dxwwf3
Well-Known Member
You got it
-
Welcome to the WDWMAGIC.COM Forums!
Please take a look around, and feel free to sign up and join the community.
What makes SGE so horrible?
- Thread starter MickeyDee
- Start date
You got it
Victor
Active Member
This would be a good psychoanalytical essay, but not what guests would take from it.
dxwwf3
Well-Known Member
I never really saw many kids crying after AE either. I've heard from CM's in the parks that AE got a lot of complains from parents and that SGE gets almost as many today. But I haven't really seen it from either attraction in my own personal experience.
Let's put it this way, I've seen more crying children at It's Tough To Be A Bug than AE and SGE combined. But I haven't spent much time around SGE come to think about it
CThaddeus
New Member
I've mentioned this on other threads, but of the new attractions I had not seen until my last trip, this one rated as my favorite. Mission: Space was a close second, followed by Expedition: Everest. It is also one of the few I went on twice while I was there, because I was so impressed with what I experienced. Admittedly, I always enjoyed the SIR and Skippy preshow in Alien Encounter, but the rest of the attraction always left me more than a little nonplussed. I also wasn't terribly fond of the high death count. There's a place for violent attractions, but the Magic Kingdom just isn't it. Yes, there are attractions there that deal with death - Pirates and Haunted Mansion, for example - but you don't actually see/hear/feel people being killed around you. They are already long-since dead and are either in the form of ghosts or skeletons. Alien Encounter might have fit in better at Disney-MGM Studios (perhaps with a tie-in to the movie "Alien").
I think Stitch's Great Escape is enjoyable to those who can get past the loss of Alien Encounter. I hate that Horizons is gone, but I gave its successor a chance and enjoyed Mission: Space (not that I wouldn't mind the latter going away and the former returning, but...). Some want to try to latch on to things like holes in the storyline, the smell of the chili dog, or the fact that it used the same setup as Alien Encounter, but these are silly arguments. First, holes in storylines exist in many other "classic" attractions, but no one seems to care. I've pointed out the most obvious of the storyline violators - Star Tours (and I love this attraction, too) - in other posts, so I won't go into all of the inconsistencies with the movies here. But people still enjoy it. My guess is that most guests don't overanalyze the attractions the way we do, so most just walk away from Stitch and say "That was fun. What's next?"
Argument two - people sneak food and drinks into attractions all the time. As a former CM, I know this from personal experience. Stitch would have no problem smelling it and going after it. As for the actual smell, I've smelled much worse from the people around me. Actually, after my second viewing of the show, I even went over to Casey's Corner AND BOUGHT A CHILI DOG because the smell made me want one.
Argument three - Yes, the layout of Stitch is the same as Alien Encounter. But guess what? Alien Encounter used Mission to Mars' layout. Yes, many of the ideas between Stitch and Alien Encounter are similar, and so are the preshow audio-animatronics. This does not make Stitch a bad show. AAs are reused all the time as are story ideas (Horizons was a sequel to Carousel of Progress, Mission: Space is the same story as Mission to Mars).
Personally, I feel the way the story is presented in Stitch is better for many different reasons. Add to that a more upbeat ending, an utterly amazing audio-animatronic Stitch, the cool laser turrets, and the use of a fun Disney character, and I think this attraction makes a pretty great addition to Tomorrowland.
Oh, and the kids I went with loved it, and they were freaked out by Expedition: Everest. So, I don't think it's still too scary as some others have posted.
I think Stitch's Great Escape is enjoyable to those who can get past the loss of Alien Encounter. I hate that Horizons is gone, but I gave its successor a chance and enjoyed Mission: Space (not that I wouldn't mind the latter going away and the former returning, but...). Some want to try to latch on to things like holes in the storyline, the smell of the chili dog, or the fact that it used the same setup as Alien Encounter, but these are silly arguments. First, holes in storylines exist in many other "classic" attractions, but no one seems to care. I've pointed out the most obvious of the storyline violators - Star Tours (and I love this attraction, too) - in other posts, so I won't go into all of the inconsistencies with the movies here. But people still enjoy it. My guess is that most guests don't overanalyze the attractions the way we do, so most just walk away from Stitch and say "That was fun. What's next?"
Argument two - people sneak food and drinks into attractions all the time. As a former CM, I know this from personal experience. Stitch would have no problem smelling it and going after it. As for the actual smell, I've smelled much worse from the people around me. Actually, after my second viewing of the show, I even went over to Casey's Corner AND BOUGHT A CHILI DOG because the smell made me want one.
Argument three - Yes, the layout of Stitch is the same as Alien Encounter. But guess what? Alien Encounter used Mission to Mars' layout. Yes, many of the ideas between Stitch and Alien Encounter are similar, and so are the preshow audio-animatronics. This does not make Stitch a bad show. AAs are reused all the time as are story ideas (Horizons was a sequel to Carousel of Progress, Mission: Space is the same story as Mission to Mars).
Personally, I feel the way the story is presented in Stitch is better for many different reasons. Add to that a more upbeat ending, an utterly amazing audio-animatronic Stitch, the cool laser turrets, and the use of a fun Disney character, and I think this attraction makes a pretty great addition to Tomorrowland.
