10 Best Things About Tower of Terror

 

 

Once again, Lisa Green shares a wonderful article just in time to celebrate Halloween from her Living a Disney Life Blog. - Nick

 

 

It’s October and I’m feeling Halloween-ish.  Last week, I listed my favorite things about Magic Kingdom’s Haunted Mansion.  This week, I feel it’s only fair to do the same for the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.  As it is most certainly one of my top three favorite attractions, I have plenty of love for every dark, spooky, incredible detail.  Where to begin?  That’s easy!  The Tower of Terror’s draw begins long before guests step into the queue.  Stroll down Sunset Boulevard and you’ll see (and hear) what I mean.  The Tower’s exterior, complete with screaming faces in the upstairs window, is sure to capture your attention.

Tower of Terror – 10 Best Things

1. The Grounds – This is one of the best, most detailed attraction exteriors ever created.  Disney Imagineering at its very best.  There’s mist, age, decay, overgrown landscaping – the story begins long before that first step inside the Hollywood Tower Hotel.
2. The Lobby – If you could escape from a Doom-Buggy in Haunted Mansion, it might be a lot like exploring the Tower of Terror.  Clearly, this was once a finely appointed, upscale establishment.  It’s almost sad to see it in such a rundown state.  Creepy yet lovely with a sense of foreboding.  Exactly the right atmosphere for what happens next.
3. The Bellhops – Seriously some of the best and most fun Cast Members in the World!  They’re solemn (but still fun) and have awesome costumes.
4. The Library – So much to see! Incredible details are everywhere even before the TV comes alive and Rod Serling (voiced by Mark Silverman) sets exactly the right mood!  This attraction layers the buildup like none other – carefully crafting the story while maximizing anticipation and a bit of fear (in a good way).  Watch carefully – the hidden details are part of the charm!
5. The Sounds – The classic Twilight Zone theme song, the televised back story, the use of sound (and silence) from the library to the end of the ride…genius!  “It’s raining it’s pouring…”
6. The Basement – Amazingly detailed (like the grounds outside), the winding path between the library and the elevator takes guests into the dark, dingy hotel basement.  Giant boilers, pipes, equipment, and Hidden Mickeys are all there to be explored.
7. The Service Elevator – Could a ride vehicle look more daunting?  I don’t think so.  The elevator on the outside looks ramshackle and uninviting – once the doors open?  It takes some serious bravery to step inside knowing that once those doors close, there’s no turning back.
8. The Anticipation – First-timers worry about what’s going to happen next.  Repeat guests DO know what’s in store and still…well, I know how hard my heart is pounding at this point and I’ve ridden dozens of times. That’s part of what keeps me coming back!
9. The Thrill – As you can tell from outside this attraction, the Tower of Terror tends to make people scream.  Me?  Not so much – this ride makes me laugh hysterically.  I can’t explain it, but the surprises on this ride seriously crack me up.
10. The Pictures – Even before our Memory Maker package included video for the Tower of Terror and even with many strangers in every picture, I still count the ride photos among my most favorite.  I guess it’s all the different expressions captured and the different way each person reacts to the ride’s random movements…makes me smile every time I see our pictures.

What about YOU?  How do you feel about the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror?  Do you love it?  What’s your favorite detail about this attraction?
 

Lisa can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LivingaDisLife and on Twitter at @life_of_green

And not only is Lisa my favorite blogger, but she co-hosts The Disney Exchange Podcast along with me and David Hodges!

My Disney Bucket List

My Disney Bucket List- by Shendl 

Photos: Disney

I am sure each and every Disney Fan has a Wish List or as I call it a Bucket List of things that they want to do or achieve on their Disney Vacations.

Some are Realistic and some are Fantasy. Today I am going to let you in on my current Disney Bucket List for my Next Vacation in 2017.

•    Eat at Be Our Guest.  This restaurant had just opened when we went to WDW in 2013, so we were unable to get a reservation and we didn’t want to stand in the really long Lines for lunch. This next trip in 2017, we will be booking a Dinner and Lunch/Breakfast depending on what we can get!  

•    Ride the Seven Dwarves Mine Train. The Mine Train was just being completed on our last vacation and I just Have to ride it and go through the interactive queue that I have heard so much about!

•    The Keys to the Kingdom Tour. One of my dreams has always been to see the Utilidors at Magic Kingdom (ever since I saw and Oprah episode where she took her whole audience to WDW), so we want to splurge a little next time!

  
•    The new Ferrytale Dessert and Wishes Cruise. This is a new addition to my List (its only just been released and it is a little pricey.) We want to treat ourselves for our Wedding Anniversary instead of buying each other a gift. This Cruise sounds like fun and the Desserts sounds amazing as well as the souvenir items you get.

     
•    Resort Hop. In my Four Vacations to WDW, I have never Resort Hopped!! This time we will be making sure that we have a day set aside just to visit as many resorts as we can and have  a snack or drink and get an item that says the resort name for our collection
   

•    Ride Tower of Terror and Rock n Roller Coaster. I have promised myself and my husband, Dieter, that I will ride these two rides next time. I chickened out the last time and I really wish I had done them. So no chickening out this time!!

