Stitch Live pre-show changes!
Posted by Kristof on Friday, August 15 2008

It seems Walt Disney Studios management is changing its mind on the Disney Channel tie-in at Stitch Live, since the entire pre-show, that previously just showed some trailers for Disney Channel programmes, has completely changed!

Warning, spoilers:

Instead of these commercials, the plasma screens now show a "welcome" on a starry background which is suddenly replaced by the logo of the Galactic Alliance. Captain Gantu announces the Grand Councilwoman of the United Galactic Federation who briefly introduces Lilo and Stitch (for those who don't know the movie's universe) and explains Stitch has escaped to a small island on Earth. She asks the guests in the pre-show to help her find Stitch and a missing Space Cruiser.
Gandu then takes the word again and warns the guests to stay cautious while they're in the Galactic Communications Room.

When moving into the main theatre, the Cast Member doesn't mention Disney Channel any more either, instead she or he tells the guests they're in the Galactic Communications Room and that their help is needed for finding Stitch and the missing Space Cruiser.

No word yet if the large screen in the waiting area (now covered with a large Disney Channel sticker), will be re-used to entertain the waiting guests with the corporate synergy instead.

Many thanks to La Roquine for his report on Disney Central Plaza

Stitch Live!: interview with Imagineer Laurent Cayuela
Posted by raptor1982 on Monday, March 24 2008

Hop over to DLRP Today for an exclusive interview by Jeremie from the Media Magic Blog with Stitch Live! Imagineer Laurent Cayuela.

» Go to the article here.

Stitch Live Annual Pass previews
Posted by raptor1982 on Thursday, February 28 2008

Dream Pass previews are planned on following days:

Saturday 8 March: 1.45 pm to 6.45 pm
Sunday 9 March: 1.45 pm to 6.45 pm
Saturday 15 March: 1.45 pm to 6.45 pm
Sunday 16 March: 1.45 pm to 6.45 pm

We got told today by a few insiders that there might be soft openings during the weekdays for park guests. However, take in mind that these unscheduled previews are subject to any change.

Stitch Live! information board and marquee
Posted by raptor1982 on Saturday, February 23 2008

Stitch Live! has been updated with it's final details the past few weeks. An information board, which could be seen on an early concept art, has been installed in front of the entrance. It will most likely advertise the English and French performances throughout the day.

Marquees beneath the attraction's logo were also installed the past week and have already been put in operation.
Our WDS spy also spotted cast members in front of the attraction and noticed that they were wearing the old Disney Channel tour costumes.

Stitch Live! at night
Posted by raptor1982 on Sunday, February 17 2008

The Photos Magiques camera captured last week the Stitch Live! sign lit up.

Resort advertising continues with Stitch (UPDATED)
Posted by raptor1982 on Sunday, January 20 2008

A large Stich Live! banner has been put up over the moving walkway to the main parking lot.

The banner shows Stitch being carried by hands of a crowd and a French announcement for "coming soon".

Update: new photos from the latest Photos Magiques news update.

DLRP launches Stitch website
Posted by raptor1982 on Monday, January 7 2008

Disneyland-stitch.com, a new website by Disneyland Resort Paris, allows visitors to "adopt" their own Stitch in true Tamagotchi-style, which includes taking care of the character with special commands.

The Stitch figure will sit on the task bar and will occasionally do tricks like catching the cursor or licking the screen.

It seems logical that this website will be used the coming months to advertise the new attraction.

» Adopt your Stitch here!

Stitch's construction walls come down
Posted by raptor1982 on Monday, December 10 2007

The construction walls surrounding the Television Studios Building came down past weekend, revealing an extended queue line and a metalic cinema-style castmember booth.

Stitch prepares for broadcasting
Posted by raptor1982 on Monday, November 19 2007

A golden satellite dish, which previously could be recognized on the Stitch Live! façade concept art, has now been installed!

Television Tour loses its antenna
Posted by raptor1982 on Sunday, October 7 2007

The large antenna placed over the Television Tour's building has now been removed to make way for a satellite dish.

Stitch Live logo revealed
Posted by raptor1982 on Friday, October 5 2007

Nightshift, a production company that had previously produced trailers for Disneyland Resort Paris including the well received Cast Member compilation, is currently hosting an early draft of the 15th Anniversary extended celebrations commercial.

The new trailer shows the new additions to the resort for next year, all three located at Walt Disney Studios Park: The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, High School Musical on Tour and Stitch Live!

In addition to footage from the Stitch Encounter at Hong Kong Disneyland is there also a logo for Stitch Live featured in the advert. It's not clear yet if this will be the final logo or just imagineered for this specific trailer.

Watch the 15th Anniversary continues... BIG TIME trailer here.

Naming the Stitch Attraction
Posted by raptor1982 on Sunday, September 23 2007

The Butlin Boy on our own magicforum reports that Thomas Cook's most recent UK brochure refers to the Television Tour replacement as Stitch Live. This name was previously hinted by backstage sources to WDSfans and seems now to be confirmed.

Choose today the name of the Stitch attraction!
Posted by raptor1982 on Monday, June 18 2007

Disneyland Resort Paris is once again relaying on its visitors to help make a decision on the Stitch attraction's name.

A survey on the official DLRP website lists several possible names for the future attraction:

You can vote for your choice by visiting this link and click on the Stitch button to the left of the page.

Stitch is landing January 2008
Posted by raptor1982 on Friday, June 8 2007

The newest Walt Disney Studios Park plan mentions the upcoming Stitch attraction.

It's mentioned under the Walt Disney Television Studios header as: "Stitch interactive attraction. Scheduled to open in January 2008."

