Those of a sure old age may not remember this , but there once was a truly terrifying drive inspired by theAlienfranchise at the Disney ballpark and none other thanStar Warsfather George Lucashelped create . Disney is known for its in an elaborate way themed and exquisitely design rides , which are less like rides and more like fully immersive attractions . Unlike other musical theme parks , there is no just tread on and step off a ride ; guest are treated to staging areas and preshows before the main attraction .

One of those incredibly immersive and detailed rides was the Extraterrorestrial Alien Encounter depend upon at Walt Disney World , originally a drive that was meant to be found on a movie rather than aDisney movie based on a ride . It ran for eight days and in that time generated a controversial response from parkgoers and invitee thanks to its wildly dissimilar tone and feel from any other car park ride to that point . Still , the creative pedigree behind the drive was immaculate , include George Lucas as the story Godhead .

Ridley Scott ’s Alien mark a shift in the sci - fi genre and kicked off a space horror franchise , but there ’s definitely a worst and best Alien movie .

Sigourney Weaver in Alien 3, David from Prometheus and a Xenomorph

Extraterrorestrial Alien Encounter: The Disney Ride Explained

It Was Darker & Scarier Than Other Disney Rides

The Extraterrorestrial Alien Encounter spread on June 20 , 1995,and straightaway became a controversial point with park guests . Located in the Tomorrowland section of the Magic Kingdom at Disney World , the Extraterrorestrial Alien Encounter was a theater in the round manner attraction , with guests coif around a degree where the action unfolded . While it was a more horror - tinged sci - fi magnet than Disney had ever had , it also had some sly , dark humor that lighten some of the scarier bits .

The attractor was a tripartite ride consisting of two preshow areas before the principal attraction . In the first preshow area , guests were herd into the " Tomorrowland Interplanetary Convention Center,“where they were given a manifestation by a corporation cite X - S Tech , shew off advanced exotic technology . X - S Tech company chairman L.C. Clench ( Jeffrey Jones ) welcome guest with a prerecorded message while hyping up his company ’s technology . While guests were listening to Clench ’s line of gab , they were also care for to monitor showing reports and promotional videos of other result taking place at the fictional Tomorrowland Interplanetary Convention Center .

client then moved into the 2d preshow area , where they were introduced to an X - S Tech robot named S.I.R. ( Simulated Intelligence Robotics ) , voiced by Tim Curry . Using a small alien volunteer named Skippy , S.I.R. exhibit the party ’s latest technical discovery , teleportation . However , Skippy reemerged after his short teleportation mangled and coal , alerting guests that not all was as it seem with ex - S Tech and the attraction the technical school they were about to live may not be that dependable after all . When teleport Skippy back , S.I.R. made a point to pause the teleportation , prove that subjects could be indefinitely suspend .

Andy and the blue mist from Alien

foreign : Romulus brings back the gloomy mist from Ridley Scott ’s original movie , reignite the secret of what it does for the Xenomorph eggs .

The main attracter then began , with guests being ushered into the circular field and flog into harnesses surrounding the stage , which held a large cylindrical teleportation bedroom . Clench communicated " live " from across the galaxy , along with two other X - S Tech employee , Dr. Femus ( Kathy Najimy ) and Spinlok ( Kevin Pollak ) . Clench was theorize to have himself teleported into the theater to talk to node . However , his impatience with the technical school malfunctioning , and the recalibrated coordinates , caused the teleportation signal to be redirected to an unknown , unvetted planet .

Of of course , chaos result . rather of Clench appearing , a giant , bloody-minded exotic instead seem in the teleportation tube-shaped structure . As the simple machine malfunctioned , the brightness started flashing and equipment start breaking;the lights follow back on to disclose the teleportation sleeping accommodation had shattered and the alien had escaped . The theater of operations then went completely black , and audiences hear a maintenance worker get mangle by the foreign while node are spray by fluid . The seats then rumbled and shook as the alien made its way around the theater , breathe on the back of guests ' neck opening and salivate on them . The alien was finally forced back into the teleportation tube before explode thanks to the great power from the malfunctioning teleportation .

Leigh is strangled while sitting inside the car in Christine

Why Wasn’t Disney’s Alien Ride Actually Based On The Alien Movies?

It Originally Was, But Was Considered Too R-Rated

If the above seems really interchangeable to theAlienfranchise , that ’s because it originally was hypothesize to be found on theAlienmovies . In its earliest ontogenesis stages , the ride was named " Nostromo , " a nod to the ship from 1979’sAlien . Unsurprisingly , then , the winged alien of the net ride was originally meant to beanAlienXenomorph Queen just like from the movies , and the Weyland - Yutani Corporation eventually became the generic X - S Tech .

