Is Alien Encounter Open this year?

[Brick Tamland]

I really don't mind Sticth, i went on it with an open mindand was pleased with the show. It is only a tamef down version of AE, which i didn;t like that much anyway.

 

[joel_maxwell]

For you folks who have not been in a while, get ready for another punch in the stomach.....the 20k lagoon was filled in and replaced by a, get this, a Pooh meet and greet.

wow, i recovered from the first kick.......... then you kick me again........ thanks :lol:

 

[slappy magoo]

There has been no official word about why AE closed, but most fans would agree that it was probably because it was too intense and not really in keeping with the family-friendly atmosphere in the Magic Kingdom.

I wouldn't necessarily agree with that, not 100% anyway, even though I know many people thought it was too intense for kids (hence, the warnings all around the ride, and possibly even up the ride's wazoo). I don't think every single ride in WDW, or any given theme park, has to coddle to children, but lately Disney has gotten even more coddling, as shown with SGE and the dilution of Pleaure Island from a haven from kids into a Fisher-Price My First All-Nighter Built-To-Scale-Playset For All Ages.

But if Lilo & Stitch had never been created, I don't think AE would've changed. Not completely anyway. Maybe they would've tamed it down eventually, but the ride would still exist more like it had than it does now. It's just that when Lilo & Stitch made a dollar more than it cose to make and market, Disney bean-counters started swarming around, trying to build it into something else, something bigger. Retrofitting AE into SGE cost a lot of money, but I'd bet a shiny red apple that when it was a freshly-hatched idea, the Disney Suits probably considered it a no-brainer. "We got a ride that scares kids, and we got a character that kids love (and we'll keep telling ourselves that kids love Stitch until the world believes it)! That's retro-fit Alien Encounter to be about Stitch! Then the whole family will love it! AND...AAAAAANNNND...this is important...Stitch will sell WAY more t-shirts and keychains and coffee mugs & beach towels than your average icky scary alien! Or that Tribble in the pre-show for that matter! It's built-in kid appeal! Families will eat it up! Hail Satan!" (OK, that last part is probably just me being paranoid. Probably).

But that's the main reason why, *I* think, AE became SGE. Not because AE was too scary, but because Disney saw a way to turn it into a potentially greater revenue-making machine.

 

[Dj Corona]

Basically, they did to AE what they did to Mr. Toad, which was when they needed somewhere to put a ride for their cashcow (or bear), they picked a ride with more of a cult following then a mainstream one, next thing you know they use the - "Hey maybe all the parents complaining that getting "hit" by a train and ending the ride in hell is too intense for kids" angle, and there you have it - instant poo. Now years later they needed a ride to cash in on Stitch with, only difference is AE had signs, warnings, etc. saying "You might want to re-think bringing your children on this, or they're probably going to freak out like they have rabies and make pants-fudge", but the parents still didn't pay attention.
And just to warn you ahead of time...the Carousel Of Progress is now the Carousel Of Possible, where Kim, Ron, and Rufus battle Drakken in an IMAX-like 3-D movie..........:lookaroun KIDDING!!

 

[1disneydood]

Hey, Kim Possible ain't that bad. At least it's better than alot of the other JUNK Disneychannel plays like American Dragon.

 

[lebeau]

Well, there's no doubt Disney wanted to capitalize on Stitch. And rightly so. It's the most popular non-Pixar animated character to come out of Disney (arguably) since the Lion King. And he does sell a lot of T-shirts, etc. Yay merchandising!


Having said that, I'm not sure AE was doomed to be replaced eventually anyway. Or at the very least seriously defanged. A ride with a cult following that sometimes scared small children was not long for the MK. In MGM, I think it could have had a longer life. But at MK it's days were numbered.

 

[DisneyFreak529]

Wow you are out of the loop!! You didn't know about AE. Have you been locked in a box!!


Kidding, I'm sorry to see it go to, I loved it. I haven't been on stitch yet, I dont' want to protest it because I have been on every Disney ride since 2002 and I hate to skip it. I do miss AE

 

[Dj Corona]

Hey Kim Possible's great , it wasn't a knock on the show at all, but I think you can imagine how many people would completely freak out on these boards if something like that would happen to their beloved CoP. I'm actually surprised they haven't tried to make the most out of their more popular shows, maybe put a little more Disney into Disney-MGM. I know they have chracters that come out here and there, but how about some attractions or a section dedicated to Disney TV? A House Of Mouse restaurant at the least would be great.

 

[suzie_q183]

Now years later they needed a ride to cash in on Stitch with, only difference is AE had signs, warnings, etc. saying "You might want to re-think bringing your children on this, or they're probably going to freak out like they have rabies and make pants-fudge", but the parents still didn't pay attention.

I thought signs were just for decoration

 

[monorail_driver]

Oh well, at least I have a chair from the old AE ride that I bought on Ebay to keep the memories alive....

Does SGE use the same seats, or did they replace the seats?

I just don't think it's right that a ride staring stitch has a height requirement AND a shoulder belt that lowers over your shoulders. WDI must have threw this attraction together.