The Sole Imagineer Season 2: Redemption Island

[IAmNotAHufflepuff]

So I have been tasked with turning the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror into just a Tower of Terror. Many people may think
this is a both ridiculous and hard challenge, but I can do this thing. This is my new and improved Tower of Terror.



PLOT:
So nothing Twilight Zone, huh? That's quite easy, since I've got the perfect new idea. My new tower is steampunk. That's
right, steampunk. Here's the plot:

In the 1970's when Disney World was a great success, the Imagineers thought of an idea to create a steampunk theme park
in Paris. However since plans became complicated, they just built a regular Magic Kingdom with a steampunk-style land.
Then it was an idea for Epcot, but they felt that Epcot had enough attractions. Then when MGM Studios opened up, they
built a tower to create ideas for the project. However after an "accident" the building was abandoned. They decided to
open it up anyway as a ride where guests could ride an elevator and view it's art, but it should have stayed closed...



STYLE AND QUEUE:
Well ovbiously the tower will be in a steampunk design. Gears and bars surround the building which is painted in bronze
and gold. Hanging wires spell out Tower of Terror on the building. On the outdoor queue, several steampunk inventions are
displayed like jetpacks, telescopes and a giant crashed zeppelin. Once the queue inside you can see portraits of concept
art for the project. Like the original attraction you watch a pre-show, but on a projector instead of a TV. They explain
that it was an idea for Paris and Epcot, blah blah blah. Then it would lead you into the only thing remaining from the
old tower, the boiler room. Soon you board your steampunk tour elevators.



RIDE EXPERIENCE:
Once you board your vehicle and the doors close, the lights go out. You hear what sounds like a body being crushed, and
guests assume someone working in another room had gotten killed. The vehicle makes it's first lift up.

The doors open to a steamy room. Pieces of copper and other materials used for steampunk technology are seen lying here.
At the back of the room are two golden animatronics. They have a basic human body structure, but clearly some sort of
golden robot (similar to Tom Morrow). They are also wearing jetpacks and goggles, similar to real steampunk clothing. Then
they start to speak with sinister robotic voices.

COPPERTRONIC 1: What are theeey?
COPPERTRONIC 2: They don't look like us, but they do look like huumansss.
COPPERTRONIC 1: I don't liike them. They don't look like there happpy. I tink we should destroy them.
COPPERTRONIC 2: Similar to what happened to us? Sounds good. Besides, I think they would make great robotsss....

The two animatronics then charge at the riders before the doors shut quickly. You can hear them pound on the door. The
elevator continues to the second floor. When the doors open up it reveals a zeppelin. Fixing up the machine is a steampunk
character and his buddy you may know from another old attraction. That's right: Figment and Dreamfinder. Figment notices
you with a shocked look.

DREAMFINDER: Figment, can you hand me the wre-
FIGMENT: Look pal, humans!
DREAMFINDER: Oh, hello there! I am the Dreamfinder! But you shouldn't be here, it's dangerous!
FIGMENT: Yeah, you see, we were brought here from our old home but then two guys got really hurt so we had to, um...
DREAMFINDER: Did you spot those mad robots? Probably not, but we need to get you out! What Figment is trying to say is
that we were supposed to be in this *coughs* attraction, but then two men had an accident and now control those fiends.
FIGMENT: But how do they get out??
DREAMFINDER: Your elevator should go up soon. If you survive the third floor, you will be able to escape. But there is a
bit of a ride the way down. Literally.
FIGMENT: But, but, tell him about the monster!
DREAMFINDER: Oh, wait, one more thing! Stay away from the- (his voice is cut off by door closing)

The lift up keeps going. The third floor is the 5th Dimension of this ride, where the elevator moves. But this time
instead of a Twilight Zone theme, it is a room filled with steampunk technology. It was originally supposed to power the
ride before it was abandoned. While moving through the room, several surprises come out like machines exploding and things
falling from the ceiling. You then enter a dark space as the doors close behind you. Then a couple glowing bulbs reveal an
steampunk AA Mickey Mouse. It is clearly malfunctioning and it's slightly decayed and rusted. By now guest should tell
that this is what killed those two men. The animatronic leans into the elevator before becoming overrun with electricity
and exploding into sparks. Now the drop sequence starts. It uses the same system as the other version, with a different
amount of drops. As the ride finishes off, you move back into the exit. Before the doors finally open, you pass a mini
model of what this park would've looked like. You then leave your elevator to a gift shop.

I hope this isn't awful. Probably is, but I'm not really used to reinventing rides.

Nice job for a first competition post! If there is one thing that I have an issue with is that a steampunk tower in the middle of a Hollywood themed boulevard doesn't make much sense thematically wise.

Speaking of which, nice new avatar!

I'm debating whether to post mine tonight or tomorrow... I might not have time today, but I really want to get it out of the way.

 

[RMichael21]

Castaways you have just a little bit over 24 hours to complete your concepts and turn them into this thread.​

 

[IAmNotAHufflepuff]

*sees due date*


Yep, I'll post it tonight around 7:30 or so..

 

[RMichael21]

Nice job for a first competition post! If there is one thing that I have an issue with is that a steampunk tower in the middle of a Hollywood themed boulevard doesn't make much sense thematically wise.

Speaking of which, nice new avatar!

Nice critique, but I'd appreciate if you waited until after the due date to make those. They're fine after everyone submits/after the due date and time passes, but not when only one person has posted. One, it could sway my judging, which is somewhat unfair and two, he could change him concept before the due date which is unfair to other contestants. Which brings me to another point. Once you post your concept, it is final and no edits to the bulk of the post can be made (except for grammatical fixes and format changes). It's not a problem for right now, but just refrain from doing it again. This goes for all contestants.

 

[DinoInstitute]

Episode 1 Reward Challenge
@IDInstitute's Submission

Obviously, any event even remotely related to this current one proposed in the challenge would break the hearts of most hardcore Disney fans, like us. Having to totally change what is perhaps the greatest attraction every built, theming and story wise, is not something that I or many others would really want to do. For that reason, I looked at this challenge in a bit of a different way, from a purely realistic point of view. Considering what will the park have in store in 2019, what would it make sense for Disney to do with this area considering what the park needs/is getting, and how feasible it would really be to create a new attraction in/redesign a giant, looming tower like this one, I feel I have created the best concept I can think of in a realistic way. Presenting...The Hollywood Tower Gala.