The reason for the variety was pretty simple : the R - ratedAlienfranchise did n’t conform to the family - friendly Disney brand . Originally , Disney ’s rule was that they only developed drive from movie enfranchisement rat either G or PG . Since then , Disney has incorporate rides from franchises that have PG-13 movies , but an R - rated horror movie was a step too far for the House of Mouse . Once the original idea to base it onAlienwas killed , George Lucas was then convey on board to help craft an original story .

Since then , Disney has incorporated rides from franchises that have PG-13 movies , but an R - give away horror movie was a step too far for the House of Mouse .

George Lucas with the Alien Xenomorph.

Custom image by Ana Nieves

His adaptation , while not the radius - rated leaning ofAlien , was still quite dark . In George Lucas ' reading , the guests at the experience would check they had been tricked and were meant to be human greaseball pigs ( and potential nutrient ) for an alien creature that the bay window had captured . During the line of the ride , the guest would watch that the alien desired to relieve itself and the human node from their captors . The alien does just that , wrick on its captors and have got them off while allowing the guests to escape before escaping itself . After Lucas ' initial script , the level was revised to run into the morose vista .

What Happened To The Alien Ride & When It Was Replaced

Its Dark Tone Meant Visitors Dropped Off

Unfortunately , while the concept was great and it was a daring baseball swing for Disney , the Extraterrorestrial Alien Encounter always face an rising struggle thanks to its darker tone . While some guest love the ride , the majority criticize its horror aspects , discomfit that the attraction was far too shivery for younger children . While it opened to much flourish , the family - centric Disney World was perhaps not the best Disney Park for an grownup - leaning attraction , and visitor to the drive started to lessen .

Thus , on September 21 , 2003 , the park announced that the Extraterrorestrial Alien Encounter ride would be shut down , which it did on October 12 , 2003 , and replaced with a newLilo & Stitch - based drive named Stitch ’s Great Escape . As with many Disney rides that shut down and are replaces by another , the same space and much of the equipment and props from the Extraterrorestrial Alien Encounter were repurposed for theLilo & Stitchride , so while the sci - fi aspect remain the same , the overall vibe was much more family - friendly than the exotic ride .

The Great Movie Ride Lasted Much Longer

Weirdly , the Extraterrorestrial Alien Encounter was not the only drive at Disney World featuring construct fromAlienthat close . The Great Movie Ride , which gave Disney the melodic theme to launch the Disney Hollywood Studios ( then the Disney - MGM Studios ) Mungo Park , was precisely what its title implied : a ride celebrating beloved franchises and classical flick . The drive comprise animatronics of famous character , let in Hollywood legends from Clint Eastwood toSingin ' in the Rain , from Jimmy Stewart to Indiana Jones .

At one detail in the drive , the drive vehicle moved into a dark and desert spaceship , which was revealed to be the Nostromo fromAlien . An animatronic of Sigourney Weaver ’s Ellen Ripley then appear with a flamethrower in her iconic battle stance get while the Nostromo ’s big cat , Jonesy , meowed in the background . As the vehicle travel rapidly by , theAlienXenomorph erupt from the roof , attacking the drive cart . Unfortunately , like the Extraterrorestrial Alien Encounter , the Great Movie Ride also finally closed , extend its last drive on August 13 , 2017 .

One of the several reasons The Great Movie Ride close was that by the 2010s , the animatronics were incredibly outdated , and the movies referenced too old to be a large attraction for younger generation .

extraterrorestrial alien encounter

The Alien franchise , which begin with Ridley Scott ’s 1979 film , is a Sci - Fi series comprised of several revulsion moving picture , games , and comic Book centered on humanity ’s clash with a uncongenial extraterrestrial specie known as Xenomorphs . Characterized by their deadly prowess and capableness to regurgitate at an alarming rate , these creatures pose a profound threat to human existence . The basal series booster , Ellen Ripley , playact as the voice of reason as she seeks to keep the tool out of the hands of greed - force collective scientists .

Lilo and Stitch looking worried in Lilo & Stitch

Sigourney Weaver as Ripley wielding a big gun in Aliens

Alien 1979 Movie Poster Vertical

The Alien franchise, which began with Ridley Scott’s 1979 film, is a Sci-Fi series comprised of several horror films, games, and comic books centered on humanity’s encounters with a hostile extraterrestrial species known as Xenomorphs. Characterized by their lethal prowess and capability to reproduce at an alarming rate, these creatures pose a profound threat to human existence. The primary series protagonist, Ellen Ripley, acts as the voice of reason as she seeks to keep the creatures out of the hands of greed-driven corporate scientists.

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Alien