I’m not saying that my son is a big “Lilo & Stitch” fan. But when he learned that our family would be driving over to the Disneyland Paris Resort to attend a preview of “Stitch Live!,” look which outfit Christopher chose to wear?
Photo by Kara Johnson-Craven
Though this new Walt Disney Studios Park attraction doesn’t officially open to the public ’til next month, annual passholders were invited to come by the theme park this past weekend. DLPR execs were there as well to get some sense of how this resort’s first “Living Character Initiative” show would be received by the regular guests.
Photo by Kara Johnson-Craven
FYI: “Stitch Live!” is located inside of the Walt Disney Television Studios building. Which used to be home to a rather limp behind-the-scenes tour of the French headquarters for the Disney Channel.
That said, this new WDSP attraction still has a somewhat tenuous tie to the Disney Channel. In that we’re supposedly making use of this cable channel’s advance technology (i.e. the gold satellite dish that you see perched on top of the “Stitch Live!” marquee in the photo below) when it finally comes time to link up with Experiment 626 in deep space.
Photo by Eric Craven
As for the interior portion of the queue for this new Disney Studios show, this area continually reminds you as well that you’re allegedly about to enter a Disney Channel France facility. As the six monitors in this pre-show area — when they’re not displaying other-worldly graphics — are running ads for DC programs like “Hannah Montana.”
Photo by Eric Craven
Every 20 minutes or so, a new group of guests is let into the main theater area. When our hostess stands in front of this huge video display and — after welcoming the audience — quickly links up to that satellite …
Photo by Eric Craven
… we’re now in direct communication with Stitch. Who — given that he immediately turns two ray guns on the audience — doesn’t initially seem all that glad to see us.
Photo by Eric Craven
But once Stitch realizes that we’re not Gantu (It seems that Experiment 626 has just “borrowed” the good Captain’s ship. And this little blue alien is now using Gantu’s star cruiser to hot rod around the universe), the guns quickly get put away and Stitch then begins chatting with the audience.
And given that “Stitch Live!” is truly an interactive attraction, every show is different. Take — for example — what happened when my son was sitting down front. Experiment 626 was just yakking away when he suddenly stopped cold. Staring intently at Christopher, Stitch then seemed very confused. “What am I doing out there? How can I be in two places at the same time?”
My son then patiently explained to this obviously rattled alien that he was just some little boy in a costume. That he — the on-screen version of Experiment 626 — was still the one & only Stitch. Once the little blue alien heard this, he wiped his brow with obvious relief and then continued on with the show.
Copyright 2008 Disney. All Rights Reserved
And that one brief exchange with Stitch just made Christopher’s day. Sure, he loved the rest of this show, where the audience had to work together in order to restore gravity on the spaceship as well as help Experiment 626 make the jump to light speed. And the very end of this new WDSP attraction, where you have to shout out directions to Stitch so that he can avoid being captured by Gantu, was fun too.
But that moment where the “Living Character” version of Stitch singled out my son to talk to, quizzing him about his costume as well as where he lived in Germany … That just blew Christopher’s mind. For the rest of the day, my son had the biggest grin on his face. Because the really-for-real Experiment 626 had spoken with him.
Is “Stitch Live!” for everyone? Well, easily offended types might have trouble with the moment in the show where Experiment 626 first sticks a finger up his nostril and then flicks a booger at the audience. But if you can handle that teeny bit of gross-out humor, this new “Living Character” show is a welcome addition to Walt Disney Studios’ array of attractions.