The Perfect Time to Ride Tower of Terror in Disney World

Chances are that you’ll have to face some pretty long lines at Disney World!

Each of the four parks has its culprits like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Magic Kingdom, Frozen Ever After at EPCOT, Slinky Dog Dash at Hollywood Studios, and Flight of Passage at Animal Kingdom. There’s another ride that fits perfectly in this list — Tower of Terror! So, when’s the best time to try and hit it up? Let’s talk about it!

Tower of Terror is an incredibly popular attraction at Hollywood Studios even though it’s not one of the newest rides at the park. If it’s been a while since you’ve ridden it, let’s refresh your memory about it and set the stage.

The story goes down like this: The Hollywood Tower Hotel was having a grand night back on October 31st, 1939. Everything seemed perfect. There were fancy guests, swanky suits, the whole shebang. Then, out of nowhere, a wild thunderstorm rolls in. Lightning strikes the hotel, and poof! The guests that just got into the elevator vanished into thin air. (Spooky, right?)

The hotel’s been abandoned ever since. That’s where we come in. We creep through the deserted lobby, past cobwebs and flickering lights.

The TVs are stuck on a glitchy channel showing a spooky dude introducing us to the Twilight Zone!

Then here’s where things get real. You get to step into one of those rickety elevators that looks like it hasn’t passed inspection in forever. The doors slide shut, and the lights flicker, the metal groans, and then bam! We’re rocketing up the abandoned shaft, never knowing when the next drop is coming. It’s like free-falling in zero gravity, with your stomach doing a backflip the whole time.

The whole ride is unpredictable, which makes it a ton of fun. One moment, you might shoot up into the darkness, only to plummet back down faster than you can even scream. It’s all about the suspense, the not knowing what’s coming next.

For the Lowest Wait Times

It sounds awesome, right? You’ll often find that the line gets a wait time of well over an hour, but there are at least two times of day where you could get in the queue and probably wait less.

First up, probably the best time to get in line for Tower of Terror is first thing in the morning especially since the day won’t have gotten so hot yet. Also, it’s closer to the front of the park, which helps get you there as quickly as possible.

Next, the Tower of Terror probably is its most visually stunning at night and the queue also dips down at the end of the night. Remember that as long as you get in line before the clock strikes the closing time, you should be able to ride without too long of a wait!

If You Want The Best Experience

Our team agreed that there’s nothing quite like the view from the tower when the doors open and you can see across the park when the sun has gone down. It completely amps up the experience and spookiness of the ride.

The only other suggestion is to make sure that you don’t go after you’ve had a big meal (keep it light — no eating at Roundup Rodeo BBQ beforehand!)

So there you go — our recommendations for riding the Tower of Terror in Hollywood Studios! Stay tuned to AllEars for more tips and tricks for navigating the parks.