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Credit: My Frozen Life, FlickrDisney has unveiled a new transformation for the area around the Tower of Terror.
Few attractions have generated a legacy quite as strong as Disney’s Tower of Terror. Looming over the park with its iconic art deco design, the haunted hotel invites guests to step into a chilling episode of The Twilight Zone. From the moment you enter the cobweb-filled lobby, every detail immerses you in its sinister story, culminating in the unforgettable (and randomized) drop sequence.
While guests could once ride three versions of the ride around the globe – the OG at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, one at Walt Disney Studios Park, and another at Disney California Adventure Park – Disney caused controversy by shuttering the California location back in 2017 to make way for Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout!
The latter may be extremely popular with guests (including its Halloween edition, Guardians of the Galaxy—Monsters After Dark), but that hasn’t done much to quell fears that Disney may attempt similar reworks of its other versions of the attraction. Wicked (2024) star Ariana Grande spoke for all diehard Disney parkgoers when she voiced her “dire desperation” that Disney preserves the OG in Orlando, which is arguably the perfect attraction, for as long as possible.
Logically, the version in Paris seems more at risk, considering its proximity to Walt Disney Studios Park’s version of Avengers Campus. While we hate to admit it, perched on the very edge of the Marvel-themed land, it would gel perfectly with the rest of the land.
The latest announcement from Disney, however, seems to suggest that it has other plans for the ride. Or, at least, the area around it.
Updates Heading To Tower of Terror Area
DLP Report confirmed today that the land around the ride will be transformed into a new area called Gazebo Garden “where guests can enjoy a range of entertainment in an elegant setting, inspired by English-style gardens.”
The area behind Tower of Terror will be (very imaginatively) called Gazebo Garden, “where guests can enjoy a range of entertainment in an elegant setting, inspired by English-style gardens”. And this is where the Willow Oak is headed.
The area behind Tower of Terror will be (very imaginatively) called Gazebo Garden, “where guests can enjoy a range of entertainment in an elegant setting, inspired by English-style gardens”. And this is where the Willow Oak is headed. pic.twitter.com/N6CxKtnnui
— DLP Report (@DLPReport) December 19, 2024
As per the concept art, the area seems to be heavily inspired by Mary Poppins (1964). It will feature a massive new tree heading to the park, with the park’s new Willow Oak growing as tall as 30 meters.
While the decision to theme the area next to the Tower of Terror as “English-style gardens” raises questions about thematic consistency, Walt Disney Studios Park appears to be embracing a more eclectic, mismatched identity right now. As it transitions into Disney Adventure World, the park will soon include its own World of Frozen, a land inspired by The Lion King (1994), and a ride based on Tangled (2010).
As per Disney, the new vision for the park is that it is “evolving from ‘how it’s done’ soundstages to celebratory theaters and adventures that come to life in immersive worlds” where “these fully realized adventure worlds will become the focus of the park’s new identity and appear as realms that guests discover as they navigate deeper within the park.”
What do you think of the new concept for the area around Tower of Terror?