Why do people hate Stitch's Great Escape?

[Disneyfanman]

My entire family hated Stitch. It produced the most emotional reactions from everyone! I think part of it was that everyone but my wife really liked AE. My kids dared each other to keep their eyes open. It was sort of a rite of passage for them as they became teens. Then Disney, correctly in my opinion, responded to the many complaints that said that AE was in the wrong place, and that it scared the pants off of kids. It had death (poor Skippy!), and the monster blew up at the end. They took it out and put in something that they thought could contain the same sensory elements (read cheaper!) and would still be kid friendly. They just botched the replacement. So my kids were really mad about AE being pulled out anyway and now the replacement (themed on one of their favorite movies) wasn't very good. I think it's just lame and poorly designed. The chili-dog smell makes me want to barf. The story is just kind of empty. I would have much rather that they built it into a musical story with the Elvis music and poly music from the movie. Leave the scary edgy stuff out. My kids would have probably hated that too, but I would have liked it at least. This and first replacement for Journey Into Imagination were the most disappointing ride experiences that I have ever had from Disney. I wonder if the same design team was involved with both? That would be interesting to know, because they both suffered from problems born in the original concept of the attractions. Really basic stuff. I think that Disney just tossed millions of dollars down the toilet on both of those attractions. At least they added figment and some music back into Journey into your imagination. I can now ride that one without cringing....although it still should be better IMHO.

 

[imagineer boy]

AE had a much better storyline, you were entering a convention center where the company X-S was showcasing their products. The product they were showing to us was a teleporter. But when we see the product something goes terribly wrong, they acidentally transport a big alien to us that breaks the tube and runs loose in the audience. The ending was that they had to get rid of the Alien so they supercharged the teleporter and blew up the alien!

Yes, and let's compare it to the SGE story line:

It is set before the Lilo and Stitch movie takes place. The supreme council women is setting up a random security center on earth, even though they never heard about earth until the movie happens. So, they select random humans out of the blue to be maximum security guards at a dangerous security facility, even though the council women was clearly clueless about humans in the movie. ( wait, I though this took place before the movie. ) And so, we're briefed to show how alien prisoners are teleported with advanced technology to the prisoner center. But wait, a super dangerous criminal is being brought in! So, Gantu's solution is to send in the random tourist recruits to look after this killer. So, the random tourists take their seats in the main theater, and the analysis modules are brought down so that your DNA isn't confused with the prisoner's DNA ( wait, why didn't you have to wear them during the teleportation demonstration in the last preshow?! ) Then stitch is sent in ( teleporting upwards from the ground of corse ) and he cuts the power. Get the auxilary power! There is none? X-S tech may have been short sighted, but they weren't this dumb. Stitch steal's someone's chili dog which they weren't supposed to have in the first place and burps it all over you. The guns are useless because they can't aim very well. So, stitch teleports him to earth and into the magic kingdom ( wait, weren't you there already? ) and trades lame jokes with Cinderella. That's it. You're fired. Get the hell outa here, and enjoy the now ruined tomorrowland!

Its tough to tell which one has the better story.

 

[RenegadeMilkmen]

It was a very bad move for Disney. At least when it was AE, it attracted some pre-teens/teens and adults because of the scare factor. Hell, AE had a GREAT storyline. Even my friend, whose all into science fiction and stuff (who thought he would hate WDW), ended up LOVING this attraction because of its immersive storyline. When I told him they changed it into SGE, he was nearly in tears. Now that they slapped Stitch into it, its meant to appeal to younger children. Problem is- the RIDE ITSELF is still too frightening for children, and now with its younger theming, the teen/adult audience will be turned off by it also. It just turned what was once a good attraction into a horrible joke, much like what happened to the Tiki Room.

 

[Ariellen]

One of my biggest 'issues' with Stitch's Great Escape is that it is so full of material that contradicts the events of Lilo & Stitch. It is set before the movie, yet Stitch refers to himself as 'Stitch' when he's only been called Experiment 626 (or insults like 'trog' or 'that little monstrosity'). The chili dog gag is just too gross for me, and besides, where do they sell chili dogs at MK?

Alien Encounter was not an attraction for everyone, which is probably what brought about its removal, but at least it had a strong storyline. Its method of storytelling was not-your-typical-Disney, which didn't really ever bother me; I've never had a problem with thrilling attractions in the World. I thought the fact that it was so DIFFERENT than 'typical Disney' made it interesting, and the fact that it was so convincing made it exciting. It scared me when I first went on, but I wasn't a kid in tears. It was intense and maybe not the best fit for Magic Kingdom, but my family enjoyed it quite a lot.

