For over 60 years, Walt Disney Imagineering has been in the business of creating thrills. Over the years they’ve crafted everything from psychological thrillers like The Haunted Mansion that preyed on guests’ emotions to the out and out exhilaration of Space Mountain, to almost universal success.
However, this isn’t one of those success stories.
Rather today’s is a tale that ends not with a legendary long-running E-Ticket, but with the closing of arguably Disney’s most thrilling attraction ever — the ExtraTERRORestial Alien Encounter – in less than a decade. How could the Imagineers have swung and missed so badly? Let’s find out.
The roots of the Alien Encounter story reach back to the mid-1980s, when Michael Eisner and Frank Wells assumed leadership of the Walt Disney Company. As many Disney fans know – particularly those who watched The Imagineering Story on Disney+ – Eisner had a singular goal when it came to Disney’s theme parks: make them hip to teenagers and young adults of the time.
That edict led to the creation of the Videopolis night club, the Captain EO 3D film, and the introduction of outside properties like Star Wars and Indiana Jones into the parks. However, what even some hardcore fans may not know is that Eisner had his eyes on another film franchise to bring into the parks: the Alien films.
While the Alien films, in particular the R-rated first installment, may seem like a strange concept for Disney parks, one should remember that they were likely just as well known to teens of the mid-late 80s as Star Wars. Plus, the Imagineers felt like they had the perfect way to integrate the titular Alien creature into Tomorrowland at both Disneyland and in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom.
Namely, they would close the long-in-the-tooth Mission to Mars attraction, and reuse it’s in-the-round theater to present a new kind of thrill. Their idea was to create a binaural attraction, using pitch blackness, a timed series of sound-cues, and in-theater physical effects to terrify guests who were strapped into seats that didn’t move an inch by convincing them the the Xenomorph creature was running wild through the room. And best of all, because most guests would be at least familiar with the film franchise, guests would know beforehand that the attraction was likely too scary for young children.
While both Eisner and the team behind the Nostromo – named for the ship in the first Alien film – attraction felt they had a potential anchor attraction for a rebooted Tomorrowland, a group of older Imagineers felt that the subject matter was still inappropriate for the company’s parks. With their complaints falling on deaf ears within the company, they went to legendary filmmaker George Lucas, whose relationship with Disney was at its zenith, having produced Star Tours and the then-upcoming Indiana Jones Adventure attraction.
The older Imagineers were able to sway Lucas, who in turn was able to convince Eisner not to put the R-rated franchise into Disneyland or the Magic Kingdom (though Alien would be a major part of the Great Movie Ride at Disney/MGM Studios). Instead, Lucas began working with the creative team on original ideas for the attraction, which in retrospect was the beginning of the end of Alien Encounter.
Despite the “creative dream team” in charge, Lucas and the Imagineers struggled to crack an original story for the attraction, all while construction in the Magic Kingdom was on-going. Without the instantly recognizable intellectual property of the Xenomorph, the team had trouble coming up with a terrifying creature that could take advantage of the binaural sound elements that were already being designed. On top of that, they needed to craft a back story that could instantly express how scary the attraction was going to be.
The Imagineers eventually soft-opened the attraction in December 1994 with a slightly complex story centered around X-S-Tech (get it?), a futuristic interstellar corporation that is hosting an open house in Tomorrowland. After a humorous pre-show, guests were shepherded into the theater, where it was revealed that X-S Tech was using the guests as “human guinea pigs” to expose them to an alien they’d captured. The creature would menace the guests for a bit, before turning on the X-S scientists, disabling their weapons, and releasing the restraints allowing guests to escape. The creature could then be heard massacring the scientists as guests exited through the gift shop.
Good thing they didn’t go with the really violet Alien theme right?
In all seriousness, that original story was met with vastly negative reviews, with surveyed guests complaining about the violence, the confusing storyline, the comedic tone of the pre-show in comparison to the dark tone of the actual attraction, and biggest of all the complaint that it was too scary for kids. Due to the reaction, the soft-openings were halted, and the attraction was delayed for months in an effort to retool.
