| Twilight Zone Tower of Terror News & Info |
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- OPENING DATE: July 22, 1994
- HEIGHT: 199 feet (tallest WDW attraction)
- CONSTRUCTION: 1,500 tons of steel; 145,800 cubic
feet of concrete; 27,000 roof tiles
- RIDE VEHICLES:
Elevators themed to 1917 caged
service elevators (guests drop 13 stories)
- CAPACITY: 22 per elevator
- SPEED: Proprietary (Disney's fastest thrill ride,
until Test Track)
- SHOW LENGTH: 5 minutes
- HOTEL: The Hollywood Tower Hotel -- lobby is
modelled after the style of the Los Angeles Biltmore Hotel, built in
the 1920s. Props were all purchased in the Los Angeles area and
include antiques, French bronzes, personal items of Hollywood
celebrities, and Renaissance pieces.
- STORY LINE: On the night of October 31, 1939, a
freakish thunder-and-lightning storm descended on the Hollywood
hills while the elite of the film community found sanctuary in the
Hollywood Tower Hotel's elegant lobby. Among those checking in that
night were a handsome young couple accompanied by an older,
over-worked bellman; and a child actress in blond curls and frilly
dress with her stern governess. They were all last seen heading for
the elevator. They stepped in, the doors closed, and seconds later
the elevator, its passengers, and several sections of the upper
stories of the hotel vanished.
- Tower of Terror drop profile timeline:
"The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror" - July 22, 1994
"The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror: Twice the Fright" - Mid 1996
"The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror: Fear Every Drop!" - March 1 1999
"The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror: Never the Same Fear Twice" - December 31 2002
26 March 2003: A Disney article on the making of Tower of Terror 4
At first glance, many guests might think that Walt Disney Imagineers -- the wizards responsible for envisioning and creating the Walt Disney World Resort theme park attractions -- are all creative masterminds with blue-sky ideas that constantly bubble over like nervous energy.
Looking closer, however, one discovers that complex mathematics, physics and science are a major part of Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI) projects. And that a slide rule, calculator and computer are vital tools complementing the out-of-the-box dreaming for which Disney is famous.
Left Brain, Right Brain
The most recent -- and "terror"fying -- example of this unique talent
blend is the latest incarnation of The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™,
the 13-story thrill ride at Disney-MGM Studios that features high-speed,
fright-filled ascents and descents within a haunted hotel façade.
When Walt Disney Imagineers suggested the idea of adding more terror to the Tower, they knew it would require a perfect marriage of creativity and mathematics.
Enter Theron Skees and Michael Tschanz, the WDI "dream team" designated to make it reality.
- As the WDI creative show producer for Disney-MGM Studios, Skees works with lighting and interior designers, conceptualists, writers and architects on every creative aspect of the theme park. Skees also has an extensive background in sculpting, thematic painting and design.
- Tschanz, who has a master's degree in electrical engineering, found his calling in applied mathematics and started his career at a large technology corporation in Texas where he developed simulations and performed systems analyses on graphics supercomputers.
Also an accomplished pianist and music director, Tschanz joined Disney in 1997, working for the Scientific Systems arm of WDI. He's a self-described hi-tech "geek" who tackles a world of probabilities, algorithms and software systems. As a principal software engineer for Scientific Systems, Tschanz works with three-dimensional simulations, real-time control algorithms and systems modeling.
"Some have called us a two-headed monster," laughs Tschanz, "but it is a great complement of left brain and right brain skills."
The combination of those skills produced what Skees and Tschanz call "Tower of Terror 4," signifying the fourth time (since its debut in 1994) that the attraction has reopened with a new ride and drop sequence. Each time, more thrills and special effects were added.
The Tower is in Control
This time, Skees and Tschanz actually placed the attraction in control,
as the complex computer system randomly chooses which ups and downs
guests will experience. In addition, more special effects were added,
making Tower of Terror one of the most advanced multi-sensory
attractions anywhere in the world.