Stitch just doesn't tell a coherent story, and so many of the effects have been removed that the attraction is boring for anyone seeking a thrill and yet since it gets so dark, it still scares quite a few little kids. I can see why they may have thought "OK, Alien's just too much for this park; we want something new. Stitch is an alien, and he's popular, let's try that!" As a fan of Lilo and Stitch, I was excited when the change was announced, even though I loved AE, too. The new attraction, however, just doesn't feel engaging to me at all, and the version of Stitch that they present isn't the Stitch that I loved. I thought he'd be playfully mischievous, rather than the out-and-out gross version in the ride. Stitch appealed to me because he was cute and his humor could be zanier than some other Disney characters, but he had a good heart, and even though he was mischievous, he wanted to belong to part of a family. Not that Stitch of the attraction is out of character, but it's...overkill on 'bad Stitch' in a plot that just doesn't 'work.'

 

[bsandersjr]

besides, where do they sell chili dogs at MK?

Why Casey's Corner, of course!:animwink:

 

[Rockin Roller]

I think that Stitchs great Escape will be gone in a few years and Disney will build a GOOD ride with Stitch like they should have in the beginning

 

[mitchjs]

By Far the worst attaction in the park...

its a toss between this or MGM's drew carey's attaction, as comic book guy would say... "Worst Attraction Ever!"

and isnt strange, the preshow to stitch is better then the main?

and get stitchs voice off the monorails! please!

mitch

 

[Connor002]

Many hate it because it replaced Alien Encounter.
Others hate it because it's a bit too scary for the young ones.
Still others find the plot flawed and the presentation under par.
Personally, I just find it okay. They didn't hit it out of the ballpark, nor did they fail completely.

 

[DDuckFan130]

Many hate it because it replaced Alien Encounter.
Others hate it because it's a bit too scary for the young ones.
Still others find the plot flawed and the presentation under par.
Personally, I just find it okay. They didn't hit it out of the ballpark, nor did they fail completely.

I agree...the more vocal ones are the ones that belong in group number 1 :lookaroun

 

[Enderikari]

I have found, in my vast experience of internet armchair imagineers coming out of the woodwork to talk about Stitch's Great Escape, is that the primary, and in many cases, the sole, reason why people don't like SGE is because: "It isn't Alien Encounter." How many comparisons have been made on these boards alone? Face it folks, you are living in the past.. Stitch's Great Escape is in the here and now, and you are living in the gilded past of nostalgia. SGE is liked by a great many people, far more than those who dislike it... Don't believe internet demagogues when they say that there are a host of complaints everyday about the attraction... There isn't... In fact, Alien Encounter garnered more verbal/written complaints in a standard month than Stitch has gotten in its entire run (fact!).
Of course, I can see it now... Some internet bozo starting a letter-writing campaign to try and besmirch Stitch's image, to try and make his ideal world into a self-fulfilling prophecy... it won't work.. Internet fans are in the minority on this, the guests of WDW have spoken... The same ones who were terrified to go on Alien Encounter are willing to give Stitch a try, and a good number of them are declaring Stitch a resounding, Ok! No, not excellent, no, not super... But still higher numbers than what the Carousel of Progress is putting up on the status sheets...

And don't give me the stupid, "Look how many people are in line at 9 PM, see! No one wants to go there." If we followed that logic Spaceship Earth (with its bulk of guests visiting in the first 3 and a half hours) would have gone the way of the dodo as well. SGE was never meant to be a landmark attraction, just a decent one. It serves its purpose, doesn't scar anyone for life, and fits within the confines of the Magic Kingdom

 

[DDuckFan130]

I have found, in my vast experience of internet armchair imagineers coming out of the woodwork to talk about Stitch's Great Escape, is that the primary, and in many cases, the sole, reason why people don't like SGE is because: "It isn't Alien Encounter." How many comparisons have been made on these boards alone? Face it folks, you are living in the past.. Stitch's Great Escape is in the here and now, and you are living in the gilded past of nostalgia. SGE is liked by a great many people, far more than those who dislike it... Don't believe internet demagogues when they say that there are a host of complaints everyday about the attraction... There isn't... In fact, Alien Encounter garnered more verbal/written complaints in a standard month than Stitch has gotten in its entire run (fact!).
Of course, I can see it now... Some internet bozo starting a letter-writing campaign to try and besmirch Stitch's image, to try and make his ideal world into a self-fulfilling prophecy... it won't work.. Internet fans are in the minority on this, the guests of WDW have spoken... The same ones who were terrified to go on Alien Encounter are willing to give Stitch a try, and a good number of them are declaring Stitch a resounding, Ok! No, not excellent, no, not super... But still higher numbers than what the Carousel of Progress is putting up on the status sheets...

