I Know Exactly What You’re Doing the Next Time You’re in Line for Tower of Terror at Disney World

The feeling of turning down Sunset Boulevard and seeing the Hollywood Tower Hotel always impresses us! It never gets old seeing the towering hotel at the end of the street.

Then add in the screams coming from the elevator shafts and the time-period music playing on the street and you have lots of anticipation being built for this popular Disney’s Hollywood Studios attraction.

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror opened in Disney’s Hollywood Studios on July 22nd, 1994. This attraction has lots of amazing details incorporated into it and the next time you are in line for Tower of Terror you need to make sure you check a few details out!

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror has an elaborate backstory that takes place on October 31st, 1939. On this date, the Hollywood Tower Hotel was struck by lightning which resulted in the disappearance of a group of guests who were traveling in a hotel elevator and an entire guest wing of the hotel.

The hotel has remained frozen in a twilight zone of time and space, while the exterior has become overgrown and unkept, the interior is untouched since the night of the lightning strike. Now, you get to “check-in” to the Hollywood Tower Hotel, but unfortunately, only the service elevators are available right now…

Before you even head toward the queue, make sure to take a moment to look at the details of the hotel building. The building was struck by lightning in 1939 and you can see the marks left by this event. Plus, the architectural details on the building are fabulous.

To start, before you even pass through the gates of the hotel, you may notice that stroller parking across the way is not labeled as stroller parking. It is actually called valet parking.

As you enter the gates you may notice a sign showing the date the hotel was established, as well as a “Keep Out” sign that is from the date of the lightning strike.

As you continue through the queue, keep notice of the disrepair that the queue is in. No, this isn’t just Disney World slacking on keeping things updated, the queue is meant to show that the hotel has been sitting empty since October 1939 with nobody taking care of the grounds.

Once inside the lobby, you have a lot of things to look at. The lobby is frozen in time from that fateful night and you can notice a couple of scenes.

For one, you will notice a table where a couple was celebrating their engagement. One of the glasses even has lipstick on it and you might just be able to spot a diamond ring. At another table, you will see that a mahjong game was in full swing and then frozen in time. The players seemingly just vanished and left behind their game.

Many of the items in the lobby are real antiques that were gathered by the Imagineers who worked on the attraction. Take a moment to admire the lobby and all the details that have been included in it.

As you are heading into the library, you can take a quick peek at the directory board for a secret message. Maybe taking a service elevator isn’t the best idea? What could go wrong though?

Next, you will enter into a library. There are two libraries in the attraction and this is where you will view the pre-show. You can spot lots of nods to Twilight Zone episodes in the library including the Mystic Seer devil-headed machine from Nick of Time, the book To Serve Man from the episode of the same name (“It’s a cookbook!”), and a miniature gold-suited spaceman figure from The Invaders. These are just a few of the hidden details you can spot in the library, so take a look around!

While you are watching the pre-show, also make sure you keep an eye out for a hidden Mickey. Watch the little girl in the film carefully and pay close attention to what she is holding. You may just be able to spot the Mickey Mouse plush in her hands.

Take in all the details of the boiler room and appreciate an operating certificate for the service elevator you are about to get in. This room is full of details and design that make you really feel like you are standing in a boiler room.

Now that you have made it on the ride, there are still a few more details we want you to keep an eye out for. Once you have made it to your final destination, you may notice a doll sitting near the unload area. The doll’s name is Caesar and is from an episode of The Twilight Zone. Cast Members also say hi to him each morning for good luck.

These are just a few of the details that you can spot in the queue for The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. We have even more articles that talk about the background, history, and hidden details within this attraction for you to check out. We highly encourage you to read through them and keep an eye out for even more details as you are waiting in line!

• WDW Chronicles: The WDW Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
• Twilight Zone Tower of Terror — Part One
• Twilight Zone Tower of Terror — Part Two
• Why Disney World’s Creepiest Hotel Was Never Built

Stay tuned to AllEars for more tips and tricks to make sure you have the best Disney World vacation ever!

I know exactly what you’re doing the next time you are in line for Haunted Mansion!

What is your favorite hidden detail in the Tower of Terror queue? Let us know in the comments!

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