Oh, and the kids I went with loved it, and they were freaked out by Expedition: Everest. So, I don't think it's still too scary as some others have posted.
There were at least three screaming, hysterical kids the one and only time I went on SGE. One was so bad that the mother managed to wriggle out of the restraint things and was hugging the poor kid through his own shoulder bar things, trying to calm him down. I have never been on A Bug's Life without two or three children freaking out and having the parents take them out, and A Bug's Life is a lot less scary than SGE.
If you are lucky enough to never see screaming children on these sorts of attractions, I want to visit Disney with you, so I can go on these type of attractions without having screaming kids around me.
Oh, the other thing wrong with SGE is that it's Stitch, a character I personally can't stand. Stitch is annoying and embodies nearly everything that is a bad example for kids. Stitch demonstrates a lack of consequences for one's actions, so it's okay to misbehave. I don't care to promote that to children.
Epcot82Guy
Well-Known Member
I think the story is the largest problem for me. If Disney is going to go with this blatant story approach, then it needs to make sense. The attraction just never really sucks you in. It is just not that well written, and I agree with the holes. While it is popular enough, I am having a tough time justifying the amount of time and money spent on this to get what is not a huge net gain on attendance. Especially considering how characters seem to pull in audiences, this suggests that guests are not as impressed witht he attraction as they could be. It was just disappointing not because it was bad but because of how much better it could have been with simply a stronger creative team behind the writing and character development.
That`s one of the gripes with fans of it`s predecessor; Alien Encounter was removed for being `too scary` in the eyes of the blind or plain stupid. SGEs appeal is for children, but it still retains the AE format. Sudden noises in the dark (not to mention physical effects) will scare a kid. Such an ill conceived rehab.
To make matters worse, since 2004 the attraction was reprogrammed to have `reassuring ` soundbites played in the seats and for the dark sections to have some illumination. Still no joy. So what happened? The height limit has been raised 5 inches since opening. No longer are kids welcome. Only older guests... who`d perhaps enjoy Alien Encounter more. Talk about alienating (pun intended) your target audience. I get the feeling this is one fiasco those in charge would like to pretend wasn`t there.
dxwwf3
Well-Known Member
:sohappy:
nibblesandbits
Well-Known Member
I only have one disagreeing thing with your statement. And it's about you not seeing crying kids exiting AE. I can tell you...I went on AE as a 16 year old. Never been on it before. I can tell you...that ride terrified me...as a 16 year old! I know if I was terrified...there had to be lots of kids younger than me terrified. So while they may not have been crying necessarily...I'm sure they were pretty shaken after it. I know I was...and I didn't even feel the full effects of it...I was dressed up as Britney Spears for MNSSHP and had a wig on. So I didn't feel everything I should have...and I can't tell you how thankful I am that I was wearing that wig! :lol:I never really saw many kids crying after AE either. I've heard from CM's in the parks that AE got a lot of complains from parents and that SGE gets almost as many today. But I haven't really seen it from either attraction in my own personal experience.
Let's put it this way, I've seen more crying children at It's Tough To Be A Bug than AE and SGE combined. But I haven't spent much time around SGE come to think about it
Now...I don't know about SGE because I've only done it twice and never really paid attention to the crowds exiting. Maybe next time I go down, I'll try to keep watch of that...but SGE doesn't scare the bejesus out of me...AE did.
dxwwf3
Well-Known Member
Just because I didn't see it, doesn't mean it didn't happen. I'm not saying that at all.
Did you really think it was THAT scary? I've seen 7 and 8 year olds come out with smiles on their face :lookaroun :lol:
nibblesandbits
Well-Known Member
I totally understand you weren't saying that...just making the point.
And yes...I thought it was terrifying!!! I wanted out of that room as fast as I could. I don't remember if I cried...but I remember being scared s***less and I knew I never wanted to go back. So keep in mind...that ride could scare not just children...but any age group.
(And good for the 8 year olds who could ride it! :lol: They are stronger than I'd ever be!
)
Tim G
Well-Known Member
I was meant to be scary... It said so on the warning signs...I totally understand you weren't saying that...just making the point.
And yes...I thought it was terrifying!!! I wanted out of that room as fast as I could. I don't remember if I cried...but I remember being scared s***less and I knew I never wanted to go back. So keep in mind...that ride could scare not just children...but any age group.
(And good for the 8 year olds who could ride it! :lol: They are stronger than I'd ever be!
dxwwf3
Well-Known Member
Well I guess the attraction was more effective than I thought. I always saw it as something that would startle you and then cause laughter. I heard more laughs than screams every time I saw it. Actually, I think AE was the funniest attraction in WDW, IMO. *shrug*
Victor
Active Member
That's because it was the funniest. Not only in the sense of surpsising you and eliciting laughter, but it also had a great sense of humor, from the pre show all the way til the end.
nibblesandbits
Well-Known Member
:lol: Yeah thanks. I thought I could handle it. I guess I was wrong. :lol: My mom loved it though!
See...you learn something new everyday!
darthjohnny
Active Member
I can't even remember how the story of AE ended. I know that Stitch however has a definite ending (he teleports himself to WDW)
nibblesandbits
Well-Known Member
Yeah...I'm sure that would scare the hell outta anyone! :lol: