Tower of Terror: Disney’s Most Fun Attraction (by Brandon, Age 12)

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Tower of Terror at Hollywood Studios has been my favorite ride since I first went to Disney World in 2004 when I was six years-old. The first time I rode it, the line at the beginning of the attraction made me excited and wonder what else there was going to be in the line and what the attraction would be like. When I looked around, I saw the lobby of an unusual hotel covered with spider webs and other spooky features.

When I reached a certain point, a bell hop led me to a library where I noticed some props from The Twilight Zone TV show. Suddenly, it thundered and the power “went out.” However, a TV turned on showing a creepy scene that introduced the attraction. My little brothers were frightened the first time each of them saw it.

Following the clip, a bookcase moved, leading the way to the elevators. Only recently did I discover that if you look on the left as you are exiting the library, there is a breaker with a lever on it. It is said if you pull the lever there will be a surprise. I am looking forward to trying it out on my next trip.

I was then in line for one of four elevators. Having this number of elevators means the ride should never need to close for technical difficulties or improvements. It was at this point in 2004 that my brother became more frightened and decided he did not want to ride. We went on a real elevator and left him with my dad and baby brother. The bell hop let my mom and me go back up the elevator and skip to the front of the line.

Then, my mom and I were put with nineteen other guests in an elevator. Once seated with our “seatbelts fastened, keeping your hands, arms, feet, and legs inside the elevator at all times” – I have memorized the safety instructions – the bell hop running the elevator wished everyone a safe trip and closed the doors.

Finally, the elevator began to rise in the shaft. When the doors opened, I was immediately frightened by five ghosts that appeared. When they got struck by lightning, they disappeared and stars came into view making everything unseen except for a window. The window floated towards me and crashed making a sound that made me cover my ears. I was nervous, wondering what creepy thing would happen next. The doors closed and once again the elevator rose.

When the doors reopened, the elevator surprisingly moved forward. I saw things I had seen in the clip from the library like E=MC2, a clock with handles going backwards, and a window crashing. Then, stars appeared on a seemingly blank wall. They became tighter and tighter until they were too small to see. They spread out in a tall line revealing a door. After several years of riding the Tower of Terror, I eventually found a Hidden Mickey right before the stars disappeared to form the line.

The door opened and the elevator moved forward into the new shaft. Suddenly, the elevator continuously dropped and rose, frightening me the first time I rode it. The computer controls it completely randomly, so each ride is different. There is always one point where you reach the very top of the shaft and see a great view of both Hollywood Studios and Summit Plummet at Blizzard Beach. On the back of one of the letters, there is a camera that takes a picture right before a drop. Now, my family will smile or purposefully make a scary or funny face for the camera.

When the ride ended, I moved back into a normal shaft as I once more saw a recollection of the clip. After I exited the elevator, a bell hop let me leave, and I could see my picture. Once or twice my youngest brother was allowed to be a junior bell hop. There was a great gift shop as I was leaving. In the gift shop, I found a pressed penny machine and a pressed quarter machine. (The quarter machine is no longer there.) Through the years, I have bought two t-shirts and a hat, and our family has purchased two photos.

After riding it my first time, I realized I had tons of fun and wanted to ride it more. After riding it three more times, I finally convinced my middle brother to ride it too. When my youngest brother was tall enough to ride, he did not like it at first but, after a couple of years, changed his mind. Now we all think it is awesome!!!

While my mom and dad can only ride Tower of Terror a few times in a row, I could ride it all day if I was allowed to. My grandpa, grandma, and a few other family members have also ridden it, although some did not really like it. I have ridden this attraction sixty-six times throughout my six vacations to Disney World and hope to reach one hundred by my tenth trip. There is no doubt this is my favorite Disney attraction.

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