With a halt on all construction in Disney World during the closure, we didn’t expect to find anything too exciting when we went looking for new building permits this week. So, we were surprised to find two of the most interesting permits we’ve found in a while!
Stitch’s Great Escape
It looks like even though construction is halted, Imagineers are still getting a head start on the paperwork for some big projects for the future. We spotted TWO permits for demolition at the address registered to Stitch’s Great Escape in Magic Kingdom!
Stitch’s Great Escape is a show in Tomorrowland that has been operating on a seasonal schedule since October of 2016. Whew! That’s almost four years of the attraction being primarily closed! When it did run, the show was a dark and surprisingly scary theater-in-the-round show that featured the escape of the lovable Experiment 626 (that’s Stitch).
Since then, the space is sometimes used as a meet and greet area for Stitch or other characters.
Stitch
Well, as we were searching through permits we spotted two duplicate permits filed by Walt Disney Imagineering on March 20th that described the work as “demo interior” at the address registered to Stitch’s Great Escape!
Permit concerning address at Stitch’s Great Escape
This means that if the permit is put through, this long-term attraction could finally be demolished once the parks reopen and/or construction is allowed.
©Disney
Now, it’s important to note that these permits don’t always mean that work is starting immediately. In fact, Notices of Commencement like the one we spotted usually have an expiration date of one year, so technically it could be a while before work begins (and there could be extensions if needed!).
Plus, there is a chance that the demo could be for a portion of the building as opposed to the actual attraction, meaning that it may not yet be time for Stitch’s Great Escape to actually pass on to the Disney attraction afterlife.
Tomorrowland Construction
Regardless, these permits make us pretty excited about what we could see happening in Tomorrowland in the future. Stitch is the fourth ride to occupy this space with ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter, Mission to Mars, and Flight to the Moon preceding it.
We hope something exciting is coming to this attraction space — but for now, we’ll just have to wait and watch. But hey, even a new seating area or shop is better than a constantly closed attraction!
What’s Coming To Tomorrowland!?
Of course, we’ll keep you updated as we hear anything about Stitch’s Great Escape. And we’ll keep an eye on permits and on the physical location for any signs of further construction. With a bunch of refurbishment going on in Tomorrowland right now, we DO think this demo would make sense! For now, though, we’ll have to wait patiently for construction to start back up and for confirmation from the Mouse!
Need a laugh? Check out these fun Disney commercials — including the one for Stitch’s Great Escape!
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Is that the address???
Hi Quincy!
How do we know that this is the specific address for Stitch’s Great Escape? When I google the permit’s address, it shows the road behind Fantasyland, and since the permit doesn’t mention Stitch, I was wondering if it could be for work at any other part of the park.
Really like the blog, thanks for the great work!
Personally I loved the alien ride that stitch replaced. I would rather see that back
After experiencing the Stitch attraction in Tokyo Disneyland’s Tomorrowland, I have this wish that we could copy it here in the U.S., but since it is basically Turtle Talk w/Crush, only with Stitch, my wish will not come through. Did not understand a word, but it was adorable.
I think it would be very popular here, and much more kid-friendly.
I would want an Avengers theme ride, or Marvel anything in that space. Stitch and the Alien encounter were too dark and scary for little ones, but super heros would be cool for kids and adults.