Disney Hollywood StudiosNews

Disney World Guests, Get Ready for This New Tower of Terror

The Hollywood Tower Hotel is getting a new face, as the scaffolding that has been methodically working its way across the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror facade all summer has now arrived at the Walt Disney World Resort attraction's most iconic feature.

The Front of the Building Is Next

The iconic Hollywood Tower Hotel sign illuminates the night
Credit: GunnerVV, Flickr

WDWNT reported last week that the construction equipment surrounding the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney's Hollywood Studios had shifted to the front of the Hollywood Tower Hotel facade, with scaffolding now reaching the elevator shafts directly beneath the building's famous “Hollywood Tower Hotel” lettering.

Crucially, the scaffolding hasn't yet disrupted the ride experience itself. The windows that open during the drop sequence still offer guests an unobstructed view of Disney's Hollywood Studios from above — at least for now.

Disney Skyliner gondolas soar over the parking lot at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, with the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror in the background
Credit: Disney Fanatic

On the section of the building near the gift shop where scaffolding first appeared weeks ago, crews have applied what appears to be a gray-and-white primer coat to the roof and the faux balcony wall. A black tarp has been laid across decorative windows in the same area, protecting those elements while the painting progresses around them.

A Different Color Taking Shape

Perhaps the most striking element of the refurbishment's progress so far is what the newly painted sections reveal about where the Hollywood Tower Hotel's appearance is headed. Freshly coated areas of the facade are noticeably brighter and more vivid — a cleaner, more saturated pink that looks nothing like the intentionally aged and weathered surface guests have known since the attraction opened in 1994.

A grand, dimly-lit hotel lobby reminiscent of the Tower of Terror, with vintage decor, an ornate fireplace, red Persian rug, worn furniture, dusty plants, and an old-fashioned front desk; the atmosphere feels eerie and abandoned.
Credit: Disney

The distressed finishing treatment that gives the building its atmosphere hasn't been applied to those sections yet, so what guests are seeing now is an intermediate stage — the fresh coat before the character gets added back.

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror remains fully operational throughout the ongoing work. Walt Disney World Resort has not announced any upcoming closure for the attraction, and the construction activity remains limited to the exterior of the building.

Has a refurbishment project ever impacted your visit to Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney's Hollywood Studios, or Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park? Tell Disney Fanatic about your experience in the comments! 

Jess Colopy

Jess Colopy is a Disney College Program alum and kid-at-heart. When she’s not furiously typing in a coffee shop, you can find her on the hunt for the newest Stitch pin.

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