And don't give me the stupid, "Look how many people are in line at 9 PM, see! No one wants to go there." If we followed that logic Spaceship Earth (with its bulk of guests visiting in the first 3 and a half hours) would have gone the way of the dodo as well. SGE was never meant to be a landmark attraction, just a decent one. It serves its purpose, doesn't scar anyone for life, and fits within the confines of the Magic Kingdom

:sohappy: :sohappy: :sohappy:

Thank you!

 

[CThaddeus]

I write this with "Lilo and Stitch: The Series" playing in the background, so maybe I'm a bit biased toward the current occupant of the former Alien Encounter building. In any case, I still feel that Stitch's Great Escape is a much better attraction than Alien Encounter. I'd like to try to respond to a couple of the arguments against Stitch:
1. The attraction doesn't follow the plot to the movie or TV show. True, however, let me just point out another attraction - considered a classic by most, including myself - that doesn't logically follow the movie it is based on. I speak of Star Tours, based on a little series of movies you might have heard about. It revolves around a trip to the Endor moon, which just happens to have another Death Star around it. Now, we know the events of the attraction take place AFTER "Return of the Jedi" because R2-D2 and C-3PO are discussing their previous visits to the locales on the large screen behind them (Endor, Hoth, Tatooine). However, as mentioned, a Death Star once again resides near the moon of Endor. This Death Star, surprisingly, has the same fatal flaw as the first one from "A New Hope," namely a thermal exhaust port. So, you're attacking the Death Star from episode IV in a story set after episode VI. And, most interestingly of all, they're running a tour company around areas the Empire is currently occupying. Very bright. But, guess what? It's a ride! Suspend your need to overanalyze things like I've just done and enjoy it!
2. The chili dog burp - Okay, if this is your biggest complaint, I would advise you to stay away from "manly men" (who tend to burp at the drop of a hat) and many of the tourists around you. Both can be far more disgusting than anything pumped out in a Disney attraction. The chili dog smell doesn't bother me, and I noticed no lingering after-effects. I would think the stink bug smell from It's Tough to be a Bug would offend more noses. I'm fine with both, as they are humorous touches to the shows and as mentioned, the smell fades quickly away (at least it always has for me).
Then there's that argument about how did he get a chili dog from someone when there's no food or drinks allowed. Surely you don't believe everyone listens to those warnings. As a former cast member, I KNOW people sneak things in places they're not supposed to. If you need a logical explanation how it got in there, the person got in line, put the chili dog (from Casey's Corner, as mentioned in a previous post) back into the aluminum foil-ish wrapper it came in, carried it with them into the attraction (out of the sight of the CMs), and placed it on the ground next to them for the attraction. Stitch smelled it, went after it, ate it, and burped it. Problem solved.
3. Alien Encounter had a better story - To some, this may be true. I always felt it was seriously lacking...Sounds Dangerous with restraint harnesses (but not as humorous). The whole point of it seemed to be to subject people to unnecessary amounts of gore (spurting blood) and death. And the ending was the oh-so-positive "let's blow up the alien" and spurt the audience with more water/simulated blood. Dare I mention how lame the Alien actually looked when you could briefly make it out? That was a supreme disappointment to me after seeing the incredible SIR and Skippy preshow. Finally, I always felt THIS show ended much too abruptly. Blow up the alien, oopsy from Kevin Pollak and co-worker, then get out. No happy ending, no retrieval of Chairman Clench (probably also dead), just a blown up alien and lots of "now dead" guests. Wow, that left me feeling uplifted!
I mentioned this in another post, but I think it warrants mentioning again - I didn't hate Alien Encounter; I just didn't think it lived up to its preshow. I also think it would have fit in much better at the Disney-MGM Studios, which has always seemed to have a bit more of an adult focus. The Magic Kingdom's Tomorrowland just felt like the wrong place for something so lacking in a joy and inspiration. At least the end of Stitch's Great Escape has Stitch escaping to be his mischievous self. No one dies. No blood. No gore. I know Alien Encounter seems to have inspired some. I just wasn't one of them, once SIR and Skippy were done.

 

[dxwwf3]

Because it sucks.

