Making of The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror Disney's Hollywood Studios

Behind the scenes look at the making of The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney's Hollywood Studios (Disney MGM Studios).

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, also known as Tower of Terror, is an accelerated drop tower dark ride located at Disney's Hollywood Studios, Tokyo DisneySea, Walt Disney Studios Park, and formerly at Disney California Adventure Park. Except for the Tokyo DisneySea version, the attractions are inspired by Rod Serling's anthology television series, The Twilight Zone, and take place in the fictional Hollywood Tower Hotel in Hollywood, California. The Tokyo version, which features an original storyline unrelated to The Twilight Zone, takes place in the fictional Hotel Hightower. All three versions place riders in a seemingly ordinary hotel elevator and present the riders with a fictional backstory in which people have mysteriously disappeared from the elevator under the influence of some supernatural element many years previously.

The original version of the attraction opened at Disney's Hollywood Studios (Disney MGM Studios Theme Park) at Walt Disney World in July 1994. It was the basis of the 1997 television film of the same name, several scenes of which were shot at the attraction. A decade later, Disney began plans to add similar versions of the attraction to their newest parks at the Disneyland Resort in California, Tokyo Disney Resort in Japan, and Disneyland Paris. In California and Paris, Disney sought to use the popular attraction to boost attendance at the resorts' struggling new theme parks. The California and Tokyo versions of Tower of Terror opened in 2004 and 2006, respectively, while financial problems delayed the opening of the Paris version until 2007. The California version closed in January 2017.

The Tower of Terror buildings are among the tallest structures found at their respective Disney resorts. At 199 feet (60.7 m), the Florida version is the second tallest attraction at the Walt Disney World Resort, with only Expedition Everest being taller by 0.5 feet (0.2 m) at 199.5 feet (60.8 m). At the Disneyland Resort, the 199-foot (60.7 m) structure (which now houses Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout!) is the tallest building at the resort and one of the tallest buildings in Anaheim. At Disneyland Paris, it is the second tallest attraction.

Preshow script spoken by Rod Sterling:
"You unlock this door with the key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension. A dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind. You're moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and imagination. You've just crossed over to... The Twilight Zone.

Hollywood, 1939. Amid the glitz and the glitter of a bustling movie town 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.

The time is now, on an evening very much like the one we have just witnessed. Tonight's story of The Twilight Zone is somewhat unique and calls for a different kind of introduction. This, as you may recognize, is a maintenance service elevator, still in operation, waiting for you. We invite you if you dare to step aboard because in tonight's episode, you are the star, and this elevator travels directly to...the Twilight Zone."

Preshow video, Director - Joe Dante
Rod Serling - Himself
Parviz Perry Vessali - Dewey Todd
Charlotte Helms - Emeline Partridge
Lindsay Ridgeway - Sally Shine

©1994 Disney Enterprises Inc. All rights reserved.
(https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/)
Posted for entertainment and educational purposes only.

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