Originally Posted By dagobert >>>It didn't fit the mission statement so was jettisoned. Too violent and scary for the stroller brigade.<<< It seems the stroller brigade is the main audience now for Disney, at least in Paris.
Originally Posted By sjhym333 We keep hearing about the Mission Statement for each park. I am kind of curious on who was involved in creating those mission statements. Doesn't an overly child oriented MK kind of defeat Walt's original intention for the MK park? And what about the other parks? There seems to be an overall lack of inclination to make major additions to any of the parks. Just curious.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<What's the problem with Alien Encounter? WDW hasn't added anything that innovative in 15+ years.>> It was truly terrifying for some children... way beyond anything at any of the other Disney Parks. At minimum they should have put a more explicit warning on it than what they used.... pretty much the generic Disney warning about intensity, dark places and loud noises. Those warnings are routinely used on such mild attractions that they lose their meaning. Had Disney put up "scare the hell out of you" warnings like they have done on Mission Space, I doubt it would have generated the complaints. I took my daughter on it when she was 11 and it scared the hell out of her. The attraction very effectively utilized the psychology of terror. Allude to something horrendous happening, lock you in place so you can't leave, or even move much, give a brief but unclear look at the monster (technique used so effectively in "Signs") and then thrust you into total darkness and give people the physical sensation that the monster was near them. Unlike almost any other Disney attraction I was unable to put my arms around her as she sobbed violently... the best I could do was tightly hold one hand and tell her not to worry, that it would be done soon. It was a truly terrifying attraction... even for adults, the first time you experienced it. But for me, it was a "one trick pony" and I did not mind seeing it go even though I generally experienced it at least once each time I visited WDW. Once you found out how it ended 90% of the scare factor was gone, and when an attraction is depending SOLELY on scare factor to maintain interest that pretty well kills it.
Originally Posted By leobloom >> It didn't fit the mission statement so was jettisoned. Too violent and scary for the stroller brigade. I'd personally have preferred them to tone down AE rather than toonify the attraction with Stitch. << I know it was a controversial attraction, but it was there for around 10 years, right? I always assumed it was a combination of complaints and the desire to add a character that prompted the change. I, too, wish they had toned it down instead of watering it down entirely.
Originally Posted By leobloom >> We keep hearing about the Mission Statement for each park. I am kind of curious on who was involved in creating those mission statements. Doesn't an overly child oriented MK kind of defeat Walt's original intention for the MK park? << And furthers the impression that WDW is "for kids." When the central park at the resort is stamped with the "kiddy" label, it just makes the whole property look bad.
Originally Posted By leemac <<We keep hearing about the Mission Statement for each park. I am kind of curious on who was involved in creating those mission statements.>> It is driven by the portfolio leads at WDI and the management team at WDP&R. It is meant to drive the 5 Year Plans and all expenditure within each park. When DAK opened the original plans was to "sprinkle" new development around all 4 parks - unfortunately everything since '98 has been dictated by either failing infrastructure or fire-fighting attendance declines. It has been a Band-Aid approach.
Originally Posted By leemac <<At minimum they should have put a more explicit warning on it than what they used.>> There were a lot of signs saying "may be too frightening for small children" - I'm not sure what else Ops could have done in this instance. CMs were trained to discuss the attraction's intensity with families.
Originally Posted By leobloom >> At minimum they should have put a more explicit warning on it than what they used.... pretty much the generic Disney warning about intensity, dark places and loud noises. Those warnings are routinely used on such mild attractions that they lose their meaning. Had Disney put up "scare the hell out of you" warnings like they have done on Mission Space, I doubt it would have generated the complaints. << This is what the warning sign said, at least after the first few years of operation: "The ExtraTERRORestial Alien Encounter may be too frightening for small children. Portions of this attraction take place in confined space and total darkness. DISCRETION ADVISED." The last bit in red. The language is pretty plain to me. "TERROR" "frightening" "confined space" "total darkness" "Discretion Advised" Just another example of something that had to be changed because of guests/parents who like to complain after the fact instead of heeding warnings in advance.
Originally Posted By leemac ^^ you think that is bad then check out the signage for the new Dumbo FP concept - it is incredible how much signage is needed to communicate with guests (or perceived to be needed!).
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt People can be pretty done. Everyone knows it isn't wise to ride a coaster after a four course meal yet people still do it and risk the consequences. Maybe Disney should close Space Mountain for an or so right after lunch and dinner time.
Originally Posted By leobloom And apparently other signs mentioned "This attraction may be too intense for children and some adults." Please. It was spelled out perfectly clearly. Don't go if you get frightened easily. But we've all seen the parents dragging their kids onto attractions (Mansion, e.g.) with the kids kicking and screaming... I doubt any sign could've gotten through to those numbskulls.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<This is what the warning sign said, at least after the first few years of operation: "The ExtraTERRORestial Alien Encounter may be too frightening for small children. Portions of this attraction take place in confined space and total darkness. DISCRETION ADVISED." The last bit in red.>> Well, of course that didn't help me out with my daughter during year one! I still wonder if that gave adequate warning... the old sign outside of Snow White were pretty similar except for the DISCRETION ADVISED. Unfortunately, people tend to dismiss warning signs at Disney. You almost need people stationed outside like at Mission Space to convince people they REALLY, REALLY MEAN IT this time! Frankly, I agree with you that they primarily used the controversy to add a character to the attraction and some new plush to the gift shop. After the first few years I think word-of-mouth had pretty effectively communicated how scary it could be for kids. P.S. I ignore the warnings on every thrill type attraction at WDW. The medical conditions they warn about look like my medical chart!! I haven't died yet, and if I ever do there would be worse ways to go!!
Originally Posted By leobloom >> P.S. I ignore the warnings on every thrill type attraction at WDW. << I know, the signs stop just short of saying if you have a head cold avoid riding this AT ALL COSTS!
Originally Posted By leobloom Since leemac is checking this thread, can you confirm the story about Eisner being unhappy with the first version of the attraction? He supposedly wanted it to be scarier, and so that initial version never opened to the public, right? Do you have any insight on what was added or what was changed to make it scarier?
Originally Posted By skinnerbox <<Do you have any insight on what was added or what was changed to make it scarier?>> They put a gift shop at the exit.
Originally Posted By leemac <<Since leemac is checking this thread, can you confirm the story about Eisner being unhappy with the first version of the attraction? He supposedly wanted it to be scarier, and so that initial version never opened to the public, right? Do you have any insight on what was added or what was changed to make it scarier?>> That is my understanding - I've been told that the blackout scenes didn't exist in the first version and that the volume and intensity of the harness effects was reduced. The story is the same though. The interesting thing is that the alien was actually a pretty awful AA in the light - he was designed exclusively for the dark - if you ever saw him with the house lights on it was a pitiful sight. I can imagine that the show was much better with the lower house lights and the blackouts. I'm off to find my Skippy plush......
Originally Posted By leemac <<Well, of course that didn't help me out with my daughter during year one!>> I'll have to go back through my photos from that first summer of operations but I'm sure there was sufficient warning - but I guess it needed to be spelt out everywhere in subsequent years! It is interesting that in the space of 6 months WDW had two attractions that were both perceived to be very dark and scary in tone and execution - AE and Tower of Terror - but perceived very differently. However one is very obvious in its denouement - it is visible as you approach the show building - but the other was just a doorway into a nondescript show building in TL. That sense of the unknown and trepidation is what made AE so unique those first few experiences - it wasn't like anything I'd ever experienced from WDW before.
