Tower of Terror...anyone recall the "original" version?

[Tygger7]

This is probably an odd question, but I have to ask as there was a "black hole" in my past where I wasn't able to go to WDW for a few years.

Anyway, my parents lived in FL and had annual passes and went to DHS soon after ToT opened. My mom swears that you used to "stand up" for the ride and that there were no seats. Was there ever a version of ToT that you stood up to ride, versus being seated? I can't imagine you rode standing up, but I don't know if my mom is remembering something else and getting it mixed up with Tot.

[ThanxForNoticin]

No, I'm pretty sure ToT has always been "seated". They used to have the big lap bars that restrained guests in the seats, and now they have seat belts in each seat. The original was kind of 'tame', too - up and down just once!! It's much more exciting now!

[Ian]

To the best of my knowledge, you've never stood up on ToT. There are plenty of free fall type attractions, though, where you do stand up so she might just be getting confused.

The only significant change to the cars in ToT that I'm aware of is when they went from lap bars to seat belts.

[Rosemickey68]

You have always sat down on Tower of Terror. Maybe she was thinking about the promotions of it?? For the ad/promotion for ToT they used to show a group of teens standing in the elevator looking around and when it "fell" a girls mickey mouse ears hat would come flying off.
It is alot more fun now than it was when it first opened. You get a different experience everytime you ride it...you never know how many times you will "fall".

[Tygger7]

Thanks so much for the replies! Yeah, I couldn't imagine that ToT was ever a stand-up ride. To be honest, I can't believe my mom ever rode it. She HATES heights and anything that drops you (she had a bad experience with the elevator at work), so I was surprised that my dad got her on ToT. They haven't gone to any other parks, so I have no idea what else at WDW she may be getting mixed up with ToT. But, she's also the one that told my then 9-year old daughter that Alien Encounter wasn't scarey.

[spinnerf]

Maybe she was thinking about the promotions of it?? For the ad/promotion for ToT they used to show a group of teens standing in the elevator looking around and when it "fell" a girls mickey mouse ears hat would come flying off.
.

I agree.

[WishingStar2006]

The biggest difference is that in the original version your "elevator cabin" used to be thrust OUT of the ToT building...where the openings are now. They don't do that anymore.

[Ian]

The biggest difference is that in the original version your "elevator cabin" used to be thrust OUT of the ToT building...where the openings are now. They don't do that anymore.

Not following you at all here ... what do you mean?

[Ed]

The biggest difference is that in the original version your "elevator cabin" used to be thrust OUT of the ToT building...where the openings are now. They don't do that anymore.

Not following you at all here ... what do you mean?

If you are saying that the 'cabin' used to pop out of the building through the openings in the facade, I have to respectfully disagree.

We've been riding ToT frequently since the time it opened, and the ride never had any such feature.

[SandmanGStefani24]

my first and only time riding it in 1995, we were seated, and the car never was sent out of the elevator shaft.

glad to say i did it, but it aint happening again!

[magicofdisney]

Not following you at all here ... what do you mean?

If you are saying that the 'cabin' used to pop out of the building through the openings in the facade, I have to respectfully disagree.

We've been riding ToT frequently since the time it opened, and the ride never had any such feature.

Maybe that poster was just being facetious. Like the poster that said the Stitch ride used to eject into a different area of the park.

I'm just thinking...

[mousetrapper]

The biggest difference is that in the original version your "elevator cabin" used to be thrust OUT of the ToT building...where the openings are now. They don't do that anymore.

[DisneyFanaticDargon]

Your mom's belief might have stemmed from the original commercials that used to run for the Tower of Terror and for a few years after. They showed people in the elevator, and dropping, all while standing up. This is, of course, just a marketing technique and it's not meant to represent the actual ride.

It's similar to the ad campaign they ran for Alien Encounter that showed the alien's claw bursting through the floor and other such things that never actually happened during the attraction.

[CaptSmee]

always been seated...used to have lapbars that were replaced by seatbelts however. other than that and the random sequences not much has changed since opening.

[GrumpyFan]

Yeah, the ride has always been sit-down, never stand up. The advertising agency took a little creative license when they created the commercials and billboards, I guess in an effort to make it look scarier than it is. It's one of those little pet peeves of mine. I actually thought you stood up on the ride before my first time, and so I was a little disappointed when I found out that you actually sit.

[A Big Kid]

Yeah, the ride has always been sit-down, never stand up. The advertising agency took a little creative license when they created the commercials and billboards, I guess in an effort to make it look scarier than it is. It's one of those little pet peeves of mine. I actually thought you stood up on the ride before my first time, and so I was a little disappointed when I found out that you actually sit.

Me too. And I was for certain that the ride was nothing more than a souped up hydrolator. Imagine my surprise!

[MaxPower]

Back when it TOT opened, at the very end of your ride, you were shown another little video and Rod Serling talked about your trip to The Twilight Zone--however, since it happened immediately after you were just dropped through the tower, many guests were still laughing and/or discussing what happened and very few could hear what Rod said before the car doors opened to let you out.

[DisneyFanaticDargon]

Actually, there is still that little video at the end. It hasn't changed as far as I know.

[joelkfla]

always been seated...used to have lapbars that were replaced by seatbelts however. other than that and the random sequences not much has changed since opening.

There have been a few other changes:

The effects in the drop shafts were added as part of TOT 4. That includes the ghosts, the lightning, the "false ending" video, and the burning rubber smell (which I don't know whether it's still working; I haven't noticed it in a while.)

Also, the image of the ride vehicle that passes across the eye in the 4th dimension used to be a snapshot of your ride vehicle, taken just after the breaking window at the first stop. Now it's a generic image, slightly blurred so it's hard to see that you're not in it.

[johnfunkwriter]

There have been a few other changes:

The effects in the drop shafts were added as part of TOT 4. That includes the ghosts, the lightning, the "false ending" video, and the burning rubber smell (which I don't know whether it's still working; I haven't noticed it in a while.)

Also, the image of the ride vehicle that passes across the eye in the 4th dimension used to be a snapshot of your ride vehicle, taken just after the breaking window at the first stop. Now it's a generic image, slightly blurred so it's hard to see that you're not in it.

that false ending video is one of the best features of a ride at DW... it's hard not to tell others in your party about that... we try not to so they can experience it for themselves.

we LOVE it that so much thought goes into the ride experience!