Tower of Terror Tour!!

I travelled to the 5th dimension today.

A while ago I won a backstage tour of one of Disneyworlds most iconic rides. Tower of Terror! I feel no greater fear than I do on this ride. For anyone who doesn't know, Tower of Terror is based of the Twilight Zone. An exquisite 1930s hotel that was unfortuanly struck by lightning on October 31, 1939 and transported a poor family who was in the elevator to the 5th dimension.

Now, unassuming guests board the elevator and re-live the horrors of 1939 when the elevator makes many dramatic drops in the Twilight Zone. One of Disney's most anticipated backstage tours I was very excited this morning even when my alarm went off at the ripe time of 4:30am. I made my way to Hollywood Studios by 5:45 and met up with the other lucky cast from world showcase who won this tour.

We then met our AMAZING tour guides TJ and Mike. TJ especially was the best guide we could've received. He has been working at Disneyworld since 1984, not only opened Hollywood Studios in 1989 but also Tour of Terror in 1994 and has been working there ever since. He was extremely knowledgeable and is one of only 30 cast-members still working in Hollywood Studios since opening. Needless to say he was iconic and knew every little detail possible of the ride.

We made our way through backstage and over to Tower where we took in the facade from outside. Mike showed us a man in one of windows of the hotel and we gained more perspective of just how unique this ride is. Most every ride in Disneyworld has an amazing show facade on the outside but the actual ride takes place in a building behind you can't see from the parks. Haunted Mansion for example looks like your'e entering an abandoned house when in reality you are just walking into a massive warehouse looking building. Tower of Terror though, what you see is what you get. The entire building is the ride with every space of hotel being used.

We entered the hotel through the exit and giftshop so they could begin showing us the little details in the abandoned bellhop room. Cobwebs made of hotglue, actual props from the Twlight Zone show including a doll used in one of the episodes and a dinner menu on the wall meant to be the credits for the episode you were just a part of, complete with actual producers and directors names disguised as entree options. All the clocks throughout the hotel are set to 8:05pm, when time froze and the elevator plumeted in 1939, also 8+5=unlucky 13.

Now for the exciting part! Once you board the elevator in the ride you move up a few stories before the elevator doors open and you see a spooky hotel hallway with the family that disappeared waving at you. I was able to actually walk around that hallway with the lights on. Tower of Terror is the ride with the most illusions involed so we learned a few of them. Firstly, the projection of the family waving is actually reflecting off a massive glass screen that slides into position when it's time for them to appear. They also use a lot of forced perspective. For example the hallway looks quite long and even while TJ was explaining forced perspective to us I didnt realize just how small it actually was. It wasn't until he walked down it and became a giant! I was able to also walk down the hallway and look at how the different props such as shoes and newspapers shrunk down to the size of my finger! It was so cool. I can't believe I was actually in that hallway!

The next part of the ride takes you almost to the very top of the hotel. When the doors open again you move forward through the fifth dimension. You see huge reflective eyes, a massive clock moving time backwards and that same family. You guessed it! I was able to walk around this entire floor! It was so epic! A bigger room than it looks with the lights off during the ride, the entire thing is covered in mirrors. The floors, ceiling and walls are all disorienting mirrors. All the props are also made of glass, so when the lights are off they shine light on a couple major parts and it reflects throughout the entire room. The glass girl in that room is holding a glass mickey plush. One of the couple hidden Mickey's on this ride.

After seeing all the behind the scenes of the ride we made our way down to the queue line and looked through all the real antiques that line the lobby. Furniture over 100 years old line the fireplace. As guests, the line swerves you far around the furniture but I was able to take a tour and actually sit on it! The couch in the middle of the lobby was made in 1923 and the chandeliers are actually from a movie theatre in Hollywood and donated to the ride when it opened. All the antiques in the pre-show area are actually real as well. Set with first addition Charles Dickens's books, Carrara marble Napoleon and many other relics from all over China, India and Europe.

Now it was time to put on my big girl pants and actually ride! I was put in the front row and our bellhop tour guides took the back row. We rode with the LIGHTS ON and NO AUDIO! An insane experience. Once we wizzed up to the hallway scene the elevator stops. With no audio and lights on, TJ had the chance to explain where we were standing a few minutes ago and how the illusion is reflecting from around the corner of the elevator. Then we went up to the fifth dimension and went through the glass and mirror scene. Actually watching the elevator move forward and lock into place, preparing to drop was actually more terrifying than with the lights off! The ride has 5 different drop sequences it rotates through so you never know if you're going to drop or lift first. The walls moved to revile the outside skyline to us before we plumeted down. Spending 45 seconds in that area dropping and lifting while my stomach feels like its going to fly away is always horrible. I survived riding with one more surprise left in store.

Our last surprise. We went all the way up to the top of the hotel, where the sign says The Hollywood Tower Hotel. A door opens up and I got to step up and look out at the view. I could see Galaxies Edge, Slinky Dog Dash and Typhoon Lagoon. Pretty cool.

Backstage tours are always so cool but this one was next level. Such an epic tour I am so glad I was picked to attend. Definitely worth getting up at 4:30 for and I'm so glad we had such knowledgeable and amazing tour guides! Now I just hope I can do the two other coveted tours, Haunted Mansion and Guardians of the Galaxy!

In other news, I slept for 12 hours straight last night :( I don't think i have ever slept that much in my entire life. I felt kind of annoyed when I woke up so late after my alarm didn't go off, but I guess my body needed sleep. It is true i've been sleeping less than ever before so my body needed a break.

Also, central Florida is currently on a tropical storm warning. A hurricane is expected to hit parts of southern and northern Florida tomorrow with over 1 foot of rain expected! Luckily for me, Orlando shouldn't be directly hit but will definitely experince heavy rain and thunderstorms... Great. It has been storming almost everyday lately with some of the most dramatic lightning strikes I have ever seen. For example a little while ago I was standing in the France pavilion when a blinding flash of lightning struck the Eiffle Tower followed by deafening thunder. Then last week lightning struck a steel box just outside the Canada theatre and the thunder that followed made guests gasp. Very dramatic considering we weren't even on a tropical storm warning. Who know whats coming this weekend... Florida summers consist of insane humidity, rain and thunder.

Wow! two blogs in one week. Crazy. I hope you enjoyed reading all about my tour and we will talk again so soon!

xoxo

I was told I don't look scary enough to work here :(

Making ourselves at home in the lobby on 100 year old furniture

The horror!