The Magic of Disney Parks Storytelling: The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney California Adventure Park

Earlier today we looked back on the 10th anniversary of one of the most popular attractions at Disneyland Resort, the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. For 10 years, guests have been dropping into the fifth dimension at Disney California Adventure park. Having experienced the attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort, I anxiously awaited the opening of the attraction on this coast. I was so excited that I was here for the opening event on May 4, 2004. In honor of the anniversary, let’s continue “The Magic of Disney Parks Storytelling” by checking in at the Hollywood Tower Hotel.

As with many Disney Parks stories, we begin with a legend. The Hollywood Tower Hotel opened in 1928 and quickly became a “star in its own right, a beacon for the show business elite.” But on October 31, 1939, lightning struck the Hollywood Tower Hotel and an elevator carrying five guests mysteriously vanished, along with a large portion of the hotel itself. No staff or guests could determine what happened to the guests inside the missing elevator, so everyone vacated the hotel immediately and the building sat abandoned for years.

Then, in May 2004, the hotel opened its doors again, offering tours of its historic and glamorous facilities. Despite the layers of dust, cracked walkways and overgrown weeds, the hotel looked the same as it did the night it closed – except the elevators. Behind the “Out of Order” sign, the elevator doors appear to be severely damaged and bent – clues from that mysterious incident.

So what exactly happened here? As a visiting guest to the Hollywood Tower Hotel, you are invited into the Library to find out. A lost episode of “The Twilight Zone” tells the story of what happened on that fateful night and invites you to step aboard a service elevator that is still in operation. Of course, what happens on that elevator is a mystery you’ll have to experience for yourself!

I will confess that after my first stay, I screamed so loudly, I lost my voice for the rest of the day (from being excited, not scared, of course.)

And fans of “The Twilight Zone” should keep an eye out for props from iconic episodes throughout the Hollywood Tower Hotel. Two of my favorites are a gold thimble (from “The After Hours” episode) in the glass display case outside the Library and a pair of broken spectacles (from the “Time Enough at Last” episode) inside the Library.

What is your favorite detail inside the Hollywood Tower Hotel? Leave your answer in the “Comments” section!

The Twilight Zone® is a registered trademark of CBS, Inc. and used with permission pursuant to a license with CBS, Inc.

The Magic of Disney Parks Storytelling: The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney California Adventure Park by Tyler Slater: Originally posted on the Disney Parks Blog