The Hollywood Tower Gala is a new restaurant coming to Disney's Hollywood Studios early 2020. The story behind it is that the owners and workers that eternally run this haunted hotel have opened it up to host a giant, fancy dinner party. This restaurant will be designed similarly to Be Our Guest, with it being a highly themed, quick-service by day and table-service by night restaurant. In addition, there will be several different areas that you may eat in (all taken from the current queue, minimal retheming of these areas necessary)- The Boiler room, The Lobby, and, as long as weather permits, the outside portion of the modern day queue in the patio area.

While it may feel pretty spooky, it will be one of the most interactive, immersive, and simply fun restaurants on property. With specially crooked menu items available following this theme, as well as those wonderfully creepy and perfectly in character cast members working the restaurant, it will be one meal that you'll never forget!

Now, to address the realism aspect, and why a restaurant. We all know that big plans are in store for Disney's Hollywood Studios, many of them soon to start construction, and almost certainly even more yet to be announced. From a huge Star Wars land potentially taking over Echo Lake, Toy Story Land, possibly something Muppet's based over in Streets of America, even more expansion plots for new lands in the former Backlot Tour areas, and many places for grand refurbishment, such as in Animation Courtyard or even adding to Sunset Boulevard, there is a lot that can happen .

Because of all of these new grand new lands and huge expansions, not only will there be a lot more attractions, but also there will be a lot of new "hook" and "main event" attractions coming, particularly with Star Wars. This will make the purpose the Tower of Terror serves as a draw attraction diminish, making it a bit more logical to consider removing the attraction. The facade however will hardly be touched, so it will still serve as a great weenie.

Secondly, one thing that this park currently lacks, and will almost for certain need more of when these new exciting lands open drawing in more guests, are restaurants. And what better way to help this problem than by making use of this land to add in a high capacity and extremely highly themed restaurant?!

Overall, while CBS does bring us some good stuff, such as the show this comp is based on , in the event they were to do something truly tragic like hurt our Tower, I feel like this plan to add a highly immersive and for sure one-of-a-kind restaurant like The Hollywood Tower Gala makes a lot of sense from a realistic point of view and what can really help this park, despite some of the sadness that will go along with its closure. Thanks for reading my submission, and I hope you enjoyed it!

 

[IAmNotAHufflepuff]

Reward Challenge 1
@IAmNotAHufflepuff's Submission

The Tower of Terror

The Tower of Terror is now without it's Twilight Zone theming due to legal conflict. In normal cases, this would result in a complete attraction retheme, eradicating most if not all of the previous storyline and general theme.

However, the Tower Of Terror should be an exception. The storyline and the attraction itself, even without the Twilight Zone theming, fits directly into the 1940's themed Hollywood land, Sunset Boulevard. There's just something about a terrifying elevator ride through a haunted hotel that just screams "great premise.".

You know what they say, "Don't fix what ain't broke".

With that in mind, I plan to keep the premise of Tower Of Terror without the television tie-in, something I think Disney would likely do if they were under these circumstances.

Enough with the explaining, let's explore and do a full walkthrough of the renovated Tower of Terror...


Facade and Queue:

The lightning-struck tower remains as iconic as ever, beaming almost 200 feet into the crisp Floridan sky.

The first segment of the queue also remains the same. After entering through the eerie front gate, riders weave through a snaking pathway leading us closer to the hotel.

Soon enough, we enter the decaying and abandoned hotel lobby. From the looks of it, no one has stayed there or tended to the hotel in countless years. Abandoned suitcases, extinguished fireplaces, and dusty sculptures are ominous signs of the hotel being completely deserted.

The only difference noticeable so far is the removal of the Twilight Zone props in the queue line. All props and memorabilia throughout the attraction will be taken down and sold to auctions around the country.

We are told our room isn't quite ready and are ushered into the hotel library, where the brand new preshow is located.


Preshow:

Like in the queue line, all props from the Twilight Zone are taken out from the preshow room.

Once the doors close, a bolt of lightning causes a power outage. The TV crackles to life, but rather than showing the Twilight Zone intro, seems to broadcast an old 1969 Los Angeles News report.

The report is acknowledging the 30th anniversary of the Hollywood Tower Hotel "incident" and proceeds to engagingly tell the story of it.

The general backstory has a few alterations to it. The basic premise was when five people boarded an elevator just as a huge lightning strike damaged the front of the building. The lightning strike caused the elevator to plummet to the ground, effectively killing all five passengers on board. However, to the shock of the investigators who arrived the next day, the bodies were never found. Thirty years later, the incident is still occasionally gossiped around town and remains a legend of Hollywood. Some even say the hotel is still haunted by the spirits of the deceased passengers. At the end of the preshow, another lightning strike occurs, causing the TV to power out and turns the lights back on in the room. Riders proceed to journey towards the last working elevator in the building located in the boiler room.

RIDE EXPERIENCE:
The boiler room is identical to the previous incarnation of the attraction. Guests pass boilers, furnaces, and engines while preparing to board a service elevator to their rooms.

The elevators themselves remain the same as well. However, the actual experience itself is a lot different than before..

First off, all Rod Sterling (the host of the Twilight Zone) narration from the attraction is removed. This version doesn't really need narration to provide an exciting experience.

Scene 1: 5th Floor Corridor

As soon as the doors close, the elevator rises for a little while before abruptly coming to a halt at the fifth floor. The doors open as we see a very long, dim hotel corridor. Suddenly, lightning strikes and we see the ghostly apparitions of the deceased elevator crash victims (now digitally restored to become Pepper's Ghost holograms) They beckon us to join them before dispersing into a large burst of electricity. Eerie music begins to play.

The elevator doors close and we resume our ascent.