When the ExtraTERRORestial Alien Encounter finally opened officially in June of 1995, the comedic pre-show had been replaced with a more sinister one featuring X-S Tech’s villainous Chairman Clench and the Tim Curry-voiced S.I.R. animatronic who would demonstrate X-S’s tech’s teleportation technology by frying a hapless creature named Skippy. All of which, plus the name itself, was an attempt to let guests know just how scary the attraction was before they boarded.
The main portion of the encounter was reworked as well, with the demonstration now centered around X-S Tech’s teleportation technology accidentally beaming the creature in to the room with the guests. The alien’s previous nobility was abandoned, and it menaced guests until it was destroyed by brave X-S technicians Spinlok and Dr. Femus.
However, even with the simplified storyline and heavy emphasis on how scary the attraction was, Disney continued to receive complaints from parents and other guests about just how scary the attraction was. These complaints, combined with budget issues, led to the cancellation of the Disneyland version of the ride as well as potential future additions to the Paris and Tokyo resorts. Despite a cult following of fans that came to love the attraction, and the character of Skippy in particular, these issues led to the specter of closure hanging over Alien Encounter almost from the day it opened.
The hammer finally fell in 2003, when the attraction closed to make way for Stitch’s Great Escape, which opened the next year. The Stitch attraction, which was an overlay of the existing Alien Encounter system, proved to be wildly unpopular with many guests, often earning the dubious distinction of “Worst Ride at Walt Disney World.” Stitch’s Great Escape has now permanently closed and rumors of its replacement with a Wreck-It Ralph attraction have heated up recently.
Well there you have it folks, the story of Walt Disney Imagineering’s scariest attraction. One so thrilling, arguably too thrilling, that it was forced to close in less than a decade.
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- The Many Adventures Of Tom Sawyer Island
- We Feel Like the Public Needs to See What Disney Created. We’re Sorry.
- Former Disney Imagineer Reveals New Behind-the-Scenes Secret on Social Media
- If These Photos Look Familiar To You, You’re a Real Magic Kingdom OG
- Why There’s an Abandoned Attraction in the Middle of Animal Kingdom
Did you ever have a chance to ride the ExtraTERRORestial Alien Encounter? If so, do you feel it was too scary for Disney, or do you still miss it every time you visit the Magic Kingdom? Let us know in the comments below.
I loved this ride! I was in college at the time and it was still pretty intense. I was obsessed with Skippy and still have my stuffed one from that trip.
I rode when I was a child and it scared the crap out of me lol but I would love to re ride as an adult. I really hope one day it’s back , especially with today’s technology but also stay close to the original as possible! maybe put a age limit or move it to universal …idk I do believe there are things that could be done so the ones who would love to ride could still enjoy this cool memory from the past. Also, if you have small children or know this would be something your child couldn’t handle DON’T RIDE !! There’s plenty other rides you can ride with your kid!
It was a fantastic ride! I loved all the times I was at the park. I’d agree with the idea it may belongs to a different park, but it also helped to balance when you go with a mixed age group of kids. I’ll go over and over and over again if they bring it back.
Was the best ride by far that I have ever rode at Disney World I would book a trip next week if they brought it back. Yes it terrified you but was better than anything any other parks had on offer even now it’s still better than all the houses at horror nights in Universal!!!!! BRING BACK THE ALIEN
My sons were in 8th and 11th grades when we did the Alien Encounter. It was the scariest, best encounter we had while at the park. So creative and imaginative, scaring people that much by using air puffs, water mists, and shaking chairs was masterful. We scared ourselves with our own imaginations. The only change would be to have put an age limit warning because it was very intense and young ones can’t separate reality and fantasy. I’m sorry it is gone. I would have loved to have a chance to experience it again.
