Vandalism isn’t any laughing matter, children. At the present time, punks and pranksters are fueled to fan and fortune on the TikTok and whatnot, garnering trillions of views and cult-like adoration as they poison the minds and morals of our nation’s youth. It’s thus exceedingly disappointing that Walt Disney World, as soon as a beacon for household values, is celebrating criminality but once more.
All of it occurred for the primary time again on November 16, 2004. On that fateful day, one of many worst sights in Walt Disney World historical past opened, with Sew’s Nice Escape changing the ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter, one among my favourite sights of all-time. It got here amidst some darkish days for Walt Disney World, with a multi-year lull in new choices and several other inventive misfires. (No matter you consider the previous few years, the early to mid aughts have been worse.)
The identical could possibly be stated for the Walt Disney Animation Studios, which was why Lilo & Sew was such a vibrant spot and there was a lot pleasure for Sew’s Nice Escape. It was billed by Walt Disney World as that includes essentially the most subtle Audio-Animatronics ever developed by Imagineering, with the multi-sensory Tomorrowland journey placing friends in the course of the mayhem brought on by “Experiment 626” when he’s despatched to the Galactic Federation Prisoner Teleport Middle.
Within the distinctive theater-in-the-round attraction, park friends arrived as new recruits at a detention facility designed to separate the galaxy’s naughty from the good. Throughout Sew’s Nice Escape, friends have been ushered into the middle’s high-security teleportation chamber because the six-limbed Sew beams in, tracked by two ceiling-mounted “plasma cannons” that comply with his DNA every time — and wherever — it strikes.
With friends seated in DNA scanning restraints, Imagineering’s proprietary “proximity audio” expertise offers an in depth encounter with the playful Sew as he makes an attempt to outwit the galactic authorities within the round chamber. Sights, sounds and — ewwww! — smells add to the pandemonium.
On-line, followers of the artful alien might study extra concerning the new attraction and assist Sew discover Magic Kingdom in Sew’s Escape Recreation, a free obtain out there for Home windows PCs at stitchescape.com. (Most of that is verbatim out of the unique press launch.) Suffice to say, there was lots of pleasure and fanfare for Sew’s Nice Escape forward of its debut.
As a part of the promotional push for the brand new attraction, friends to Magic Kingdom on November 16, 2004 have been greeted by an enormous inflatable Sew exterior the Primary Avenue USA Practice Station on the park’s entrance entrance. The mischievous Experiment 626 was as soon as once more on the free to mark the grand opening of Sew’s Nice Escape. (This inflatable was used on numerous events from 2004 till a minimum of 2007; we noticed him repurposed for Christmas, sporting a Santa hat one yr.)
The most important shock got here when friends turned the nook on Primary Avenue, and have been greeted with that iconic sight: Cinderella Fort. Besides coated in rest room paper. Because it turned out, Sew had TP’d the Magic Kingdom icon in a single day, whereas additionally spray-painting “Sew is King” on one of many Cinderella Fort turrets.
To additional clue in friends that it was Sew who had wantonly vandalized Cinderella Fort somewhat than a rogue felony who broke into the park (how would that even work?!), there have been “Needed” indicators throughout Primary Avenue for Experiment 626. Later that day, there was additionally a particular grand opening stage present for Sew’s Nice Escape that includes Elvis impersonators.
Listed here are photographs of the one-day festivities sourced from Pinterest and Imgur (sorry for the shortage of attribution–unable to trace down the unique sources):
I actually remorse not seeing this in individual. Sarah and I didn’t first go to Walt Disney World collectively as adults till one other year-plus after this, so we missed it. I acquired into the Disney fandom fairly deep across the similar time in Summer time 2006.
Already, this was the stuff of legends. There was no social media outrage machine again then, however relaxation assured, there was most positively outrage. It was just like the twenty fifth Anniversary Cinderella Fort Cake over again, with complaints about how disrespectful it was, how unhealthy it seemed, and the way upset friends should’ve been who solely had in the future in Magic Kingdom and this was in all of their photographs. (Since so few photographs exist, I assume these complaints are on behalf of different friends, not firthand suggestions.)
As with the controversial Fort Cake, my favourite is its detractors expressing sympathy for brides of the nascent “Disney Fairy Story Weddings” division who arrived to Magic Kingdom on November 16, 2004, shocked and heartbroken to find that the regal citadel they wished within the backdrop of their photographs had been vandalized.
To every their very own, however the official place of this web site is that we might cherish our marriage ceremony photographs much more if that they had a toilet-papered citadel within the background. Consider how distinctive that might be–an superior conversation-piece when guests to your house noticed your marriage ceremony photographs! (Correction/retraction: I’ve been suggested that, in truth, we might not cherish such photographs. This weblog condemns toilet-papering Cinderella Fort within the harshest of phrases.)
Quick ahead to Could 23, 2025–the discharge date of the “reside motion” Lilo & Sew remake. Oops, he did it once more:
Caught within the act of just about turning the long-lasting Cinderella Fort right into a roll of chaos 😉🧻 Don’t miss this troublemaker in #LiloAndStitch, now in theaters! 🌺 pic.twitter.com/Shn5f43TQP
— Walt Disney World (@WaltDisneyWorld) Could 23, 2025
As a part of a brand new advertising and marketing marketing campaign for the remake, the Walt Disney World and Disney Parks social media accounts have shared a brand new video of Sew with the caption: “caught within the act of just about turning the long-lasting Cinderella Fort right into a roll of chaos 😉🧻 Don’t miss this troublemaker in #LiloAndStitch, now in theaters! 🌺”
The video options Sew in his live-action look rolling in entrance of Cinderella Fort, which has been digitally embellished as a call-back to the notorious IRL November 2004 overlay. The one variations are the Cinderella Fort coloration scheme and that it learn “Sew is King” in 2004 and now readers, “Sew was Right here.”