Scene 2: 13th Floor Haunted Corridor (Replacing the Fifth Dimension scene)

The elevator stops once again after hitting the thirteenth floor. The doors open, and to the pure shock of first time riders, the elevator moves off the shaft! What's more frightening is the corridor itself. Doors open and shut by themselves. Plants and other objects levitate and soar (done with near invisible connecting wires) Electricity seeps through the walls. The spirits themselves fly right by our car (holograms). In fact,in a moment of pure fright, the bellhop actually enters our car and sneers at us for not joining them before fading away.

The restored Bellhop projection

We successfully escape the haunted corridor only to find ourselves in a pitch black vertical shaft...

Scene 3: The Drop Sequence

Suddenly, a crackle of electricity and a ghostly laughter is heard. The elevator then begins to proceed on the famous drop sequence as the shutters open. From here, you can see most of Hollywood and Sunset Boulevard! The drop sequence is done completely randomly, so no ride is the same twice. Here is a video of one such drop sequence to see what I mean:

About 5:05 to 6:00 in the video

EXIT AND GIFT SHOP:
After riders disembark from their elevator after the harrowing experience, guests pass a hotel corridor and a Lost and Found desk before entering the Sunset Room gift store. As with the rest of the attraction, all Twilight Zone references are removed. That means no Twilight Zone merchandise is sold here, although you can still find Tower of Terror merchandise and hotel souvenirs, like bathrobes or slippers.

After purchasing (or not) guests exit the hotel, still a little woozy from the drops, and continue their day at Disney's Hollywood Adventure (the renamed park by 2019)!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I hope you enjoyed my presentation as much as I did developing and writing it! Thanks for reading!

 

[JokersWild]

@RMichael21 Question: Say I wanted to post the introduction to my project now and post the other parts as I finish them. Would that be something you'd mind me doing?

 

[RMichael21]

@RMichael21 Question: Say I wanted to post the introduction to my project now and post the other parts as I finish them. Would that be something you'd mind me doing?

Yeah, that's fine!

 

[JokersWild]

Yeah, that's fine!

Cool. Expect the intro up momentarily.

 

[DSquared]

Episode 1 Reward Challenge:

It's 2019 and CBS has decided to give Disney a stab in the back. It is now required that Disney replace all references to The Twilight Zone in the state of Florida. This means that one of Hollywood Studios' most famous and popular rides must be rethemed.

Since come 2019 DHS will be a park full of IPs (as it should be because it's a movie park), the best bet would be to keep going with another infamous IP.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit may seem to be a harmless movie to the minds of children, but the movie is surprisingly adult oriented. I think most of the jokes involving Roger's girlfriend say enough to show that. The IP would take a movie with many light elements, but turn it to dark. This convinces many kids below the target audience of The Twilight Zone that the ride won't be as menacing, and it's dark elements perfectly parallels Fantasmic! which is right around the corner. Here is the main attraction:

The Toontown Tower Destruction Drop starring Roger Rabbit

Facade:

The facade is kept mostly the same, except for 2 things:

1. The world 'Hollywood' on the tower is changed to Toontown

2. The 'burnt' and rusted parts of the hotel are painted over


Queue:

The queue in it's current state is dark and bleak, which fits the Twilight Zone tone.

Since the Toontown Hotel's location would be downtown Toontown, many of the spaces of trees and bushes are replaced by small buildings all with wacky shapes, colors, and a variety of AA toons along the path.

By the time you reach the doors of the Toontown Hotel, the hotel is by far the cleanest thing in sight. Guests then venture into the hotel lobby.

The lobby would resemble that of from the movie:

(Sorry for the poor quality, I had to snapshot it on my phone)


Inside guests move through the halls of the hotel, landing at a spot. There comes a video of Roger welcoming you to the Toontown Hotel, and hoping you enjoy your stay. Then his girlfriend also talks to you saying pretty much the same. You then move down to the boiler room )which is the only room that wouldn't, be altered. Guests then climb aboard the elevators


Attraction:

The elevator goes up, and brings guests to a floor. The elevator then leaves the shaft, and stares out at a nice hallway. Roger qnd some strangers are there waving and showing you to your room. Suddenly, the power goes off as screams come from all around. The elevator doors reopen in a dark hall. Judge Doom and his henchmen start to pull your elevator out of the shaft with 'rope'. Judge Doom says "I know you're with the rabbit! You two are in the way of my plan! That freeway will be built across Toontown! And now, you'll pay for opposing me! I am the great Judge Doom!"

You then see Roger's shadow as he breaks free of the chair he was tied to, and he cuts the rope that the henchmen had, but it's too late. Roger shouts "Oh no! Not into the vat! No! You'll drown, and then melt! I know! I'll just turn the elevator power back on! We can use the brakes!"

The second shaft glows green with the radioactive vat. The elevator is in the shaft now, and does what it's famous for. It drops the guests a few times as Roger keeps shouting and saying sorry as he tries to fix the power. The elevator stops as you hear Jessica Rabbit say she,s got it as the green glow seems to disappear. Roger misunderstands and drops you to ground floor. Guests exit through the hotel through the gift and proceed out of Toontown.

 

[DSquared]

Its not done. I'm mobile so I don't want to lose my work

 

[JokersWild]

“You unlock this door with the key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension - a dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind. You're moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas. You've just crossed over into the Twilight Zone.” You then promptly left. That’s right. The year is 2025, Disney has just finished their massive expansion at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and has inexplicably mismanaged their way out of the rights to the Twilight Zone property for use in the park’s premiere attraction, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, and thus must scramble to completely rework the beloved attraction to fit a...less IP-filled theme. And thus the Imagineers begin anew, opting for something a bit darker. Something that would turn the original concept of the Tower of Terror on its’ head while also celebrating the importance of the original. Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to present to you:

The Hollywood Tower of Terror​

Inspired by real historical persons and events, such as H.H. Holmes, and Sarah Winchester, as well as films such as The Shining, The Hollywood Tower Hotel offers a much more horror-based experience while still staying true to the essence of the original Tower. This promises to be an experience unlike any other. The tower is going through a metamorphosis, though, and not much can currently be seen from the ground. Only two clues stand for guests to the park as to what is in store in the near future: a small metal sign hung haphazardly on the now-shuttered garden gates, reading:

“Refurbishment and Reinvigoration in Progress
Watson Hoteliers Ltd.”
​

and...what’s that glass structure being built on the face of the tower? Odd.