Worst ride I have been on in my life, I remember along with my daughter crying with fear and the more I tried to move and comfort her the more the chair clamped me in so I couldn’t move. Horrendous don’t think it was in the right place and didn’t come with enough warnings. Memorable for the wrong reasons
I went to Disney World first time in october 95 on honeymoon. Just loved Alien Encounters. When coming back over the years seen slight differences from the original show. Was a highlight of the yearly experience.
The best ride ever!
The problem was its location. This attraction was simply too frightening to be in the Magic Kingdom.
If it were located at Hollywood Studios instead, that would have been a better idea.
You have certainly hit on something. It would have been very suitable for Hollywood Studios. It was misplaced. It really was a good ride/experience. It was not really suitable for Magic Kingdom. Probably the scariest ride/experience I have ever encountered. I was an adult when I went on it and just kept telling myself that Disney wouldn’t hurt me bc it scared me! While I probably wouldn’t have gone into it again as it was so psychologically scary, I am a fear wimp. There are those adults, teens and even some younger kids who would love it. It was effective and well done. They should resurrect it in Hollywood Studios.
Loved this attraction. Only issue was that it was in the wrong park. Belonged in Hollywood Studios. MGM?
While scared to small children , best attraction ever , made most older children and adults feel like what they were feeling and hearing was really happening .
I actually loved it! It was one of my favorites and I’m so sad it’s gone.
I was 17 and TERRIFIED lol I was like what is happening, back then you couldn’t go online and read about what to expect so it was a complete surprise, I closed my eyes and couldn’t wait for it to be over with lol, wow I was a wimp! It was in 1996.
Man listen, I came to Disney for Grad nite in 1999… that ride scared the living hell outta me.
Oh my gosh! I feel so lucky! It was our ONLY trip to Disneyworld and we got to ride it! My youngest daughter was 8 at the time and somehow ended up on the end of the row. We of course had no idea what was going to happen and she was pretty scared. I was next to her but so strapped in I couldn’t help her. Luckily she wasn’t too traumatized 😂 our famiystill talks about that ride almost 30 years later! Every one of us would LOVE to ride it again.
I loved this attraction and so did my 9 yr old son. My 8 yr old daughter on the other hand was a completely different story. The second the restraints released and the lights came on, she jumped into my arms and held on so tight I could barely breathe. Her face streaming with tears, it took a good ten minutes to calm her down before we could even think about the next attraction. “I…. don’t…. ever… want to do …that again …daddy,” were her first intelligible words I could make out. After feeling like the worst dad in the universe for traumatizing my daughter on her first trip (that she remembers) to the happiest place on earth, we made up for it by standing in line twice for Winnie the Pooh, and a dole whip. My mother and I thought twice before taking her on Haunted Mansion, but my younger sister convinced her it was more funny than scary, so we took the risk. She absolutely loved it. It’s still her alltime favorite. Her brother still teases her about ExtraTERRORestrial, and she shutters every time, saying “I felt too real, and I was an 8 y/o girl.” To which my son replies, “That’s what made is AWESOME!!”
All-in-all it’s still their favorite vacation we ever went on. I had just come home from a 9/11 deployment, we snuck into visit my family the day after Christmas, we got to ride in the front of the Monorail, and Ohio State beat University of Miami in triple over time.
My late husband wanted to go on the ride in 2003. Unfortunately it never happened. And it closed by 2007 when we next went. Regrets. 🙁
Definitely the best and scariest attraction. I had the pleasure to make the ride in 1996 and can affirm this properly. Really sad it was cancelled.
I went on this ride for the first time in 1996 with my 71 year old mother and my sis-in-law that was battling breast cancer (who passed away the next year). We laughed/screamed/laughed through the whole thing. A couple years later I went with my daughter. As you often do, we ended up chatting with the people in line behind us. They had two little ones (probably 5 and 7). In addition to the signage I asked if they’d been on this ride before (no) and I just mentioned it would be pretty scary for little ones. No more conversation after that and I pretty much got the cold shoulder. They ended up sitting close to us and we could hear their kids screaming. As we were walking out we passed them – holding the kids while they were sobbing. My daughter said “OMGosh – they gave you a dirty look!” Can’t fix stupid I guess. That’s what kinda nice about Universal sometimes……not so many Karens and Darrins to please.
