The Evolution of The Tower of Terror

"You are about to discover what lies beyond the fifth dimension, beyond the deepest, darkest corner of the imagination... in the Tower of Terror."
Because in tonight's Halloween episode, we'll be discovering just how the attraction came to be built at Hollywood Studios over 25 years ago. Discussing where the original idea stemmed from, which Imagineers contributed to the project, and also how it evolved into the version of the ride we know today.
CHAPTERS:
Intro - 0:00
Disney-MGM Studios Opening - 1:50
Sunset Boulevard Expansion - 2:56
Early Attraction Ideas - 5:23
The Twilight Zone - 8:31
Tower of Terror Development - 10:23
Ride System - 13:08
Designing the Facade - 14:57
Final Touches / Fabrications - 16:35
Construction and Opening - 20:30
Outro - 22:30
MUSIC USED:
If you have any questions about what clip was used at a certain point in the video just leave a comment, message or email me and I can help you out. Same for images and music too.
• Unload - Exit Hallway BGM: • [Orlando] Unload - Exi...
• Hollywood Studios - Sunset Boulevard (BGM Loop) - • Hollywood Studios | Su...
• Tower of Terror - Queue Area Loop: • Tower of Terror - Queu...
• Johnny Hodges - Jitterbug's Lullaby : • Tower Of Terror Queue ...
• Red Norvo - Remember: • Tower Of Terror Queue ...
VIDEOS USED:
• ABC WDW 25th Anniversary - Tower of Terror/Imagineers Segment: • [Orlando/TV] ABC WDW 2...
• WDW News B-roll - Tower of Terror 2 Segment: • [Orlando/TV] WDW News ...
• Making of the Tower of Terror: • Making of the Tower of...
• Making of The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror Disney's Hollywood Studios: • Making of The Twilight...
• RARE The Twilight Zone Tower Of Terror B Roll 1994: • RARE The Twilight Zone...
• The Making of The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney's California Adventure (2004): • The Making of The Twil...
• The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror Ride Mock-Up (1994): • The Twilight Zone Towe...
• TOWER OF TERROR - Twilight Zone Ride - Disney's Hollywood Studios - PANDAVISION: • TOWER OF TERROR - Twil...
• Tower Of Terror B Roll: • Tower Of Terror B Roll
• Twilight Zone Tower of Terror Pre and Post Show Video Elements: • Twilight Zone Tower of...
• PM Magazine Covers the Opening of the Disney-MGM Studios (1989): • PM Magazine Covers the...
• The Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park: The Dream Comes True (1989): • The Disney-MGM Studios...
• The Making of the Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park (1989): • The Making of the Disn...
• Freefall at Six Flags Magic Moutain: • freefall six flags mag...
• [4K] Best Tower of Terror Ride in the World - Walt Disney World - Disney's Hollywood Studios: • [4K] Best Tower of Ter...
• [4K] Front Row - Tower of Terror Ride at Walt Disney World - Disney's Hollywood Studios: • [4K] Front Row - Tower...
• Hollywood Tower of Terror Full Ride 2019 Hollywood Studios Walt Disney World POV: • Hollywood Tower of Ter...
And The Twilight Zone episodes that were shown:
One More Pallbearer
A Thing About Machines
Nick of Time
Five Characters in Search of an Exit
Eye of the Beholder
The Dummy
The Masks
Thanks for watching (and waiting, again...)

[@gargantuaism]

Thanks for the mention! I was truly obsessed with Disney and Twilight Zone growing up and getting to narrate a classic Disney ride based on my favorite TV show was a crazy fantasy come true.

[@masabbagh92]

Still one of Disney's greatest rides - I never would have guessed it was a voiceover. Very cool that you played such an important role in the ride!

[@gargantuaism]

@@masabbagh92 That was a terrific compliment and I really appreciate that. Thank you.

