Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

It's the height of fright!  Find yourself traveling through another dimension in this mysterious Hollywood hotel, where your next stop is a 13 story drop... straight down!   O.K.... next to Splash Mountain, this ranks as one of the best rides in the "World".  Disney has outdone itself with this one.  From the moment you enter the grounds of the hotel, you feel a strange frightening sensation.  As you wind your way into the hotel lobby, be sure to take a good look around.  There is an elaborate story being told here.  Once inside, you enter a library of sorts where a television sparks to life.  Rod Serling is "brought back to life" by imagineers to tell the story of the Tower of Terror. Your next move is into the basement of the hotel.  Talk about realism, you'd swear this place was here for decades.   From there you board your "elevator" and are transported mysteriously throughout the hotel. 

In the end, you reach the top of the building where your car re-enters the elevator shaft.  Your heart quickens as you prepare for the drop. The car does drop... only a little bit.  Wait... maybe this isn't that bad.  It holds there just long enough to think you're safe.  Then the MEGA DROP happens... and then, you shoot back up and do it again!  Heavy heartbeat time!  I waited longer in line for this ride than any other ride ever at Disney World (75+ minutes).  The queue is also VERY deceptive.  Just when you think the ride is around the corner, you are in another queue.  Disney does know a thing or two about crowd management.  All in all, I'd wait as long as I did again.   The ride is that good. 

Tower of Terror Fright Facts:

Mickey Checks Into The Hollywood Hotel: There are several "Hidden Mickeys" tucked away in the deserted hotel. During the opening scene in the library, look for the little girl getting on the elevator -- she's holding a vintage Mickey Mouse doll. Also, quick-eyed thrill seekers will spot a Mickey Mouse head that is formed by the swirling stars as the elevator car reaches the "fifth dimension."

Hidden Messages: On the glass-encased hotel "directory" in the lobby, some of the letters have fallen to the bottom of the case. The fallen letters create an ominous warning that reads "evil tower u r doomed."

'The Good Life' Comes to Life: Rod Serling's opening scene in the hotel library was taken in part from a 1961 episode of The Twilight Zone series entitled "The Good Life." The episode told the story of a little boy who could use his mind to change things.

Garage Sale, Anyone? Walt Disney Imagineers searched Hollywood auction houses for the hotel furnishings. French bronzes by the 19th century artist Moreau are found in the attraction, as well as furniture pieces that graced Hollywood clubs and hotels throughout the 1920s.

Who Has the Remote Control? Walt Disney Imagineers spent countless hours screening all 156 episodes of The Twilight Zone to capture the overall mood and feel of the series. All of the episodes were screened at least twice, and some were screened three or four times to carefully study the props, furnishings, music and settings.

No Vacancy: A closer look at the upper floors of the Hollywood Tower Hotel reveals "guest room" lights and lamps that are illuminated. The lights are meant to resemble hotel guests who have been lucky enough to avoid the "fifth dimension" fright of their fellow visitors.

That Sinking (Fast) Feeling: Guests aboard Tower of Terror fall faster than gravity. That is because the elevator car doesn't "free fall" -- the ride's mechanics actually "push" and "pull" it up and down.

Play It Again...: Attention to detail extends all throughout the ride, and even outside in the queue area. Walt Disney Imagineers built the landscape to resemble the chaparral-covered hills of the Elysian and Griffith Parks in Los Angeles. Background music from the era is played in the queue area, including Glenn Miller's "Sleepy Time Gal" and "Mood Indigo" by Duke Ellington.
 

INTERCOT Alert: This is a high intensity thrill ride that takes place mostly in the dark