Stitch's Great Escape - Little Kids Crying - Makes No Sense
Walt Disney World: 40 inches is too short for this ride, the kids are too young, the ride is dark and frightening, the story is confusing.
From mike ess
Posted May 8, 2013 at 11:05 AM
Full disclosure: I have no idea who/what Stitch is or why he's trying to escape....but I shouldn't have to, nor should my 4 year old, to enjoy a ride that allows children 40 inches tall.
This ride isn't a ride, but an experience like the Terminator, where you go in, sit down, and stuff happens. It frightened my 4-year old so badly he cried and covered his face with his hands. He wasn't the only one, there were little kids all over the place in there bawling.
The ride begins in an anteroom where the crowd watches a cartoon of characters setting up the plot. But if you don't know who the characters are, it makes little sense, and it's too expository for anyone under 6 or 7 to understand it - or frankly for adults who don't already know the story. The characters on the cartoon are mean, and the setting of the room itself is pretty threatening, but not overly so.
Then the crowd moves into the room itself. It's very threatening and looks like a set from the movie "Alien" complete with hollow cylinders where, presumably creatures appear - just like "Alien". Then the harnesses come down. You're pinned which is frightening to a little kid who now can't get to their parents' laps.
Cue the big, mean animatron, big noises, complete darkness with wind in your ear, smells, the harness moving up and down, strobe lights and more noise. Completely terrifying the littlest kids who can't get to their parents, and who can't comfort their kids. At some point to everyone's relief, the experience ends.
Despite the total inappropriateness of having little kids there, the storyline is incomprehensible for people who don't know it, the action makes no sense and I still have no idea what that little blue cockroach is, what he does or why I should care. At this point, if I saw him, I'd spray him with raid.
The parents of the little kids all complained to the workers at the gift shop where the ride emptied into, and many are probably writing reviews like this one. Even workers at other parks had heard from parents how bad this ride is. Disney is awesome and amazing in so many ways, but it only takes one experience like this where your kids gets scared - really, really scared - and it ruins it. They should at the very least raise the height requirement to keep out the littlest kids. At most they should create an experience that makes sense.
A ride based on Alien films using the same concept as Stitch and the previous Alien Encounter used. If you look on the sign outside the ride it warns you of the scare level.
Disney......please destroy this garbage and replace it with a true FUTURE ride.
Why can't we just go on a mission to Mars? Oh, they have a mission to Mars at Epcot, a Mars where the polar ice caps are at the equator. Where some idiot built a runway right next to the Grand Canyon of Mars.
They should have kept it as Alien Encoumter. At least you knew what you were getting into
"Join the Galactic Federation as a Security Recruit and report for duty in a confined setting where you will experience loud noises, brief moments of darkness, and the surprising antics of Stitch.
This attraction may be frightening for children."
It's pretty much posted right outside the ride.
Also, Stitch is an extremely popular character featured in the popular film "Lilo and Stitch." I'm sorry you're unfamiliar with it, but that's not Disney's fault.
Finally, maturity is not defined by height. The height requirement is only there to protect the physical safety of park guests. 40 inches is also the minimum height to ride the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, but I don't think that necessarily means all children should be required to ride it.
At least we can all agree that the attraction is awful (and with a rating of 3, I think it's safe to say that it's pretty much universally loathed). Just be glad you didn't do it when it was the EXPONENTIALLY SCARIER Alien Encounter (which also had a 40 inch height requirement).
And I'm sorry, but the storyline is pretty simplistic. You want to be confused? Ride Peter Pan with someone who is unfamiliar with the film. It's literally seven or eight scenes that don't make a lick of sense.
It makes me cry and I'm a grown up.
Of course I am crying at its sheer awfulness....
From Scott B
Posted May 9, 2013 at 6:40 AM
My three year old is 39" tall and couldn't go on this a few weeks ago. My wife went on it with my five year old while my 3 year old cried (she is a HUGE Stitch fan) for what seemed like an eternity because she just wanted to see Stitch.
