Alien Encounters
Have you ever been on the ride “Alien Encounters” at Disney World? It may not even be there anymore. It scared the bejeezus out of me the first time I rode it years ago, and I haven’t been back since.
On the ride, you are on a spaceship in outer space when, suddenly, the ship is taken over by aliens. The scary part is that the power goes out on the ship during the invasion. You are left stranded in your seat in the complete dark. The seats that you sit in have vents and speakers in the back of them, near your neck, and the thrill of the ride is that as you sit there in the dark, you can hear aliens running running around behind you. Then, all of a sudden it gets really quiet, and you can FEEL them breathing hot breath on your neck! And, finally, after you’ve wet your pants and screamed your head off, the aliens actually touch you! You feel their cold, clammy fingers reach out and slowly probe your neck.
It is terrifying.
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So, the other morning around 4:00am, Gracie comes creeping into our room. It was pitch black dark, and I didn’t see her after first. But in my half-sleep mind, I heard something come running in the pitch black dark into my bedroom. I woke up just enough to check the clock and then lazily pull her into bed with me so that I didn’t have to get up and go tuck her back in (classic parenting, right there).
Gracie is a firm believer in cuddling. She gets right up in your neck and holds on for dear life. She has assumed her position, and in the darkness and quiet, I finally start to doze back off.
And that’s when the breathing begins.
Gracie has fallen asleep and is breathing heavy through her mouth. With every little puff, she breathes hot air on my neck, slowly, over and over again. Kind of cute. Also, kind of creepy in the dark. I sort of wiggle her a little bit to make her roll over, but apparently all I do is wake her up.
She lays there in the dark, waiting for the right moment.
As I am just about to fall asleep again, the cold, clammy sensation of fingers pokes me in the face. Gracie spent the next five minutes just probing my face in the dark, breathing that warm breathe onto my neck, over and over again.
I realize that this is the kind of situation that mothers look back on fondly. Sweet, cuddly little babes wrapped in their arms, breathing that sweet little breathe on their skin, and patting your face with their chubby little baby hands. It’s the stuff motherhood is made of.
But it is hard to deny that it’s also freakishly like “Alien Encounters” at Disney World…
6 Comments
Erin @ Blue-Eyed Bride
Okay. I am dying. I remember that ride and it freaked me the heck out, too! Terrifying! But it’s not there anymore. I was actually looking for it last week, but it’s not there. Thank goodness, right? And….oy. The mouth breathing. When does that end? Hudson was standing over me this morning mouth breathing, which I think was a good thing. Otherwise he could have just stood there watching me and I never would have heard him. Creepy!
Cindy
I remember that & the weird thing was I just talking about it the other day.
Years ago (I agree, I don’t think it is there anymore!) I took my niece & nephew to WDW & we went to Alien Encounter. I saw the warnings that it might be too much for little ones, but it’s Disney- how scary could it be?? lol
While we were walking out (after the breathing, and water/blood splattering experience), I immediately starting the spill that it was not real & my little 4 year nephew turned to me, looked up & said “I saw no zippers on that alien!” It was the cutest thing ever!
Anne
Yeah, Alien Encounters is now gone. It is now Stitch’s Great Escape…but the power still goes out, leaving you stranded in the dark as you hear aliens running around and feel them breathing on you…
Danielle
My son, Gabe is only 8 1/2 months old…but I know I’ll be slightly terrified of those moments when he comes into our room at night and stares at us in the dark…creepy little kids. I never went to Alien Encounters…Stitch’s Great Escape is now in it’s place…but it still does the lights out thing…and you can hear Stitch behind you, and laughing creepily in your ear and then he BURPS and the whole place smells like nacho cheese or something equally gross.
Claudia
For the life of me, I cannot stand people breathing on me. My boyfriend is a huge cuddler and I have to constantly ask him (very kindly, obviously) to please move so I don’t feel it. I know, worst gf in the world but I can’t stand it! Just reading your story made me cringe!
Krista Simmons
I “rode” that the last time I was at Disney World which was when I was 13 or 14. My dad reached out and put his hand on my leg to calm me down and it had the opposite effect. I thought the alien was touching my leg! Horrific!