Rumor: MGM Lilo and Stitch meet & greet down

[Stitchfan712]

I have this rumour coming from two sources one of which is a cast member for WDW.


Apparently the Lilo and Stitch meet n greet area in the Animation Courtyard at MGM is either temporarily or permanently shut down, due to some CMs leaving props out during the hurricanes which were damaged.

If this is in fact true it would seem to be old news, but I'm just now hearing about it. So can anyone else confirm?

The absolute highlight of my last trip to WDW was meeting Lilo and Stitch in the Animation Courtyard. It was fairly intimate, the lines weren't very large, sometimes nonexistent at some times of the day, and our little group of stitch fans did something special for Lilo and Stitch....we gave them pieces of artwork that my friend who did the images below created, and signed our names on the jackets that we slipped the artwork into, to show our appreciation.

The characters were touched and got to keep the artwork, and we visited them again later in the trip and they remembered us. No one else was around and we practically got mauled by Stitch and Lilo who were overjoyed to see us again.



I and one other friend who was there for that special meet will be there once again starting on the 22nd, and a new friend that couldn't be there last time will be coming on the 25th. We were expecting a reunion with Lilo and Stitch to once again be the highlight of this trip. Our hopes for SGE had been very high but because everyone else has had such a negative opinion of SGE we're looking to Stitch at MGM to boost our spirits if the bad reviews end up being true for us too.



So I need some kind of confirmation here.....is the Lilo and Stitch meet n greet in the Animation Courtyard actually down, and if so, is this permanent, or only temporary until they can fix the props? I'm sure they are losing revenue too from losing the photo sales that the animation courtyard generated (the buy a picture of you with Stitch thing at like 14 dollars a picture.)


Screamscape had something about "The Incredibles" costumed characters being put into the courtyard. I certainly hope they aren't replacing Lilo and Stitch. As far as I'm concerned, Stitch and Lilo own that courtyard, and really made it a special place to go, and I hope they will return. If not, they're still at the big hat right? Far less intimate, but if it's the same person in the costume that was working there last time, he'll remember us, and it'll still be special. (I think I know who it is too, 98% certain, but I won't name names on the open forum.)


Any info is very very appreciated. Thanks.


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[Fievel]

You can still see Lilo & Stitch in front of the Great Movie Ride / Giant Hat pretty much all day.

 

[Stitchfan712]

Yeah, but it's not as nice or intimate a setting.


Do we know for sure the fate of the meet and greet at the animation courtyard?

 

[tigger248]

I could be wrong, but I think that the animation courtyard generally gets the characters from whatever the newest and most popular movie is. The Incredibles has thus far been an incredible hit so I could see them getting the animation courtyard.

I know it's not as "nice" as a setting, but if your friend still plays Stitch, he'll possibly be in another area or he could even be in another park. I've seen Stitch by the GMR/hat at the Studios and in MK either in front of the castle after the Cinderella show or by SGE. We saw Stitch last Friday right across from SGE and it was still fun (Stitch was quite playful and he and Tigger sorta "quarreled" a bit like last time we saw them).

Um, yeah, I'm just a big kid. :lookaroun And I don't play with my Tigger backpack or anything. :lookaroun

 

[walts son 1971]

can tell you havent been to WDW very often ,the courtyard is open to anyone who is popular at the time.Personally hated Lilo and stitch and wish the movie was never made but thats one mans opinion I know everyone loves stitch so im in the minority here.

 

[ImaginEAR]

^ yeah, you are.

Does anyone know where we could contact Disney Management with this?

I was heading to MGM and there was a Stitch meet'n'greet in Tomorrowland. I thought they would be in the Animation Courtyard, so i passed it on. I went in line to see the Magic of Disney Animation and guess what? NO STITCH! I was so upset.

 

[SpenceMan01]

I guess this is as good of place as ever to ask this question that's been on my mind for a long time. How tall are the Lilo and Stitch characters? Tall enough for a smaller person to be them, or shorter so that they'd have to have um.. little people be them.

I guess I've just always been wondering and I can't think of a really PC way to phrase the question. Sorry if anyone is offended.

 

[DDuckFan130]

I also saw Lilo and Stitch in front of the hat and I have the pic to prove it :lol:. Anyway, it's funny you mention them not being in a certain place, because on our last day in AK my mom saw him and she said "I have seen this character every day in EVERY park!"

Don't worry, Lilo and Stitch are everywhere so as long as we get to see them, who cares where we see them?

 

[Lauriebar]

I guess this is as good of place as ever to ask this question that's been on my mind for a long time. How tall are the Lilo and Stitch characters? Tall enough for a smaller person to be them, or shorter so that they'd have to have um.. little people be them.

I guess I've just always been wondering and I can't think of a really PC way to phrase the question. Sorry if anyone is offended.

In the picture I have with my kids (14 and 10) Lilo and Stitch appear to be of regular size. I'd say between 5 feet and 5 feet 7.

 

[DisneyRoxMySox]

Yes, Lilo and Stich props were damaged during Hurricane Charley, I was in WDW during the hurricane and talked to a CM of the Animation Tour afterwards, who happened to grow up in the next town over from me, ( isn't that so cool meeting CM's that lived near you ?) But anyway, he said that the props were in fact damaged.

