Over the last 30+ years, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror has been one of the most beloved attractions at Walt Disney World.
Tower of Terror
Since its opening back in 1994, the Hollywood Studios E-Ticket has often been cited as one of Imagineering’s best EVER attractions, especially of the Post-Walt Era. It’s often praised for its in-depth queue, highly developed story, inventive ride system, and use of the Twilight Zone intellectual property (IP). However, the ride almost didn’t have said backstory or queue at all. Instead, it was at one point scheduled to be themed to… legendary director Mel Brooks.
Yes, seriously, Mel Brooks. Why? Well, to answer that, we have to go back in time.
©CNN
In the early 1990s, Disney was riding high. The Disney Renaissance was in full effect at the box office, and the company was expanding its theme park presence in a major way, especially in Orlando, where Imagineering was busy coming up with ideas to quickly expand the then-newly opened — and mega-successful — Disney/MGM Studios theme park.
From back when Hollywood Studios went by a different name…
One of the ideas they came up with was the concept of anchoring a new Sunset Boulevard expansion with a hotel-based attraction that may or may not have also featured a real in-park hotel element in addition to an attraction.
©Disney
At the insistence of then-CEO Michael Eisner, the team brought the idea to legendary director Mel Brooks, whom Eisner wanted to bring into the park’s fold. At the time, this wasn’t as bizarre as it likely sounds today, since major celebrities — even those who weren’t majorly associated with Disney — were a big part of the early MGM Studios park and its attractions.
All the early 90s biggest celebrities hung around MGM Studios at the time.
Working with the legendary director of films like Space Balls and Young Frankenstein, the Imagineers and Brooks came up with the concept of a madcap haunted hotel attraction that would be hosted by Brooks (either via video screens or in full animatronic form, depending on whose recollections one reads), and feature scenes from several of his films, likely including the aforementioned Young Frankenstein, and their major characters.
©Disney
Suffice to say, the experience could have been VERY different than what was eventually built. However, this version of the attraction never made it past the development stage, as Brooks backed out.
After the Brooks-centric version of the attraction fell apart, Imagineers pivoted the ride system to a free-fall attraction based on a ride system that was originally planned for EuroDisneyland’s Frontierland. While that ride, Geyser Mountain — a part roller coaster/part free-fall ride that would have shot guests up a vertical mine shaft — was never built, its ride system would be transformed into an elevator for the hotel attraction.
©No-guiltdisney.com
While other concepts, including Stephen King novels and a Vincent Price theme, were considered, Disney eventually licensed the Twilight Zone IP from CBS and integrated the series’ paranormal themes into the “Old Hollywood Hotel” concept, leading to the creation of the ride we’ve loved for three decades.
You are about to enter the Twilight Zone…
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror has been a Disney World icon since 1994, but the attraction was almost COMPLETELY different than the spooky favorite of many. Stay tuned to DFB for more on Disney’s attraction history.
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You forgot to mention the fun movie starring Steve Guttenberg and Kirsten Dunst!
Oh my goodness it’s one of my favorite rides every time I’ve gone to Disney since it was built I’ve always gone on the tower of terror and this last time went with my granddaughters and we went on it three times in a row would’ve gone on the fourth time But my granddaughter said it was time to have some breakfast cause we rope drop. It was a fun, fun experience a tower of terror it’s a small world and the haunted mansion are my favorite rides in Disney. Hopefully, when I go back again, the tower of tour will be on on my list.
Absolutely LOVE the movie with Guttenberg and Dunst! My daughter watched it ALLTHE TIME, while she was growing up.