[@SpaceBronanas]

@@gargantuaism I watched this highly underrated video and posted a regular comment on it a while ago, but I just now decided to read the comments. The Disneyland park was a HUGE part of my life. I went every single Sunday from when I was born until I was about 13. When I was finally big enough to get on The Tower of Tower it swiftly became one of my top 3 favorite rides. Everything was absolutely perfect from the theming down to the drops themselves. I got on the ride every single time we went after I could get on it. I never knew that you voiced Rod I just thought that the speakers were a little funky or something. You not only did a fantastic job at voicing an iconic man, but you were a massive part of my life without me even knowing it. Thank you for your contribution to the Disney community as a whole and thanks for being a great host. My stays at the Hollywood Tower were always wonderful :)

[@gargantuaism]

@@SpaceBronanas Hey just saw this comment and Thank you!! That is really incredible. ....

[@Cstumps]

I listened to your voiceover growing up and loved the familiar intro every time I rode the ride. You are truly a part of Disney Park history and bringing joy to countless people. Thank you.

[@rodakscreens]

Tower of Terror is my absolute favorite of all the horror themed attractions. No need for jumpscares, copious amounts of gore, or hammed up overacting. Just pure spooky atmosphere.

[@jae-sang6077]

Me too my fav because I like abandoned places that is so cool

[@myanoel0]

yes. thats why i like it so much.

[@aortaplatinum]

Every time you bring up The Great Movie Ride, my heart breaks into even more pieces.

[@JosephDavies]

Excellent video! I still deeply miss this ride, and think it was a huge mistake to remove it. It was the ride that saved DCA from being a complete laughing stock, was the first part that truly fit the eventual re-theme (until they wrecked it), and now doesn't fit in the land in which it resides at all. It was such a beautiful building, inside and out.

[@peachbat4878]

its in avengers campus! fits perfectly :)

[@JosephDavies]

@@peachbat4878 Avengers Campus is themed as a repurposed conversion of Howard Stark's Los Angeles property where he developed and built many of his inventions. It's quite likely this area was originally his short-lived Hollywood movie studio before converting it into a motor plant. It would make a lot more sense for the Hollywood Tower Hotel to exist on the outskirts of Avengers Campus, as a location as well as thematically and visually, than a monstrous junkpile eye-sore owned and operated by a shady criminal alien who keeps sapient creatures as prisoners. Why is The Collector allowed to have his base on Avengers property? It does not fit at all (because it was never meant to).

[@HWStrashcanlogo]

@@JosephDavies I 100% agree

[@kendrick5501]

@@JosephDavies you completely took the words right out of my mouth DCA 2012 will always be where DCA has truly shined What Disney is doing now with DCA is just absurd, their progress literally going backwards

[@kamilyakadyr7063]

It truly sucks but I think there is a chance of it returning back to its origin, this has happened to soaring over California which was returned to its original concept by popular request. If that’s not the case, it’s vital to point out that Disney is capitalizing on Marvel right now because it’s profitable, and we are currently experiencing the golden age of super-hero films - and as any golden age, it will eventually end and be replaced by something else. Imagine how the current young generation will react when the Guardians of the Galaxy theme will be replaced by some different idea hahaha.

[@majura3743]

I can’t get over how incredible the concept art at 5:42 is. Idk why but I really like that piece a whole lot. With the sunset against the shadowed palm tress and the moon in the clouds, and the bent over telephone poles, and the 40s era cars. There seems to be just enough lights on that it seems like someone is there, but dark enough to seem eerily abandoned too. It’s a shame the real thing couldn’t look like that.

[@kaderp]

I was 6 when I first read the ToT in Dinseyland. It launched me into a new obsession with the Twilight Zone and gave me a new appreciation for old shows. It was my absolute favorite ride and I'm just glad the og version is still standing in Florida

[@Anynom]

Still remember this opening in 1994, unlike anything else WDW was doing then and so damn wild.

[@davidcross7824]

@22:19 "The end result is undenieably spectacular on every level"

[@brerkris]

I love the Tower of Terror and Hollywood Boulevard area music! You just brought me back to downloading the music in like 2001 and listening to it all the time! Thanks! ❤

[@realestateunplugged6129]

Same here. Man, this attraction had and has a lot of detail craftsmanship and engineering in it. God Bless you in my Lord Jesus Christ!

[@ilovemyoppa]

Missing your videos bro, I've been rewatching them all the time

[@Dylan-et2uz]

by far the best park history channel

[@nickywh1t3]

Damn I really want that scale model of the tower of terror! That little thing is awesome!

