Stitch = BLAH!

[General Grizz]

I haven't been on the ride yet. So.......can someone describe what's so bad about it? What's the part that's so unappealling? I think Stitch is a cutie! And I enjoyed the movie.....so I can't wait to try the ride.

At this point, I would avoid the online reviews and experience the attraction for yourself -- experience the show and write back with your thoughts.

 

[CoasterJunkie]

Really? Where are those complaints? The only time I hear people complaining about it are on these or other internet "fan" sites just like it. In the park... In Real Life... there are actually very few complaints from guests. In fact, to tell you the absolute truth, Carousel of Progress has many more issued verbal complaints inside the Magic Kingdom. Let's get rid of that, shall we? There's a lot of room inside that attraction for something the Magic Kingdom truly needs, a nice, well-themed Tomorrowland table service resteraunt.

What's your source about those "very few complaints?" I worked at the Magic Kingdom when SGE opened and I received TONS of complaints from people about it, and I was in Fantasyland Merchandise.

As for CoP, I saw TONS of people getting off that ride and liking it. Sure, it wasn't their favorite, but they enjoyed it. The same cannot be said about SGE.

As for getting rid of CoP for a resturant, no. The reason MK has very few table serivce resturants is because of the crowds that they have to handle. Comic Ray's Starlight Cafe is THE busiest fast food resturant in the United States, and third in the world (I think, I'll have to double check that). So getting rid of CoP MIGHT get the MK a table serivce resturant in MK, but the park's overall capacity would be lowered by the removal of CoP. If/when CoP is removed another attraction will most likely be put in it's place so MK can keep more people in the park, which in turn brings in more money.

 

[General Grizz]

What's your source about those "very few complaints?" I worked at the Magic Kingdom when SGE opened and I received TONS of complaints from people about it, and I was in Fantasyland Merchandise.

As for CoP, I saw TONS of people getting off that ride and liking it. Sure, it wasn't their favorite, but they enjoyed it. The same cannot be said about SGE.

As for getting rid of CoP for a resturant, no. The reason MK has very few table serivce resturants is because of the crowds that they have to handle. Comic Ray's Starlight Cafe is THE busiest fast food resturant in the United States, and third in the world (I think, I'll have to double check that). So getting rid of CoP MIGHT get the MK a table serivce resturant in MK, but the park's overall capacity would be lowered by the removal of CoP. If/when CoP is removed another attraction will most likely be put in it's place so MK can keep more people in the park, which in turn brings in more money.

CoP would need a staff, also. See: Tomorrowland Noodle Station.

Replacing a classic ride with a restaurant? How about the Galaxy Palace? Tomorrowland Station? And CoP would be moved...where?

 

[dandaman]

^Epcot... :lookaroun

 

[1disneydood]

FWIW the CM working the cash register at the SGE giftshop was commenting on how he liked my AE tshirt I was wearing, and how replacing it with stitch in the fashion they did was a big mistake. He went on to state that popularity is actually DOWN from when it was AE and how he didn't like SGE either. What it comes down to is that him and I agreed that Stitch could have been a much better attraction, rather than simply replacing the alien with Stitch.

 

[General Grizz]

^Epcot... :lookaroun

That would be a great way to create a new great pavilion in Tomorrowland (and I said "great," not carnivalesque :lookaroun ) while being able to rebuild the ride and innovate a better ride system.

If Wonders of Life is demolished... well, there's room there...

 

[Connor002]

maybe they could put the tables right in the ride and have a revolving anamatronic stage show at least it would keep CoP around a little longerbesides with thoes guys in charge, i wouldn't doubt the possibility

 

[DisneyDefenders]

My thoughts...

My take on Stich's Great Escape...

The animatronics are great!

BUT...the story has MAJOR problems. I guess it's similar to the problem I have with SOARIN'

Every attraction at WDW has a theme/story line that make you believe you have entered a different world when you go into the ride and then are returning to the 'real' or 'fantasy' world of Disney as you exit the attraction.

