Today marks the 30th Anniversary of The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney Word! To celebrate this popular attraction’s anniversary, we thought we’d share some fun facts about it that you may not be aware of.
To start our fun facts, let’s learn the backstory of the Hollywood Tower Hotel straight from Disney.
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror Backstory
It’s Oct. 31, 1939 – Halloween night in Hollywood. The weather was in the mood to frighten people, as a sinister thunder and lightning storm was looming over Hollywood Hills. At The Hollywood Tower Hotel the film community’s elite gathered, not only desiring shelter from the pouring rain, but also to attend the exclusive Tip Top Club performances and celebrate a Halloween Ball in the Sunset Room.
Attending the party that night was the illustrious Gilbert London, star Carolyn Crosson, child-prodigy Sally Shine, and her nanny Emeline Partridge. At 8:05, the bellman Dewey Todd and the four guests boarded the elevator for the night of their lives. However, in a paranormal twist of events, lightning struck the hotel elevator towers and vanished, along with the five unfortunate souls who were inside.
The Hollywood Tower Hotel closed its doors and to this day, no one truly knows what happened that fateful night. Recently it seems the hotel has reopened as if not aware of the passage of time, and whispers that Gilbert, Carolyn, Emeline, Dewey, and Sally and her beloved Mickey Plush have been spotted roaming the halls in what can only be described as the ‘5th Dimension.’
Your Visit to the Hollywood Tower Hotel
Darkness lingers on Sunset Boulevard, inviting visitors to enter the hotel doors. Inside, the grand lobby is covered in dust and cobwebs, frozen in time as if abandoned in 1939. Luggage, table settings, and activities seem to have been untouched since then. Among fallen letters on the Directory board, a message warns guests to “TAKE THE STAIRS.” In the library and boiler room beyond, something draws attention to the maintenance service elevator. Keep an eye out in the boiler room; a strange stain might reveal a familiar shape on the wall. Step into The Twilight Zone to see what awaits firsthand.
Guests should prepare themselves for an elevator ride, during which they’ll experience a random drop sequence selected by the 5th dimension. They’ll feel the sensation of falling 199 feet and being pulled faster than gravity itself.
If you’d like to walk through the attraction’s queue but don’t care to ride the elevator, you can ask to exit just before you board, and a cast member will direct you to the exit.
Details You Don’t Want to Miss
Don’t miss out on some intriguing items while you wait for the elevator. In the library, beneath a trumpet, you’ll find sheet music titled “What! No Mickey Mouse? What Kind of Party Is This?” that was written in 1932. Take a close look at the front desk. Right next to the U.S. Postal Service Letter Box, there is a clock that is stopped at exactly 8:05; as a matter of fact, all clocks and watches in the hotel have stopped at that exact time. Look to the left of the concierge desk as you exit the elevator and enter the lobby, and you’ll see a poster card announcing that Anthony Fremont and his orchestra were performing that night at the Tip Top Club.
Lastly, be sure to visit Caesar, the ventriloquist doll prior to exiting. He lives in the basement of the Hollywood Tower Hotel and we hear that he would love to see you.
Watch the video below to learn more fun facts!
The post Fun Facts to Celebrate 30 Years of Hollywood Tower of Terror first appeared on The DIS.