•    Buy a Disney Dooney and Burke handbag. I really, really love the Dooney and Burke Handbags that I see my friends in the USA buying and I have vowed to buy something that is a Dooney and Burke even if it’s the smallest one I can find…..as long as it fits into the budget!!

•    Get my face painted. I really wanted to get my face painted when I was at WDW the last time and for some reason I felt that I would look silly with it done. I have since seen friends of mine have it done on their vacations and HAVE to do it!!!
   
•    Eat a Dole Whip. I have NEVER done this!! I hear you Gasp as you read this……I will rectify this in 2017 for sure!!
   

•    Pick a Pearl in Japan at Epcot or at Disney Springs. This is another thing I wanted to do last time and didn’t for reason’s unknown to me. I see such gorgeous things that friends have had made with their pearl picks and I think it will be such a lovely souvenir to bring some magic home!

This is my Bucket List – the one I plan to complete on my next vacation in Sept 2017. I have a fantasy one as well but that I will share with you another time!

Looking forward to seeing your Disney Bucket Lists!!

What's So Great About the Tower of Terror in Walt Disney World?

By Lisa Green

“Hollywood, 1939. Amidst the glitz and the glitter of a bustling young movie talent at the height of its golden age, the Hollywood Tower Hotel was a star in its own right. A beacon for the show business elite. Now, something is about to happen that will change all that.” -Mark Silverman as the voice of Rod Serling, Tower of Terror Introduction

 

Disney World‘s Twilight Zone Tower of Terror…The ride that divides The Fam like no other.  Raymond and Megan really don’t care for it and will ride it one time (and one time only) during each trip to Disney World – just to be polite.  Joseph and I love it (Joseph’s all time favorite ride) – we can and will ride it again and again.  Once we even scored a surprise fast pass when we got off, so we got right back in line!

Like Rock’n’ Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror is located in Disney’s Hollywood Studios at the end of Sunset Blvd.  The queue for this ride is, as Disney tends to do with newer attractions, cleverly detailed and carefully crafted to immerse you in the ride’s theme and story line long before you board the ride vehicle (in this case a seemingly innocuous service elevator).  From the winding garden paths through the overgrown greenery, past the once grand outdoor courtyards of the Hollywood Tower Hotel to the perfectly dusty and slightly sinister-looking hotel lobby, guests paying careful attention will find wonderful gems in the details.  Hidden Mickeys abound along with several nods to the Twilight Zone television series.  Even the sullen, grey- uniform-clad bellhops add to the depth of theming for this attraction.  If the day is not too warm, I find the stand-by line for this ride actually quite enjoyable, but that’s not why Joseph loves it.  The constant screaming coming from the hotel “guests” is a good clue about the real reason this ride’s a big hit with thrill-seekers like Joseph.

As you draw closer to the pre-ride intro show, you begin to feel a sense of dread.  As if the hotel lobby is emitting a warning to you.  The bellhops will guide you into the library.  Joseph describes it this way – “The feeling of impending doom is created by the cast members working at the tower and the abandoned, worn-down look of the hotel – inside and out.  Like somewhere you don’t want to be.”

The pre-ride show provides the backstory (I won’t spoil it for you, but it’s great!) after which you are led into the hotel’s basement to the service elevators.  The theming and mood-setting details continue - watch for another Hidden Mickey on the wall.  TIP: Going to the left instead of right in line is generally faster.  Once you board the elevator (you must be 40″ tall to ride and health warnings exist), fasten that seatbelt – you’re gonna need it!  The best part of this attraction is the layers of build-up to the finale.  Everything, from the first step in line, leads up to what happens in that elevator!

Continuing with the story introduced in the library, the elevator travels through several scenes before you hit the real action.  The elevator drops, shoots up, drops, and so on – riders are constantly surprised.  Random drop sequences are what keep people coming back for more.  There’s no way to predict the exact pattern of elevator movement.  When the elevator is “falling” it is actually being pushed downward – gravity alone would not be this fast.  This is VERY scary for many people – as evidenced by the screaming!!!  Joseph and I both LOVE this part – we don’t find it frightening, just incredibly fun.  The sense of weightlessness is what makes this ride so great!

Have you visited the Hollywood Tower Hotel?  What did you think?

This article was originally posted by Lisa on her Living a Disney Life-Empty Nesting with Pixie Dust Blog.

Walt Disney World Rides and Attractions: Musts, Maybes, and Passes

By Nick

A few months ago, my friend Lisa Green posted an article on her terrific Living a Disney Life Blog about breaking down rides into Must Do, Will Do, and Once and Done categories. She gave me her blessing to use (steal) the topic.

My wife and I are extremely fortunate to be able to visit Walt Disney World each year, sometimes multiple times.

For this reason, we don't feel the need to tour the parks "Commando Style," getting to the parks at opening and staying all day hitting every ride, attraction, parade and show. Don't get me wrong, we usually do get to parks for rope drop, but we usually leave mid-day, sometimes going to a different park in the evening, sometimes opting to not return to a park at all.

