Alien Encounter Returns to Magic Kingdom

Long time fans of the old attraction can rejoice, sort of, because the name Alien Encounter is once again back at Magic Kingdom... but not how you’d think.

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Love it or loathe it, Stitch’s Great Escape went to seasonal operation a few months back, and while Disney is confirming that it will return to seasonal operation for the busy holidays, it’s now transitioned into a indoor Meet & Greet location for that lovable Experiment 626.

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Guests will be ushered into the pre-show room at the Galactic Federation Prisoner Transport Center just beyond the entrance doors. From here a switchback queue forms for Stitch and once the experience is over, guests will exit from the same doorway. 

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Personally, I’m a fan of the attraction. If the attraction were to stick around I’d love to see the DNA scanner restraints gone and a bit of a re-theme that includes more lighting for the kiddos. However it’s still great to see some use come out of the showbuilding. Now if only they’d bring Gantu, Jumba and Pleakly along for the Meet & Greet I might change my opinion on the fate of the attraction. Would you like to see an expanded character lineup in the space, a new attraction entirely themed to a different property or just a reworked Stitch attraction?