Tower of Terror effects status watch

[rodserling27]

Bump

Recent visit: what a mess

- HD LCD TV in library that is super bright and looks terrible
- lighting in library is too bright - it doesn't get properly dark during the show
- pre-show audio too quiet to hear
- boiler room lighting was at near "work light" levels, which seems to be the norm now. all creepy atmosphere vibes are lost.
- rode "alpha" (far left). Audio too quiet to hear clearly until 5th dimension.
- speakers buzzing and crackling in 5th dimension
- image on eyeball was was super white, as if the contrast was turned up way too high
- missing sound effects, including Rod Serling's "you are about to discover" narration. instead, silence
- no lighting effects in drop shaft (yes, there are supposed to be some)
- screen after drop sequence obviously off-centered and cut off on one side
- end audio garbled sounding and also very quiet.

Terrible show all around, I don't know how they can treat their flagship attraction like this. ESPECIALLY when this attraction has its VERY OWN EVENT coming up!

Thanks for the report. I noticed many of these things myself a few week ago. I don't think the washed out eyeball is from the contrast, I think it's washed out from the brighter flash they're using now in the hallway scene.

 

[marni1971]

When the eye did work a few weeks ago it worked well. A lot of the effects you mentioned seemed to better on certain rides. My worst peeve now is the exterior LED lights to video your drop as well as the photo op. Too bright and too distracting.

Regarding the boiler room, show lighting is meant to be brighter when its raining outside the attraction but the level seems stuck now.

 

[marni1971]

^ sadly most of those problems have existed since last fall at least.

They should learn about LCDs from the problems Spaceship Earth had.

Boiler rooms is actually in wet weather mode. This brightness was originally used when the floor was wet from outside. Now its like that all the time.

Audio all over the attraction has been messed up for years.

Hopefully the imaging and the clock were just glitches when you visited, and in one shaft only. The drop fx missing is more bad show. Did you mention all this to a CM? Most ToT CMs take pride in the attraction and will listen if someone knows what they're talking about.

 

[AllydoesDisney]

I did notice the quiet audio right before we get into the elevator which made me sad because it usually gives me chills. I thought it was only because we were further back in line though. And my mind is usually racing when I'm actually on the elevator so I wasn't paying much attention to the problems.

 

[Bairstow]

In the boiler room, did there used to be orange, glowing coals spilled onto the floor?
Last time I was there, there was an orange glow projected on the floor under some of the boilers, but no coals.

Am I misremembering things, or do things just look different now with the brighter light?

 

[marni1971]

All 4 ascent shafts (Alpha to Delta) plus both 5th Ds and both drop shafts (Echo and Foxtrot) all have differing audio levels and thus mixes now. Quite sad when it means show quality differs depending which shaft, VVC and 5th D you ride.

 

[marni1971]

I actually know a few ToT CM's. You are right in that most of these have been issues for quite some time, but it seems that attempting to get anything fixed falls of deaf ears.
.

Local crews have done all they can but they're out of ideas (and options) now. They reckon they need WDI back in to overhaul the entire system now.

 

[StageFrenzy]

See, this is a little frustrating. This thread shows that multiple rides have bad show issues, but nobody really cares if 1. there isn't a 25 foot yeti to point fingers at, and 2. the thread isn't stickied so it never goes away.

The Yeti is still not fixed, from an effects standpoint 5th dimension could be sooo much more.

 

[Jimdalva]

who would have thought it would be in the same state that it always is?

 

[Bairstow]

I get people complaining about the Yeti, but having just rode Tower two weeks ago (Bravo, and then Delta twice), I don't feel the same outrage.
Maybe I don't go to the parks frequently enough but if I hadn't read this thread I wouldn't have realized anything is "wrong" with the attraction.

 

[marni1971]

Let's not even mention the audio timings being seconds out between the VVC and the show scenes...

Not a few tenths but 5,6,7 seconds. Grrrr.

 

[BEARSHOUSE4]

I was in DHS on May 8. I read this thread before my trip, so I was looking for these effects issues. I rode Alpha and, to me everything seemed perfect! The audio was clear, loud and in time. All visuals were there (the eyeball, the clock) and it seemed to be working to perfection! One thing I will comment on the the new LCD TVs behind the old-TV looking frame, is that they are too bright and do take away from the effect of "turning off the TV". Other than that, it was great!

 

[marni1971]

^ good to hear.

 

[AllydoesDisney]

So considering how frequently I've rode on it during my program now, I've rode every elevator and I noticed some of them have better audio than others. It does make a difference

 

[Disneydreamer23]

Gotta love TOT

 

[MaryJaneP]

So considering how frequently I've rode on it during my program now, I've rode every elevator and I noticed some of them have better audio than others. It does make a difference

Can you share which elevators are better and what audio in particular is more impactful? Do they every shift cars from one shaft to another?

 

[marni1971]

Can you share which elevators are better and what audio in particular is more impactful? Do they every shift cars from one shaft to another?

There's no audio In the ride cars (AGVs)
Audio is from the show scenes and the VVCs (the actual elevators)
The mix, balance and timings differ from each shaft and both 5Ds sadly.

 

[THPFanatic]

This is very interesting, I almost never had a problem with ToT while I rode it, but thanks for bringing all this up, as I will definitely look for the audio if I go next.

 

[thelookingglass]

bumping my thread again, because I really want to see one of my favorite rides receive the attention it deserves. Most of what has been mentioned in this thread doesn't seem to have been addressed.

It baffles me that when installing LCD TVs in the libraries, their image settings were never adjusted to where they aren't blatantly obvious LCD TVs with the backlight turned all the way up. It would take all of 5 or 10 minutes!! The audio in the library pre-show was so quiet that when standing in the back of the room, I could not make out the narration at all. I already know what it says, but how many people don't? How is this supposed to be intimidating or creepy in any way if you CAN'T HEAR IT??

The boiler room lights are almost always very bright now. Note that there is a lot of show lighting in the ceiling, but all of it is overpowered by the incandescent light bulbs being too bright. The show quality of the ride itself still varies from "decent" to "needing attention" depending on which shaft you board, especially the audio.

Disney, This is one of only a handful of rides at WDW where the presentation and tech can even complete with the level of Spiderman, Forbidden Journey, Gringotts, etc. Why do you allow such a flagship attraction to operate in any less than tip top shape?

 

[Imagineer Mitch]

The lights in the boiler room vary in brightness depending on the brightness outside. Also to note they are more bright for safety reasons, same reasons why Rock 'N' Roller Coaster is extremely bright in the alley.