Tower of Terror effects status watch

[Animaniac93-98]

Out of curiosity, does the WDSP version of ToT have a similar list of effects issue, or did it always just have less to begin with?

 

[andre85]

Out of curiosity, does the WDSP version of ToT have a similar list of effects issue, or did it always just have less to begin with?

WDSP is (or was) just a clone of DCA, so it has far fewer effects given it was a much simpler/shorter ride (one shaft, no 5th dimension hallway, etc).

I haven't ridden the Paris one since the update from a few years ago, so not sure how much it may have added effects wise

 

[Rodj]

Out of curiosity, does the WDSP version of ToT have a similar list of effects issue, or did it always just have less to begin with?

WDSP does keep up with their effects more from a friend of mine who frequents that park.

 

[Rodj]

Since we're discussing missing effects, here's everything I can think of off the top of my head:

The big sign emitting actual sparks. This was later replaced with occasional strobes for safety reasons, but this doesn't seem to work anymore either.

Both the sparks and the strobes were on the sign since it opened, when it was enabled both operated in tandem. In this video, right when the doors open you can see a spark come off of the H:

The sound effect of the wall sliding open in the libraries. (Not sure if this is back as of recently)

I heard this sound in both libraries during my trip back in March 2024.

I don't recall ever seeing pipes shooting steam.

This wasn't something visible in the videos from 1994, but you can hear them turn on/off in multiple spots here:

Wind hitting you during the corridor scene (apparently finally being fixed?)

During my previous trips, this was only an issue with Delta.

Light from the lightning outside the window in the corridor scene shining onto the hallway floor.

This has been working in all shafts, for a while it was an issue with Bravo.

Under-carriage strobes at the end of the drop sequence. Used to be a really pronounced effect, now you're lucky to get one or two dim flashes.

Has been working in Echo for quite a bit, recently they got (some?) of the strobes replaced in Foxtrot.

 

[Rodj]

-The drop shaft audio has definitely been much more audible from outside the ride recently (as of my program in summer 2024) but it seems to vary in volume from sequence to sequence - for example I always seemed to specifically hear the final drop of the Ghost profile clearly while waiting in line. Definitely seemed louder in recent years.

This has actually been a technicality recently(since July 2024) as they got the speaker located on the sign on Foxtrot side working again, only issue is that due to the incorrect audio channel issues, it is playing the drop shaft audio track meant for the speaker inside the drop shaft at the top. It's supposed to be playing the spark SFX(which is playing from that drop shaft speaker).

-The air cannons are even more inconsistent. I've never felt the air blasts myself but they were supposedly fixed for a small period in around October. You still hear them fire, but nothing comes out.

Due to the delay in the drop sequence movement and the modified drop sequences, they fire when the VVC isn't at the right spot yet. The best way currently to judge if they are working is with profile 4.

 

[VicariousCorpse]

According to this post, it looks like it was the same person who fixed the color projector in one of the shafts and the dripping water effect. Hopefully there is more to come.

 

[Tom Morrow]

Thanks for the info. Good to see that some stuff has been addressed in recent years. There was a while where it seemed like almost nothing worked.

Still, considering the popularity and now historical significance of this ride, and the money Disney has a a mega entertainment corporation, things that work in some shafts but not others should never be an issue.

I would like to point out that, at Universal, even Fast & Furious - a ride most people dislike, has great audio and video quality. Fallon is even better.

But not every ride at Disney is bad. Some Disney E-tickets still look and sound great. It's just odd how neglected Tower was for years.

 

[JakeDLP]

Out of curiosity, does the WDSP version of ToT have a similar list of effects issue, or did it always just have less to begin with?

Not really, Most of the time they keep on top of all effects there and most of the issues have been fixed in the recent past, most notably the windows that light up at various points of the tower were reactivated in the last week after almost 10 years of being off (for projection shows most likely)

 

[Eyeontheglobe]

Both the sparks and the strobes were on the sign since it opened, when it was enabled both operated in tandem. In this video, right when the doors open you can see a spark come off of the H:


I heard this sound in both libraries during my trip back in March 2024.

