Five Things to Know About The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror is a different type of thrill ride at Walt Disney World. Our Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World  describes it as “peak Imagineering – the perfect combination of story and thrill.” And it’s all that, combining elements of dark-ride storytelling, suspense, and sudden drops to create an immersive journey for all who dare to visit. Read on below, or if you’d rather skip the trip to another dimension and just learn about the wheres, whys, and whats of this attraction, here’s your shortcut.

1. Loiter in the lobby, linger in the library.

It’s a journey into another dimension, not only of sight and sound, but of mind … into the Twilight Zone! Based on the classic television series created by Rod Serling, this ride’s backstory features the fictional Hollywood Tower Hotel. A once-glamorous establishment, it was abandoned after being struck by lightning on October 31, 1939. The lightning caused a supernatural event that led to the mysterious disappearance of an elevator and its passengers – and others in the hotel, as well!

Your own trip to the Twilight Zone begins as you walk up the winding path to the hotel. The exterior took its inspiration from the Mission Inn in Riverside, California. The Imagineers haven’t missed this opportunity to start off your journey on the right foot, by pouring the walkway at a 2–4-degree angle. You may not notice it as you walk, but it’s just enough to register subconsciously that something isn’t on the level here. The walls of the path are also wonky, and the garden is overgrown and unkempt at best.

When you enter the lobby, you’ll find it dripping with detail. Modeled after that of the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, the props are actual antiques, purchased from shops in California. Some of the furniture is replicas of 1930s pieces, built by the original manufacturers, and several Twilight Zone Easter Eggs are scattered throughout. You’ll find yourself totally immersed in the story from the get-go.

You’ll walk through the lobby into the library, also rich with detail. In this space, Rod Serling provides narration and some of the background story from the screen of an old black and white tv. Serling is voiced by Mark Silverman, handpicked for the job by the Imagineers and Serling’s widow.

2. You’re not falling for it.

Once through the lobby, your journey begins in earnest. It’s into the boiler room where you’ll board the service elevator. Mr. Serling’s narration continues as your ride vehicle takes you upstairs. When the doors open, you’ll see the ghostly victims of the lightning strike.

Doors closed, another ascent brings your vehicle to journey down a hallway, taking you into the drop shaft … into the Twilight Zone. Now the real fun begins: the drops (yes, plural!). At one point during your ride, the doors open, giving you a bird’s eye view of Hollywood Studios and reminding you just how high up you are! And then, your ride ends back in the boiler room. (Which is where my wife and I waited while our kids and grandkids took the ride.)

3. It could have been “Castle Young Frankenstein.”

Believe it or not, back in 1989 Mel Brooks met with Michael Eisner and Imagineers to discuss ideas for a funny and scary attraction, perhaps “Castle Young Frankenstein.” Mel left the project for several reasons, and the idea was abandoned. Several other options were proposed, including making it a real hotel/ride hybrid. After much discussion and creative back-and-forth, the Imagineers finally settled on the Hollywood Hotel idea we know (and love?) today.

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror opened its doors on July 22, 1994, at what was then Disney-MGM Studios (now Disney’s Hollywood Studios). Initially, the ride included only one big drop. In May 1996, a second full drop was added, followed by a third drop and enhanced special effects in March 1999. Finally, in December 2002, Disney implemented the four different randomized drop sequences still used today. Each has different special effects so each time you ride, your experience is different.

One of the most remarkable things about the Tower of Terror is the engineering that went into this ride. The ride vehicle you sit in is called an Autonomous Guided Vehicle. It’s locked into place in each elevator (actually, they’re referred to as Vertical Vehicle Conveyances). To move from one elevator shaft through the hall to another, your vehicle follows wires in the floor. The communication between those wires and the vehicle is somewhat sensitive. If any sort of litter or foreign object falls on the floor, it can disrupt communication between the two; this is one of the most common reasons the ride may close for a while.

4. Not so terrifying Tower of Terror secrets.

There are so very many Easter Eggs and secrets in the Tower of Terror, we don’t have room to list them all! But here are some of our favorites:

⭐ Because it’s so tall (199 feet), it can be seen from the Morocco Pavilion in EPCOT’s World Showcase. So the back of the hotel has architectural elements that allow it to blend seamlessly with the look of that pavilion.

⭐ During the drop sequences, you’re not actually falling; you’re in a tug-of-war. Disney Imagineers worked with the engineers at the Otis elevator company to create a cable system that pulls you in both directions.

⭐ The biggest drop on the ride is 130 feet, not the full height of the Tower. And you’ll reach a speed of 39 mph – which means you actually drop faster than gravity! (A fact that became all too real for my daughter when her phone flew up out of her unclasped purse and into her lap.)

⭐ At the bottom of the hotel directory on the wall is a faint warning that reads, “Take the stairs…”

⭐ Hidden Mickeys? You bet. Look closely at the little ghost girl. She’s always holding a vintage Mickey doll.

⭐ In the library is a dusty trumpet with sheet music under it. The title of the song is “What! No Mickey Mouse?”, an actual tune written around 1932 by Irving Caesar.

⭐ The concierge desk has a Photoplay magazine from 1939 on it. If you were allowed to be close enough, you could see that the bottom line on the cover reads, “Featuring four pages of hilarious Star Caricatures by Walt Disney.”

⭐ You can read even more about this ride’s many secrets: 13 Fun Facts about the Tower of Terror.

5. The Nuts and Bolts.

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror sits at the end of Sunset Boulevard at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. It’s an indoor attraction, so weather doesn’t affect its operation. But if the queue is long, the line will extend outside.

Each ride vehicle has 21 seats with 7 guests per row. An aisle separates the first two rows, 4 guests to the left and 3 to the right. Guests in the second two rows will have to walk up 1 or 2 steps to board. Each seat has a hard back and a fabric safety belt, and there are handlebars between each seat and on the walls of the ride vehicle.

Guests must transfer from a wheelchair or ECV to ride. For safety, you should be in good health and free from high blood pressure, heart, back or neck problems, motion sickness, or other conditions that could be aggravated by this adventure. Expectant mothers should not ride, and all guests must be 40 inches or taller. As with all rides that have a height requirement, Tower of Terror offers Rider Switch. Service animals are not permitted. Video captioning is available.

Tower of Terror includes sudden, fast drops in a dark, enclosed space, which may be frightening to some guests. Also, if you bring any bags or backpacks with you, keep them closed and tucked securely between your feet; the drop sequences will cause them to shift around or fly up.

Tower of Terror is popular, and if you can’t ride first thing in the morning, waits should be shorter in the last hour the park is open. Alternatively, you can purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass or Premier Pass. The Tower is also open for Early Theme Park Entry, and when Hollywood Studios has them, it’s open for Extended Evening Theme Park Hours as well.

The Bottom Line.

We rate the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror as not to be missed. It’s totally unlike any other ride at Walt Disney World, which alone should put it on your must-do list. If it’s not your thing, you can do what we did: bail out at the “chicken exit” in the boiler room, right before others board. You’ll get to see all the cool details in the lobby and library, which alone are worth the trip to this other dimension.

Have you ridden the Tower of Terror? What was your favorite Easter Egg? Tell us in the comments below.

(Originally published July 13, 2023. Last updated/republished October 9, 2025.)