Disney Parks Series: ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter
Scares are right around the corner on this attraction, and oh boy, was it scary. The ride ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter opened on June 20, 1995, and was a pretty popular ride when it first opened. The ride closed on October 12, 2003, which I find to be a bit weird as it was the day I was born and this is the ride of Disney’s past I wanted to go on most. Without further ado, here is ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter.
The original ride of ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter was supposed to be a ride based off of Ridley Scott’s movie Alien since Disney had the ride rights because of the Great Movie Ride. It would be similar to Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin in which the passengers would be on the Nostromo and shoot the xenomorphs as they attack with laser guns. This was a great idea to younger Imagineers and Michael Eisner because he wanted to make the park more appealing to teens. Although Eisner and the younger Imagineers thought that this ride was a great idea, the senior Imagineers quickly declined the pitch. The senior Imagineers believed the park was to be a family-friendly experience, as Walt Disney himself created the park for that sole purpose. Also, the Imagineers thought that they would be considered copying Universal since Universal was following a movie theme. Even though the seniors declined the idea, Michael Eisner still wanted it to happen, but it was put to the side for now. The idea was resurfaced when Mission to Mars was losing its popularity. This time the Imagineers thought of an experience of an interactive theater. The riders would sit in chairs with shoulder rests that come down on them when they sit. The shoulder rests would simulate movement, audio, and air or breathing. The passengers would be in a room with the xenomorph and the alien would be simulated around the room jumping on seats, spitting, and heavy breathing. Eisner loved this idea and let it pass, but the senior Imagineers were still upset. The Imagineers sent George Lucas, whom Eisner had previously worked with, to convince him that the ride was a bad idea. That plan failed because Michael Eisner made Lucas the director for the project. Doing this had pushed the ride production time back a lot and the movies continued so the story kept changing and characters kept dying off, so they had to change everything.
Lucas came up with the idea of an evil corporation renting the Tomorrowland Convention Center and teleporting a dangerous alien down to Earth when the evil corporation said they would teleport one of themselves down instead. The idea was scrapped, but they kept some elements such as the alien and evil corporation. The soft opening, which was the first opening, was to include a small intro video on the corporation called XS Tech. They were explaining the process of the teleportation and what was going to happen. Riders were then ushered into the pre-show where a robot would show them what the teleportation was like. The robot was voiced by Phil Hartman and he would show the teleportation using an alien called Skippy. The teleportation would fry Skippy, and the riders would move into the attraction room. During the attraction, you will be informed that an alien would be teleported down to Earth instead of a human being teleported into space. The course would be interrupted and a carnivorous alien is transported down to Earth. Just like in the Xenomorph version the alien would make sounds, jump on seats and breathe heavily, it would even fly around. Then after a while, the alien is pushed back into the teleportation tube and the shield closes. Guests are then ushered out into the gift shop.
They revised it a few years later and more changes were made. Guests would be introduced with the same video, but in the pre-showroom, the robot was replaced and now voiced by Tim Curry, who has been in many famous productions such as It and Rocky Horror Picture Show. The robot had undergone many changes in personality and appearance. For example, the robot was now called S.I.R. which meant Simulated Intelligence Robotics as opposed to T.O.M. 2000 meaning Technobotic Oratorical Mechanism series 2000. Each robot had its own personality and there were distinct differences in each. S.I.R. was very arrogant, mean, and hinted at being evil, while T.O.M. was funny, witty, and caring. During the pre-show Skippy would be teleported across the room, while T.O.M. was worried for Skippy when the teleportation went wrong, S.I.R. yelled at Skippy. Guests were ushered into the attraction and the same video before the teleportation would play where the alien would be teleported to Earth instead of a human being teleported off of Earth. Then the carnivorous alien would come down and do the same thing. They changed the audio so the riders knew the alien could fly since most people didn’t realize which conflicted with the plot of the ride. They also made it so the technician that is attacked and eaten doesn’t know that an alien is in the room putting guests on edge waiting to see what happened. In the end, the shield would close, but the alien would explode before it could, but this time splashing the guests with water to simulate blood and guts.
That’s it, the ride was perfect, nothing was wrong with it, except for one thing….. the parents. Child riders would commonly go on, even if they were warned of how scary the ride is. Parents who brought their kids to Disney would always complain to guest services about how frightening the ride is, and honestly, it was. The attraction was originally based on Alien the movie, which most likely had an influence on the final product. This would have a major influence on the placement of the ride. Some people believed that this ride did not belong in the magic kingdom. Based on the theming of the ride, it would work better in Hollywood Studios or even Universal Studios. ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter was soon closed and replaced by Stitch’s Great Escape.
Using most of the same technology, Stitch’s Great Escape followed a less terrifying alien that most kids knew. The riders would go through the same process where they are briefed by a person. Instead of an alien from XS, it was Captain Gantu and the animatronic for S.I.R. just underwent appearance changes and was called Sergeant 90210. Although, Skippy stayed… one is better than nothing I guess. The seats for the attraction were the same, but with different colors, and on some seat covers the XS tech logo could be found. It was opened on October 18, 2004, and it was rated as a terrible ride. My first time, and only time going on the ride all I can remember is having the horrible stench from the ride follow me everywhere, and vowing to never ride it again. When the riders are informed in the first pre-show room, they are told that they are new guards for a penitentiary, the Galactic Federation, housing terrible experiments and aliens. The riders are moved to where the S.I.R. robot was found and given an example of how to deal with prisoners. Captain Gantu then says over the intercom that there is a level three prisoner, guests would then make their way into the actual showroom. Stitch will end up escaping causing the power to fluctuate, he spits a lot and yells out a few things that his character would commonly say. He ends up teleporting down to Florida on Earth and video is seen of him on Cinderella’s Castle in Fantasyland. Most reviewers out this ride in their top ten worst rides probably because it was just a coverup for ExtraTERRORestrial. Stitch’s Great Escape was thought to be closed on January 6, 2018, permanently, but according to Walt Disney World News Daily, it will return. The ride was in seasonal operation, which basically puts it on the chopping block, but it seems to be similar to the Carousel of Progress and its seasonal operation. Soon, it will be used as a meet and greet spot with Stitch, but it doesn’t seem that ExtraTERRORestrial will be returning soon, if ever.
As of today ExtraTERRORestrial, Alien Encounter is seen as a brilliant and almost perfect attraction. Maybe one day the show will come back possibly in Hollywood Studios this time so not as many people will complain. But now, there is only hope that this masterpiece will return to Disney one day.