Credit: Becky Burkett, Inside the MagicYou are invited to ‘drop by’ as we uncover the history of one of Disney’s best theme park rides.
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Since the original Disneyland Resort opened in 1955, Walt Disney Imagineering has continued to innovate and inspire, creating some of the most jaw-dropping and immersive theme park rides on Earth.
From classics like Haunted Mansion, Peter Pan’s Flight, Space Mountain, and Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room to modern-day marvels such as Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and TRON Lightcycle / Run, there’s no shortage of thrilling and fun rides, though one Disney World attraction stands above the rest (literally).
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The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror recently celebrated its 30th anniversary and is often regarded as one of Disney’s best attractions. The Tower of Terror opened its doors for the very first time in 1994, forever changing Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park (then called MGM Studios) and the Walt Disney World Resort as a whole.
In the late 80s, a drop ride was envisioned for the second phase of development for the Disneyland Paris Resort. The attraction would have been one part roller coaster and one part free-fall and was to be named Geyser Mountain. The project was ultimately scrapped for Paris but was brought over to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Various ideas and themes were allegedly proposed for Disney’s new drop tower attraction, including a ride narrated by comedy legend Mel Brooks and even an experience based on Stephen King’s novels.
Eventually, Walt Disney Imagineering took inspiration from one of the world’s most revered and iconic television shows, The Twilight Zone, envisioning the drop tower ride structure as a way to literally propel guests into the fifth dimension.
Once a theme and basic story were developed, the rest of the pieces seemed to come together quite naturally. Designers wanted to make The Twilight Zone‘s host, Rod Serling, a central part of this new ride, which would ultimately be known as The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.
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The Backstory
Few Disney attractions pack quite the punch found in The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. From the moment guests spot the Hollywood Tower Hotel at the end of Sunset Boulevard inside Disney’s Hollywood Studios, a sense of dread, excitement, and anxiousness starts to form.
Guests make their way through an abandoned courtyard just outside the hotel, taking in the mist-filled views of the grounds and surrounding gardens.
Classic jazz music is played throughout the queue, though this, mixed with the dilapidated nature of the building itself (and the screams of guests riding the attraction), creates an unmistakable sense of dread and uneasiness that continues to build as riders wait in line.
Eventually, guests will find themselves in the Hollywood Tower Hotel’s library, where a film tells the story of the following story:
On a fateful night in 1939, a group of five guests were riding in an elevator when a bolt of lightning struck the Hollywood Tower Hotel. The guests who were struck now haunt the very hotel guests just entered. Serling informs guests that they will be boarding a maintenance service elevator and becoming the stars of their very own episode of The Twilight Zone.
Guests then make their way into the hotel’s boiler room, the final area before they board their elevators.
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The Ride
Guests are given one final schpiel by a hotel bellhop before boarding their elevator, and then the ride begins. Guests are taken up to the hotel, where they come face to face with the five guests who disappeared on that fateful night in 1939.
The guests disappear, revealing only a small glass window at the end of the hall. The window shatters, and the entire hall goes dark, only illuminated by tiny little stars.
Guests then rise up once more into the “fifth dimension” scene, a massive room where riders first realize their elevators are actually capable of moving forward and backward as well as up and down. It’s an incredible moment for first-time guests but also continues to be a showstopper for Disney World veterans as well.
This little moment also perfectly matches up thematically with what guests are experiencing, with riders entering a new dimension at the same time their elevators do.
Guests move forward into the dark and spooky fifth-dimension scene before locking into one final lift chamber. Then, the real ride begins. Before guests have time to double-check their Mickey Ears, the elevator ride begins.
Tower of Terror Facts
- 199 Feet tall
- 39 Miles per hour
- 13 Floor drop
Instead of utilizing the same “up and down” sequence found on most theme park drop towers, Disney’s Tower of Terror uses a randomly generated ride profile each time, ensuring guests are as unprepared as possible for what’s to come.
When the attraction first opened, the Tower of Terror only dropped once. This was tweaked in May 1996 when a second drop was added. This was tweaked once again in March 1999, when Disney added new special enhancements and a third drop.
Finally, the randomized drop sequence was added to The Tower of Terror between December 2002 and January 2003, making the attraction feel fresh every time.
It was clear from the start that Disney’s Tower of Terror would be a popular and well-received addition to its Hollywood Studios theme park, with the attraction’s legacy only growing with age.
In 2024, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror can be found all around the world, with locations in Walt Disney World, Disneyland Paris, and Tokyo Disney. The drop tower still sends chills down the spines of guests on a daily basis, providing them with one of the most complete packages found on any Disney property.
Not only is the actual ride fun but the story and setting of The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror also sets it apart, which is why many guests call it one of Disney’s best attractions of all time.
Do you enjoy riding The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Walt Disney World? What’s your favorite Disney thrill ride?