More changes are coming to Disney World's Tower of Terror.
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror has stood at Disney's Hollywood Studios since July 1994. Located at the end of Sunset Boulevard, the 199-foot Hollywood Tower Hotel is one of the tallest structures at Walt Disney World Resort.
Inspired by Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone television series, the attraction takes guests through an abandoned 1930s hotel before sending them plunging through an elevator shaft. Its elaborate storyline centers on five people who mysteriously vanished during a lightning storm on Halloween night in 1939.
That fictional disaster is also reflected in the building's exterior. The hotel features broken architectural details, weathered paint, and a large lightning scar supposedly left behind by the storm.
However, the Hollywood Tower Hotel has undergone extensive changes in recent months, and another transformation is now on the horizon.
Disney World Confirms Plans for Tower of Terror
Disney has confirmed that Tower of Terror will once again play a major role in its Christmas celebrations at Hollywood Studios.
The resort recently announced the return of Sunset Seasons Greetings for the 2026 holiday season, bringing nighttime projections back to the Hollywood Tower Hotel.
The show temporarily transforms the building into several festive scenes, including a gingerbread hotel inspired by The Muppets, a toy hotel featuring Toy Story characters, and a snowy version of Arendelle from Frozen (2013).
Another sequence recreates a Dickensian village inspired by Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983). The projections are accompanied by seasonal music and other effects along Sunset Boulevard.
Disney has also confirmed that Jollywood Nights will return to Hollywood Studios on November 7, 2026. The separately ticketed Christmas event will run on select nights through January 5, 2027.
Preparations are already underway. Earlier this month, new snow machines appeared along Sunset Boulevard, ahead of the park's annual holiday celebrations.
However, the return of Tower of Terror's Christmas projections raises an obvious question.
Since May, Disney has been carrying out an extensive refurbishment of the building's exterior. What initially began as work around the outdoor queue eventually expanded to cover much of the attraction in scaffolding.
By September, the Hollywood Tower Hotel's front facade was almost entirely concealed, including large sections surrounding its iconic sign.
Disney has not announced whether all the scaffolding will be removed before Sunset Seasons Greetings begins. However, the latest developments suggest significant progress is being made.
Major Changes Revealed as Disney Removes Tower of Terror Scaffolding
New photos taken at Disney's Hollywood Studios show that the refurbishment has entered another stage, with additional scaffolding removed from the upper levels of Tower of Terror.
The platforms previously covering the area above the Hollywood Tower Hotel sign have now disappeared.
Their removal has revealed one of the biggest changes made to the building so far.
The lightning scar across Tower of Terror's exterior has been repainted, restoring a detail that had faded considerably since the attraction opened 32 years ago.
More scaffolding has come down around the Tower of Terror revealing the refreshed paint job. #waltdisneyworld pic.twitter.com/0xvrWiILgH
— LaughingPlace.com (@laughingplace) October 23, 2026
Previously, much of the original purple coloring had faded to gray. The newly restored markings feature darker purple, bright blue, black, and white streaks spreading across the building's pink facade.
The epicenter of the fictional lightning strike is positioned immediately above the hotel's sign, with additional cracks extending across the surrounding walls.
Crews have also refreshed other details, including the hotel's deliberately damaged stonework, railings, and decorative elements.
However, the refurbishment remains unfinished. Scaffolding still covers the lower section of the Tower's lightning scar, where portions of the wall have received primer but have not yet been repainted.
Several balconies also remain partially painted, while protective plastic and red tape cover windows elsewhere on the building. Work is continuing around the sides of the hotel.
The project has gradually progressed across Tower of Terror throughout 2026. Scaffolding first appeared above the attraction's gift shop in July, eventually expanding across the main facade and reaching the roofline in September.
Sections of the refurbished exterior began emerging that same month, with further scaffolding removed throughout October.
Despite the ongoing work, Tower of Terror has continued operating. Disney has maintained openings around the attraction's elevator doors, allowing guests to experience the ride and its views over Hollywood Studios.
There has also been no announcement of any permanent changes to the attraction's storyline or ride system (despite recent fears sparked by the ride's narrator visiting Walt Disney Imagineering).
Are you excited to see Tower of Terror's refreshed exterior at Disney's Hollywood Studios?