I was so young, so excited. There’s a video of me waiting in line saying how excited I was. Then right after, there’s a video of me crying on the outside. I also remember my parents and I were staying at one of the all star resorts and I wrote on the review card in the hotel how much this ride ruined my life 😂😂😂
I was 30 years old and was so scared, that I didn’t want to ride it again 😂 but it was awesome , perfect and scary. Wish I could ride it again today
I was 10 years old when I first went to Disney World, and Alien Encounter was still there. I was lucky enough to experience it, and thought it was absolutely amazing. In fact, I still have the Skippy stuffed animal sitting on a shelf in my basement. It really irritates me that these corporations roll over for whomever cries the loudest. They should’ve just put big, obvious signs outside and in the line, saying that it was a scary thrill ride. If people were too stupid to read them, that was their own fault. If they didn’t like the idea of a scary ride, then they didn’t need to ride it. And everyone wins. But nooooo.
Yeah, it was pretty scary the first time we did the attraction. After that, just fun for the thrills. But, I’d have to agree it was way too scary for children.
I’ve only been to Disney once, in 2001 when I was 9.
My first ride? Space Mountain and I cried
My second ride? This alien one and I cried even more.
It’s was a real cool experience because not only did it have a legitimately scary theme, the really did a great job of using the audiences physical/sensory/perception to heighten the experience. I loved it and bummed that it was removed.
My daughter wanted to take a friend to Disney for her 11th birthday so, we did. Being completely naive to the park and alien films, we thought all rides were “fun”. Welllllll, fast forward, my daughter is 35 now and recalls those terrifying moments like they were yesterday. #parentfailbigtime
I rode in 1998 when I was 9, my sister was 11. We had never seen the alien movies and we were terrified, I had nightmares for years after. I dont remember any warning signs but it was 23 years ago (I have no doubt there were signs- there are always signs) we never rode it again, but im sure it was great for older visitors
Aw Man…I had my senior citizen aunt and second cousin (who was around 9 at the time) visiting Disney and I tagged along. It was when you could play 4 days park hopper for $99. Those were the days. We got into that attraction and yes, there are signs but it’s Disney! Who thinks it’s going to be scary? Whatever. But I started thinking this was going to be scary when the robot host started sounding creepy in that second room leading up to the main attraction. No turning back now! I don’t like scary movies, I can barely watch the Alien movies, but that attraction was scary good. I loved it. My cousin was such a trooper, she got through it, but I heard other people in there screaming and maybe crying and it added to the experience. It was terrifying, but I just loved how gutsy of a move that was for Disney. Not long after that (when I finally got an annual pass), the attraction was gone and then replaced with that stupid Stitch ride. Nothing put in that space will be like the Alien Encounter at least, it will be something fresh and I’m looking forward to it.
There were signs everywhere saying small children should not ride. Employees told everyone with small children below age 10 they should not ride. No one listened. Parents were seen carrying hysterically sobbing 4-5 year old children out after the ride. Then these idiotic adults would give employees a hard time, saying they didn’t know the ride was “that scary “. If you ignore the signs and employees telling you the ride is that scary, it’s not the fault of the park or employees who tried to warn you. It’s the fault of adults who willingly take small children on a ride they were told repeatedly was not suitable and too scary for young children. So the ride has to be removed and adults with brains can’t ride it? That was the greatest ride.
Even though the attraction was scary when you go on it for the first time it was really thrilling experience and very funny when you reach the end and can actually escape from your seat, I would like to see it return maybe it was just ahead of its time far more better than Lilo and Stitch
I worked at this attraction in the summer of 1996. I loved it and it was a great attraction to get to work at! That being said I spent a lot of time trying to convince parents to not take their kids in the ride; most never listened and their kids came off in tears. S.I.R the robot in the preshow was also creepy after hours as he would sometimes jerk an arm because of the electricity that went though his system. I still remember my opening line “good afternoon ladies and gentlemen and welcome to the Tomorrowland Interplanetary Convention Center. You are about to experience an intense theatrical demonstration with bright flashing lights, shattering glass, and loud noises.”
