Disney’s Alien Encounter | History, Secrets & Remnants

[@themeparksandme]

Tomorrowland '94 was peak Tomorrowland.

[@BenLaurence]

100% agree!! Love the interconnected story, theming, just everything! And at nigh!!? Chef’s kiss!

[@snakes3425]

1980s: We can't have Alien in a Disney park 2024: Disney releases an Alien ABC book

[@BenLaurence]

2024 Disney would release a politically correct alien book 🤣

[@toffloff1]

I was fortunate to get to experience this. It was one of my favorite attractions.

[@BenLaurence]

Man I wish it was till around!!

[@neskid26]

This was the scariest attraction I've experienced in 1994 on vacation to FL. My dad, a classmate and I sat in this, I liked the beginning but when the lights went out I felt frightened, thinking 'I want to go NOW, get me out of this room. I was 14, in 7th grade,

[@BenLaurence]

🤣🤣

[@Zoshedtheduck]

I remember the videos on Toys R Us and just had an amazing time. Watched them all the time and so happy to see you back. Just got back from Disney World and anything Disney sounds amazing. Buzz Lightyear ride that you mentioned was amazing. Welcome back.

[@BenLaurence]

Hope you had a great time in WDW 😃

[@audreyazwell]

I would give anything to experience this again - I was bummed to here they toned it down because I got the 95 treatment - as a little kid...it was the most amazing ever.

[@BenLaurence]

They totally need to bring it back!

[@Yukendoit]

Glad to see you at it!

[@BenLaurence]

Thanks man 🤘

[@KadonGish-BTM]

I know your channel because of the Stitch video, so I knew I had to watch it.

[@randydegner]

This was the scariest attraction I’d ever experienced, and I was in my 30s at the time. I’ve yet to hear it explained this way in reviews but I’m pretty sure the shoulder bars were not only for the 4D effects but also to lock people in their seats. Not being able to escape added to the fear factor but also prevented people from hurting themselves trying to get out in a panic.

[@BenLaurence]

Oh 100% they wanted to lock you in there 🤣 it also added to the whole sub plot of the XS aliens possibly being evil

[@kampiestarz]

@@randydegner we can't have 150 people running around in total darkness. However it did add to the creepy factor when the alien jumped on you.

[@ladnarfilms5201]

Wow that is crazy, I had no idea that ever existed at Disney. Thanks for sharing!

[@BenLaurence]

Always happy to share some Disney knowledge! Thanks for watching 😃

[@dylanrosales8338]

Man imagine if someone was able to remake this ride but with the xenomorph like originally planned. It would be so terrifying hearing that thing walk around in total darkness. I was lucky enough to get the ride this the most vivid memory i have is feeling the breath on your neck. Now imagine that being the xenomorph doing that

[@BenLaurence]

I think it could totally work these days!! Would make a great edition to Hollywood Studios since the movie ride (and alien scene) is gone now

[@viderethevaccinatorfromhol7536]

I loved it so much. Most Europeans never understand what I am talking about when I try to describe this amazingly scary attraction. It was so damn awesome. I didn't know it is closed. Well, I'm glad that i experienced this masterpiece.

[@BenLaurence]

I wish it was still around! People need to be scared now and then, it’s thrilling!

[@mevb]

SIR was originally called TOM 2000 (Technobotnic Oratirical Mechanism) in the soft opening version.

[@BenLaurence]

Indeed he was, I had that recorded but ended up cutting it cause my voice sounded weird 😆

[@ToshisGarden]

There actually is one more confirmed Alien Encounter remnant! In the library room of Skipper Canteen, there is a book called "Creatures From Space!" that's written by Clench!

[@BenLaurence]

No way!!! How did I miss this one! Thanks for sharing the info, I’ll definitely go look for it next time I’m in The Magic Kingdom

[@ToshisGarden]

@@BenLaurence Absolutely!

