“You are about to discover what lies beyond the fifth dimension, beyond the deepest, darkest corner of the imagination, in the Tower of Terror.”
At the end of Sunset Boulevard looms the imposing Hollywood Tower Hotel. It’s 13 stories high and is home to the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.
When you enter the lobby, you see that everything is covered by dust and cobwebs.From here, you’re directed to the Library. The room gets dark, the TV turns on and there in black and white is Rod Serling. Rob welcomes everyone to the Twilight Zone and shares the story about the elevators in the hotel.
Halloween night 1939, a storm struck the hotel and the people in the elevator were never seen again. At some point, Serling informs the guests that they’re now about to experience what had happened to those five people all those years ago and the ride’s drop sequence begins.
Although it is designed to feel like a freefall, the elevator is actually accelerated downward faster than the pull of gravity, making guests levitate out of their seats for extra thrills.
Fun Facts:
- Opened in 1994.
- The show “Tower of Terror” is based on this ride and scenes from the TV series were filmed on the attraction.
- At 199 feet, it is the second tallest attraction in the Walt Disney World resort, next to Expedition: Everest which stands 199.5 feet.
- The Tower of Terror is only 199 feet high at Walt Disney World because of FAA regulations that require a fixed red light beacon to be added to the top of any 200-foot or taller building.
- There are 4 drop profiles which the computer randomly picks.
- Regardless of the profile the computer picks, each one has a false drop to startle people and one complete drop that is 13 stories and reaches a top speed of 39 mph.