One of the best rides after the Splash Mountain (which will get destroyed soon) and The Haunted Mansion. We were there with small kids and the kids did not have any problems. Huge disappointment that the ride was closed.
I still have nightmares 😳 Visited in aug 96 I was 15 but still found it terrifying
I rode this as a test group, and while I gave it rave reviews, I can say there were several who weren’t so keen on it. It’s a shame, as I thought it was a hilarious choice for MK.
I don’t know what all the fuss is about! I rode this ride several times and never once found it to be scary. I liked and appreciated all the special effects (which is why I rode it several times), but thrilling/scary, not really. As a matter of fact, as time went on, we found the ride to be boring. That includes my kids who were around 10 – 12 years old at the time. We also all rode it as Stitch and thought that was really boring. Hope they do a better job with Wreck It Ralph.
This was a great experience and sensory overload of emotions. Sad it’s gone but I’m sure it scared the heck out of many younger viewers. Been back many times since it closed and will never ride Stitch. I’d rather take one more lap on the TTA (Wedway Peoplemover) time permitting…
I brought my daughter on this attraction in “99”. She was 6 years old. I read all the signage with warnings, as to how scary this attraction is. Like most rides with warnings, that Disney has. I read them. But if the other attractions, came and went with no problems. I assumed this would be the same. I was so wrong. My daughter left in tears. Consolation was, exiting into the gift shop. Where I was able to purchase the very cute, Skippy for her. Which she still has to this day. I asked her every year thereafter, if we should go on it again. Which I was greeted with a, Resounding NO.
I on the other hand, was blown away by the Binaural effects. To feel the alien breathing on you. The floor shaking as he was walking by. The glass from the transported shattering. To it spitting/spraying something on your face. In a word…Incredible!
Some attractions, leave. And you wave good-bye. Other attractions leave, you wonder why and miss them. I am in the camp of missing Alien Encounter.
In closing. My daughter now being a mother now. Would love to have gone on this Alien Encounter again. And this time introduce my grandson to it. Life at WDW, truly does come full circle.
I loved Alien Encounter. Parents refused to listen and small children left the ride hysterical. ID showing age (10 or above) should have been required for small children to enter. After 15+ minutes of the ride “It’s A Small World “, you needed Alien Encounter to get that song out of your head.
I remember riding this in the late 90s and I was absolutely petrified. I refused to go on it again for a couple of years, by which point I thought I’d grown up and marched back on in defiance. I’m pretty sure I was more scared the second time round! I still think it was a great attraction, though, and so unique. It’s a shame it left!
I was in the 3rd grade (roughly 1999) when my family participated in this ride. I can still feel the alien breathing on my neck (LOL). I definitely have a vivid memory of this ride.
I loved loved LOVED it as Alien!! It made me, legit, scream, but I was ready to hop right back in line to ride it again! It was very un-Disney, but a ride I looked forward to riding. I do get sad each time I’m there knowing it’s gone.
I’ve only been to Disney World once when I was 15 in ‘99 and this experience is one of the strongest memories I have. I was terrified, but I loved it!
My girlfriend and I were PETRIFIED and screaming!! However, my husband and his guy friend laughed through the whole thing. He rode it more than once; no way hosea for me! I wish they would have morphed the two ideas, where the guests got to escape!
went to this attraction when it first came to disney world and I was so petrified I could not even get out of the chair at the end. My sons and the cast member had to help me. Both of my sons laughter could be heard thought all of disney world and the whole thing is still family talk about how they GOT MOM….after all these years I am 67 they now admit it was the closes anyone could get to dying from fear at the happiest place on earth