Still, there are a few rides we MUST do on each visit to a particular park.

Must:

Magic Kingdom

• Haunted Mansion
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Mickey’s PhilharMagic
• Peter Pan's Flight
• Dumbo
• Carousel of Progress 

Epcot

• Spaceship Earth
• Soarin'
• Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros
• Journey Into Imagination with Figment

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

• Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
• Toy Story Midway Mania
• Rock’n’ Roller Coaster
• Muppet*Vision 3D
• Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream

Animal Kingdom

• Expedition Everest (For my wife. Sadly, this gives me severe motion sickness.)
• Kilimanjaro Safari
• Dinosaur

This next group consists of rides we enjoy, but if time is a consideration, we don't need to experience on each and every visit.

Maybe:

Magic Kingdom

• It’s a Small World
• Jungle Cruise
• Space Mountain
• Monster’s Inc. Laugh Floor
• Splash Mountain
• Big Thunder Mountain
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• Prince Charming Regal Carousel
• Enchanted Tiki Room
• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
• Hall of Presidents
• Walt Disney World Railroad
• Enchanted Tales with Belle
• Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid
• The Barnstormer
• Liberty Square Riverboat
• Tom Sawyer Island

Epcot

• Maelstrom (Closing very soon. Makes me wish we'd ridden it on our last trip.)
• O Canada
• Reflections of China
• Impressions de France
• Living with the Land
• Ellen’s Energy Adventure
• The American Adventure
• Turtle Talk with Crush
• The Seas with Nemo & Friends
• Innoventions attractions

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

• The Magic of Disney Animation
• The Great Movie Ride
• Star Tours (This used to be a must, but because of motion sickness, it's a maybe now.)

Animal Kingdom

• It’s Tough to be a Bug
• Primeval Whirl (Barbie likes it, I cannot ride it however. Yep, motion sickness!)
• Flights of Wonder
• Festival of the Lion King
• Pangani Forrest Exploration Trail
• Maharajah Jungle Trek
• Rafiki’s Planet Watch and Affection Section
• Wildlife Express Train
• Finding Nemo – The Musical

The following rides are those I won't do again, or perhaps will only do under duress. A couple, shocking as it may seem, I've never done! These I feel deserve a bit of an explanation.

Pass:

Magic Kingdom

• Magic Carpets of Aladdin (Never been on it.)
• Mad Tea Party (motion sickness)
• Tomorrowland Speedway (Too long a line. Always!)
• Stitch’s Great Escape ( I can't say we'll NEVER do this again. Here's the thing, this was the first ever attraction Barbie and I experienced together at Walt Disney World, so it has a special place in my heart. We just haven't been on it since that first visit in September of 2006)
• Astro Orbiter (motion sickness)
• Country Bear Jamboree (Barbie hates this attraction. See this article for the reason why)
• Swiss Family Tree House

Epcot

• Mission: Space (motion sickness)
• Test Track (I don't like the redo but would ride this with friends.)
• Captain EO (Another one I'd do with friends.)
• The Circle of Life
• Studio Backlot Tour (Just closed. It was a very sad shadow of it's former self that we only did once on our first trip.)

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

• Lights, Motors, Action – Extreme Stunt Show (Barbie literally fell asleep at this show.)
• Voyage of the Little Mermaid
• Beauty and the Beast- Live on Stage (Every trip I say we are going to see this, and then it's too hot out, or something else comes up. We'll get there eventually.)
• Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular (Would probably go again, but have only seen once. And I was one of the audience members chosen to be in it!)

Animal Kingdom

• TriceraTop Spin (motion sickness)
• Kali River Rapids (Only ever rode it once, but would go on with friends)

That's my list. What would your list look like?

Wordless Wednesday: Disney Details, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

Photos by Barbie and Nick

A Bonus Ride on Tower of Terror: Great Disney Cast Members

By: Nick

My favorite ride at Walt Disney World is The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

I love the details the Imagineers put into the ride from the classic television series.

Back in November of 2007, after the pre-show video, Barbie and I stayed back in the library, taking photos of props referencing episodes. A Cast Member named Darren started pointing out details that we may not have noticed, such as these broken glasses, an homage to one of my favorites, "Time Enough at Last."

We chatted for a few moments, until we had to depart as the next group of guests entered the library,

We thanked Darren, and Barbie and I proceeded to our "service elevator."

After our visit to the Twilight Zone, imagine our surprise when Darren greeted us at the exit. He didn't say anything, except "Come with me." He then proceeded to bring us up on a real service elevator, back to the loading area. He spoke to another Cast Member loading guests, and within a few moments, we were placed on our very own elevator!

Once again, Darren met us on the other end, and asked if we'd enjoyed our ride. We couldn't thank him enough for this wonderful surprise!

It's wonderful experiences, and even more wonderful Cast Members, that keep us dropping by Disney Theme Parks!

Thanks again Darren!

The Tower of Terror from 2 Coasts Desktops

My very favorite ride in all of Walt Disney World is The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

 

The Disneyland version at Disney California Adventure at the Disneyland Resort may be smaller with less effects, but is still an absolute blast.