While Skees and his team brainstormed ways to surprise guests like never before -- with ghostly apparitions, 3-D sounds, surprising smells and making the elevator vehicle move in different ways -- Tschanz kept his computer running non-stop, inputting data and meticulously measuring variables such as ride time, drop time and -- his personal favorite -- "air time."
Math + Creativity = Terror
Call it "math-magic," but Tschanz's meticulous studies resulted in the
technology and capabilities of Tower of Terror being pushed farther than
ever before. Knowing Skees was busy pumping more surprises than ever
into the attraction's storyline, Tschanz's mission from the outset was
to create an out-of-this-world experience using digits and denominators
to complement the illusion and effects.
"Through analysis, you want to push these systems and get as much as you possibly can out of them because you're going to get a better guest experience out of them. Also, creative (Skees' team) is going to be happier with the final product, and then our guests will be really happy," Tschanz says. "Everybody's going to win. It's certainly harder and takes more time to do that, but you end up with a much better product in the end."
Skees and Tschanz, along with their respective teams, spent approximately two years on the redesign of Tower of Terror, pouring through multiple mock-ups, computer models, creative designs and reams of data.
Since the attraction was open to park guests during the day, the teams had to work around the clock, spending many late nights inside the dark elevator shafts. Skees and Tschanz often found themselves strapped inside the elevator cars for up to three hours at a time as new drop sequences were tested and studied. Tschanz estimates he rode the attraction nearly 3,000 times during the project.
The result, they agree, exceeded even their lofty expectations.
Like proud parents of a New Year's baby, Tschanz and Skees proudly watched as their attraction debuted on Dec. 31, 2002.
"With the different ride profiles, this was like having multiple attractions in one project," says Skees. "We are extremely fortunate to have a very flexible storyline and a reprogrammable ride system on this attraction. Those two elements gave us a great opportunity to reinvent the way we tell that story and gave us a greater canvas to paint on.
But Can it Predict Lottery Numbers?
As Tower of Terror sends thrills and chills through brave Disney guests,
Tschanz and Skees hear their share of shrieks and screams coming from
the cavernous elevator shafts. And they're also hearing lots of
questions. The number-one question people ask? "Which ride profile will
be next?"
"When we say the Tower is now in control, that is 100 percent accurate," Tschanz says. "The very moment that the elevator is entering the shaft, the computer decides what is going to happen. It decides which experience it picks.
"As far as which one is next, the sequence does not go in any order and then just start over. The Tower actually has a random number generator that's based on modulo functions," he says. "It is a totally random set of numbers. We don't know and even the ride operators don't know. Really, only the Tower knows."
13 January 2003: Tower of Terror 4 official name
The name for the new drop profile on the Tower of Terror is....
TOWER OF TERR4R: Never
the Same Fear Twice
The "O" in terror is actually an elevator button in twilight zone font
with the number "4" on it.
There is also a new commercial, very subtle, yet very dramatic. Nothing but elevator buttons, one at a time going up to 13, then falling through the numbers than randomly jumping from number to number flashing all over the board... then it fades to an image of the tower in a storm, and says "Tower of Terror 4, Never the same fear twice. Only at the Disney/MGM Studios"
9 December 2002: UPDATED Tower of Terror 4 Soft Openings (previews)
The soft opening of Tower of Terror 4 began for guests this morning at 9am.
5 December 2002: Tower of Terror 4 Official Opening Date - 31st December 2002
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Five simple words - one chilling thought: the tower is in control.
While “sequels” sometimes don’t measure up to their originals, the new version of The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™ at Disney-MGM Studios multiplies the thrills inside the 13-story haunted hotel with technology that actually places the attraction in control of each ride experience.
Random ride and drop sequences will soon be unveiled, making the attraction faster and adding more drops than ever before. In addition, visual, audio and olfactory special effects have been added, making Tower of Terror one of the most advanced multi-sensory attractions anywhere in the world. Ghostly apparitions, rocketing new ascents, more “air time” and cannon blasts of chilling air are just a few of the new surprises in store for brave Walt Disney World guests.
The new ride sequences will officially debut Dec. 31, 2002, as the new year will ring in with screams and shrieks echoing from the ride’s cavernous elevator shafts.