[@edvaira6891]

Hard to believe this is originally going to be a Mel Brooks themed ride! Just kind of wonder what that would’ve been, though…wouldn’t you?!

[@leakdeo]

Imagine, if you will, if we lived in a universe, where the Tower of Terror was a Mel Brooks ride-

[@elijahrock3914]

@@leakdeo i keep hearing people be like "i hope they dont retheme the orlando tower" which im reasonably sure they wont but the alternate universe where it gets built as tower of terror and then converted into hotel mel the same time as mission breakout sounds amazing

[@kuds7219]

Park ride history uploading again?! A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one

[@yotsubafanfan]

I love Tower of Terror. The last time I went I rode it during a Thunderstorm. I almost lost my poncho but it was well worth it!

[@rb8058]

Great research and insight into what imagineers were working up. I can’t help think of this ride and not remember the terrible Tower of Terror movie with Steve Guttenberg.

[@FaeDruid]

Just want to echo what others have said that we miss you and hope you come back with a new video soon. I’m always keeping a lookout for your new content. Definitely one of my favorites on KZbin.

[@wileyhumphrey6930]

Please come back with your amazing videos!

[@trilliangemini6435]

I also have to mention that my dad worked at disney a number of years and it was just magical going into the park when it was mgm studios when it first opened. I remember the coming soon poster for tower of terror and just how amazing the boulevard looked when it was done. And yeah, real quick to this day the nostromo set on the great movie ride is still my favorite memory of anything at disney world... next to original journey into imagination

[@trilliangemini6435]

My dad was an electrician durring the open. Him and the other guy didnt know the drop side was in Show mode and went down without a car in it. They were fine, just a little shocked

[@FrappeInsider]

disney doesn't give attractions their all nowadays. they give them budget cuts.

[@Unownshipper]

This is perhaps the finest, most in-depth look on the history/narrative of the Tower of Terror I've ever seen and I'm so pleased to have come across it. I especially love all the images, video clips, and other media you found (several of which I've never seen before). I find it so interesting how at 19:33 the bellhop's uniform is light blue in the making-of clip while the cast members wear burgundy uniforms at the ride. This was no doubt done so they could control what shade it would look like in black and white. How on earth did you find this?

[@cbw56]

Agreed

[@startrekfreak59]

Glad to see you back making excellent videos!

[@jeyDsixx18]

My favorite part of the ride besides the obv drop, is the pre ride show in the library where u see the backstory video, a nod to the haunted mansion…I know other rides do this but it’s not as well done as the haunted mansion and ToT, they actually ramp up the anticipation for the ride perfectly

[@RankingTheMouse]

Hes back, better than ever!! Fantastic Halloween special 👏👏

[@emoranger37]

Happy to have you back, always enjoyed your narration and scripting!!!

[@primo622]

Amazing as always

[@mdamdtraveldoc7183]

So great to have you back. Made my month.

[@felicitousfeline9956]

Great set dressing, story and ride (I was on the one in FL recently), but I thought it was too short-as the big drop twice would have been great.

[@SpaceBronanas]

I really like the evolution of series as a whole. The longer videos with more detail are excellent to watch or to have on as background noise. I can tune in at any point and learn something interesting

[@OnlyOneKenobi]

U ALWAYS rated your channel. In fact, you were probably THE FIRST theme park essay channel I found. This video is no exception from the usual quality you produce.... in fact, it's best so far! Why you're not on 100k is beyond me! Great work! 🥰 O.O.K 👌🏼💙

[@TERMINALFlamingOcean]

YAY AN ACTAUL UPLOAD!

[@kaylaphillips3713]

So glad to see you’re back!

[@bobcheapek4334]

My wallet is a Tower of Terror of its own credit cards and bills love to drop in

[@codyt821]

You are sucking the magic out of Disney BOB. I hate you

[@deadaccount2048]

The next time you pay for someones groceries, make sure you know who you are serving. Or you may find yourself a permanent resident: of the scary wallet DUN DUN DUNNNNN

[@Greenkai3000]

Excellent video. I’d love to see a part 2 showcasing the Tokyo Disney Sea, Disneyland Paris, and DCA versions.