Story:
Following the strange occurrences of Halloween, 1939, the once-famed Hollywood Tower Hotel sat abandoned, its’ doors closed to all. And there the hotel sat. For 15 years the hotel stood as a monument of the golden age of Hollywood; a macabre constant in the Hollywood skyline.

One spring day in 1954, however, construction could be heard in and around the tower. Cranes sprouted up on the long overgrown grounds as construction workers could be heard diligently working on the hotel, both inside and out. The citizens of Hollywood became concerned that their tower would be changing, or worse, falling. Some of the more eccentric citizens warned construction workers of the curse put upon that building that fateful evening in 1939. Nothing good could come out of The Hollywood Tower Hotel. What would happen to the tower? And, more importantly, who bought the tower? Finally, the silence was broken and the questions answers in a full-page article bought in the L.A. Times:

“It has come to my attention that many of you are concerned about the status of your beloved tower. Well, allow me to quell your concerns in as simple a manner as possible. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is William Wirt Watson, or W.W. Watson as I am known in professional settings. I am an entrepreneur out of New York looking to expand West. I have bought the Hollywood Tower Hotel in an effort to jumpstart Watson Hoteliers Ltd., which will, hopefully, flourish into a chain known all around the world. Now, as to your concerns for your beloved hotel, I assure you that I will be preserving the aesthetic of the original hotel. There will obviously be quite a bit of reworking, but the hotel will keep its’ original design. As for those of you who believe the building to be cursed, I assure you that that notion is complete hogwash. The building is no more cursed or haunted than your own home. So please, think of this as a refurbishment. Your tower shall remain standing. I’m simply fitting it to my own needs. Thank you

-W.W. Watson”

And thus the tower continued construction. As the months dragged on, a large glass elevator was constructed on the face of the main tower, right on top of the untouched burns left by the infamous lightning strike some 15 years prior, leading up to the hotel’s reclusive owner’s penthouse, which stood where the Tip Top Club was originally located. Soon, construction wound down as the people wondered when the hotel would be opened.

On October 31, 1956, a small print ad was taken out in the L.A. Times:

“Hollywood Tower Hotel
Now Re-opened
W.W. Watson Hoteliers Ltd.”

A small group of people were the first to check into the newly refurbished Hollywood Tower Hotel. They were never heard from again. Soon, more people began going to the hotel, not only to see the newly opened tower, but also to find out what happened to the original group of people. They also went missing. The police eventually were sent to investigate. They found the hotel vacant, and Watson nowhere to be found. The gates to the Hollywood Tower Hotel were once again shuttered, abandoned once more.

Mysteriously, the gates have opened once again, inviting visitors to walk through its’ infamous halls. Many have gone missing inside the Hollywood Tower Hotel. Will you?

Barebones Queue and Ridethrough Because I Ran Out of Time:
Queue
*Note: The attraction sign will stay roughly the same, though, obviously the words "Twilight Zone" will be removed from the changed sign, being replaced with "The Hollywood" in the same green font as "Tower of Terror."

The first part of the queue will follow roughly the same path as the original, winding through the gardens of the Hollywood Tower Hotel. However, it will now be very apparent that the garden, and grounds, are in pristine condition with the fountains working, and the foliage being cut back to look generally nicer and presentable. The differences will really show upon entering the building. The lobby has been expanded, with the queue winding all the way to the back of it. This time, instead of going right to the library, guests will instead go back and left to the newly built Tea Room and Garden, placed in a large glass atrium at the base of the tower. The Tea Room is also placed at the bottom of the new glass tower, attached to the front of the original tower, which features two elevator shafts. Naturally, the Tea Room also serves as the loading area for the attraction.

Attraction (in bullet points because running out of time is a hobby)
.Board elevator
.Elevator goes up about half way up the tower.
.Hear voice of Watson over intercom. He explains his nefarious plan to kill the visitors to his hotel (for profit.)
.Elevator cable snaps.
.First fall. Elevator falls through the Tea Room/ load into the basement.
.Leave elevator shaft. Elevator now on "Death Conveyor Belt Attraction" through boiler room. (not original boiler room. Built over original unload)
.Elevator splits in two with both halves separating to go down different paths.
.Boiler room stuff.
.Elevator is mysteriously pushed out of death trap. Heads towards Service Elevator(actually the original four lifts from ToT.)
.Exit once again at what was the ghost hallway.
.Wind through labyrinthine hallways; stairs to nowhere. Doors that aren't doors. Endless hallways. Hallways that shouldn't lead anywhere lead somewhere. Think a mix between the Winchester Mystery House, and the set design from The Shining.
.Elevator halves reconvene at one of the four elevator shafts.
.Up once more to Watson's penthouse (formerly the fifth dimension scene.)
.Learn that the ghosts of the Hollywood Tower Hotel (both victims of Watson, and the spirits from 1939) are trying to help you escape the tower.
.Exposition with Watson.
.Ghosts push elevator into the original drop shafts from ToT.
.Shortened drop sequence.
.Now in basement of hotel.
.Spirits of the Hollywood Tower Hotel are freed. Watson presumably dead (or, in Disney terms, "missing.")
.Unload into spa.
.Gift shop.

And there you have it - The Hollywood Tower of Terror. Though it's not exactly the way I wanted to do it, I think it showcases the basic concepts of my attraction rather well. All in all, this will be an attraction that not only lives up to the original, but also builds upon it while celebrating and openly referencing it. Thanks for reading.

 

[MonorailRed]

Episode 1 - Reward Challenge: A Totally New Tower
Presented by @MonorailRed ​

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A Chilling Announcement from the D23 Expo!

Yesterday, August 14, 2019, at the D23 Expo in California, an exclusive announcement was made by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman,
Master Gracy, which surprised the crowds at Disney Park fans throughout Hall D23. One of the main surprises was about the ever-changing park Disney’s Hollywood Studios. But what could possibly be next for the park? Star Wars and Toy Story construction has taken the park into a whirlwind. Imagineer MonorailRed presentation of insider art, video, and storyline gave not only passionate Disney fans but also social media, Goosebumps.


