The History of The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror opened at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (then known as Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park) on July 22, 1994. In the early 1990s, Disney’s then-CEO, Michael Eisner, directed his team to research what types of attractions would draw in more guests. They learned that guests weren’t spending as much time in the park as they’d like due to a lack of thrill rides, so Disney Imagineers set to work creating an undeniably exciting ride, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. The first of its kind, the ride was designed so that the “elevator” vehicles would not only be able to move up and down, but could also leave their elevator shafts to move forwards and backwards. Disney Imagineers even consulted elevator companies during the design process! The finished ride famously lifts guests to the top of the Hollywood Tower Hotel and drops them 13 stories. Interestingly, the ride actually pulls the vehicles downward faster than the speed of gravity, giving guests a weightless sensation. When it first opened in July 1994, the ride culminated in a single drop, but subsequent improvements allowed for the introduction of randomized drop sequences. The designers also included many references to The Twilight Zone; for example, the footage of Rod Serling used in the ride preshow is actually from a real episode of the show. However, alterations were made to the footage, including the removal of a cigarette that Serling was holding in the original take and the addition of a voiceover by Mark Silverman. The grounds of the ride were inspired by California’s Griffith Park and Elysian Park, while the Hollywood Tower Hotel itself was modeled on the Biltmore Hotel and the Mission Inn. Eisner originally wanted the building to function not just as a ride, but also as a real hotel, but the logistics proved too impractical, so the idea was scrapped. Today, not only is The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror one of the tallest attractions in all of Walt Disney World Resort, it is also one of the most popular, attracting millions of guests each year.