ORLANDO, Fla. -- In a Disney World first, visitors can now be spat upon by one on its loveable characters.

The setting is Tomorrowland, inside the Magic Kingdom park. Wander over to the attraction called "Stitch's Great Escape," and you'll find expectoration aplenty. That's because the show features the alien rascal from "Lilo & Stitch," Disney's 2002 animated hit.

Stitch, considered by Disney one of its most popular new characters in years, stars in a theme park prequel to the movie. Here, Stitch is supposed to be corralled by galactic cops. The audience plays the role of "new recruits" brought in to help guard the critter. The capture is eventually botched, and Stitch -- one of the most sophisticated Disney animatronics ever -- "escapes" into the audience.

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Stitch's Great Escape

"It worked to storyline from the standpoint that (visitors) are 'new recruits,'" said senior show writer Kevin Rafferty. "They're arriving out on location, they're going to be taken in and given a briefing, and then something happens … and then they're sent off to a high-security chamber."

Familiar Territory
That chamber might seem familiar to Tomorrowland fans because the show is housed in the same space previously haunted by the "Alien Encounter" attraction. Because Stitch was such a hot property, Disney dumped the super-scary "Alien" (It had a Magic Kingdom run from 1996-2003) in favor of the animated imp.

"We're always changing things in the parks and keeping them fresh," Rafferty said. "We saw Stitch as a perfect opportunity with this scientific space-age theme."

"Every square foot at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom is a precious piece of real estate," agreed show director Rick Rothschild. "The opportunity to bring this highly-popular Walt Disney character and create a home for him here …meant that we had to go look for a place to put him. Tomorrowland was the appropriate place to tell our story, and the facility that the attraction is in was the right location."

Not to mention the fact that it saved Disney a ton of money to recycle an attraction for a hot, current character as opposed to a movie monster that may have lost its steam. But Rothschild insisted that the building didn't dictate the storyline. But it didn't hurt.

"The reality is that telling a story is where we start," he said. "So having the facility took some time off of getting that story in front of the public."

It's All About The Story (And The Burps)
Like "Alien," "Stitch's Great Escape" follows the same basic format: Visitors are herded from one spot to another as the story unfolds, with the climax coming in a darkened room where Stitch masters his monkey business.

When the lights go out, the seated audience members – sporting special harnesses over their shoulders – hear Stitch run around the room, "feel" him jump on their shoulders and even smell his chilidog burp. The latter is not only a fine bit of fakery, but vintage Stitch.

"There's some magic in making smells," said Rafferty explains. "We've all been to the ballpark, we've all been in different places where those kinds of eruptions occur. And we figured if we could deliver that, that would be something everybody would get and it would be a really gross, fun thing."

It works to perfection, as a steamy alien chili burp wafts towards your nostrils. Oh, and that spitting thing. During the chaos in the dark, Stitch also slobbers on the audience, but the smart money says it's actually a few well-placed water streams from the ceiling. Whatever the origin, audiences seem giddy to have something that looks so cuddly be so naughty.

A Dream Come True
Stitch creator Chris Sanders (who also supplies the voice for the rascal) says the attraction is a dream come true.

"My hope was that some character in the film would live beyond the movie," he said. "This is the biggest confirmation of that. I hope guests have a huge amount of fun."

Online, Stitch fans can learn more about the new attraction – as well as help Stitch explore the Magic Kingdom – in "Stitch's Escape Game," a free download available for Windows PCs. Find it at www.stitchescape.com.

More New Stuff, Dudes
There are a few other new Disney World additions to mention, dudes. Both are at the Epcot park, which continues its ongoing effort to attract and keep a younger audience.

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Turtle Talk With Crush

In The Living Seas pavilion, surfin' sea turtle Crush (from "Finding Nemo") is in the spotlight in an interactive attraction.

The turtle, digitally reproduced in an animated water tank, answers live questions from kids in the audience, with every sentence ending in, "Duuuude."

"Turtle Talk With Crush" uses digital projection and voice-activated animation. One warning. Don't bother asking where "the voice" of Crush is coming from. As one Disney public relations wizard responded, "Why, that's Crush's voice."

At least he didn't say, "Duuuude."

Also new at The Living Seas is a play area featuring a larger-than-life statue of Bruce. He's the toothy shark from "Finding Nemo." Here, visitors are urged to hop into Bruce's jaw to snap that perfect vacation photo. The shark is part of a bigger interactive area that also features a sea of graphics about sharks.

Both attractions are included with admission to Epcot.