Stitch's Great Escape!
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Park | Magic Kingdom | |
|---|---|---|
| Opened | 2004 | |
| Ride duration | 15 minutes | |
| Sponsor(s) | ||
| 2004- | none | |
Stitch's Great Escape! is a Tomorrowland attraction at the Magic Kingdom theme park within Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. It is a "theater-in-the-round" experience starring the title alien from Walt Disney Pictures' 2002 animated comedy Lilo & Stitch.
It opened November 16, 2004 and is the fourth attraction to occupy the site in Tomorrowland. The space debuted as Flight to the Moon when the Magic Kingdom opened in 1971, and later was replaced by Mission to Mars and the ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter, which closed October 12, 2003.
Walt Disney Feature Animation produced all of the attraction's character animation. Many of the animators who worked on Lilo & Stitch partnered with Walt Disney Imagineering for Stitch's Great Escape!
Contents |
[edit] Synopsis
Set before the events of Lilo & Stitch, the attraction invites guests to the Galactic Federation's Prisoner Teleport Center, where they are new recruits in their first day on the job. During orientation, a "level 3" prisoner known as Experiment 626 (a.k.a. Stitch) is beamed into the facility and quickly outwits his captors.
[edit] Technology
The attraction includes much of the technology and sets from its predecessor, the ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter, including the comical alien Skippy in the preshow area. The 39-inch Audio-Animatronic Stitch figure built by Imagineering reportedly is one of the most complex creations of its size. Other special effects include binaural sound, simulated laser cannons and a pungent smell (that of a chilidog, which lampoons the rule about bringing food and drink into the theatre).
[edit] Criticism
The attraction was designed to replace the more darkly themed ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter, which proved to be too intense for many younger guests. However, the new attraction's special effects and prolonged periods of darkness continue to scare many children. Since opening, the height restriction has increased from 35 inches to 40 inches. The attraction also has drawn criticism for its tight-fitting shoulder restraints, which were not changed from the previous version.
[edit] Attraction facts
[edit] Magic Kingdom
- Grand opening: November 16, 2004
- Designer: Walt Disney Imagineering and Walt Disney Feature Animation
- Height requirement: 40"
- Previous attractions:
- ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter
- Mission to Mars
- Flight to the Moon
- Show length: 15:00
- Ride system: Seated presentation with Audio-Animatronics, video, and audio
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- Stitch's Great Escape. WDWHistory.com. Retrieved on August 12, 2006.
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps or Yahoo! Maps
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
- Satellite image from Google Maps or Microsoft Virtual Earth