Unfortunately my five year old didn't help out matters when she found us afterwards and then told her sister, "That was the greatest thing ever!"
From Tony Duda
Posted May 9, 2013 at 11:49 AM
I guess it all comes down to whether or not your kids are adventurous or scardycats. That 5 year old above loved it. Also, kids take clues from their parents, if the parents get freaked out, the kids will follow. If the parents are positive and thrilled, the kids will follow.
Anyway, the Stitch attraction is terrible and the worst version that facility has had since it was built.
It's the lowest-rated attraction on this website for a reason. Actually, with reviews this bad, it's for several reasons. Whether your kids love frights or not, our readers collectively suggest that you skip this attraction for something else. Anything else, actually.
Like Robert said, it's the lowest rated ride on the site, and it's also the second lowest rated thing in WDW behind Jack Sparrow.
From Tony Duda
Posted May 9, 2013 at 11:08 PM
I don't understand the low rating of Jack Sparrow. This show is vastly better than any previous "movie show" to be in that space. It is very inventive, using new technologies and effects. Maybe uninformed people thought they were going on Pirates of the Caribbean instead and were miffed at their own ignorance. I've seen every show there since 1997 and this is the best.
its the same ride as the alien encounter ride from the past. the ride to me has no point being in that park and it should definitely be changed out for something better.
Understandable But that kinda crap ruined Alien Encounters disney amazing rides stupid inforcement
except the stroller force they don"t screw around.
Ps. dont go into a ride where you don"t know what the movie is.
Manny, if that were the case I'm sure ride attendance numbers would be down.
True True
yeah the ride really is dum. Like I love stich but just how it is doesn't really fit disney at all.
Plan for Sitch-
Aliens Attack, a motion simulator ride that will test you of surviving these inta-Earth creatures. It's very interactive too with decisions that will help your survival. Will you make it? Will you die? Find out.....if you dare.
This ride will have a 51 inch requirment to get on, keeping out little kids. This will be the first motion simulator in the MK. It will have intense scariness since it's sorta based on ALIEN. Good idea? Please reply on my idea.
I think it would be tough to fit a decent capacity simulator in there. Also, I don't see a simulator based on Alien movies really working. Maybe from the point if view of a soilder a helmet cam?
If they can't do that....they should get rid of Laugh Floor since it's not future themed. That might be enough space, Andrew. Also, the MK is too family friendly, it needs a "horror film" ride.
I agree, perhaps turn Laugh Floor Minsters Inc. thingy into a 4-D film ride inside that building, based off PDA shoulders helmet cam and the audiance watching from a remote location.
I also think the Carosuel of Progress should be knocked off for a new attraction.
^SINNER!^
you never just "knock off" the living legacy know as carousel of progress.
Good news is...if Disney every wants to part ways with that attraction they were left with standing orders to donate to the Smithsonian
Listen, it's old and less hi tech than newer rides. At least they could give it an update. Also, Tommorw Land is crap anyway aside from Buzz and Space Mountain,
Tyler Im sorry but you are completely wrong Tomorrow land
is awesome and history in disney parks it is wallets vision and they must preserve it.
Walt* stupid auto correct.
Actually I think if there is space for a Despicable Me size simulator in the space where the old Sky Bucket station is, also Tomorrowland Speedway doesnt really fit the theming of this area and should be relocated. This would free up a huge space for expansion of Tomorrowland.
The Tangled area replaced the Skyway station.
I win, Robert, archive this
The real problem is lack of significant space in Tomorrow Land. What cold you rip out that gives room for a good dark ride?
Monsters Laugh Floor For sure
Tron anybody or is test track 2.0 enough of tron for disney??
Perhaps......the speedway would provide space for an Iron Man ride...or Alien...something.
Nope Alien is out of the picture tyler iron man sorry no
Avengers Yes
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