One of the best parts of the lead-up to the release of the live-action Lilo & Stitch has been watching the marketing. We’ve seen Stitch “invade” various corners of the Disney universe, just as the little troublemaker did in an animated form when the original movie was first released. It’s been fun to see the way Disney has referenced the old times in new ways, and now Walt Disney World has gotten in on the action.
Like all popular Disney franchises, Stitch is no stranger to Disney World. For years, he had his own attraction at Magic Kingdom, Stitch’s Great Escape. While many, myself included, would call it one of the worst Disney World attractions ever, what the park did to promote it is a moment that has lived in infamy. Now they’ve done it again, sort of.
Lilo & Stitch has hit theaters, and our own Lilo & Stitch review gives it high marks, but the little blue menace is still causing trouble regardless of the positive response. A video posted to Instagram by Disney World shows that Stitch has “invaded” the park, and he went wild on Cinderella Castle, covering the iconic location with toilet paper and graffiti.
As many in the comments are pointing out, this is a hilarious throwback to a time on the day that Stitch’s Great Escape opened at Magic Kingdom, when the castle actually was “vandalized.” Everybody seems to be loving the reference, which is kinda funny in itself because that wasn’t the overwhelming feeling at the time.
The Time They Actually Covered Cinderella Castle In Toilet Paper Didn’t Go Over So Well
Imagine that you’re going to visit the most magical place on Earth on the day a brand-new Disney World attraction opens. You can’t wait to be one of the first to experience Stitch’s Great Escape, a modification of the popular, but controversial ExtraTerrorestrial Alien Encounter that replaces the scary alien with adorable Stitch. You walk into the park and see that Cinderella Castle has been covered in toilet paper.
This was a thing that actually did happen. The vandalized castle, which looked pretty much as it does in this video, only existed for a single day. For that reason, the people who were actually there experienced a unique piece of Disney history. For people who visited Disney World regularly, it was probably hilarious, but not everybody was laughing.
A lot of the Disney World crowds on any given day are made up of people making that “once in a lifetime” trip. They have seen Cinderella Castle on TV and are looking forward to seeing it in person, maybe finally getting that picture in front of the castle as so many others before them have. Needless to say not everybody was thrilled that their castle picture included toilet paper and spray paint.
While the promotional stunt made sense, it rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. Trashing the castle may have been funny to some, but you still have to look at a trashed castle all day long.
Fans on social media had wondered if we might see a recreation of the vandalized castle as part of the release of the new live-action Lilo & Stitch. As it turned out, we did, just not in reality. This is probably the best possible way to do it, as it gives the fans their throwback moment without ruining anybody’s pictures.