SGE doesn't do that. At the end of the show, he escapes and lands on planet earth. So where are we while watching the show? At no point are we 'transported' to any other location. This seems to be a major flaw to me.

With SOARIN' you have the same probelm. At the end of the ride, you land in Disneyland. So how do we all of a sudden end up in WDW and Epcot as we exit the attraction. I know this is planned to be changed once the Happiest Celebration on Earth is over, but just thought this was a big problem with the ride.

This is probably something most people will pay little or no attention to, but overall I think it takes away some of the magic that Disney is well known for.

 

[Damien666]

SGE is the worst thing at the world in my book. I am so bummed that they took a really great show (AE) and replaced it with something that has no re-ride value. I know AE didn't have much re-ride value but it was alot more fun than Stitch! When I went back to the world with my band I can tell you that anybody that went on SGE, didn't like it at all! The only good thing about SGE is the AA's, but they can't save SGE alone. Disney should have known that when you create something new you must have a story! SGE has a very weak one with no ending. They focused the age group very low,only for little kids, I'm 15 and I went on SGE with a open mind but it did nothing for me. It has no sense of magic at all. Unlike Philharmagic were I went on it many times,I only went on Stitch one time, my first and last time. I took a vow to never go back in that building until AE or something else is in there. A Stitch ride may be good, but NOT in AE's format.

 

[PoohBear071870]

My hubby and I both went on SGE twice while we were to WDW last month. Both of us understood the storyline and enjoyed the attraction, although I must admit, I smelled chili dog in my nose all night long. The Stitch audio animatronic was awesome, and the only thing those on the ride seemed to complain about was the chili dog smell. Everyone seemed to be laughing and having a good time. Do I think things could have been done better if a new attraction had been built instead of trying to replace AE, and with the proper funding? Of course I do. But I think they did the best they could do using an existing attraction facility and having their hands tied by the accounting office. Some people will enjoy it and some won't. That's the way most things go in life. In the words of a famous economist , "there is no free lunch."

 

[col]

sge?

oh my god thats what ive been saying. i said before that stitch's great escape was crap. when i went on it, it was a pure let down. when the safety things come over your head i thought there would be alot of movement but i was wrong they probably put them over you to stop you walking out. but im not dissin people that actually enjoy it. each to there own.

 

[zone15int]

when the safety things come over your head i thought there would be alot of movement but i was wrong they probably put them over you to stop you walking out. .

Those harnesses have been there since Alien Encounter. I don't believe that AE had any more movement than SGE has. And they are there to line up the efx in the head rest and to keep guests from "escaping" in the dark scenes.

 

[i<3disney4ever]

stitch was okay not that great, not that bad but compared to AE it was horrible. AE was the best!! i am STILL mad that they took that out and replaced it with stitch.

 

[fjm777]

when the safety things come over your head i thought there would be alot of movement but i was wrong they probably put them over you to stop you walking out.

Great Line!!!!:lol:

I hated it and <b>my kids (8 & 11) hated it</b>. It has become the family joke. "If you don't stop that I will make you ride Stitch the next time we are at WDW." " No Please Daddy. Anything but that" :lol:

And when I went on it, Stitch spit on me and got me all wet. Made me very mad. It was freezing out side and my shirt and jacket were wet.

Saw the wait times for 7/3. People waiting 60 min. Can you imagine?

 

[PirateStagehand]

About 99.9% of people in WDW parks don't want to just marvel at the 'smoothness' of the AA. THEY WAN'T A GOOD STORY!

That's like saying that people go on ISAW just to marvel at the many AA figures. Come on dude. Why do you think people like CoP so much? It's definately not for the AA, it's for the story it portrays.

Ok, so I'm supposed to like the attraction just because it has the latest "cutting edge" technology?

And by you saying: "the rides have to appeal to ALL AGES not just adults and not just kids." Ok when I went on SGE there were 9 people in my group that range from the age of 12 to 55 and each and every person in the group disliked the attraction. It seems that the attractions appeals to a very slim age group that we as a group didn't cover.

