Stitch's Great Escape! facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Stitch's Great Escape! |
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Stitch in the show theater
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| Ride statistics | |||||||||||||||||
| Attraction type | Interactive theater | ||||||||||||||||
| Designer | Walt Disney Imagineering | ||||||||||||||||
| Theme | Lilo & Stitch | ||||||||||||||||
| Audience capacity | 162 per show | ||||||||||||||||
| Duration | 17:30, about 3 minutes for preshow | ||||||||||||||||
| Height restriction | 40 in (102 cm) | ||||||||||||||||
| Audio-Animatronics | 5 (three pre-show figures; two Stitch figures, one for each theater) | ||||||||||||||||
| Related attraction | Stitch Encounter | ||||||||||||||||
 Wheelchair accessible |
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 Assistive listening available |
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 Closed captioning available |
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Stitch's Great Escape! was a fun show at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World Resort. It was based on Disney's Lilo & Stitch movies. This attraction told a story about Stitch's "first" time escaping from prison. It was located in the Tomorrowland area and used the same building as older attractions like Flight to the Moon and ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter.
Contents
Stitch's Great Escape: A Look Back
How Stitch's Great Escape Started
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On September 21, 2003, Magic Kingdom announced a new Lilo & Stitch ride. It would replace the ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter. That ride was too scary for many kids. Disney wanted something more family-friendly.
So, on October 10, they shared more details. The new attraction would be called Stitch's Great Escape! It would use the same technology as the old Alien Encounter. Just two days later, Alien Encounter closed. Work began to change it into the Stitch attraction.
Opening Day Fun
Stitch's Great Escape! opened on November 16, 2004. For the opening, a giant inflatable Stitch was outside the park. Inside, guests saw signs saying Stitch was causing trouble. Security guards even looked for him!
Cinderella Castle was decorated with toilet paper. A message said, "Stitch is King." Cobra Bubbles told guests Stitch was loose. Stitch even took over the opening party with Elvis Presley singers. It was a very wild and fun opening day!
Guest Reactions and Changes
People had different feelings about the attraction. Some guests thought it was a great kid-friendly ride. Others said it was the worst at Magic Kingdom. A common complaint was a strong chili dog burp smell. This smell made some guests feel sick.
The attraction once had a FASTPASS line. This allowed guests to skip the regular line. But as fewer people wanted to ride, the FASTPASS entrance was removed.
After October 1, 2016, the attraction opened only during busy times. In October 2017, part of the ride became a place to meet Stitch. It was called Stitch's Alien Encounter Character Greeting!
When Stitch's Great Escape Closed
The attraction last operated on January 6, 2018. Many people wondered if it would open again. Disney said the closure was temporary at first. But in October, the Stitch robots and pre-show parts were taken out.
In 2019, the outside of the building was painted. On July 16, 2020, Disney officially announced it was closed for good. The attraction's sign was taken down on August 10, 2020.
Stitch's Great Escape: The Story
Getting Ready: The Pre-show
When you entered, you were in the Galactic Federation Prisoner Teleport Center. First, you saw the Grand Councilwoman on screens. She asked guests to become guards for the United Galactic Federation. You learned how to be a guard.
Next, you moved to a second room. Here, a robot named Sergeant C4703BK2704-90210 (voiced by Richard Kind) greeted you. He showed how teleportation tubes worked. He used a small alien named Skippy for the demonstration. Then, Captain Gantu (voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson) announced a Level 3 prisoner was coming. Sergeant 90210 fainted! Pleakley (voiced by Kevin McDonald) then told everyone to go to the high-security chamber.
The Main Show: Stitch Escapes!
Inside the chamber, you sat down. Shoulder restraints came down to keep you safe. On screens, First Officer Ombit and Ensign Getco helped with the demonstration. Then, a big puff of smoke appeared. The prisoner was beamed into the room! It was Experiment 626, who called himself "Stitch."
Gantu told everyone to watch Stitch carefully. But Stitch started spitting water everywhere! The computer said the power was going down. After a few spits, Stitch laughed. Ombit realized Stitch was shutting down the system! The screens turned off, and smoke filled the room. Stitch yelled, "Meega, nala kweesta!" Loud explosions were heard. All the lights went out, and Stitch escaped!
In the dark, Ombit and Getco told everyone to stay seated. You could hear Stitch moving around. He tickled your heads and jumped on the shoulder restraints. Stitch then found an office. He stole a staff member's chili dog and ate it all! Then, Stitch let out a huge burp. A bad smell sprayed into the room, making everyone react!
Gantu returned and asked what was happening. The "recruits" (guests) said Stitch was loose. When the power came back, laser cannons tried to stop Stitch. But Stitch used them to fire lasers into the crowd! The lights went out again. Stitch jumped on the restraints, tickling heads with his antennas.
Finally, Stitch appeared in the teleportation tube again. He escaped to Magic Kingdom in Florida! Cameras showed him going into Cinderella Castle. Stitch pretended to be Prince Charming from Cinderella. But Cinderella (voiced by Jennifer Hale) knew it wasn't her prince. She kicked him out! Stitch then licked the camera screen.
After the show, you were released from your seats. You exited into one of two gift shops. On the way, you saw a sign that said "Days without an escape." The number on it kept going down! There were also "wanted posters" for other experiments made by Stitch's creator, Jumba Jookiba.
Technology Behind the Fun
Stitch's Great Escape! used many of the same cool technologies as the old ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter. This included the funny alien Skippy in the second pre-show. The two Audio-Animatronic figures of Stitch were very special. They were small but very complex robots. Other cool effects included special sounds that seemed to come from all around you. There were also fake laser cannons and, of course, that strong chili dog smell!