Now hiring: Stitch voice
Posted by raptor1982 on Friday, May 18 2007

Disneyland Resort Paris is now hiring voice actors to perform in the Stitch Encounter attraction!

The performer needs to be able to imitate Stitch's voice and control the animation at the same time. The cast member has to be between 20 and 35 years old and be a native French or English speaker. The contract will run from October 2007 to March 2008.

More information can be found at the bottom of this page.

Television Production Tour shut down
Posted by raptor1982 on Friday, April 27 2007

The "exclusive behind the scenes look" at the Disney Channel is no more. The walkthrough attraction closed down 2 weeks ago for preliminarily work for the Stitch Encounter attraction.

The closure has now been officially marked with the addition of a "closed" sign on the main information board and by the famous blue fences covering the building's entrance.

Stitch Encounter press release
Posted by raptor1982 on Monday, April 2 2007

"Living Characters" Debut with Stitch Attraction
Utilizing the latest real-time computer graphics animation technology created by Walt Disney Imagineering, a new interactive Stitch attraction opens in spring 2008 at Walt Disney Studios Park.
The attraction lets guests talk, listen, joke and play with the fuzzy, lovable alien first introduced to audiences in Walt Disney Pictures' hit comedy, "Lilo & Stitch"."Because of the interactivity and immersion of this new experience, the guests are the "stars" of the production along with Stitch himself", said Tom Fitzgerald, executive president and senior creative executive, Walt Disney Imagineering.
As Guests enter the theater, a Space Traffic Controller scans a galactic communications screen for "active" alien traffic. Stitch is quickly summoned to talk, joke and even flirt, engaging the audience in spontaneous conservation. The show is never the same twice -- whether Stitch plays his guitar, dances around the bridge of the spaceship or takes digital photographs of audience members.And no matter where guests are seated, Stitch seems and engages them in non-stop banter.
"It's the latest milestone in Walt Disney Imagineering's legacy of bringing Disney characters to life", said Fitzgerald.

Stitch Encounter concept art!
Posted by raptor1982 on Monday, April 2 2007

A concept art for the Stitch Encounter entrance was shown during the 15th Anniversary press conference at Hotel New York!

The piece of art by the talented Christian Hope shows a huge Stitch Encounter sign with a marquee announcing the shows in English and French.
The information board at the foreground will probably list all shows in the different languages.

Television tour closing 16th April
Posted by raptor1982 on Wednesday, March 14 2007

We've been informed by internal sources that the Television Tour will permanently close on April 16, 2007 to make way for Stitch Encounter.

Stitch Encounter confirmed (again!)
Posted by raptor1982 on Wednesday, February 21 2007

We'd already posted that Stitch Encounter was confirmed on the Cast Member Rendez-Vous event, but the attraction has now been finally confirmed by park management during today's Anual General Meeting where all the new goodies for the 15th Anniversary were presented.

Stitch Encounter has been announced for "early 2008" without an exact opening date.

Stich Encounter officially confirmed!
Posted by raptor1982 on Thursday, January 11 2007

The Stitch Encounter attraction has been confirmed on yesterday's Cast-Member Rendez-Vous. Imagineers shared blueprints and sketches for the make-over of the current unpopular television tour.

The Disney Channel television tour idea will be dropped. The actual tour will now be used as queue area, leading up to the former Playhouse Disney/Art Attack studio where guests can have a virtual encounter with Stitch.

The building's post show featuring Cyber Space Mountain will remain the same.

Stitch or no Stitch?
Posted by raptor1982 on Thursday, November 30 2006

Word has reached WDSfans.com that Imagineers have started designing the attraction for the Disney Channel building, despite the fact that there hasn't been a green light from DLRP managment.  It turns out that the Entertainment department isn't thrilled to have a Stitch related attraction near the Production Courtyard stage where every summer the enormously popular Lilo & Stitch Catch the Wave Party show is performed...

To be continued.

Stitch Encounter confirmed?
Posted by raptor1982 on Tuesday, October 24 2006

Chat de Chester, moderator on the French Disney Central Plaza forum claims that the Stitch Encounter attraction has been confirmed to the Cast Members at Walt Disney Studios Park.
The team even got informed with an approximate opening date, which is unknown for outsiders at the moment.

Stitch Encounter for November 2007?
Posted by Anthony on Saturday, October 7 2006

Whilst over at Disneyland Park today the little blue terror is invading Disney's Halloween festival for the first time, rumours have suddenly exploded across the internet this afternoon that next year, in November 2007 to be precise, he will be invading again... with his own attraction at Walt Disney Studios Park!

The attraction in question is Stitch Encounter, an attraction which opened on 13th July 2006 at Hong Kong Disneyland's Tomorrowland. It uses the same technology as Turtle Talk with Crush at Disney's California Adventure and Epcot, which allows an audience to interact in real time with Stitch through a highly advanced computer animation system. After a question or respose from the audience, Stitch's animation and (mostly alien) speech is then generated and selected by a hidden Cast Member.

The following quote from Wikipedia describes the Hong Kong attraction, which is presented in Cantonese, English and Putonghua:

Guests are invited to visit Space Traffic Control for a tour. Space Traffic Control (or STC) is the nerve center for this quadrant of the galaxy and where all space traffic is closely monitored. The tour goes as planned until the host is interrupted by Stitch, a fluffy blue mischievous alien known also as "Experiment Number 626" in a “borrowed” space ship. Stitch interacts in real time with the guests, plays games with the kids and even teaches everyone how to speak Hawaiian. Ultimately, Stitch’s nemesis, Gantu shows up and wants his ship back. It is up to the guests in the audience to help Stitch escape! The show is a combination of action and comedy, and never the same show twice.