[@RaistliniltsiaR]

My family and I did this when we went in 2000... Also did DisneyQuest. It's really sad to know they don't exist anymore, but it also gives me pride to know I have a memory of a thing that has all but been erased.

[@BenLaurence]

I wish both could make a comeback!

[@rct3isepic]

What I would do to get to ride this ride. However, thanks to Alton Towers in the UK, a similar ride still exists. It's called Nemesis Sub Terra and it's basically a tiny drop tower with Alien Encounter at the bottom and a scare maze as an exit queue.

[@BenLaurence]

Yooo what? I gotta look that up!

[@rct3isepic]

@BenLaurence yeah. It's awesome! It actually uses the lore of a different ride nearby to weave it's own story. Honestly the Alton Towers Secret Weapons have enough lore on their own to be adapted into their own movies

[@DuneCrescent]

I went on this ride with my siblings, my sister was BAWLING. I was laughing my ass off. Great ride

[@BenLaurence]

🤣 that was my brother at the bugs life show when we were kids haha

[@oxitape1563]

You know, while an Alien attraction would absolutely not work in the Magic Kingdom for obvious reasons, it could ABSOLUTELY work in Hollywood Studios since Alien was literally in The Great Movie ride as you mentioned. Like we already have mature thrill rides at Hollywood Studios like the Tower of Terror and Rock & Rollercoaster, so an Alien ride would absolutely fit in perfectly with those. Like imagine how absolutely awesome and terrifying it would be if Disney made a ride that’s basically Rise of the Resistance mixed with Expedition Everest and Dinosaur where you race through a self destructing Nostromo where you constantly see the Xenomorph stalking through the vents and making creepy hissing noises all around you and eventually the Xeno starts popping out of the vents and stuff jumpscaring the riders, and at the climax of the ride the Xeno is about to jump at the riders but gets sucked out of the escape hatch at the last second. That would genuinely be my favorite ride in all of Disney World if they ever actually made that kind of ride. And since Disney owns 20th Century Fox now, it’s not like they would need to get the rights to Alien. I doubt it would happen but I would be on that ride day one if it ever was actually made.

[@BenLaurence]

100% agree!!! Put it over by sci-fi drive in and Star Tours for a little sci-fi land.. alien was my favorite part of The Great Movie Ride, a whole ride dedicated to the property would work so well now a days!

[@oxitape1563]

@@BenLaurenceabsolutely and given how a lot more parents nowadays are much less uptight in the sense that most parents understand that they shouldn’t be necessarily taking 6 year old Timmy to the Alien ride unless they know for a fact he would be completely traumatized by it, I could absolutely see this hypothetical Alien ride being a MASSIVE success with almost everyone loving it as long as they execute it right.

[@atasker7432]

From the footage I've seen of this attraction on KZbin, that carnivorous alien was an impressive looking animatronic.

[@BenLaurence]

He was indeed

[@uffu2490]

Imagine if Giger helped design the ride 🫡🫡🫡🫡 But seriously, I hope there’s a new Alien ride.

[@BenLaurence]

Duuuude that would be nuts! The Giger influences in the Disneyland version were so cool.. that was something I really should have touched on more in this video

[@Wickedfan219]

I sadly never got to experience that attraction. I was born in 96 and never got to even go to Disney World until 2008 when I was 12 years old.

[@BenLaurence]

The should totally bring it back and then everyone could have the chance to experience it!

[@JackassJunior627]

This was my favourite ride when I was younger. I had the alien plushie, I still have the action figures complete set, and I miss this ride terribly. But thanks to snowflake parents it ended as quickly as it started.