Disney’s Hollywood Studios had lost it’s classic attraction, The Twilight Zone: Tower of Terror this January, but the mystery and scare has been passed down to a generation of film and novels that have been taking the world by storm for decades. The Goosebumps Novel and Film theme park rights were officially acquired by the Walt Disney Company this June, and the first move towards adding these to the parks will be a new theme and storyline to the “Tower of Terror’s” doors that have been closed 8 months to long.


“That door is opening once again, and this time, it's opening for you" ​

New Details Unveiled on Disney’s Hollywood Studios’ Goosebumps: A Rush at De Rodeo Hotel. ​

Since we’ve stepped out of the Twilight Zone, we’ve been looking foreword to welcoming guests to “check-in” a brand new story. Goosebumps: A Rush at De Rodeo Hotel, along with big plans that will change the end of Sunset Boulevard forever.

Every aspect of the project is special – from the overall design to the smallest detail – It’s easy to “fall” for this project’s design.

​

We recently visited the site where Imagineer MonorailRed has shown light on the new attraction, expanding new details since the Announcement in August at the D23 Expo, which you can find in the video below. Here’s the latest sneak peak of the attraction’s refurbishment:

​

Similar to the small details that were in The Twilight Zone: Tower of Terror this attraction features many nods to the Goosebumps series, be on the lookout for them. “The Haunted Mask" can be found on the shelves by the Photopass kiosk, while a vile of “Monster Blood” is found near the check-in desk. Luggage with tags hinting to several novels like “Fever Swamp” and “Shock Street” and “Hill House”. The Blue Egg from Egg Monsters from Mars is found within the lobby and the mirror from Let's Get Invisible! can be found in the De Rodeo Riches (Previously known as Tower Gifts) shop (Which can also turn guests “Invisible” in the mirror, though effects). Slappy the Dummy from Night of the Living Dummy series can be found in the basement sequence. The clock from The Cuckoo Clock of Doom can be found in the lobby. Also, the camera from Say Cheese and Die! is found on one of the top shelves within the library room.

Goosebumps: A Rush at De Rodeo Hotel Officially Opens

This morning we officially opened Goosebumps: A Rush at De Rodeo Hotel, the latest addition in Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort.

This new attraction features just the right mystery, thrill, and wonder, along with the addition of a new street at the end of the Boulevard: Rodeo Drive.

Rodeo Drive will feature a several small shops and stores, and a small historical shop of the famous road itself. A huge draw will be the Monaco Speakeasy Bar, an expansion starting in 2022, which will go near the hotel's patio. As the most important part of the project, half of the small shops and stores exteriors will actually start the new, air-conditioned interactive queue to Goosebumps: A Rush at De Rodeo Hotel.

The interactive queue features the “shadow play” technology in an eerie setting, with invisible footsteps on the floor following guests.

The closer you get to the inside of the hotel; you hear the sound of power tools, machinery, and construction workers renovating the hotel. If you look at the cement down below, you may even see footsteps appear and dissolve on the floor, as if almost, there’s someone there.

When you enter the lobby, you see that this is a very different hotel then what then Rod Sterling’s Tower. It’s seen as much larger, and has more beige tones of Los Angeles in the 1920s, similar to the design of Buena Vista Street in Disney’s California Adventure. But don’t mistake this as a pleasant stay. As you wait in line, the lights flicker on and off through power surges. Through projection effects, you see spiders crawling the walls ever so often. You may even see a vase break from the back of the old check-in desk.

A Bellhop lets you through where you follow a small white marble hallway to "The Bookroom." The Bookroom is where you see thousands of Goosebumps stories adorn the walls, along with odd items on top of the shelves and around the area. In the same corner you may have recognized the old television from the Twilight Zone, oozing green sludge appears on the walls read “WELCOME. YOU ARE MOST WANTED” Fog appears in the corner and wind are heard while a storm is happening outside a window. You then see R.L. Stine appear in that same corner.

(Note: Some script cut from the “Goosebumps: Zombie Halloween” Special)

“Come in. I'm R.L. Stine. Welcome the latest setting for my newest Goosebumps story.

They say this one’s going to be big, bestseller, movie, maybe even start another television series. I thought on how recently novels are being turned into film now more then ever, and I thought I may shed some light on this subject.”

- Lightning strikes and light shines on Bellhop through a motion detector spotlight effect –

“Hey, don't be scared of the Bellhop over there. They woke up dead tired one morning. Guess what? He actually was dead. Yes, all the bellhops at this hotel are zombies. But they don't like that word. They like to be called "life-challenged."
He's not much trouble. He only needs to eat human flesh once a day. Don't be nervous. He just finished his breakfast.

Whom did he have for breakfast? I'm not sure. But I haven't seen my brother all morning...

Hey - what did I tell you about eating the family?

Oh, well. Let me answer you a question before this one has to have their next meal.


Why does this hotel have a spiky iron gate surrounding the area? To try to keep the Bruno “Secure” Monaco from escaping. I'm surprised you didn't see him. He's been creeping up behind you throughout Rodeo Drive. He’s not in the room now, which is good. You don't want to find out why you wont be so “secure” if you see him- Or maybe you do. After all, tonight, you’re the main character. “

- Lightning strikes and the power go out -

Guests exit the pre-show, and head towards the elevators on the "South Side of the Lobby"

The oozing green sludge appears on the walls once again, this time, almost as if it’s writing a page in a book. Moving Portraits, similar to the paintings in Harry Potter, tell the eerie story in the new pristine hallway to the elevators.

Portrait 1 - "On this very night in 1922, The King of the Hollywood Mafia, Bruno “Secure” Monaco threw a wild party on the 13th floor of the famous De Rodeo hotel, to boast of his latest sales in selling alcohol illegally."

Portrait 2 – "At the end of the party, Monaco talks to another gang-member about double-crossing their latest partner, Gary “Force” de Rodeo, to cover their tracks and expand their business."

