The Day The Tower Opened: Part I
With all the ongoings at Walt Disney world I started thinking about all those that have occured in the past 50 years and in a few cases I was lucky to have either experienced these attractions on their debuts or during what is known as “soft openings.”
Soft openings, also known as technical rehearsals, are a strategy Walt Disney World uses to introduce new or refurbished attractions before their official grand opening.
Here's how they generally work and why Disney uses them:
Purpose: Soft openings allow Disney to fine-tune operations, train cast members, gather guest feedback, and address any potential issues in a controlled environment before a large crowd is expected at the grand opening.
No Guarantees: Soft openings are typically unannounced and are not guaranteed to be open for the entire day or even for a specific duration. They might open and close without notice as Disney works through any kinks.
Benefits for Guests: If you're lucky enough to be at the park during a soft opening, it's a chance to experience a new attraction before its official debut and potentially with shorter wait times. It can also generate excitement and anticipation for the grand opening.
Examples of recent soft openings:
Test Track 3.0 at EPCOT: Had soft openings for all guests on July 20th and 21st, 2025, before its official reopening on July 22nd.
Starlight: Dream the Night Away Parade at Magic Kingdom: Also had a soft opening on July 18, 2025.
I recall having the opportunity to experience attractions such as Soarin’ and Splash Mountain before they officially opened as well as Lights! Motors! Action! Stunt Show! I’m sure I’ve forgotten a few others.
The one attraction that to me was the most interesting one to experience, and the one most anticipated, was The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. Being a Twilight Zone television series fan from way back I was excited to see what the imagineers had cooked up for this attraction.
Over the years I have discovered some interesting things about this attraction. Allow me to share:
Although the attraction is slated to be a “freewill” experience it certainly is not. The elevator the guests ride it is actually pulled down. Guests are pulled down faster than gravity and for that there is a sense of weightlessness.
The motors that operate this attraction are huge. There are two 66-ton motors that drive the elevator system. According to some reports these two motors can accelerate 10 tons of weight 15 times faster than normal elevators and generate torque equivalent to 275 Corvette engines.
Initially when the attraction first opened guests were treated to one drop, but things have changed over the years. Now the drop sequence is randomized and guests never know just how many drops they will experience or how long they will last.
I recall hearing that a prototype was built somewhere in Arizona and was tested by some Disney executives. This could be a wives’ tale but as the story goes the executives entered the attraction elevator and the prototype was designed for guests to stand and not sit in the elevator. To make a long story short at least one of the executives was reported to have suffered…erh…a “soiled” suit and so it was decided that guests would be seated and not stand during the attraction’s main sequence.
One of the interesting trivia facts about The Tower is that it is 199 feet tall. One more foot and, due to FAA regulations, would require a flashing red beacon for aircraft safety. Besides, would not a flashing red beacon kind of ruin the hotel’s 1930s theme?
While the concept remains the same, the versions at Disneyland Paris and the former Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney California Adventure (now Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout!) had a different ride system with three drop shafts and two elevators per shaft.
It is said that the imagineers were required to watch all 156 episodes of the popular 1950s/60s Twilight Zone series prior to designing the attraction.
Here’s a bit of trivia, there were several voice actors who were auditioning to play the part of “Rod” for the attraction. Although the ride features actual audio clips of Rod Serling, it was Mark Silverman, was selected by Rod Serling’s widow. Silverman who narrated the parts that couldn't be sourced from original clips.
The backstory tells how The Hollywood Tower Hotel was struck by lightning on Halloween night, 1939, causing five people in an elevator to vanish and part of the hotel to disappear.
The structure was designed after real Los Angeles landmarks; the Mission Inn, the Biltmore Hotel, and the Chateau Marmont Hotel.
The next time you dare to ride The Tower look for subtle nods to Twilight Zone episodes throughout the ride, including a "Little Girl Lost" portal reference and artifacts related to episodes like "A Thing About Machines" and "A Stop at Willoughby".
The bellhop costumes at the time were the most expensive in the Disney parks, costing over $1,000 per uniform.
It is said that during construction, a jar of pickled sausages was accidentally glued to a desk in the photo pick-up area and remains there to this day.
If you see "13 minutes" listed as the wait time, it means there's actually no wait at all. This is a subtle Easter egg from Disney, blending operational information with themed storytelling.