All of the new ride sequences are unique and random, so not even the droll hotel “bellhops” (costumed Disney-MGM Studios cast members who operate the attraction) will know which specific sequence guests are queued to ride. It’s the first Disney attraction in the world to offer random experiences and the first where the attraction actually determines the ride sequence.
“The newest transformation of Tower of Terror affects every one of the senses, leaving you feeling as if you have really been in your own episode of The Twilight Zone,” says Theron Skees, show producer for Walt Disney Imagineering. “A team of Walt Disney Imagineers worked very hard to break the barrier and truly immerse guests in the experience. Adding new sound technology, scent, and visual effects is only part of the way we achieved this. We wanted the guest to feel completely out of control -- not knowing what to expect next, and giving the die-hard fans a lot more to talk about.”
Tower of Terror has thrilled Disney-MGM Studios guests since it opened in 1994. This is the fourth time the attraction has reopened with a new ride sequence, each time with new thrills and special effects.
In fact, changing the ride experience has always been part of the plan to put “terror” into the Tower. Thanks to the storyline, technology and ride engineering designed by Walt Disney Imagineering, Tower of Terror has the ability to be transformed into a number of completely new ride experiences.
“Tower of Terror affords us the technological opportunity to be extremely flexible by way of its design,” Skees says. “We can add effects, change timing sequences and completely alter the way it moves. This ability, combined with a unique storyline that is equally flexible, enables us to reinvent the ride experience as often as we want. No other theme park attraction that I know of allows us to continually morph and improve the guest experience in the same way.”
The ride’s fright-filled ascent begins when visitors board a decrepit hotel freight elevator that passes through mysterious hotel passageways where ghostly images of lost guests seem to appear and disappear at will. As the journey progresses, the elevator-cage hurdles through the “Fifth Dimension” in a pitch-black shaft, as guests embark on a not-to-be-forgotten journey.
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror features Disney’s FASTPASS, an innovative system -- offered at no charge -- designed to reduce waiting times at popular attractions in all four Walt Disney World theme parks.
Disney-MGM Studios immerses guests in the glamour of show business 365 days a year with thrilling attractions, incredible Broadway-style shows, world-class atmosphere entertainment and interactive film, television, radio and animation production facilities. The theme park and working production facility is part of the 47-square-mile Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla.
4 December 2002: Tower of Terror 4 soft opening
Tower of Terror 4 is likely to have a soft opening on Dec. 9 and the official opening is likely to be Dec. 31
8 November 2002: Tower of Terror 4
Full details on the new Tower of Terror 4 drop profiles (Thanks to an "Evil" friend of WDWMagic, for the exclusive use of the info and diagrams)
Currently scheduled to appear to the public in January 2003, you wont want to miss this one! Remember, while this information is accurate at this time, it is always subject to change.
New Drop Profiles
The really, really neat thing about Tower4 is that you're never, ever going to know which sequence you'll get until you're in the drop shaft and it begins. But it goes one step further than that.... two sequences start with a drop from the fifth dimension just like every sequence (except the original 1.0) has done. The other two start with you blasting up from the fifth dimension to the top immediately. You're not even going to know if you're going to start falling down or up.
Three of the sequences are totally "new". The first sequence is actually a rehash of Fear Every Drop (Tower3, current). The diagrams below show a graphical view of each drop profile, beginning from the 5th dimension in each case. Remember, these are not official diagrams, and may be subject to change at any time. (Please do not reproduce these images elsewhere.)
There's other interesting things too... Like the fact that it's capable of (and does) drop full speed in a full drop, half way down immediately coming to a dead stop and immediately continuing full speed the rest of the way down the shaft. The best thing to compare this to is a really big, really intense adult version of a Frog Hopper.
As well there are actually full drops for the first time in a very long time, from the top Horton Door all the way to the unload floor.
There's more
though... much more! One of the sequences has a false ending. It's
amazing. You do the whole sequence, stop at the unload floor
"And just when you thought it was over..."
the vehicle starts shaking, shoots all the way to the Horton Doors, and
the falls all the way down one last surprising time.
