My Favorite Things at Disney World #6

My love for Tower of Terror actually perplexes me.

First of all, medically, I probably shouldn’t go on a ride that drops you and shoots you up so suddenly. Second of all, I REALLY hate what horror movie junkies call “jump scares” The thing is I love the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror for the total opposite reasons.

Once again it’s that mood that it sets. Every part of the ride sets up just a creepy vibe. The outside queue line is in a hotel garden, which reminds me of the Ringling House, a few hours west in Sarasota, Florida. You have that feeling of a once beautiful, but now largely unkept Florida landscape.

Once you get inside the “hotel” you really do get the feeling of being in the dusty lobby of an old hotel. The lobby is kept a little colder, so instinctively you walk in, look around and a chill runs through your body.

You are then put into the library to wait for “your room”, the lights go out, the television flickers, and Rod Serling appears, telling you the story of five people who checked into the Hollywood Tower Hotel, and never checked out, lost…to the Twilight zone.

You are moved to the Boiler Room, the regular elevators are out so you have to take the freight elevators, the creepiness continues.

You finally get into the elevator with about 15 to 20 other people. The doors close, and you feel yourself moving up, the doors open and you see a hallway, those five people who were lost. All of a sudden the hallway disappears, leaving only the window from the background. (this is an effect that still gets me even though I realize what I’m looking at.)

The lights go out, and you find yourself moving forward, now this is my one gripe with the ride. (I thought about putting a pun here about the ride “falling off a cliff” but seemed too cheesy)

You are riding through “the Twilight Zone” the “Ghosts” of the lost people floating around me, unfortunately to me they looked like “Shrinky Dinks” or plastic Ornaments, and really it took me out of it for a moment.

You keep traveling forward into the darkness, its quiet when…. you drop

The drop is smooth, you know you’re falling but you don’t get that sick feeling to your stomach (at least I didn’t, my wife disagrees.)

What comes next…well that depends. You see the computer that runs the ride is completely randomized. You may shoot up 20 feet; you may shoot up 40 feet, after that you may drop, who knows. At one point you shoot up and are looking out at the entire Hollywood Studios, if you have a quick eye you might even see Tampa.

 (Don't bother looking for us, I just found this picture.)

By the time the ride stops your heart is racing, your blood is flowing. One might say that Twilight Zone Tower of Terror is actually good for your health.

I am still not going on Rock n’ Roller Coaster though.