 

[Atta83]

But the animation court yard where they took pictures was closed during the summer. I have herad that it is supposed to be the incredibles location.

 

[daguru]

I think they are going to move Lilo and Stich Greet to MK, near SGE. During the passholder preview, they had a greet setup infront of Timekeeper.

Moving it would server two purposes, 1) More attention to and to correspond with SGE and 2)Not divert attention away from the new animate tour and Incredibles exhibit at the Animation Courtyard.

It makes perfect sense to me......

 

[tigger248]

can tell you havent been to WDW very often ,the courtyard is open to anyone who is popular at the time.Personally hated Lilo and stitch and wish the movie was never made but thats one mans opinion I know everyone loves stitch so im in the minority here.

Were you talking to me?

I go to WDW frequently, actually. And that's basically what I said. Often times, the popular characters come from the newest movies. Though some don't, hence why Lilo and Stitch had been there for 2 years.

 

[disneyphilip]

MGM's Lilo & Stitch meet-and-greet area is gone for good--they still appear at the Hat, though.

The Incredibles appear inside the building.

As for MK, Stitch is in Tomorrowland by himself. Lilo is no longer doing meets at MK. The two used to appear in the Hub after the castle show, but not anymore.

 

[Stitchfan712]

Some clarification:


The animation courtyard, if I'm not mistaken, is where you follow the "Stitch prints" away from the Animation tour, (Magic of Disney Animation), and go to see Lilo and Stitch, and have a professional picture taken with them.

This area was not used for every latest popular movie after Lilo and Stitch set up residence there. In fact, they have been there since 2002 and have not moved based on most accounts. They've proven very popular. I know this, because one of my friends who accompanied me on the last trip, met the very same Lilo and Stitch, in that same exact spot, during their 2002 trip. Stitch there got a bit offended that her little Stitch plushie had Mickey Ears on him, and flung the ears across the room! It was a riot! He also banged on trash cans and whatnot.

Anyway, he was much "Tamer" this time, but it was the same cast member inside the suit. We know this because she asked him if he remembered that event, and he pantomimed a "Oh! I DO remember!" sort of action.

We believe we know the name of the cast member. But I cannot share it here...protecting the innocent and all. But....this is very important to me....i have to find the same person that was there on August 2, and August 9, at the MGM studios. Because on August 2 we gave our gifts to Stitch and Lilo...and it was very emotional, many tears were shed. August 9 we reunited there for a goodbye session and got mauled by them. They were very happy to see us again and I gave Stitch a hug so big I lifted him off the ground.


Since Charley and the others hit, I have been worried sick about these two cast members. I tried to find out if they were okay but really wasn't able to. This will be my chance to see them again, have a very happy reunion and also introduce them to our new friend.

But the problem is, knowing whether the Stitch at the hat in MGM...or the Stitch at SGE....are this person. He could have been moved to the MK, but the MK already had a cast member that played Stitch. It wasn't the same one as MGM.


Likewise, Lilo and Stitch appear regularly near Island Mercantile in AK and that Stitch is wonderful too, but not the same CM. You can just tell.


I need to reunite with the Stitch CM that was there in August at MGM, (and the lilo one), for sentimental reasons. But, the lilo and stitch area I speak of was used only for them, for the last two years.

 

[WDWKat26]

I'm not exactly sure why they really stopped, but they are in a lot of other places.

Lilo and Stitch can also be found at Animal Kingdom right outside of Pizzafari, in the MK, in Epcot on Disney Characters on Holiday and at the Hat at MGM.

 

[disneyphilip]

Lilo & Stitch don't make appearances at Epcot.

But I think that they should appear on the bus, though.

 

[Stitchfan712]

Lilo & Stitch don't make appearances at Epcot.

But I think that they should appear on the bus, though.

That is correct. There are no costumed characters for Lilo and Stitch in epcot.



So are Lilo and Stitch no longer at Island Mercantile? It's moved to Pizzafari now?

 

[DDuckFan130]

That is correct. There are no costumed characters for Lilo and Stitch in epcot.



So are Lilo and Stitch no longer at Island Mercantile? It's moved to Pizzafari now?

Yup. That's where we saw him and Flik. That's where my mom made the comment of seeing him everywhere .

I forgot to mention this and I don't know if I should, but isn't Stitch's head a wee bit too small for his body? Dumb question, but my family and I were commenting on it. Oh well :hammer:

 

[Stitchfan712]

The entire stitch costume is proportionately incorrect....reason being that...a 5 foot human being has to fit inside of a character that was originally 2-3 feet tall. Also, it has to accomodate a human waist, which is larger than what Stitch's waist would be.

Result is a tall character with rather unproportionate parts.


They could make the head bigger...but...it wouldn't do it. The bigger head works with the shorter body when it comes to stitch. But if you enlarged the head...well...Stitch would look more like a blue walking mushroom with big ears...than "Stitch".

The way they've got it now is about as good as can be expected.