Disney has made several movies based on theme park attractions, and while only the Pirates of the Caribbean movies have been massive successes, several upcoming movies based on Disney Park rides are planned. However, it’s unlikely that they will be quite as unique as a new play inspired by Disney World’s scariest attraction ever, a long-defunct experience called Extra TERRORestrial Alien Encounter.
Trepany House, an organization that puts on experimental theater productions, is running a new show this month in Los Angeles called Alien Encounter, which is being called a “parody” of the infamous Magic Kingdom attraction that closed down due to audiences finding the experience too intense. Speaking with Variety co-creator Amit Itelman describes the show thusly…
They will experience 25 minutes of being face to face with a ferocious flesh-eating extra-terrestrial whose only instinct is to release carnage upon this planet Earth.
While that sort of experience might not sound like something you'd find at Disney World, it absolutely was. Originally conceived as an attraction that would be part of the Alien franchise, before being reimagined as an original concept, Extra TERRORestrial put guests in a theater in the round. In the center was a glass tube where a massive terrible alien would appear. Then the lights would go out, and the alien would get loose.
Guests would then experience a variety of effects in total darkness via motion simulation-style seats, directional speakers and other methods to make it feel like the alien was all around them and might pounce at any moment.
When you’re considering the idea of theme parks and horror, most people will instantly think of Universal parks and Halloween Horror Nights. The Halloween party at Walt Disney World is literally called Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween party because even during the spooky season, Disney content doesn’t get that scary.
But Alien Encounter did. The attraction was ultimately given a disclaimer on a sign outside so that people were at least prepared for what they were getting. The attraction lasted less than a decade, largely because guests felt it was too scary, especially for younger kids.
Alien Encounter was eventually replaced with Stitch's Great Escape. The core attraction concept was the same, but the horror was swapped for comedy when Stitch got loose in the dark. Of course, for those of us who experienced it, Stitch's Great Escape was arguably just as scary, but only because it was the worst attraction at Disney World until it closed.
While Alien Encounter may have been too much for Disney World, Itelman says it works well for the show Trepany House puts on…
We just love the insanity of what Disney attempted, and their concept was so fun. It was so totally inappropriate for Disney Parks, but so very appropriate for Trepany House.
Attendees of the new Alien Encounter play are warned they should dress accordingly because they will be covered in blood by the end. As somebody who has attended Evil Dead: The Musical, I do know what that’s like, but this experience sounds much scarier. Alien Encounter is running weekends through October 31.
