A friend of mine was able to go on a behind the scenes tour of The Tower of Terror at Walt Disney World. I thought you all would be interested in the things she learned.
So first, the break room is between two of the elevator shafts. That means the cast members get to hear everyone’s screaming while on break!
The control panel room can see everything you are doing on the ride. While on the ride if you see what looks like a broken or blown out fuse box, that is the camera that monitors you the entire time, be sure to wave to the cast members!
Safety: The ride is crazy safe! First the ride does not “drop you” as it feels. you get pulled down and pushed back up. Next, the ride can tell if there is anyone sitting in the seat not buckled. The door can not close unless everyone is buckled. Once buckled there is no way to unbuckle until the car (elevator) is back at base.
Hidden Mickeys: There are no hidden mickey’s in the lobby. The first hidden mickey is in the library, the sheet music is called “What! No Mickey Mouse?” and this can actually be played. The second is also in the library, the video before the ride you see the family, the little girl is holding a plush mickey mouse. Third is in the broiler room, the line right before going on the attraction, there is an oil stain shaped of mickey mouse on the wall. Fourth, while on the ride as the car takes you to the front of the ride you see lights right before the door opens for the actual dropping. If you look at the lights it forms a mickey head. And last, when you go to look at your picture, look into the room down and left there is clocks in the shape of a Mickey head. There are a lot of rumors of Hidden Mickey’s but according to our guide these are the only ones. However the attraction has a ton of twilight zone references if one has seen the show.
When you first walk in and look to your left, you will see a game going on. It kind of looks like dominoes but the game is called Mah jongg. If one knows how to play the game well they can actually see that the game was pretty intense and during this time period one would not leave the game for anything at all because of heavy betting. The designer actually played the game by himself but made moves for all four players. He went around and around and then he told someone to glue the pieces down and that is why the game pieces are in the places they are.
The two couches in the lobby are only nineteen years old and they may be sat on. They are the only things in the lobby that you are allowed to sit on.
There is a set of six chairs in the lobby, these are to NOT be sat on. They are seventeen century Portuguese chairs. They are an antique and Disney got them for dirt cheap because the auctioneer did not know they were valuable.
Even though the rumor is that the cast members are not supposed to smile at Tower of terror, they actually are. Because bell men are supposed to be friendly. However they are supposed to give a smirking like smile.
My favorite story told was when Tower of Terror first opened, there was a family who loved that ride. They got to know the cast members of the attraction very well and always looked forward to seeing them. They came back year after year, one year they didn’t come. They received a letter in the mail, the granddad had passed away, but they wanted to thank the cast members for all that they did for the family. The family also sent a photo of the man and this photo is now in the lobby check in, in the mail box for room 1207. I love how guests can be apart of an attraction, it’s families like that who make working at Disney worth while!
The luggage in the lobby belongs to the missing guest. The luggage is an actual luggage set and is made out of alligator skin, which was very popular at the time.
The majority of stuff in the lobby was brought in not made. Some of the items are from actual celebrities though they didn’t specify which ones.
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Tim says
How did your friend score a behind the scenes tour?
Larisa Baldwin says
Very nice article. Learned some things I never knew about this, new to me, attraction. Thanks!
Couponing to Disney says
That is great! I was a past Cast Member at Tower of Terror. LOVED that job!
Starla says
Way cool Kristen. Great post!