DCA's Tower of Tower

PeterAlt

PeterAlt

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
A little off subject...

I was reading (sorry, I lost the link) that DCA's version of Tower of Terror will lack the "Fifth Dimension" part of the ride, where the "elevator" moves horizontally accross the hall before dropping. This is one of the best parts of the ride!

While people from Cali are saying "Wait until you see Soaring when it opens at EPCOT...", I've been saying to the people in Cali "Wait until you see ToT when it opens at DCA..." I've seen Soaring and I can say that I think they will be more impressed with ToT than we will be with Soaring. But....

...But if their version lacks that one very nice element of the ride, will they still be as impressed? Why did they cut that part out? They couldn't fit it into its $75 million budget? How much did our version cost Disney? If this decision was made to save a few dollars, it was an aweful one (IMHO)!

Well, the good news (if you want to call it that) is that our version (the original version) may be the best between the two!
 
Lee

Lee

Adventurer
True, DCA's ToT will not have the fifth dimension room.

However, they are getting a whole new effect to replace it, which is currently known as the "magic mirror" effect.

Apparently, when guests reach the top of the shaft, they see themselves (in their elevator) looking back at them. Suddenly, the guests and elevator that they are seeing, plummet out of sight leaving the image of a dangling, broken elevator cable.
Next they hear sounds of their own cable about to break, the elevator shakes a little....woooooosh....you know what happens next.

At least, that's how I am hearing it.

By the way, I also hear they are starting out with the ToT 2 drop profile.
 
M

Mission: SPACE

New Member
I think the major issue of dropping the 5th Dimension was supposed to be a lack of space... Or at least this is what was reported...

How true this is I don't know. But I do know that the origional plans called for an actual Hollywood Tower Hotel to be next to the ride. Eisner himself was a MAJOR supporter of this. Imagineers actually left an entire section of the old parking lot for ToT... It didn't open with the rest of California Adventure (supposedly) due to the budget.

How they plan to build a hotel and not 5th Dimension is beyond my understanding. :confused: :veryconfu
 
Lee

Lee

Adventurer
Actually, it is more of an issue of WDI not being entirely pleased with how the fifth dimension worked out. It never really lived up to it's potential.

Space is also a problem at DCA. You can see in photos of the costruction, that there was simply not enough room to put a true clone of the WDW ToT in that spot without taking up a huge chunk of the Timon Parking Lot, which is where most of DCA's expansion is going to have to take place.

No worries, though....
The new effect will be quite cool.
And look at it this way. Oriental Land Co. has enough room (and more than enough money) to build whichever version they want at DisneySea, and they are using the DCA version.
 
CTXRover

CTXRover

Well-Known Member
Cost-cutting has been the main reason most "fan" sites have concurred for the removal of the 5th dimension. However, Imagineers insist the change was for the addition of a "new, better" effect. "Leaks" from imagineering (if you want to call them that :lol: ), have insinuated prior to the design of DCA's TOT that Imagineers were never really happy with the final product of WDW's fifth dimension. So it may in fact really be that Imagineers have designed something "better" than the moving forward of the fifth dimension. I personally think the moving forward is whats makes TOT so unique, but if they can deliver something really cool, I think it will be awesome. After all, Disney execs have also insuated that DCA's TOT will be better than the original. Its costing similar to ours cost (of course inflation rates need to be taken into consideration), and the major design and Imagineering phases had already been completed.
 
CTXRover

CTXRover

Well-Known Member
Originally posted by Swagger
I say only 50/50 on which ToT will be better. However ours was another $50 mil. over theirs.
Click to expand...

Really? I didn't know that. I was told elsewhere that they are costing about the same (although ours was built, what almost 10 years ago?). But, what you've said may just be the case :)
 
M

Mike-O-Wave

New Member
I never thought the 5th dimension effect was that great. Even the first time I rode it I could see the track in front and tell the vehicle was going to move down it like any other dark ride.
 
DisneyFan 2000

DisneyFan 2000

Well-Known Member
I love the 5th Dimension!

It's very unique for a ride of it's kind!

I don't understand why this is being cut off DCA?!?!?

I like the sound of tokyo's new tower! (180 million dollars!)
 
Lee

Lee

Adventurer
Originally posted by DisneyFan 2000
I like the sound of tokyo's new tower! (180 million dollars!)
Click to expand...

Yep, the art for the DisneySea Tower looks fantastic. But, other than the external appearance, it's the same as DCA's.

And they're dropping the Twilight Zone theme.
 
AndyMagic

AndyMagic

Well-Known Member
I used to like the 5th dimension more when the ride first opened. It actually had that cool "eye-ball" effect that WDI has apparently just stopped caring about. Also, the vehicle wasn't as bumpy entering and leaving the chambers so it also made the effect better. Maybe after this rehab it will be back into shape!
 
Lee

Lee

Adventurer
Originally posted by DisneyFan 2000
So what exactly will the theme be?
Click to expand...

The Twilight Zone is apparently not as well known in Japan, so they have a new story for the ride.

"...it will all take place in the Tower Hotel, a major city landmark built by the wealthy Orwell Tower who tried to open both the hotel and one of the world’s best luxury cruise liners at the same time. The party for the launching of the ship was to be held at a club on the top floor called “The Top of The Tower”. Similar to the story line of the original Tower of Terror... lightning strikes the hotel, guests vanish, and tragedy also strikes Mr. Tower’s gigantic cruise liner as well, with all hands lost at sea. "

The hotel in the concept art is much more ornate, and sits right on the main walkway of the area, like it is a New York style hotel.
Nice.
 
J

JLW11Hi

Well-Known Member
Originally posted by Mike-O-Wave
I never thought the 5th dimension effect was that great. Even the first time I rode it I could see the track in front and tell the vehicle was going to move down it like any other dark ride.
Click to expand...

I think that's exactly why Imagineering was disappointed with how it turned out :) they wanted taht scene to feel like you were "floating" through the 5th Dimension. Instead, it is more like you are "driving" through a 5th dimension hallway.

I still think it is cool, though. I can see the track too, but that still has to be quite unexpected. Thats one of the big surprises of the ride. Most people see it and think that "you go up, then you go down". Then they get in there and there's this whole story and stuff. I mean, the mechanics of it must be pretty dang unique in itself.
 
DisneyFan 2000

DisneyFan 2000

Well-Known Member
Originally posted by Lee
The Twilight Zone is apparently not as well known in Japan, so they have a new story for the ride.

"...it will all take place in the Tower Hotel, a major city landmark built by the wealthy Orwell Tower who tried to open both the hotel and one of the world’s best luxury cruise liners at the same time. The party for the launching of the ship was to be held at a club on the top floor called “The Top of The Tower”. Similar to the story line of the original Tower of Terror... lightning strikes the hotel, guests vanish, and tragedy also strikes Mr. Tower’s gigantic cruise liner as well, with all hands lost at sea. "

The hotel in the concept art is much more ornate, and sits right on the main walkway of the area, like it is a New York style hotel.
Nice.
Click to expand...

Great story line!!! Will they do a cruise liner next to the tower as part of the queue or something?
And what is the name now? Just ToT? I envy Tokyo Disney!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They get new stories and 2 E-Tickets at the same time!!!!!!! :cry: :cry:
 

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