Welcome back to planDisney, Michael!
I'm thrilled to be corresponding with a fellow fan of The ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter that was once at Magic Kingdom at Disney World! My parents took me to this attraction on one of our first family visits to Disney World, and, though I was scared out of my mind, it was one of the catalysts for my love of the terrifying! I was so disappointed when it was replaced by Stich's Great Escape (though I did love that they reused much of the original framework of The ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter and had some X-S Tech relics throughout the attraction) but was even more disappointed when essentially all remnants of The ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter were wiped from Disney Theme Parks after Stich's Great Escape had its final performance. Stitch did have a meet-and greet for a while outside of Alien Encounter's building called Stitch's Alien Encounter Character Greeting which nodded to the original attraction within the name -- but this meet-and-greet is no longer happening now as the area it inhabited is now typically used for stroller parking in Tomorrowland.
The Chinese Theater within Hollywood Studios now houses
Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway (which is an excellent ride you should experience), but the previous attraction, The Great Movie Ride, was home to an Alien movie portion that was home to animatronics that were once considered to be placed in the Alien Encounter experience but were ultimately planted within The Great Movie Ride instead.
As Ash says in Alien, "I can't lie to you about your chances, but... you have my sympathies."
The only remaining nod to Alien Encounter that I am aware of at this time is at Disneyland in California. Within the Collector's Office in the queue for Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: BREAKOUT, there is an invoice from the X-S Tech Research and Development team that you can see on his desk. The document contains a few nods to the original Alien Encounter.
As for your upcoming trip to The Most Magical Place on Earth, I highly recommend asking a Cast Member or two in the Tomorrowland area if they have any interesting facts about the old ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter as they may have some more morsels of wisdom to share with you beyond what I know! I highly recommend visiting the
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind attraction in EPCOT, as the Guardians apparently have ties to X-S Tech, AND it happens to be one of my very favorite attractions! I also recommend eating at the
Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant at Hollywood Studios as I think you will enjoy the other-worldly entertainment and the delicious food.
I hope you have a lovely day, my Alien friend!
"Seize The Future" -- X-S Tech.
Allyn