[@ACfairgrounds]

So glad you came back, I love your videos

[@FanThemePark]

Fantastic video on one of my all time favorite attractions. The theming and ride experience are simply seemless with each other.

[@ZNC16]

Fantastic video. I love this ride so much and love watching deep dives into its history!!

[@siobhanlawper1051]

This is probably my favourite ride of all time. The combination of amazing thrill ride and incredible theming is just the best.

[@devilinisepic]

Love the vids man! Mooore!

[@FFDGFDOFD]

Another beautiful peace...

[@Zoe-hk6qz]

youtube never notified me !!! so excited for this video

[@MaryS2022]

I have now caught up on all of your videos. Looking forward to whatever you post next.

[@michaeltaylor1603]

So glad they didn't use the Intamin system. I think one of those shots was from the former AstroWorld in Houston. I was a ride op. on that one. ToT is indeed Disney at their finest in theming, immersion & THRILL!

[@devhar4655]

I like how you used the song “I’m getting sentimental over you “ which is was in a episode of twilight zone it was a song that haunted a guy

[@Tannanson]

Welcome back Jack!

[@julianalicciardi]

i got the opportunity to do a backstage tour of the tower of terror earlier this year and it was one of the coolest things i’ve ever done! super cool to get to walk around the lobby and all the show scenes and learn how it all works ☺️

[@bigthundermountain]

Excellent!

[@SaturnCanuck]

Excellent

[@Anynom]

Always fun when they began pitching it to Tokyo Disney guys...only to discover the Twilight Zone isn't that known in Japan so crafted a different story.

[@cbw56]

Excellent video!!! I experienced this in 1998.

[@burneyboys02]

Good to be back

[@MrKillerRC]

I love this ride. I rode it a month ago.

[@l3wismoreman9227]

I been on the ride and had a blast on it

[@TJ-bu9zk]

hurray! your alive!

[@TL_oS]

Yay, a new video😺👍💛🎈🎊🎉🍻

[@johnchristenson]

Interesting, the ghosts!

[@cdmaster007]

The rumor that Tower was designed to blend in with the Moroccan skyline at EPCOT was actually debunked. The tour guides for Tower are very lucky to have a direct connection to the WDI documentation for the attraction, which confirm that the Morocco pavilion was not on the Imagineers’ minds during Tower’s development/construction. According to WDI documents, Tower’s architecture is Spanish-Colonial, not Neo-Mediterranean. Tower’s official color is “Patio Pink”, while the Morocco pavilion uses more dirt/red/orange colors. This is definitely a common misconception. Some of Tower’s tour guides have even spoken to the Imagineers who worked on the attraction directly about this topic. I believe one Imagineer was quoted saying, “If sight-lines were still a priority for Disney, we wouldn’t have built the Swan and Dolphin next door!” The current tour guides are working to stop the spread of the misinformation.

[@stephenkostiak3929]

Can you please cover on the rise and fall of The Great Movie Ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios as a whole in a future episode on your video channel?

[@fahsky]

By far my favorite ride at Hollywood Studios. Old Hollywood Gothic is such a vibe, & I'm so glad Disney ran with it even though it's so offbeat to mainstream. I hate that it was rethemed to a dumb flash in the plan movie franchise. I think the Twilight Zone is iconic & the spookiness is timeless. Also the footage of the 'crowds' back in the day makes my heart ache, the parks are so crammed full now, it's borderline unenjoyable.

[@kendrick5501]

As much as I love the MCU, being an MCU fan myself Mission Breakout really is a cash grab and never fits with California Adventure, not even in Avengers Campus Disney has been going backwards lately Being a person whose favorite is the Tower of Terror, it hurts so bad when I found out they're replacing it with Guardians of the Galaxy

[@DrMonkey1224]

At least the original in Florida is still there.

[@Sillyzombie666]

i really miss this channel, hope you are ok man

[@3dpprofessor]

14:24 Look at all that duct tape. Wow.

[@FilmThePoliceFTP]

Still anxiously awaiting spaceship earth part 3

[@shellsnbees]

Happy Halloween!

