Video: Disney Guests Stuck, Left in ‘Terror’

One of the most thrilling attractions at the Walt Disney World Resort is the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror on Sunset Boulevard at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The attraction takes Guests into an abandoned service elevator inside the Hollywood Tower of Hotel, that transports them directly into the Twilight Zone. With a pre-show starring Rod Serling and so many details throughout the queue, lobby, and the ride itself, plus the exhilarating drop sequences, the attraction is a favorite of thrill-seekers visiting the park.

But what is it like when the ride stops just before the drop? TikTok user @skysky232 recently shared a look at a recent ride on the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, and the anticipation is frightening even from only experiencing the stop through video!

https://www.tiktok.com/@skysky232/video/7076889419877223722?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7052714227110561286

The caption for the video notes that Guests were stuck at the highest point of the attraction before the drop sequence began for about 30 minutes. Since many Guests find the brief couple of seconds before the drops begin to be enough anticipation, a 30-minute wait must have been especially ‘terrifying’!

In the comments, @skysky232 indicates that the elevator thankfully did not drop after the 30 minutes, but rather it lowered slowly so that Guests could exit the attraction safely under Cast Member instructions. Since it became quite hot at the top of the ride before the drop (especially once the open-air window closed) all of the Guests who were stuck were given complimentary water bottles along with a Lightning Lane pass to return to the ride later on without having to wait in the standby line.

Walt Disney World attractions can stop momentarily for a number of reasons, however, depending on the type of stop and what caused it they may need to be evacuated like this recent case with the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. If an evacuation happens, it might seem unsettling to Guests but to Cast Members, it is just part of the process of operating an attraction, and they are able to help everyone off the ride safely while providing a pass to re-ride the attraction later.

Tower of Terror has an interesting place within the Disney fandom, not only for Guests thrilled by the ride‘s theming and drop sequence, but for nostalgic movie fans, too. There was a Tower of Terror movie released in 1997, which starred Steve Guttenberg and Kirsten Dunst, and a remake was reportedly in the works to star Scarlett Johansson however the project has since been canceled.

The attraction is also located in a number of Disney Park locations around the world, including Tokyo DisneySea at Tokyo Disney Resort and the Walt Disney Studios Park at Disneyland Paris. Previously, a Tower of Terror attraction also existed at the Disneyland Resort at Disney California Adventure however this version of the attraction has been re-themed to Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout.