It's a beautiful sunny day in the studios... The perfect weather for the two Californian film assistants, Sam and Lilly, to get to work with their director on their brand new music video, set on the luscious beaches of Hawaii.

Production Courtyard's buzzing Place des Stars has been transformed into a tropical Hawaiian oasis for the occasion! Palm trees, jet skis and colourful surfboards litter the area, with a large beach-side backdrop filling the extended, wood-panelled stage.

Before the cast and crew arrive in a cavalcade of classic Hollywood motors, a team of production assistants check over the audience and get everyone into the festive "Ohana" atmosphere.

The Dazzle of ShowBiz!

Sam and Lilly arrive on set to get the party started, but it seems they're all alone. Who is their mysterious director?  Why, it's Minnie Mouse herself! She arrives on set in true celebrity style, in the back of a classic American convertible, and immediately joins Sam and Lilly as they set up the scene for the stars of the show and dance to the breezy Summer music on their Disney radio!

"More assistants needed on set right away!" Could they be as famous as Minnie? Have they even been chosen yet?  After a last minute call to some of Minnie's best friends, Goofy and Pluto speed in from backstage on an old-fashioned motorbike and sidecar. With the production crew in place, it's time for the stars of the show to arrive!  Unfortunately, Minnie hasn't chosen them yet either!

Another desperate last minute call on her "cellphone" gets the perfect actors - Lilo and Stitch!  The setting of the video clip is certainly familiar to them, although they don't seem quite as experienced as you'd expect for such a high-profile shoot.  As their classy car pulls up to the stage, Stitch loses control and starts attacking the seats! He soon calms down when he sees his friend on stage, and makes sure he gives them all a warm and welcoming trademark Stitch hug!

And... Action! Catch a wave!

Surfboard and waves in place, it's time for Lilo and Stitch to "Catch a Wave" and put their acting skills to the test as they dip and dive over the simulated ocean waves to the catchy rhythm of "Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride".

Unfortunately, the scene isn't quite perfect - Stitch wants to play Elvis instead! Reassured that he'll get a chance later, Stitch rejoins Lilo on the surfboard to complete the scene, now with some very lucky extras!

Children the audience are invited to step up, make their dreams come true and make their filmmaking debut as they dance the Hula and catch a wave with Lilo and Stitch! Some lucky guests will even get the chance to climb on stage for a starring role, complete with their own special Hula costume! "Cut! Perfect! On to the next scene!"

Limbo Rock

Now it's time for the adults to get involved! Two daring volunteers will step up on stage to take part in a grand Hawaiian Limbo contest to complete the tropical music video!

The contestants are given suitable Hawaiian shirts as they see how low they can go with Goofy, Lilo, Sam and Lilly as support, whilst Pluto makes sure he does his best to put them off by suddenly lowering and raising the pole at key moments! After three attempts each, the winner is announced and the music video is complete - time for the real party to begin!

The King lives on...

"The King" is on the record player, the microphone is ready... Stitch bursts out of the beach hut in his full Elvis costume, even down to the trademark hair and sideburns!  Elvis' "Hound Dog" blasts over the movie set's speakers as Stitch struts around the stage, rocking and rolling.  As this legendary performance comes to an end, the entire cast join in a final encore of "Can't Help Falling In Love" and pose for a perfect photo memento so everyone can remember when they caught a wave with Lilo and Stitch!

With the video clip in the can and the party drawing to a close, the elegant classic convertibles (and Goofy and Pluto's motorbike) pull up in front of the stage to transport the cast and crew on to their next movie!

Cut! That's a wrap!

Finding a Place to Watch

The show takes place on the outdoor stage of "Place des Stars" in Production Courtyard, which has no seating area. Most guests therefore sit on the ground a few metres from the stage, with other guests standing behind them.

It is recommended that you find a place to watch the show around 10 minutes before it is due to begin, although in high Summer season arriving earlier is advised.

Paris is no Hawaii, but do remember that the sitting/standing area for watching the show has practically no shade, so bring appropriate accessories to protect yourself from the sun.

Taking Part

At selected points in the show, guest interaction is very much the key. Children are invited to the front to join in the hula dancing and some are even chosen to go up on stage and be a part of the music video!

