had the crowds to live up to that term =(

Seriously, it fit into Tomorrowland perfectly. Aliens are commonly associated with the distant future, both in a friendly / technological way, and in a scary, sinister way. AE blended both of those themes together perfectly.

Not only that, but it introduced a concept that has never been executed to this extent before. 3D shows had cheesy special effects, but they were nothing compared to what AE brought to the table. I don't think anyone expected to feel an alien breathing down their neck, gripping their headrest, putting their tongue on their hair, or eating the person sitting right next to them. =)

Anyone remember the various XS ads around Tomorrowland? Of course, AE was full of them. The SMTV show in the Space Mtn queue had a brief XS commercial. I swear there were a couple others around as well. They really should have installed a billboard (animated or static) on the edge of TL advertising XS-Tech, and some more small signs or ads scattered throughout the area. It really seemed like XS and science in general were both the backbone behind the new Tomorrowland.
 

Figments Friend

Well-Known Member
For me, this is why TomorrowLand was so great....it was like a sci-fi fans dream! It was like you were visiting another world, which all great Disney attractions and movies seem to be able to do. TomorrowLand was the 'serious" section of the Park...the most 'adult orientated" areas seemed to be here: SM, CoP, AE,TK,...shoot, even the PeopleMover! It was the place to go to indulge in some futuristic fun and thrills.

Now it seems it has been 'kid-a-fied" so much that the "serious sci-fi" elements have been downplayed. A shame really, but i have to agree that "FantasyLand: Part II" is a more apt title for the area these days.
 

dxwwf3

Well-Known Member
DigitalDisney said:
I'd somewhat agree with the term 'anchor' when describing AE. If only it had the crowds to live up to that term =(

Seriously, it fit into Tomorrowland perfectly. Aliens are commonly associated with the distant future, both in a friendly / technological way, and in a scary, sinister way. AE blended both of those themes together perfectly.

Not only that, but it introduced a concept that has never been executed to this extent before. 3D shows had cheesy special effects, but they were nothing compared to what AE brought to the table. I don't think anyone expected to feel an alien breathing down their neck, gripping their headrest, putting their tongue on their hair, or eating the person sitting right next to them. =)

Anyone remember the various XS ads around Tomorrowland? Of course, AE was full of them. The SMTV show in the Space Mtn queue had a brief XS commercial. I swear there were a couple others around as well. They really should have installed a billboard (animated or static) on the edge of TL advertising XS-Tech, and some more small signs or ads scattered throughout the area. It really seemed like XS and science in general were both the backbone behind the new Tomorrowland.

1. The crowds for AE DID live up to that term for 5 or 6 years, as you could expect minimum 30 minute waits during most of the day. But I know what you are trying to say there too.

2. When I first saw the XS-Tech ad in the Space Mountain queue, it was one of the best WDW memories for me. That ad in another attraction, the clever names (such as Tomorrowland Metro-Retro Society, Tomorrowland Interplanetary Convention Center, and Metropolis Science Center) really gave the New Tomorrowland a sense of themeing unmatched in any other MK land. It really felt like a theme park inside of a theme park to me. It was like Tomorrowland was seperate from the rest of the MK and it still fit in at the same time. It was such a special place in the mid to late 90's. Most of that theme is gone now, but I will never forget how great it truely was.

BTW. I've heard that there is still a leftover XS reference in one of those newspapers around the entrance to the TTA. If so, that will make my trip.
 

Ziggie

Member
Original Poster
The anchor that holds Tomorrowland together is obviously the [font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]WEDway People Mover! ;)
[/font]
 

Magicot

Member
dxwwf3 said:
BTW. I've heard that there is still a leftover XS reference in one of those newspapers around the entrance to the TTA. If so, that will make my trip.

Actually, I just checked out those newspapers in that robot near TTA on Monday and they have been changed to a full front page story about Stitch.
 

RedBaron

Active Member
imagineer boy said:
*sigh* No, they DON'T need to open up a thrill park. There would be nothing to do there for the kids. Disney parks need to have a perfect sampling of genres of rides as such, Family rides, thrill rides, and some kids attractions ( like Playhouse Disney ). Every park would need these. Note that a majority of the WDW visitors are children. If Disney opens a thrill park, it would be a huge failiure with only half of its audience ( only teens and adults ) going. It wouldn't nearly make as much money. Look at California Adventure in DL, they put in way too many "hip and edgy" thrill rides and left nothing for kids to do, and its a huge flop! I could argue this into the ground.
I agree with you totally. And not every adult likes thrill rides. I guess the current Disney thrills are thrilling enough for me. Some even too thrilling. If I wanted to visit a thrill park I could drive less than an hour from my house and visit the six flags park. (I only go there when I am forced and only ride the 2 things that spin me around). Disney is the only place where everyone in the family can enjoy things together. I realize that not everyone could enjoy AE, but I saw many kids (much less than 13) at this attraction that were having a blast, and also never saw a child crying at this attraction? Like I said in my original post, everyone is afraid of something...
 

dxwwf3

Well-Known Member
Magicot said:
Actually, I just checked out those newspapers in that robot near TTA on Monday and they have been changed to a full front page story about Stitch.

Fantastic.

Well thank you for the news. It's better to know now than get your hopes up and be disapointed when you get there.
 

NemoRocks78

Seized
Magicot said:
Actually, I just checked out those newspapers in that robot near TTA on Monday and they have been changed to a full front page story about Stitch.
:eek: :(

At least we still have the Invasion attraction at DisneyQuest....
 

dxwwf3

Well-Known Member
NemoRocks said:
:eek: :(

At least we still have the Invasion attraction at DisneyQuest....

I am SO tempted to go to DisneyQuest this year for the first time. I really have no desire to see anything else in the building, so I don't know if it's worth 30 bucks to see the preshow to the ride. We'll see how it goes.
 

DiPSU224

Member
Magicot said:
Actually, I just checked out those newspapers in that robot near TTA on Monday and they have been changed to a full front page story about Stitch.

They must have just changed it! It was like that on 5/21. Glad I got to see it one last time. It was one of those neat hidden details Disney likes to throw in.
 

Ziggie

Member
Original Poster
I don't want to start any type of war or anything (please), but am I the only one who really isn't all that into Stitch? Am I missing something? :lookaroun :veryconfu
 

1disneydood

Active Member
I like Stitch. But Stitch's Great Escape is lame and a half. :hammer:

I wanted a better attraction for him, other sticking him in AE.
 

TiggersPooh

Active Member
if you want to see some left over XS Tech stuff...look at the "machine" looking object after you start walking towards the main chamber (where the red lights are flashing)...its all still labeled as XS Tech
 

jozzmenia

New Member
Awww, I'm just finding out about AE from this post :cry: I loved that ride. Apparently not everyone felt the same way though:
http://www.10-7.com/disney/pages/MK/EXTRA/extraterrorestrial.htm
That probably had something to do with it also.
So no one knows why it's gone? What is Disney's excuse?

But what's the deal with this Jeffrey Jones thing? I got the basic story, but how does that have to do with the ride? :veryconfu

Well, I'm going to Disney World in August so hopefully it will be great because I haven't been in like 8 years. The last time I went was when they opened Tower of Terror I think. Although I did go to Islands of Adventure last year.
 

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