[@BenLaurence]

Man that’s awesome you still have some merchandise! It goes for some coin now! I feel like if it was still around it would be super popular.. gotta love parents that can’t read the signs 🤣

[@benitajones9115]

Loved it

[@BenLaurence]

The video or attraction 😅

[@photonegativecupheadxd2010]

Where did you get the footage of the guy getting arrested

[@BenLaurence]

It’s on KZbin

[@photonegativecupheadxd2010]

What's it called

[@TVTIME-be8ze]

That one guy that leaked the pictures he really got arrested? I mean Disney leaves the doors unlocked and all that and why would anybody get in trouble into checking out a place that was once an attraction where everybody could enter and why would they give a flying Dumbo (see what I did there?)if it’s abandoned?

[@BenLaurence]

Yeah they kind of ask for it sometimes haha.. they leave all the doors unlocked to things that are just sitting there rotting away.. obviously people want to take a peak at that kind of stuff haha

[@TVTIME-be8ze]

@@BenLaurence is it a bad idea for me to go check it out in Magic Kingdom next time?

[@FarradMuseumofTruth]

My brothers told me about this! We went and ot was different and they were like wtf what its changed! It ise to be some big ass alien lollll! Soooo cool thank you dude

[@BenLaurence]

LOL they totally need to bring back the original so we can all experience it again!

[@FarradMuseumofTruth]

@BenLaurence YESSS OMG great memories await!!!! How cool it would be

[@FatFiber8096]

SINCE WHEN HAVE YOU BEEN UPLOADING AGAIN, I SWEAR I CHECKED LIKE A MONTH AGO AND YOU WERENT UPLOADING

[@BenLaurence]

Haha I’ve been off and on for almost a year

[@FilmThePoliceFTP]

Ohh how I miss alien encounter.

[@BenLaurence]

It should have never closed man!!!

[@vulpivoid6339]

What if some one were to remake the attraction as a VR experience for the Meta Quest and given a modern Destroy All Humans gaming glow up with better animation on the creature and reanimated footage of the preshow and main screens.

[@BenLaurence]

I don’t know that virtual stuff will never compare to a physical experience

[@vulpivoid6339]

@@BenLaurence Sometimes you can compensate for some missing aspects from the original experience. You still have the binaural audio effects if you wanna get the other you'll need some peripherals.

[@celsoguimaraes5583]

Video was excellent but it kinda didn’t explain what happened to the ailen animatronc

[@BenLaurence]

Thanks! Nothing really happened to it, they probably used it for parts or it’s boxed up in the archives I’d say

[@AsherKing3353]

Hey Ben, Nice to see you back, but I have a question, are you ever gonna do any more vids on Toys R Us??

[@BenLaurence]

I’ve been focusing on making these types of videos.. Lots of hours put into research, recording and editing

[@AsherKing3353]

@@BenLaurence Ok thats totally fine, just keep doing what you like to do

[@BenLaurence]

Thank 😃

[@kampiestarz]

This was my baby, I worked it at its end. I got to say it’s goodbye.

[@BenLaurence]

Any good stories?

[@kampiestarz]

@@BenLaurence I like to think so. I still tell stories of that attraction. From deaths to dealing with cute kids too pure to be taken in it. 😁

[@TheDarkwingj]

Disney rejected a Alien ride for not being "family friendly" yet they bought the company that owned Alien and Predator How ironic

[@BenLaurence]

Good ol’ Disney for ya

[@tracyhowell2748]

It was scary, but for adults not young kids.

[@BenLaurence]

Definitely!

[@coiny-bfdia]

Will u explore more closed toys R us?

[@BenLaurence]

Probably not, no point.. The Toys R Us Trilogy has been completed. Now I’m taking time to work on passion projects and share Disney history with everyone

[@craigsavarese8631]

I must be jaded, but I found this lacking. Definitely wasn’t scary. A little puff of air at the back of your head, shaking of chair… yawn.

[@grimmnd]

I went on this attraction twice, once as Alien Encounter and the other as Stitchs Great Escape. For Stitch, the 4d effects were toned down a lot. But as an 8 year old, the original was terrifying. My dad was having a good laugh though.

[@BenLaurence]

It was terrifying for kids 😆 I think adults just appreciated the top tier story telling and immersion