Why Leaving This Magic Kingdom Spot Abandoned Is a Mistake

Many Magic Kingdom attractions have come and gone, but while lots of them have been replaced or have been closed off so you can’t see what used to be there, others are just…sitting empty.

One of the ones that immediately comes to my mind is sitting in Tomorrowland, but it’s not as obvious as Tomorrowland Terrace. The former home of Stitch’s Great Escape continues to sit entirely empty and hasn’t seen guests inside since 2018. Personally, I think Disney is missing out on a MAJOR opportunity by keeping it closed.

Stitch’s Great Escape welcomed the last group of guests in 2018, but Disney only called it a temporary closure at the time. However, the ride never operated again, and Disney announced its official closure in 2020.

But to really get into the heart of things, remember that this building originally opened on June 20th, 1995, as ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter, but this attraction was deemed too scary for the park and closed in 2003. Then, it reopened as Stitch’s Great Escape in 2004, with a similar concept, but slightly more family-friendly.

Guests in shoulder restraints “enjoy” a showing of the ExtraTERRORestrial showing in Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom. [The Walt Disney Company]

In this ride, guests were put into seats with entire harnesses strapping them down, as they watched Stitch escape from his prison and run around the theater, which was pitch black at this point. Instead of being hunted by a scary alien who ate people in the original ride, now it was Stitch…but he still terrorized people with his chili burps, making them feel like he was right over their shoulders, and scaring kids out of their right minds.

In 2016, the ride moved to a seasonal schedule, then unknowingly played its final show in 2018. But that’s not the issue here, in my book. As much as I love Stitch, I DO NOT want this ride back. My problem is that now this entire MASSIVE ride/show building is sitting completely empty in Tomorrowland, and it has been for seven years.

Sure, you can meet Stitch in a meet and greet outside the attraction now, but that doesn’t go inside, and again, that building is BIG — it holds so much potential! Why has Disney kept it empty? There’s a rumor, shared by other Disney creators, that says the reason Disney can’t do anything with the building is because it was built when asbestos was used in insulation. If Disney were to use the building again, they’d have to tear it out, BUT since the building is connected to Cosmic Ray’s, they would both need a total overhaul, and Disney doesn’t want to spend the money on that.

Again, that’s a rumor! There’s nothing Disney has said that confirms this, but it does make sense, considering asbestos is found in lots of old buildings and doesn’t usually become an issue unless it’s been damaged and/or could be releasing particles into the air. If Disney keeps both buildings as they are right now, there’s no cause for concern…but it means this ride building will remain empty. Considering Cosmic Rays is arguably the most popular quick service location in Magic Kingdom, it would take A LOT for them to completely rehaul it.

While I completely get that, I think it’s a HUGE mistake to leave such a big area totally empty. We’ve seen it used for a TRON merchandise event previously, and while that’s not as good as a ride, it was SOMETHING! I’m torn, because I get Disney’s decision to keep it as is if the asbestos rumor is true, but I also think having another attraction in Tomorrowland could be great for the park. I also wonder if there’s a way Disney could seal the buildings off from each other, so the only building disturbed would be Stitch’s Great Escape (then again, I’m not a carpenter, so what do I know?).

We’re hoping that once the Frontierland overhaul is finished, Tomorrowland is next on the list. If that’s the case, our guess is that all of these areas will be reimagined!