Disney Lied About Tower Of Terror's Real Drop Height

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When you visit Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort, there is one ride that often attracts Guests right away. Sitting on the edge of Sunset Boulevard, Guests can venture onto The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, but things are not as terrifying as they may appear.

The storyline and immersive qualities of the attraction instantly have Guests feeling uneasy. From the abandoned facade and gloomy, run-down interior, to the Cast Members playing into the spooky theming, to the horror-infused pre-show, the attraction sets up the story of a crashing and lightning-struck elevator very well. When Guests see the tower from the exterior, it looks massive, and inside the elevator, we see that there are 13 floors to drop between, meaning you will travel 13 stories — but that is actually incorrect.

Disney TikTokers The Mouselets (@themouselets) shared a video which states that Guests are actually only dropping nine stories when they ride the attraction and not the 13 stories which is advertised on the exterior of the service elevator.

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@themouselets

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♬ The Twilight Zone (Main Theme) – The Soundtrack Studio Stars

Knowing this, some Guests who were initially too scared to ride the attraction may actually feel a little more comforted knowing that the ride appears bigger than it actually is!

Disney describes Tower of Terror as:

Next Stop: The 5th Dimension Step uneasily inside the infamous Hollywood Tower Hotel and find a dusty lobby frozen in time. Even the subdued hotel staff seems strangely out of another era.

Suddenly a television set springs to life and Rod Serling welcomes you on a journey into the Twilight Zone. He reveals that on a gloomy Halloween night in 1939, some hotel patrons were riding the elevator when a violent storm struck the building… and they were never seen again. The hotel closed down and has stood empty ever since.

Going Up?

Enter the rickety, elevator-style lift, strap yourself in and prepare to discover what lies beyond the darkest corner of your imagination.

Shriek in terror as you’re suddenly propelled up and down the abandoned shaft—unexpectedly dropping and rising—as you hear the sound of cables snapping and metal clanging overhead.

Will you make it back to the real world… or will you become a permanent resident of the Twilight Zone?

Based on the Television Series This attraction is based on the popular television series which originally aired from 1959 to 1964. Created, hosted and written by Rod Serling, the award-winning show—with its imaginative storylines and unexpected twist endings—was wildly successful.

The Twilight Zone® is a registered trademark of CBS, Inc. and used with permission pursuant to a license with CBS, Inc.

When visiting Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Guests can also enjoy Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, which sits next door, as well as Toy Story Land, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, and so much more!

Did you know that Tower of Terror is only a 9-story drop? What other Disney ride facts are your favorite? 

Let the expert team at Academy Travel help you plan your next magical vacation to Walt Disney World Resort’s four theme parks — Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios — and the Disney Springs shopping and dining district!

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