This wasn't something visible in the videos from 1994, but you can hear them turn on/off in multiple spots here:


During my previous trips, this was only an issue with Delta.

This has been working in all shafts, for a while it was an issue with Bravo.

Has been working in Echo for quite a bit, recently they got (some?) of the strobes replaced in Foxtrot.

Are there more videos online showing the spark effect? I've only ever heard talk of it until now. I've even seen this video before and didn't notice the sparks.

 

[marni1971]

Both the sparks and the strobes were on the sign since it opened, when it was enabled both operated in tandem. In this video, right when the doors open you can see a spark come off of the H:


I heard this sound in both libraries during my trip back in March 2024.

This wasn't something visible in the videos from 1994, but you can hear them turn on/off in multiple spots here:


During my previous trips, this was only an issue with Delta.

This has been working in all shafts, for a while it was an issue with Bravo.

Has been working in Echo for quite a bit, recently they got (some?) of the strobes replaced in Foxtrot.

For reference, the letters H O and L had the spark fx. They could also be fired manually from inside the building.

Also the boiler room floor misting was disabled due to the floor becoming slippy (although the pump still works). Smoke fx in the 5th D was disabled since it caused condensation on the windows. Much like SSE and Everest, instead of an alternate being pursued the effect was just turned off.

 

[HauntedPirate]

I had forgotten about the lights on the back of the letters when the doors open... When did they last work?

 

[Rodj]

Are there more videos online showing the spark effect? I've only ever heard talk of it until now. I've even seen this video before and didn't notice the sparks.

Here is the only other video I could find where it was visible(0:46):

For reference, the letters H O and L had the spark fx. They could also be fired manually from inside the building.

Do you know if the audible sound(sounds like a loud rubbing sound, not the spark SFX coming from the speaker) is coming from the same spark generator? In some of the videos where it is audible, I don't see any sparks at all:

Also the boiler room floor misting was disabled due to the floor becoming slippy (although the pump still works). Smoke fx in the 5th D was disabled since it caused condensation on the windows. Much like SSE and Everest, instead of an alternate being pursued the effect was just turned off.

Was the misting the same as what's heard in the video? What I thought was in the video was random steam or air bursts/leaks from some of the pipes.

 

[Rodj]

I had forgotten about the lights on the back of the letters when the doors open... When did they last work?

If you are talking about the strobes, they were last active up until May 2021.

 

[marni1971]

Here is the only other video I could find where it was visible(0:46):
View attachment 847353


Do you know if the audible sound(sounds like a loud rubbing sound, not the spark SFX coming from the speaker) is coming from the same spark generator? In some of the videos where it is audible, I don't see any sparks at all:


Was the misting the same as what's heard in the video? What I thought was in the video was random steam or air bursts/leaks from some of the pipes.

That first video has keyed in sparks (not real)!

The second video sounds like the spark generator working with no sparks (usually due to worn pads)

The misting was a layer of mist in the boiler room. In theory it was designed to stay below the walkway (part of the reason it is elevated)

 

[HauntedPirate]

For reference, the letters H O and L had the spark fx. They could also be fired manually from inside the building.

Also the boiler room floor misting was disabled due to the floor becoming slippy (although the pump still works). Smoke fx in the 5th D was disabled since it caused condensation on the windows. Much like SSE and Everest, instead of an alternate being pursued the effect was just turned off.

Do you happen to recall when the boiler room floor misting effect was turned off? Just curious as to whether or not my memory of it working during my first visit to the tower in late 1997 is correct or if I'm conflating that with video.

 

[scxtt_31]

This isn’t necessarily effects related but still worth noting - a POV of the ride from recently (definitely within the last two months as it shows the corrected hallway projections in Alpha) had a strange glitch happen towards the end of the ride (at around 9:22):



Right before the end of the drop sequence it seems like the e-brakes applied for some reason and the timing of several AGVs was out of wack as not only did the return video and audio not play, but the pre-drop audio did instead (likely for the cab in the 5th Dimension waiting to move into the VVC) and you can faintly hear the end of the return audio playing from what I assume is the cab ahead. Very strange, guessing there was a backlog.