Portrait 3 – "One of the bellhops of de Rodeo hotel overhears the conversation, running over immediately to Gary de Rodeo, the brother of the owner of the five star Hotel, Ray “Fast Lane” de Rodeo."

Portrait 4 – "At 11:59 am, Bruno Monaco heads to the elevator to go to his hotel room. As the door shuts, Gary de Rodeo’s goons open the elevator shaft."

Portrait 5 - "Angered by the deceit of Monaco, Gary shoots the elevator cord at 12:00 am, sending Monaco down 13 stories."

Portrait 6 – "The Hotel’s closed down officially due to the violence of that night in 1923. In 1927, Ray opens a recording studio after his brother’s name “G-Force Records” down the street."

Portrait 7 – "It is said that Bruno Monaco still haunts the hotel, making sure he takes any measure to keep the De Rodeo Hotel and family from gaining fame, fortune, and loyal guests."

Loading has been re-mastered with a new system to move the “four groups” of elevators through the redesigned queue.

Guests load brand-new elevators, that look much more stylish then it’s Twilight Zone processor. Covered in dark wood Furnishings and individual seating, it’s tough to even compare the two. During the ride, guests will find out the technology has been updated in the elevator cabins to feature 4-D seating effects.

After the guests check safety bars, the bellhop welcomes them to De Rodeo Hotel. The last thing they here as the door closes are “Please enjoy your stay” to which they then see they are traveling to the ever-famous 13th floor.

Revised Corridor scene/ The 9th Floor

In this version of the attraction, R.L. Stein’s voice welcomes passengers the moment the elevator doors close, saying:

“As the elevator started to go up to the thirteenth floor, it’s guests started to shake from an eerie presents”


With the new 4D effects, the elevator’s guests start to feel a shaking sensation. The doors then opened unexpectedly on the 9th floor to reveal glowing footsteps walking toward the car from the faded hallway.


As guests feel the sensation of wind blowing around their elevator (4D effect), Bruno “Secure” Monaco appears out of nowhere, looking at the guests with an evil smile on his face, he then starts to look up to the ceiling, then last thing we hear before the door closes from Bruno is “What goes up, must come down.”

The Elevator then goes up.

Revised Fifth Dimension scene/ The Thirteenth Floor scene

The elevator stops once more. The doors open to what at first looks like an empty and messy old 1920s ballroom.

But the room slowly transforms, showing a re-creation of the night of the shooting, with a contemporary version of the classic Pepper’s Ghost Illusion. The elevator car emerges horizontally from the lift shaft and enters the party. You see the ghost of Gary de Rodeo, as he and Bruno Monaco start a machine gun fight right before your eyes, your seats feel the pops of air from the guns as you drive through it.

​

Soon, A rendition of “The Twist” from the latest movie starts to play throughout the elevator. The scene ends as the elevator enters another vertical shaft, this one pitch black. Guests start to see the elevator shafts numbers go down, and the seats bring 4D effects of a slow decent "Feeling" to unload.


Then, all of the sudden, R.L. Stine’s voice is heard again, saying:

"One more thing to mention, every story ever told can be broken down into three parts. The beginning. The middle. And the twist." (Note: This scene is semi-similar to Revenge of the Mummy down at Universal, with a twist.)

At the last word by Stine, the elevator continues it’s surprising drop sequence carried over from the Tower of Terror.

After a series of drops have been made, the elevator returns to the basement of the De Rodeo Hotel, past a curious array of abandoned items. Green Ooze comes out of the wall once again, reading “The End?” as R.L.’s Voice is heard for the last time.

“I hope you enjoyed the story. Hopefully next time you’re on the other side of the page. But no matter what, I hope every time you hear one of my stories you feel Goosebumps.”

The last effect is air pumping into the bottom of the seats, as a small scare to guests, similar to the bugs exiting at the end of It’s Tough to be a Bug, which is meant to give guests “Goosebumps”

Guests then exit the elevator, leaving the hotel through the gift shop.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, it makes total sense for Disney to buy an already proven franchise, and with Goosebumps having a movie sequel and adding new books in the upcoming year, the Goosebumps stories are still going strong. The recent followings for a "90s revival" in media also brings this to light, since the old Goosebumps television series was created during that time period.

Goosebumps may not be the Twilight Zone, but it'll give that scary twist with a memorable IP that guests will always be craving in the hotel at the end of Sunset Boulevard.
​

 

[wdwperry]

Episode 1 Reward Challenge
@Perry2x2's Submission

Alfred Hitchcock’s Tower of Terror

Structural Changes - No structural changes to the building or ride system.

Queue Changes - No notable changes to the queue.

Pre-Show Changes - Tells the backstory of the ride. The new backstory:

“In the late 1950’s, while Alfred Hitchcock was writing the story for his new movie, Psycho, he went to attend the premier for his new movie, Vertigo. During this time, he stayed at the 5-star hotel, The Hollywood Tower. The day when he started to write the shower-murder scene into the movie, the scene was almost recreated in the room next to hi,, room 1317. Ever since then, the lady killed in the shower has haunted the hotel and taken many other hotel visitors by malfunctioning the elevators. This eventually lead to the abandonment of the hotel and nobody has dared enter the hotel since then.”

Loading Area - No notable changes.

Ride Through - Many changes such as:

First scene - Some changes will include new effects showing (in order) Hitchcock going to his room, the police and doctors outside of the room and the ghost emerging from the room. As she walks towards the vehicle, the other visitors that had been killed by the lady and the doors suddenly close.

Second scene - The room will be completely redone. It will now show an abandoned hotel hallway that is trashed, broken down, and bloodied from the murders. You will see the ghost of the woman going around through each room as well...including room 1317. The only light will be seen at the end of the hallway that you are going towards. After approaching this, the elevator doors open

Third scene will remain the same. The third scene is the randomized drop sequence that you experience.

Fourth scene will show a video that is similar to the one seen today but will remove all references to the Twilight Zone. This occurs after you are finished with the drop sequence and are going towards the unload area.

The narrator will be casted as somebody with a similar voice to Rod Serling.

