Hollywood Studios' Tower of Terror

Tower of Terror:

Hey, we have been working on some other portions of the book recently which have more to do with trip design than any sort of ride description.  This is one of our more complete overviews of any of the attractions we've done.  If you have thoughts or comments let us know.  We want to hear em.

-Jer

Thrill rating: Full thrill. Not only is this a thrill ride in and of itself, the “ride pattern” changes with each cycle, so you don’t know what to expect. There are “better” patterns.

Crowd rating: At peak times, the line can get up to an hour (or more) long. Average wait time, though, is around 30 minutes, and the queue is interesting enough that the time goes by very quickly.

History/trivia: There is a Disney Channel movie based on the ride.  The story is supposed to reflect an episode of The Twilight Zone, and Rod Serling’s classic introduction was digitally recreated for the ride’s prologue. The tower’s library has tons of props that pay homage to the original series. Also Rod Serling was a beast.  

Tower of Terror is one of the very very few places where the attendants are not allowed to smile.

It is painted the same color as Morocco in Epcot because if you were to look out over the world showcase at Morocco you can see the Tower in the background. (This is taken in EPCOT, the tower of terror being the very faint building in the background.

Duration:  The winding queue through the gardens is a great mood-setter, especially when the smoke machines are going closer to night time, but you will almost never spend time there, as more often than not you can cut right through to the “hotel lobby”.  Once you are inside, the queue is much more interactive and makes the time go very quickly. There is a room with a video and then you are a short wait away from the actual ride.

The ride itself is 15 minutes long, with the drops only being a few minutes of that time. The longer duration/anticipation and thrill make this a very unique and enticing ride.  Also since it is inside for most of its queue or if you’re outside there are spray fans, this is a great “hot afternoon” option.

Hidden Mickeys: The little girl in the prologue video is holding a Mickey doll.

Notes: This ride is an oldie but a very goodie.  Certainly worth an afternoon fast pass or a later in the day straight wait. It’s age does show a bit compared to something like Toy Story Mania, but it also speaks to the quality, since it is a ride even the largest scardie cats will want to go on again and again, Jen. (rude...but true)

UNLESS YOU HAVE A FEAR OF HEIGHTS IN WHICH CASE WHAT ARE YOU DOING ON THIS RIDE?

Romance level: It's like going to a scary movie to snuggle up to someone. You may even get a hilarious photo opportunity out of it, considering they take a photo as you drop the first time.