Stitch's Great Escape!

Stitch's Great Escape! is a zany, madcap show for big kids, teens and adults in Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom theme park.

If you are at least 40 inches tall, you can report for duty as a Galactic Federation Security Agent recruit to help guard Experiment 626-also known as Stitch from the Walt Disney Pictures film, Lilo and Stitch.

Take a seat in this theater-in-the-round venue, get strapped in and reside in the midst of the mayhem during this out-of-control, high-energy escapade that will keep you on your toes. Magic Kingdom theme park may not be big enough to contain Stitch, and you never know when and where he will appear next!

Stitch's Great Escape! is a multi-sensory experience featuring audio, video and sophisticated Audio-Animatronic technology. Even your nose gets involved with smells that fill the air during the show!

The experience takes place in the Galactic Federation Prisoner Teleport Center. Guests have been recruited by The Grand Councilwoman to be guards for the Galactic Federation. After being taught the basic procedures of guard duty and the classification of prisoner hazard levels by Sergeant 90210 (and a brief, but comical, reprisal of Skippy from The ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter), Captain Gantu gives an alert of a Level 3 prisoner being beamed to the Center. Guests are then instructed by Pleakley over a communicator to proceed to the Level 3 prisoner teleportation chamber.

After being seated, shoulder restraints come down onto the guests' shoulders and the prisoner is then beamed into the chamber via a large plume of smoke and is revealed to be Stitch. After a brief period of puzzled talking by Gantu and his two assistants, Stitch uses the flaws of the armed laser cannons (the cannons follow and destroy any genetic material, including saliva) and disables all power to escape, causing mass chaos in the crowd. During this period, hydraulic pumps and small hoses in the shoulder restraints make it seem as if Stitch is jumping on guests' shoulders and tickling their heads. Also, Stitch devours a chili dog and burps - accompanied by a foul smell effect being released into the chamber - and destroys a cell phone, once again reminding the guests of the rules about eating or drinking in the theater or the use of electronic devices in the theater. When the power comes back on, the laser cannons continue their attempt to bring Stitch down. Again using the cannons' fatal flaws, he manages to fire the laser cannons into the crowd. Shortly after using the diversion, he escapes to Walt Disney World Resort in Florida (pronounced by the characters as Flor-ee-da). Cameras capture him traversing either Tomorrowland's Astro Orbiter or in a later version Cinderella Castle (where Stitch gets into the castle by claiming to be Prince Charming from Cinderella. Stitch crawls in. Off-camera, Cinderella realizes that Stitch is not her prince, and kicks him out of the chamber). The audience is then released from their duty and exit into one of two gift shops-Merchant of Venus or Mickey's Star Traders.

Touring Tips

• This show takes place in a darkened theater and there are surprises throughout the performance, which may be scary for younger children. This show gets very dark at points, and the special effects used may be too intense for young children.
• This is a FASTPASS attraction. Since it's a new attraction, expect long lines for Stitch's Great Escape, or take advantage of FASTPASS.
• In addition to the tactile and audio sensations employed during the show, it also uses a rather offensive smell, some reports say it has even caused some visitors to become nauseous.
• A harness restraint comes down over your shoulders in this attraction and may affect people who are claustrophobic. If you sit up very tall in your seat as the restraint comes down, then slump a bit afterwards, you won't be as uncomfortable. Of course, if you do this, you also might not fully experience the sensory effects.

Facts

• It opened November 16, 2004 and is the fourth attraction to occupy the site in Tomorrowland.
• This attraction replaces the ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter which closed October 2003.
• Stitch, who is 39 inches tall, is the first Audio-Animatronics figure to spit.
• Many of the animators who worked on Lilo & Stitch partnered with Walt Disney Imagineering for Stitch's Great Escape!
• 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 theater).