Exit Changes - No notable changes to the exit.

I tried to keep it as similar to the original as i possibly could because of how much I love it now!​

 

[spacemt354]

Episode 1: Reward Challenge
A Totally New Tower
@spacemt354

Introduction

After news reached the public, reactions of passionate Tower of Terror fans were in unanimous frustration and concern. Annoyed that one of their favorite Disney attractions was closing for a while, and concern that their favorite attraction was going to drastically change. Disney Imagineers were aware though how special their original story was. It was arguably one of the best stories Disney ever created for an attraction. So while The Twilight Zone was leaving, for several reasons, the Imagineers wanted to stay true to the original story, while "plussing" the attraction for the guests despite having to remove a cornerstone of the ride. ​

Below we will travel through the timeline of events that ultimately led to the renewed attraction.

Removing The Twilight Zone...
February 10, 2019

In order to move forward, Imagineers needed to make sure every single reference to The Twilight Zone was removed. This was not an easy task because after watching all 156 episodes in preparation for the attraction, they included many easter eggs to the CBS show. ​

List of Removed Items:
1 – Rod Sterling narration and TV pre-show – removed and replaced with references to the Disney/Jon Favreau film, The Hollywood Tower of Terror (2019)​

2 - Talking Tina from Ep: “Living Doll” – removed from hotel lobby couch.​

3 – Elevator inspection certificate signed by Mr. Cadwallader from Ep: “Escape Clause” – removed from boiler room.​

4 – Caesar the Dummy from Ep: “Caesar and Me” – removed from elevator shaft at unload area​

5 – Anthony Fremont reference from Ep: “It’s a Good Life” – removed from hotel lobby. ​

6 – Nan Adams reference from Ep: “The Hitch-Hiker” – handwritten note removed from hotel front desk.​

7 – To Serve Man book from Ep: “To Serve Man” – removed from display in hotel library​

8 – Henry Bemis’s glasses from Ep: “Time Enough to Last” – removed from hotel library​

9 – Chalk from Ep: “Little Girl Lost” – removed from boiler room​

10 – Slot Machine from Ep: “The Fever” – removed from elevator shaft at unload area​

11 – Miniature Space Man from Ep: “The Invaders” – removed from hotel library​

12 – Joey Crown’s Trumpet from Ep: “A Passage for Trumpet” – removed from hotel library​

13 – Envelopes labeled Victoria West/Rod Sterling from Ep: “A World of His Own” – removed from lobby front desk area. ​

14 – Row of Twilight Zone script books – removed from hotel library​

15 – References from Ep: “The After Hours” – the elevator will no longer go to a non-existent 13th floor (in the episode it was the 8th floor) instead the 5th dimension stop will be removed and replaced by “The Penthouse” to follow along with the film The Hollywood Tower of Terror (2019)​

16 - The Window, Eye, E = mc2 and all other objects are removed from the ascent and 5th dimension sequences.​

17 – “Picture if you will” quote at the off-ride Photo Booth will be removed as it is one of Rod Sterling’s famous lines.​

18 - All Twilight Zone gifts are removed from the Gift Shop

The Hollywood Tower of Terror - Board of Directors Green Light
March 7, 2019

The direction for the renewed attraction was chosen for several reasons:​

- It is very cost effective. By 2019, Disney has spent billions on attractions in the last few years, particularly during the massive overhaul of the newly renamed Disney's Hollywood Adventure - with the expansion of Pixar Place and ongoing construction of Star Wars set to open in 2020. Spending even more to redo an attraction that didn't need to be redone before the departure of CBS wasn't cost effective​

- It's a realistic decision. Disney wasn't planning on CBS backing out of the attraction...so with all the funds allocated for the fiscal year, to overspend and completely redo an attraction people already love seemed very unrealistic. It's also one of the most complicated rides Disney has ever designed...so to change it up (most likely needing a large budget to do so) or not use these renown technological features would be a missed opportunity.​

- It's a "Hollywood" themed park. A park inspired by movies/shows/etc needs to have attractions that do the same. While an excellent potential episode of The Twilight Zone, the main premise of the Tower of Terror revolved around you being the star of that show. After CBS left, Disney has ensured that guests will still be the "star" of the attraction, however now set in a Disney produced film instead. ​

- It has been over 15 years since Tower of Terror got a major upgrade. To calm stockholders, TWDC could pitch this as a refurbishment or "plussing" of the attraction. Little budget impact, and possibility an increase in box-office/park attendance... since they just did a movie/park tie-in with Pandora: The World of Avatar and Avatar 2 in 2017.

"The Hollywood Tower of Terror" Film Release
October 18, 2019

Theatrical Movie Poster (2019)

--Film Synopsis--
The film looks at the Halloween night in 1939 from the perspective of a family staying at the hotel. They are friends of the owner, Dewey Todd, who has invited them to stay at the Penthouse Floor for the weekend as an event is being held in the hotel lobby. The family includes a father, Tony, his wife Margret, and their daughter Emily. While staying at the hotel, a child movie star, Sally Shine, arrives and resembles Emily. Some major film stars of the age take Emily, thinking that she is Sally, with them on the elevator along with a hotel maid and bellhop. The elevator and half of the hotel disappear in a mysterious lightning strike and after the hotel is abandoned, Tony and his wife re-enter the hotel and attempt to uncover the mystery. In parallel with the 1939 storyline, two paranormal investigators in the present day travel the abandoned ruins of the once prestigious hotel to find out the secrets for themselves. ​

In this dueling story-line, Tony and Margret use service elevators with maintenance crew, who leave at the site of a ghost on the 9th floor. After the rest of the adventure around the hotel, their journey eventually takes them to the Penthouse Floor where the service elevator jolts forward and into the hallway, as green flashes all around them and the music box they gave Emily eerily places the song "I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire" by The Ink Spots in the background. The Main Elevator Doors open to a black abyss and as soon as the music box stops, we cut to black and back to the paranormal investigators. They enter the library and are greeted to supernatural occurrences, a tv turning on automatically, as a storm begins outside and a library wall opens to the boiler room. They enter the service elevators and encounter Emily as a ghost in one of the hallways. On the Penthouse Floor, the music box begins to play again, and as they lurch they go into the main elevator shaft which shoots them up and down past lightning strikes and a projection of the lost wing of the hotel, with Emily again waving to them to join her. The elevator smacks down to the basement, and miraculously they survive, but realize some stories should be left alone and that they should think twice before investigating a deserted hotel on the dark side of Hollywood.​

When the attraction re-opens, you are the star of the film to find out what lies within these hotel walls and try to discover, if you dare, the mystery within...

