ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter, Dark amusement ride in Tomorrowland, Florida, US
This former attraction took place in a circular theater built around a central presentation chamber, with rows of seats arranged facing a teleportation device. The facility used light, sound, and tactile effects to simulate an encounter happening mostly in complete darkness.
The show opened in the summer of 1995 as part of an effort to appeal to older visitors in a park traditionally oriented toward families with young children. It closed after eight years of operation and was replaced by Stitch's Great Escape, a version with a less threatening character.
The attraction's alien corporation, X-S Tech, was chaired by L.C. Clench, played by Jeffrey Jones, whose pre-show welcome stated the company philosophy: "If something can't be done with X-S then it shouldn't be done at all." The show's premise was an open house that served as a front for exposing human guinea pigs to a captured alien monster.
The theater was located in the Tomorrowland area and signs alerted visitors to intense content before entry. The show lasted about 20 minutes and visitors remained locked in their seats throughout the presentation.
The shoulder restraints carried individual speaker units behind each guest's head, delivering binaural cues so the alien seemed to move around the circular theater. Warm moistened air, water sprinklers and air blasters simulated its breath and dripping drool, and soft textile tubes suggested it licking the audience. The circular layout kept each guest from realizing the effects were shared.
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