When my family went in Jan we had 2 30year olds, 2 70 year olds and 1 almost 40 and we all loved it. My father who was a mechanical engineer for years marveled at the AAs. To say that 99.9% of all people go solely for the story seems off. Ask half the people coming off the rides throughout the parks and they may be able to give you a base level story line but they take in the larger picture. Not all riders are like those on this board....some look for just spectacle alone. I've worked in entertainment long enough to know that lights and sound make up a LARGE part of the experience that people walk away with so like I said before the story isn't the greatest but I don't think it's so weak that it deserves to be bashed like so many posters do. I think many people are just approaching it with a biased attitude and need to realize that no matter how much you complain AE isn't coming back. If you don't like Stitch don't ride, as for me I've done it twice and loved both times. Yes the rides are about illusion and I can suspend my disbelief long enough to see the merit of Stitch.

 

[nibblesandbits]

I haven't been on the ride yet. So.......can someone describe what's so bad about it? What's the part that's so unappealling? I think Stitch is a cutie! And I enjoyed the movie.....so I can't wait to try the ride.

I agree with Grizz in that you shouldn't base how you view the ride on what others have said on the internet, that you should view it on your own and then decide yourself....

However, with that in mind, I will put in my review...(because EVERYONE just wants to know my opinion! :lol: ) Do I think it is the worst ride in the history of the world??? No, there were definitely some good elements to it. The main problem that I think a lot of people (myself included) have with the ride is the ending. Now, I never got to see the original ending, but if I felt that the new one was lacking, then I know the old one must have been dreadful. My take on the ending is that it happens just like that. When you leave, you're like "that's it...where's the rest?"

With all that said though, as with any ride, what you like is just a matter of opinion. I'm sure that there are lots of people out there who think it is a great ride, then those who think it's just ok, than those who are so vocal on the internet who possibly think it is the worst ride Disney has ever done. But everyone is entitled to their opinion.

 

[nibblesandbits]

Yes the rides are about illusion and I can suspend my disbelief long enough to see the merit of Stitch.

This question goes out to all you naysayers, but isn't that what Disney is all about anyway? Suspending your disbelief? Don't we do that on almost every other ride on the property?

 

[slappy magoo]

The only time I hear people complaining about it are on these or other internet "fan" sites just like it. In the park... In Real Life... there are actually very few complaints from guests. In fact, to tell you the absolute truth, Carousel of Progress has many more issued verbal complaints inside the Magic Kingdom. Let's get rid of that, shall we? There's a lot of room inside that attraction for something the Magic Kingdom truly needs, a nice, well-themed Tomorrowland table service resteraunt.

Must be someone incredibly well-connected with the WDW Complaints Department to know that CoP gets all the gripes & everyone but us is in love with SGE. Honestly, how do you KNOW that? That you'd make a comment like that and pass it off as fact is just as idioitic as someone saying "Stitch's Great Escape is the worst thing to happen in the history of theme parks and everybody knows it."

If Disney is diligent in regards to customer service, then they're probably trolling sites exactly like this one to hear what people are saying about anything and everything in their parks. And it wouldn't matter WHERE they receive negative comments, if it seems like it was written to address a concern instead of just being sensationally negative for cheap laughs, they should take it seriously.

I rode SGE during Easter Week, waited online about a half an hour very late at night (though not an EMH). I won't say that everybody that rode it hated it, but I can say, truthfully, that the only comments I heard were negative comments or, at best, neutral comments. But considering the location, the fact that they're pushing Stitch to be the greatest thing since canned ham and the ride it replaced, visitors had every right to expect to be "Wow"-ed by the ride. CoP is not expected to "Wow" anyone. It's meant to be evocative, not provocative. A nostalgic look at what was cutting-edge, and what may one day be cutting-edge, NOT what's cutting edge right now.