The Hollywood Tower of Terror Attraction Re-Opens!
October 31, 2019
​

Re-branded and re-named in concurrence with the Jon Favreau directed film "The Hollywood Tower of Terror," Disney Imagineers found a sweet spot in the creative process to keep most of the Tower of Terror attraction people love, while seamlessly removing The Twilight Zone with a compatible replacement. ​

When guests enter the hotel gardens they will notice very little change from the original edition. Some fresh paint on the walls, but nothing major. In the hotel lobby, the same can be said. The classic appearance of the eerie lobby was kept in tact as well as the somewhat ominous 1930s lobby music playing in the background.​

New Library Pre-Show

When guests enter the library holding room, this is where they begin to notice some new features. The TV turns on automatically and flips through channels by itself before landing on a news broadcast of the lightning strike on the Hollywood Tower Hotel in 1939. This was featured in the film as the two paranormal investigators come upon this video when entering the library, and like the investigators, the wall mysteriously opens and leads guests to the boiler room and service elevators.

New Ascent Effects

(Elevator Ascent Blueprint)​

After boarding the service elevators in the boiler room, guests ascend to a hotel floor where they see the appearance of Emily reaching out to them with one of her stuffed animals. Green lightning flashes around her and the room goes dark where you see a reflection of the elevator car...and then Emily appears again, this time in the elevator... and rides up with you to the Penthouse.

New "5th Dimension" - The Penthouse

As the doors open the music box begins to play in a creepy way as you lurch out into the hallway and towards the main elevator doors. You hear Emily say "Come with us" and green lights encompass the elevator as it moves horizontally through the hall and into the main elevator shaft into complete darkness. The fun part about this is...you never know when the music box will stop. It might be at the end of a chorus line, or it may stop right in the middle of one...but whenever it does stop...you're going for a ride....

(The Penthouse Concept Art)

New Drop Profiles

(New Drop Profiles Blueprint)

Back in 2002, you could find the "Tower of Terror 4" drop sequence profiles revealed on wdwmagic! This was a major upgrade to the attraction because it introduced random drop sequences and now we are not only adding in more drop sequences but we are making them all more unique. This is a relatively easy, low-budget, change because using the same system we already have, we just reprogram the drop sequences and add in the new ones. The 6 drop profiles outlined above offer a taste of how thrilling the attraction can be (while still being family friendly).​

The labels on the left sides of each graph correspond to different areas of the ride. Each elevator enters the main elevator shaft from the Penthouse (labeled PENT) and either begins by ascending or descending. The 7th/8th/9th labels refer to the levels where the doors open out onto the park. They were used on the wdwmagic profiles from back in 2002, so to keep everything consistent, I kept those the same. The "9th" label is where the on-ride photo is taken.​

The audio, projections, and atmospheres have been enhanced in the new drop sequences. Replacing The Twilight Zone references, when the elevator stops in the shaft to prepare for the next ascent or descent, guests can hear either lobby jazz music or a bellhop "ding" before motion. In other stops, guests can see a projection of the portion of the hotel that disappeared, with a ghost of Emily calling to you before your elevator moves once more.

(Lost Portion of the Hotel Projection Concept Art)

New Merchandise

For those of you who made it back, you unload and head towards the on-ride photo booth as usual. Instead of having a Twilight Zone theme however, the photo booth is themed after paranormal investigators who set up cameras around the hotel to capture the ghosts in present day. The cameras caught you...and depending on how much you enjoy haunted elevator rides...you might look like a ghost too​

Continuing on into the Gift Shop, all of The Twilight Zone memorabilia, including shirts, DVDs, etc, have been removed. But to add in some unique features, and novelty items for fans of the little details in Tower of Terror, here are some of the new merchandise items as labeled above: ​

1 - The Music Box - Emily's music box that plays the haunting version of the song "I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire"

2 - A Key to Room 132016 on The Penthouse Floor

3 - Lipstick Napkin from the hotel lobby - a famous detail Imagineers left that represents how fast everyone left in 1939

4 - Mahjong Game - Disney had championship Mahjong players sit down to play a game...and then they stopped them halfway, so the Mahjong board would look like an actual game was being played in the hotel lobby in 1939. You can play now too (and look for some Hidden Mickeys!)

5 - Library Lamp - this is something I would actually purchase if it was available. So now it will be!

6 - A Look-Through Key chain - when you look inside you see the projection of the lost portion of the hotel projection scene in the attraction drop sequence.

Conclusion
After all the transition and adjustment following The Twilight Zone departure to the newly redone attraction, I've tried to maintain the attraction we all know and love, while keeping a realistic approach, and integrating a new theatrical influence to the attraction.

We hope you enjoyed your stay at The Hollywood Tower Hotel...feel free to "drop in" anytime

​

​

 

[Flippin'Flounder]

The Tower of Terror

The newest attraction at Hollywood Studios is the brand new Tower of Terror. It will be set in the Hollywood Hightower Hotel, which was built by the grandson of Harrison Hightower, James Hightower. After learning of the issues with his grandfathers hotel, James quit his job and fled, which allowed the spirits to take over.

 

[RMichael21]

Castaways, you have about 2 hours and 45 minutes to submit your projects. ​

 

[RMichael21]

For those of you who posted incomplete projects, this is the last time that you will be able to do so. From now on, posts must be final except for small format and spelling fixes. But, if you did happen to post incomplete this time around, please notify me when you are finished with your proposal.

 

[DSquared]

Oh. I finished mine. I just forgot to say.

 

[Jack Pumpkinhead]

I think I'll drop out of the competition, is it too late to resign myself?