[@normalviewer740]

Yesssss

[@STSGuitar16]

It's so sad to think that we will probably never see another Disney attraction at the level of perfection as the Tower has. Just compare and contrast DIsney today vs Disney in the 90s era and you'll see what I mean. There is no way in hell that the current Disney leadership (if you can even call it that to begin with) would ever greenlight an attraction based on non-Disney IP, go to great lengths to make a truly unique, special and deeply themed ride like the Tower, or give the imagineers a budget allowing them to even go as far as sourcing actual antique items to be placed in what is literally just the queue. The ambience of the whole Tower from beginning to end is honestly better than any other Disney attraction I can think of, and that is because Disney actually gave a crap about the guest experience. These days it is about NOTHING else but money. There is no other attraction that has better theming in the entire world as ToT. I've ridden the ride more times than I could ever count, and that lobby, library, and boiler room still always amaze me at the level of detail that went into those parts. The theming of that queue alone is honestly more entertaining than so many of the new rides that they've been putting out. Sadly, I don't see that corporate mindset going away anytime soon. Disney (Bob Chapek) knows that they can get away with making some half-ass, garbage, even lower-than-Universal-level new attractions. Just look at the new Avengers' Campus' Spider-man ride if you need an example of what I mean. That ride is 100% awful, and I actually really love the Marvel movies. It's just so incredibly lazy and excites literally no one. Disney is just cruising on that more or less guaranteed money by making rides that don't even belong in a Six Flags park. Sad but true.

[@BAM5636]

With my issues with Disney current leadership aside, I completely disagree with your opinion on this. You bring up spiderman but ROTR is an amazingly immersive ride certainly equal to the great immersive rides of the past. You can have your opinion of course as I can have mine but your comment just doesn't ring true at all to me. It reads more like a rant that will have to contain continuous moving goal posts and purposeful omissions as you get proved wrong. After all, acting like this is the first time Disney has had unpopular and cost cutting people at the helm is far from accurate. Including during this so called golden age of the 90s that you speak of that you speak so fondly of here.

[@Dannyx33444]

miss u king

[@jenniferschillig3768]

Wasn't there another stage of development between the Hotel Mel and Twilight Zone incarnations--one that was a spooky thrill ride, but not connected with The Twilight Zone? As I recall, there was supposed to be a crazed, murderous film director running amuck, who would be seen cutting the cord on the elevator before the final plunge. Weren't there also plans at one point to actually make this a working hotel as well as an attraction?

[@markedward8519]

Your videos are awesome & informative. I'm retiring from my job in a few years & am moving to Orlando to work part-time at Disney. Could you tell me some really close places to Disney where we could move where I would not have to cross I-4 to get to work (we are having trouble narrowing down where to search for a new house)? Is there any other advice that you could give me about moving to the Orlando area? Thanks again for everything that you do with your channel.

[@mgrsdgfsdafsdgrsdgfsdg6980]

I can give you some real advice when you go to get hired. When you go for an interview, they WILL be watching you (from security cameras) from the moment you arrive to the moment you leave. To get the job, SMILE EVERY SECOND you are there, and you will get the job. Ive known several people who didnt get the job and they reason was "they didnt smile enough". Trust me, just keep a huge smile all the time and laugh and joke with the other applicants.

[@markedward8519]

@@mgrsdgfsdafsdgrsdgfsdg6980 Sorry it took so long to get back to you. My notifications on here have been disappearing very quickly. Thanks for all of your help. You are making this much easier for me. I hope I can get my dream job of a VIP tour guide as quick as possible.

[@jacksonfilippone1813]

Hey do you have any videos planned for the future

[@_spndyl]

I’m not a rollercoaster or adrenaline/thrill ride girl. Naturally, I wanted no parts of this ride when I went to Disney World with my family as a little girl back in 2005, still, I thought it was SO cool to see the building in person, especially after watching the the Disney Channel Original Movie based off of it as a kid several times. Stupidest mistake they ever made was getting rid of this ride and turning it into something much simpler in concept, even if they thought it would be more “current” or “relevant.” Some Disney attractions should really be recognized as historical landmarks so that they can’t do away with ‘em!!!