In case it’s not clear, that is all CGI or no matter, and no park icons have been harmed within the making of this advertising and marketing marketing campaign. So it’s not precise vandalism, and Sew can solely be charged with Tried Mischief. As I perceive it, that’s a second-degree misdemeanor. Good factor that Reedy Creek Jail nonetheless hasn’t been constructed, or Sew might do 30-days within the slammer. (Then once more, if city legends concerning the underground Disney Jail are true…)
Joking apart, a part of me actually needs Walt Disney World would’ve toilet-papered Cinderella Fort for actual. It will’ve been foolish and enjoyable, and social media would’ve had a discipline day with it. Then once more, I utterly perceive why they didn’t. Each little outrage is amplified extra nowadays, and manufactured into greater than it’d in any other case be.
Even setting apart these appearing in unhealthy religion, there would have undoubtedly been common ole friends saving up 1000’s of {dollars} to step foot onto Primary Avenue for the primary time (and solely time), devastated to see Cinderella Fort “vandalized.”
I’m very sympathetic to this angle, and acknowledge my very own entitlement as a blogger who has seen the citadel numerous occasions and would simply recognize one thing contemporary and zany–even when objectively ugly. So maybe Sew might’ve TP’d his previous attraction IRL? That’s ugly anyway.
Disney has had lots of enjoyable with the advertising and marketing marketing campaign for the Lilo & Sew remake. Earlier this week, Disney shared pictures of Sew wreaking havoc at Disneyland throughout its seventieth anniversary celebration, with Sew crashing a photoshoot for Mickey and Minnie, driving Tiana’s Bayou Journey, and extra.
Sew has additionally “crashed” the Disney Parks Weblog, with an “Alien Invasion” button that transforms pages. New menu objects impressed by “Lilo & Sew” are additionally coming to Walt Disney World and Disneyland to rejoice the remake’s launch.
The eagerly anticipated movie, a live-action reimagining of Disney’s 2002 animated traditional, is now enjoying in theaters nationwide. Lilo & Sew is the wildly humorous and touching story of a lonely Hawaiian woman and the fugitive alien who helps to fix her damaged household.
The movie is directed by award-winning filmmaker Dean Fleischer Camp, from a screenplay by Chris Kekaniokalani Shiny and Mike Van Waes. Lilo & Sew stars Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Billy Magnussen, Tia Carrere, Hannah Waddingham, and Chris Sanders, with Courtney B. Vance and Zach Galifianakis, and introducing Maia Kealoha.
Disney stories that the blue alien’s model has expanded throughout The Walt Disney Firm’s numerous segments exponentially since 2002. There are after all the animated sequels and the TV sequence, however friends at places equivalent to Walt Disney World Resort and Aulani, A Disney Resort and Spa can have enjoyable in-person encounters with the character. As a model for Disney Shopper Merchandise, Sew has grown 27-fold over simply the final 5 years.
I used to be stunned to learn that line about 27-fold development for Sew, however principally as a result of it’s been within the final 5 years. Personally, I’ve actually come round on Sew, however over the past decade-plus. For the primary a number of years after the film got here out, I had “Sew Fatigue” and felt the character was poorly used, and annoyingly so. Disney by no means fairly captured the heat and coronary heart of the character, which was odd for a film that had simply come out.
Issues acquired higher across the time Frozen got here out and was a smash success. Sew was in a position to fade into the background, was used extra sparingly within the parks, and in conditions the place it really made sense. Disney additionally acquired higher about conveying his massive coronary heart alongside along with his mischievousness, making the character a lot much less abrasive.
This can be a massive purpose why we beloved “A Completely Tomorrowland Christmas,” and hope that the success of the Lilo & Sew remake is what’s wanted to convey again that cult-classic stage present for Christmas 2025. Even when that doesn’t return, I wouldn’t thoughts Imagineering taking a second-crack at making a Sew attraction. They’ve a vacant area in Tomorrowland and an envelope-pushing Audio Animatronics determine, so would possibly as properly give it a strive!
Sew is actually lovable when specializing in his greatest options, and has a ton of unrealized theme park potential. The character has a sure child-like high quality to him, which I assume is why he resonates with children and adults alike. This would possibly sound like heresy coming from me, however Sew is nearly like Figment for contemporary youngsters. (Nearly. He’s extra rambunctious and fewer imaginative–however there are clear parallels!)
Past that, the Lilo & Sew remake really seems good. Maybe I’m simply being “fooled” by a powerful advertising and marketing marketing campaign, as nearly all of those remakes have did not justify their very own existence (the largest exception being Pete’s Dragon, which I like). We stopped watching the remakes ages in the past, realizing after Magnificence and the Beast that they have been by no means nearly as good or higher than the animated movies they remade–so we’d as properly watch these.
I extremely doubt Lilo & Sew would be the exception to that rule, however I’m a minimum of curious at this film since I do assume the animated model had room for enchancment. We’ll most likely examine it on Disney+ ultimately, which could appear tepid–however it’s pretty excessive reward for Lilo & Sew’s PR push provided that we haven’t watched any of those remakes since 2017. I want Disney the perfect of luck with this movie on the field workplace and hope it joins the billion greenback membership. However bear in mind children: crime doesn’t pay.
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Your Ideas
What do you consider Sew toilet-papering Cinderella Fort? Ought to he have performed it for actual once more, or is the digital homage the perfect of each worlds? Disenchanted to see Disney celebrating criminality and wanton acts of vandalism? Excited to see Lilo & Sew in theaters, or have you ever been burned by too many reside motion remakes? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Any questions we can assist you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even once you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