I thought you would enjoy hearing about a few interesting facts about The Tower.
One more thing. I was told by a cast member in the attraction’s store that there are seven safety features built into the attraction and that the cables used to pull the elevators are replaced every so often to avoid “metal fatigue.”
July 1994
I remember my July trip back in 1994 and wondering when I took off for Orlando if I’d get chance to experience this much heralded new attraction during my visit.
I recall sitting on a bench along Hollywood Blvd. and I couldn’t help but notice how empty the park was on this day. Little did I know how I would benefit from the lack of guests.
I was thinking about leaving the park but thought about getting something to quench my thirst first and then leave. My daughter Holly went off to get a frozen lemonade and my son Mike and I got a snow-cone near The Great Movie Ride.
On the way back we sauntered over to the board containing waiting times for attractions. I did a double take. The Tower had a wait time of 45 minutes. “Huh?” I should have asked the Supergreeter what that meant but before I got to him I saw a sign at the beginning of Sunset Boulevard….a sign that wasn’t there an hour ago. The sign read something like this: “The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror is going through final dress rehearsal. This means that the attraction will be operating intermittently during the day.”
Mike and I hustled back to Holly and STRONGLY suggested we stroll down to the Tower to see what’s going on. As we approached the Tower we noticed more activity than normal at the base of the attraction.
Sure enough we realized that today as a test day or soft opening day and a cast member in a bellhop suit told me that there is a 45 minute wait. Holly, Mike, and I took off behind the front wall towards the attraction.
I remember walking up the path to the Hotel for the first time and walking past the sign that reads “The Hollywood Hotel.” But don’t look away. The sign changes ever so strangely to say “Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.”
As I walked up towards the porch I passed by an unkempt garden filled with weeds and overgrown bushes…hadn’t been touched in decades.
As I passed one statue I felt a bit uneasy. Check out the eyes…brrrr. I pulled out my notebook and start jotting down notes. We entered the Hotel and saw a musty old lobby. We passed an unfinished chess game in the corner, an old desk (the dust won’t wipe off…try it yourself), some chairs, a sofa with an overcoat draped across it, some old pictures, the front desk with some unsorted mail, and a potted plant that has lost some leaves…hmmm they have fallen on the floor and seemed to have formed a symbol or message…can’t figure it out.
We passed the “turnstile” that is an electronic eye that counts the visitors. About 20 of us congregated in front of two large doors with the sign “Library” above them. The doors opened and we walked into this very well stocked library. The room is similar in size to the stretching elevator in the Haunted Mansion…maybe it’s a bit smaller. Books are everywhere as are knickknacks, a desk, paintings, a window, and a TV mounted high up on one corner.
A big lightning bolt is seen through the window and the lights went out and the TV goes on. We see a young Rod Serling and he tells us what is about to happen. He relates the story of the Hollywood Hotel and tells the story of what happened on that fateful night (Oct. 31, 1931).
On the TV we see the hotel from the outside during a rainstorm (the angle shown is the angle from the base of the hotel…very familiar) and we then see five people walking through a hustling hotel lobby (the same one we just walked through) and these five people get on an elevator. We are then shown lightning hitting the hotel and the elevator shafts. The picture then switches to these five people in the elevator. They glow and begin to fade.
We then see the elevator shafts fade. Rod is back and is standing in front of an elevator. He tells us that tonight we are part of the episode and that we will venture into the Twilight Zone and witness the terror. Thanks Rod.
The lights come back on and we walked into the boiler room. All the while Holly is saying, “Dad I don’t think I can do this.” We walked through an old boiler room. It’s musty, it’s old. There’s junk all over the place. It’s dirty. It’s noisy. We make our way towards one of the elevators. Along the way we see at least a dozen signs warning about the ride.
You can exit just before the elevators if you chicken….erh prefer to bypass the actual ride. We get up to the elevator and we are directed to stand on certain spots just outside the elevator. This is done for loading purposes. The elevator comes and we file in. The elevator contains benches. We sit in the front row and a lap bar is pulled down. Note that the middle seat in the rear row does not have a bar but a seat belt (lap…not shoulder).
So how did the rest of this experience go on the day The Tower opened?
I’ll tell you when I see you next time.