The seat belts being
installed (replacing the lap bars) are in response to the surprisingly
more powerful nature of the new version. In the transition from
Lap Bars to Seatbelts, one seat per elevator will be lost. 22 people to
21 people. The seat being removed is the old "seatbelt seat." They'll
all be a bit wider now so there's enough room to each belt.
Also the metal end of each belt will be a slightly different size, so it
can ONLY be connected into the appropriate buckle thus eliminating
people buckling in wrong or trying to use one seatbelt for the whole row
by mistake.
New Show Effects
- New sound effects will be introduced to go along with the new drop profiles
- Air cannons on the third floor level have been added which, in certain sequences will be a show stop in the drop shaft allowing for this new show element to take place
- "Mystery people" in the drop shafts, ie. the same plastic ghosts from the fifth dimension. One shaft has the Nanny and little girl, and the other shaft has the Actress and Gentleman.
- Smell effects al-la Soarin' from DCA (Burning Rubber)
9 September 2000: Update on the drop profile
The only difference that is going to be made, is that of 18 inches
added on to one of the drops in the "Fear Every Drop" current
profile, the reason for this adjustment, is to make the elevators drop
from a higher position, doing so, would allow, for the first time the
on-ride photos, to be take while the elevator is actually dropping,
rather than when stopped. Also, the photo dept. is going to be taken
over by Kodak, so there should be some minor improvements there. I have
heard that there will be Poster Size pictures available, like Rock 'n
Roller Coaster.
30 August 2000: New Drop profile
It seems like its time again for WDI to be preparing to unleash a NEW drop profile for WDWs favorite thrill ride - Tower of Terror. We have been sent this scoop by a ToT CM.
"The engineers and Otis consultants were in last night after
park close. Essentially they were testing to see if they could utilize
the additional height in the drop shaft to make the drop start higher
and end at a lower point. The only constraints are the counterweights.
They would hit the top or bottom before the elevator would. So last
night they were trying to measure exactly how far they could take it without affecting the
counterweights."
November 9 1999: FASTPASS being installed at Tower of Terror.
Photo by Sam. Click for a larger version.
October 28 1999: There is currently a huge crane in position over Tower of Terror apparently carrying out some repainting work. However, there has been some speculation that new show elements are being installed. This seems somewhat unlikely as we have just had the new Fear Every Drop profile installed. Photos.
March 12 1999: The new drop profile is now definitely open to the public. Reports are very positive, both for the new drops and the new lighting effects.
March 5 1999: We have unconfirmed reports that the new drop profile is now open to the public.
March 1 1999: Cast previews have been taking place after hours this week.
February 25 1999: Major news on Tower of Terror new profile, taken from Eyes and Ears Cast newsletter.
When "The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror" opened on July 22, 1994, it took the average Disney thrill ride to an all-new frightening level.
When the second drop was added two years later, many people thought it couldn't get any scarier.
On March 1, Ride and Show Engineering, Scientific Systems, Walt
Disney
Imagineering and Theme Park Operations will debut a third show, more
powerful than before, called "The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror:
Fear Every Drop!"
"The drop is drastically different from the last," said Theron Skees, Disney-MGM Studios art director. "Not only are there more drops, but the pattern has changed. We changed the lighting effects. We rescored the music.
There's a lot of shaking, greater acceleration, and more point in the drop where you have a weightless feeling."
"We added about 30% more time in the drop shaft," said Doug Smith, senior engineer of Ride and Show Engineering. "New effects will enhance the theme of the lightning strike."
In addition, the timing of the souvenir photograph has changed and will catch guests in the middle of all this excitement.
(12.29.98) A crane is currently working on ToT. Installing new systems for the new drop profile maybe?
Also heard that the Imagineers currently have 15 drop profiles available for Tower of Terror. As well as all new profiles, it is also rumoured that the ride will travel upwards much quicker than before.
(10.21.98) Just heard that
Tower
of Terror will have a new drop profile and new effects to open in
May 1999