:lol:

 

[dxwwf3]

I have found, in my vast experience of internet armchair imagineers coming out of the woodwork to talk about Stitch's Great Escape, is that the primary, and in many cases, the sole, reason why people don't like SGE is because: "It isn't Alien Encounter." How many comparisons have been made on these boards alone? Face it folks, you are living in the past.. Stitch's Great Escape is in the here and now, and you are living in the gilded past of nostalgia. SGE is liked by a great many people, far more than those who dislike it... Don't believe internet demagogues when they say that there are a host of complaints everyday about the attraction... There isn't... In fact, Alien Encounter garnered more verbal/written complaints in a standard month than Stitch has gotten in its entire run (fact!).
Of course, I can see it now... Some internet bozo starting a letter-writing campaign to try and besmirch Stitch's image, to try and make his ideal world into a self-fulfilling prophecy... it won't work.. Internet fans are in the minority on this, the guests of WDW have spoken... The same ones who were terrified to go on Alien Encounter are willing to give Stitch a try, and a good number of them are declaring Stitch a resounding, Ok! No, not excellent, no, not super... But still higher numbers than what the Carousel of Progress is putting up on the status sheets...

And don't give me the stupid, "Look how many people are in line at 9 PM, see! No one wants to go there." If we followed that logic Spaceship Earth (with its bulk of guests visiting in the first 3 and a half hours) would have gone the way of the dodo as well. SGE was never meant to be a landmark attraction, just a decent one. It serves its purpose, doesn't scar anyone for life, and fits within the confines of the Magic Kingdom

As tired as you may feel the other side's argument is, your SGE apologetic to a fault attitude isn't any better. How much longer until the newness wears off and you turn against the attraction? It seems you're only behind it because it is new and there are WDW fans that don't like it.

Look how many people are in line at 12 pm, 2 pm, and 6 pm. It doesn't matter. You get the same results. God knows some people like SGE and many people who aren't fans have to like the attraction, but there's no need to try and put a positive spin on things because it is a "new attraction". There are pictures all over the internet to prove that the queues aren't as long as they should be for a new attraction and Stitch merchandise isn't selling as good as it used to (Or at least that is what certain CM's have told me that work in MoV).

During my entire time in Tomorrowland this trip, SGE never had many more people than the CoP. Neither were exactly packing them in, but the CoP in no way should have comparable lines to a new attraction based on a popular character. Yes, SGE is out performing the CoP, but there would be something VERY, VERY wrong if it wasn't at this point.

SGE may be liked by more people than dislike it, but so was AE. It didn't scar children for life or have people lined up at City Hall every day either. It seems you are trying to make up for one side's exaggerations by exaggerating yourself.

 

[dxwwf3]

I write this with "Lilo and Stitch: The Series" playing in the background, so maybe I'm a bit biased toward the current occupant of the former Alien Encounter building. In any case, I still feel that Stitch's Great Escape is a much better attraction than Alien Encounter. I'd like to try to respond to a couple of the arguments against Stitch:
1. The attraction doesn't follow the plot to the movie or TV show. True, however, let me just point out another attraction - considered a classic by most, including myself - that doesn't logically follow the movie it is based on. I speak of Star Tours, based on a little series of movies you might have heard about. It revolves around a trip to the Endor moon, which just happens to have another Death Star around it. Now, we know the events of the attraction take place AFTER "Return of the Jedi" because R2-D2 and C-3PO are discussing their previous visits to the locales on the large screen behind them (Endor, Hoth, Tatooine). However, as mentioned, a Death Star once again resides near the moon of Endor. This Death Star, surprisingly, has the same fatal flaw as the first one from "A New Hope," namely a thermal exhaust port. So, you're attacking the Death Star from episode IV in a story set after episode VI. And, most interestingly of all, they're running a tour company around areas the Empire is currently occupying. Very bright. But, guess what? It's a ride! Suspend your need to overanalyze things like I've just done and enjoy it!
2. The chili dog burp - Okay, if this is your biggest complaint, I would advise you to stay away from "manly men" (who tend to burp at the drop of a hat) and many of the tourists around you. Both can be far more disgusting than anything pumped out in a Disney attraction. The chili dog smell doesn't bother me, and I noticed no lingering after-effects. I would think the stink bug smell from It's Tough to be a Bug would offend more noses. I'm fine with both, as they are humorous touches to the shows and as mentioned, the smell fades quickly away (at least it always has for me).
Then there's that argument about how did he get a chili dog from someone when there's no food or drinks allowed. Surely you don't believe everyone listens to those warnings. As a former cast member, I KNOW people sneak things in places they're not supposed to. If you need a logical explanation how it got in there, the person got in line, put the chili dog (from Casey's Corner, as mentioned in a previous post) back into the aluminum foil-ish wrapper it came in, carried it with them into the attraction (out of the sight of the CMs), and placed it on the ground next to them for the attraction. Stitch smelled it, went after it, ate it, and burped it. Problem solved.
3. Alien Encounter had a better story - To some, this may be true. I always felt it was seriously lacking...Sounds Dangerous with restraint harnesses (but not as humorous). The whole point of it seemed to be to subject people to unnecessary amounts of gore (spurting blood) and death. And the ending was the oh-so-positive "let's blow up the alien" and spurt the audience with more water/simulated blood. Dare I mention how lame the Alien actually looked when you could briefly make it out? That was a supreme disappointment to me after seeing the incredible SIR and Skippy preshow. Finally, I always felt THIS show ended much too abruptly. Blow up the alien, oopsy from Kevin Pollak and co-worker, then get out. No happy ending, no retrieval of Chairman Clench (probably also dead), just a blown up alien and lots of "now dead" guests. Wow, that left me feeling uplifted!
I mentioned this in another post, but I think it warrants mentioning again - I didn't hate Alien Encounter; I just didn't think it lived up to its preshow. I also think it would have fit in much better at the Disney-MGM Studios, which has always seemed to have a bit more of an adult focus. The Magic Kingdom's Tomorrowland just felt like the wrong place for something so lacking in a joy and inspiration. At least the end of Stitch's Great Escape has Stitch escaping to be his mischievous self. No one dies. No blood. No gore. I know Alien Encounter seems to have inspired some. I just wasn't one of them, once SIR and Skippy were done.

