September 1, 2008

Disneyland's Alien Encounter

During a 1999 visit to Walt Disney World, the Magic Kingdom's very un-Disney Alien Encounter quickly became one of my favorites. I remember laughing as well as enjoying the suspense the Imagineers created. In fact, the entire new Tomorrowland was terrific.

As I was going through some pieces of concept art, I happened upon this version of the attraction set for Disneyland with a very different entrance than its Florida sibling. Can't remember where I first found it, but the caption tells us Disneyland guests will get to experience this new kind of sensory thrill during the Disney Decade of the 1990s. Sure wish it would have happened!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hi Mark
AlienEncounter was cool at WDW. It did not really fit the Disney mold, Disney had no Alien movies out. But as you said, the adventure was cool. I remember this guy taking his girlfriend in. She was nervous, having never seen it and he was telling her she would love it. We went through the preshow and then the actual show. I really liked the sound of the Alien walking behind us but the first time you feel the restraint press against you and the Alien breathes hot moist breath down your neck was a thrill. Well not so much for that guys girlfriend. I saw them walking out and she was, well, rather excited, ok, she was wailing on him yelling she will never go to that show again. hmm, I liked it.
Alien Encounter did not stay in the park all that long, being replaced with a movie cartoon character for the kiddies. It is sort of misplaced to be in tomorrowland where Alien Encounter at least fit an image. Walts dream was for tomorrowland to be an adventure into the future, I guess it is an adventure into cartoon land too.
Thanks for the memory, I thought Alien Encounter was great and miss it. ID