I hated SGE because it felt like they half-assed it from the beginning, a feeling that the budget cuts would seem to confirm. They shoehorned a story for one character into an already existing ride. There was no joy, no thrill in the story telling. It felt cold and cynical and a little condescending. The "Pink Lady and Jeff" of theme park attractions. Anyone remember that show? NBC and then-president Fred Silverman, most of them completely out-of-touch with reality, thought that what America wanted, needed, was demanding, was a variety show with Asian singers who could only speak English phonetically and a stand-up comedian with little-to-no sketch comedy or TV experience. And they hyped it like they were doing us a favor by putting it on their precious air. And we as a nation said "You don't know us at all, do ya?" It only lasted a few months and was a common barometer for expensive TV failures. Well, that's the same vibe I felt riding SGE. The feeling that the suits really thought they had us pegged, that THIS was what we were clamoring for. And despite the millions of comments Endarikari has seen extolling the vurtues of SGE, there seem to be a whole lot of people saying "You don't know us at all, do ya?"

My only complaints with CoP is that it needs to be updated AND refurbished. I got stuck in between decades, but I'm happy that piece of history still exists in some form. I'd ride that a dozen times before bothering with Stitch again.

 

[TiggerificChick]

I am a HUGE Stitch fan. But this ride does not to Stitch or AE any justice at all. The first time i rode it, i tryed to forget what everyone was saying about it and rode with an open mind. I liked it the first time. But, then recently i went with my family and my aunt wanted to take her kids on it. We got on and when the ride was over they were all looking at me as if i had just wasted their time. I mean we had fastpasses and all but after that i just kept thinking "What have i done?" LOL I think that the Stitch concept could have been done ten times better than this. It's good the first time, at least it was for me, but even if Stitch is cute, it didn't keep me coming back for more. The sad thing is that with all of the complaints and all, I don't think there will ever be another Stitch ride in the future, which is a shame really cuz they could do a lot better with him. Anyway, just my $.02.

 

[polarboi]

All the talk about SGE has been really interesting to me. I haven't had the opportunity to see it yet, but I've been reading the negative comments for quite some time on a number of different sites.

I was a huge fan of AE, and I always felt rather alone in that, to be honest. Before SGE replaced AE, everything I heard about AE from others was negative. Some hated it for being too scary, others said it wasn't scary enough, and still others said it was incredibly "un-Disney." Now granted, at the time I wasn't a member of any Disney fan forums, so that sentiment might not have been shared here. But we are really in the minority compared to the number of casual visitors at WDW who don't spend their time hanging out on WDW fan sites.

The concept for SGE must have sounded terrific on paper... take a heavily-criticized attraction and re-theme it around a popular character from a kid-friendly movie. If you had asked me, I wouldn't have thought that a massive budget would have been necessary to successfully make the change. I didn't like the idea, because I had sentimental attachments to AE, but I could appreciate the reasoning behind it.

To be honest, I'm really surprised that SGE has gone over so poorly. But then, I haven't seen it yet myself, so I can't really offer an opinion of my own. From what you all have said, it sounds like it could use an improvement.

I'm sure that Disney is listening and will respond if they receive enough complaints. Think about JII. When the old ride was experiencing major technical problems, they decided to completely redo it and re-theme it based on the new concept for the Imagination pavilion. After the new ride went over like a lead balloon, they reworked it again. It's never going to be what it used to be, but at least they improved it based on guest feedback.

Us die-hard fans tend to get really attached to our favorite attractions and have a lot of trouble letting go when they get demolished due to structural problems, failing technology, or just changing times. But sometimes we let that get in the way of common sense. (It boggles my mind to hear people tell Disney to "move" an attraction to a different park or "bring back" a demolished attraction, as if it were so simple!)

I would highly recommend that if you don't like SGE, you make some specific suggestions or comments about it (e.g. "I felt like the ending left me hanging; it needs a stronger finish" or "I found the chili dog smell to be too strong and very offensive") and put them in writing. While it's definitely possible that Disney execs hear about comments made on internet forums, written letters carry much more weight.

I'd be interested in hearing any responses anyone might get from Disney regarding their comments on SGE. Who knows... maybe we'll see an improvement in it in the future.

-p.b.