I disagree mainly with everything in #3, but I think that is a well written post :wave:

 

[CThaddeus]

I disagree mainly with everything in #3, but I think that is a well written post :wave:

Thank you. I disagree mainly with everything in your sentence up to the comma, but I couldn't expect you to agree with me when you've got an avatar and signatures like that.
And your post was very well written, too. Much more succinct than mine.

 

[dxwwf3]

Internet fans are in the minority on this, the guests of WDW have spoken... The same ones who were terrified to go on Alien Encounter are willing to give Stitch a try, and a good number of them are declaring Stitch a resounding, Ok! No, not excellent, no, not super... But still higher numbers than what the Carousel of Progress is putting up on the status sheets...

Something else I should point out, how would the attendance numbers compare between AE and SGE at the same time of their "lives"? Would that be a more accurate comparison? It would seem to me that if the WDW guests have spoken, it would be that they liked AE more than SGE. When AE was a couple of years old, it was certainly outperforming SGE's current queue times. It just sounds like flawed logic to me.

Also I should aplogize somewhat for my tone in my original post. I'm sure you're just a SGE fan that is tired of the bashing. But then again, I'm just an AE fan that is tired of the SGE over apologetic attitudes. It really goes both ways, I guess.

 

[dxwwf3]

Many hate it because it replaced Alien Encounter.
Others hate it because it's a bit too scary for the young ones.
Still others find the plot flawed and the presentation under par.
Personally, I just find it okay. They didn't hit it out of the ballpark, nor did they fail completely.

The more vocal ones might fall under number 1, but from what I can tell most people who post about not liking SGE would fall under number 3.

 

[shmmrname]

AE was fun. I liked it. It was unique in the WDW realm of rides.
SGE is definitely not shooting for the demographic that I currently reside in. But, I see it's entertaining qualities.


In the end, I do see why AE was an awkward attraction for WDW. It doesn't fit in with the other rides, maybe that's a good thing or maybe it isn't. And, because of it's unique-ness, I find that it's charm dwindled with each repeated visit. Scary movies are never the same after the first time you see them.
How is SGE different then? Well, the younger audience is more heavily involved. Keeping children happy is the easiest way to keep families happy. Also, maybe it's just me, but I really think younger children are less apt to find diminished value in a repeated experience. How many times has a child asked you to watch a DVD/TV Show that you know they've seen a million times?
And the character tie-in doesn't hurt. Stitch is compelling, and he was a great addition to Disney. In the end, having a character tie-in can justify having a ride that of AE/SGE's scope for a far greater time.

 

[hammysammy59]

SGE was kind of a bummer for me. I really love Stitch, and I remembered thinking the original AE was pretty sweet albeit a bit horrifying , so I think I went into SGE with way too high of expectations. It was cute, it found new ways to use the old AE effects, and the pre-show stuff with the robot and the teleporter tubes still RULES, but SGE just fell a little flat for me.

Also, the chili dog burp smells JUST like the turkey legs at the central food stand (can't think of the name) in Tomorrowland.