Later in the show, two (un)fortunate adults are chosen to take part in a limbo contest with all the characters!

Meet 'n' Greet the Stars

If you'd like to meet 'n' greet the stars of the show, be sure not to miss Good Morning Walt Disney Studios, when the characters from all the Studios' productions arrive on set!

Lilo & Stitch's Catch The Wave Party borrows very heavily from the original film soundtrack for it's music to create a fun and exciting party atmosphere - on a movie set! As the show begins, a dance version of the classic Elvis song "Can't Help Falling In Love" by the A*Teens is played for the stars to dance to as they gradually all arrive on stage. Once the crew is on stage, the final preparations are made to a lively dance routine and the pulsating beat of "Burning Love".

The music used for the main "Catch The Wave" sequence of the show is the catchy "Hawaiian Roller Coaster" song from the surfing scene of the film. This song is heard multiple times, though only once all the way through, due to the assistants and director cutting the scene short when things go wrong.

After the "Catch The Wave" scene, a version of the song "Limbo Rock" by Sebastian from The Little Mermaid is used for the duration of the hilarious Limbo contest. This song was first featured on a little-known Little Mermaid spin-off album and Walt Disney World concert video called "Sebastian's Party Gras", but was luckily pulled out of the archives to be used in this perfectly fitting scene.

The final song in the show is an original by Elvis Presley himself - "Hound Dog", which is used as Stitch's grand finale to the party. As the show ends and the stars pull away in their classic cars, the A*Teens' "Can't Help Falling In Love" remix plays again as a lively encore for the colourful and energetic show.

Lilo & Stitch Catch The Wave Party first premiered on the Place des Stars Stage (then named Production Courtyard Stage) on May 29th 2004.  The show was a more permanent and involving summer show for the stage which sits at the heart of the busy Production Courtyard and before Lilo & Stitch arrived only had more temporary streetmosphere-style performances such as the "Sister Act 3: Back to the Studios" gospel choir in 2002 and the "Rythmo Technico" percussion band in 2003.

To give the Art Deco styled stage a more Hawaiian feeling, the stage underwent an impressive transformation in the weeks before May 29th.  Firstly, a new wooden decking stage was put in place on top of the concrete base, with wooden panelling also applied to the stage's roof supports.  A large Hawaiian beach backdrop was also added, which includes a small new backstage area (something with the stage lacked before this point).  To bring a touch of Hawaii to Production Courtyard, an assortment of palm trees were positioned around the stage.  The show shared the expensive classic cars which bring the stars to the stage with Good Morning Walt Disney Studios, a new mini-parade which also premiered in 2004.

Excellent interactivity, hugely popular characters and a wonderful summertime atmosphere made the show a massive hit, with guest surveys rating the show as high as Disneyland Park's epic The Legend Of The Lion King and huge crowds of enthralled children and pleased parents at every performance until the end of the season on August 29th 2004.

After such an exceptional response to the show in 2004, it was no surprise to see this summer spectacle return for a second season in 2005. With this return came a few minor changes. Since 2005, the cars which bring Lilo & Stitch and Minnie to the stage have been customised with hearts for Minnie and colourful flowers for Lilo & Stitch.  Choosing to be different as usual, Goofy arrives on the back of an old-fashioned motorbike, with Pluto in its sidecar! Various new props can also be seen throughout the area, such as surfboards resting on the stage roof supports and a new "Lilo & Stitch" sign above the stage to indicate to guests exactly where the show takes place.

Also new since 2005, a warm-up team get the audience into the Hawaiian party spirit with fun exercises and warm-up dances to get everyone excited and ready to take part in the show.  The show made a welcome return for its third season on 3rd June 2006, with very few changes the actual show.  One welcome change for frequent park visitors, however, was that "Miss Loulou" - a well-known face from the park's CinéFolies streetmosphere shows - rejoined the show to play Lilly.  The pots holding the additional palm trees around the area were also customised in 2006 with bright red and white designs similar to Lilo's famous dress, plus some extra "Stitch" graffiti!

The popular show now looks set to make a return to Walt Disney Studios Park each Summer for many years to come.