It was revealed in December 2013 that the Captain EO ride at Tokyo Disneyland will be replaced by the interactive attraction Stitch Encounter. The wait is now over as the Oriental Land Company which owns Tokyo Disneyland announced that the much-awaited new attraction will open in July 2015, right in time for the summer vacation this year!
Described in the press release as a theatre-style attraction that can be enjoyed by the whole family, Stitch Encounter features the alien protagonist from popular Disney movie Lilo & Stitch. The blue extraterrestrial Experiment 626 will entertain the guests of Tokyo Disneyland with his unique humor and pranks.
This will be the world’s third Stitch attraction, but only the second of its kind – the other being located in Hong Kong Disneyland. However, this will be the first time Stitch will be speaking Japanese as his Hong Kong counterpart speaks only English, Mandarin and Cantonese. For those who have not experienced the ‘encounter’, you will enter a futuristic theatre in which Stitch is projected onto the screen and ‘interacts’ with you through conversations facilitated by an accompanying staff member. The show times are usually posted outside the attraction and guests can select their language of choice when deciding when to watch.
If you can’t wait for the summer, here’s a sneak peek from Hong Kong Disneyland:
Stitch is so adorable that it’ll be hard to say no to all the Stitch plushies that will inevitably greet us right after exiting the attraction…
Correction: This article originally stated that Tokyo Disneyland’s Stitch attraction would be the world’s second. It will, in fact, be the third, as a slightly different Stitch-themed attraction can be found in Disneyland Paris. The article has been updated to reflect this. Thanks to reader Jason for the tip.
Sources: OLC Group, Stitch Kingdom h/t NariNari
Featured Image: Hong Kong Disneyland
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