[@Ihelpertricks]

To be fair im pretty sure the Florida tower is still there and ppl have stated the guardians ride is a fairly decent successor. But i have never met anyone else who saw the movie with kirsten dunst lmao

[@stephenkostiak3929]

How about you cover on Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin at Disneyland in California and Tokyo Disneyland in Japan as a whole in a future episode on your video channel?

[@SuperReckless96]

I miss seeing new deep dives and Keep Epcot Weird

[@marihoverson]

Do the Carousel of Progress!

[@brainysmurf74]

It is based on the hollywood tower hotel. Go to LA and see it, it looks just like the ride

[@codyt821]

No it fucking doesn't lmao

[@JonathanGaeta]

@@codyt821 have you see the inside?

[@texaswunderkind]

Went in December of 2020. While the building and grounds are gorgeous, including the creepy interior rooms, I found the Twilight Zone theming to be dumb, and the free-fall was actually pretty low-thrill. Waited for nearly three hours to ride it, and all I could tell my wife was that the building was pretty.

[@christiaanh]

Can you make a video about star wars rise of the resistance?

[@Quandal3Dingl3]

I'm gonna miss this over Mission Breakout

[@pavelow235]

You should do a update video. Christmas 2022.

[@Mszahnclass95]

I actually miss MGM .the rodes on graphics like back to the future

[@rmannayr2129]

WELCOME TO THE TWILIGHT ZONE!

[@rmannayr2129]

TOWER OF TERROR!!!!!!!!!!

[@eliassmeke3991]

It would 👍 if you do a history video about the history of Splash Mountain at Disneyland, Walt Disney World and Tokyo Disneyland since the United States 🇺🇸 versions of Splash Mountain are now closed to begin transformation into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure please 🙏

[@gregmize01]

You know who sent me!😏

[@jeffaltier5582]

I love that this ride was built to fit into the theme of the park. Disney has really gotten away with melding theme and park, which is a pity.

[@baymobbrcclub7426]

I went on this back when it was the twilight zone &i recently went on it as gaurdians of the galaxy ,i honestly liked the original ride better than the current version.why does disney do this??

[@peachbat4878]

idk if I would say its firing on all 5 cylinders, its missing manyyy original show effects sadly :(

[@SirBlackReeds]

Mark Silverman has a bit of a career as voice doubling for celebrities, most notable of which is Sylvester Stallone.

[@clevm002]

Where are your videos now ? 😭

[@FilmThePoliceFTP]

Spaceship earth please???

[@dancingghostgirl2291]

The person who doesn't like this video doesnt like the feeling of being yanked down

[@rct3isepic]

Ya know, doing a deep dive on this ride and ALL of its versions around the globe, I really think they need to axe the Twilight Zone tie in and just let it be a spooky ghost ride. The story isn't really that fitting of the show at all and seems to misunderstand the Twilight Zone as a concept. Honestly the Tower of Terror without the Twilight Zone is a more fitting story for the Twilight Zone

[@harveyharrington6932]

Only used for 22 years 1917 to 1939

[@aaronberns8485]

It is now 13 days. Mwa ha ha

[@shanestuddard2606]

I know this is nit-picky, but this park was never named “MGM Studios.” It may have been called that by many, many people BUT It was “Disney / MGM Studios” in a concerted effort to keep reminding the public that the park was a Disney creation.

[@ThemeParksShouldntExist]

Very true. The whole "Disney-MGM" name is also a big pet peeve for McNair Wilson (who I mentioned in the video). I mostly just say MGM for simplicity's sake, but I probably should throw in at least one instance of the full name next time.

[@Taydar]

I dont see the theme staying much longer. Dies it really need to be associated with the Twilight zone.

[@HyperMotionDX]

Ratio

[@chez0102]

Pretty sure this park ride is broken now...

[@monotonehell]

19:14 "__Along with that__, the Tower's pre-show video was __also__ filmed __around this same time__ __too__." ...nice copy editing. 😂 You forgot "as well as". 😁 (But seriously, interesting well researched video.)

[@daverumbear7668]

sad we lost our to guardians of the galaxy

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

Basically when it comes to the Towers... Manga: DHS Anime: Tokyo DisneySea Netflix Adaptation: DCA