Tower of Terror

[Tom Morrow]

I preferred the older versions of the ride. The drop shaft VVC movement was more aggressive prior to the randomized drop sequences. This is not me remembering it incorrectly - it's truth. They softened the movement to reduce wear and tear on the cables and motors for several reasons: longer drop sequences = more wear and tear by default; they save money by having to do the required cable replacements less often; and it makes it more family friendly.

Another thing I don't like about the random drop sequences is that two of the four are noticeably tamer.

Here are all the incarnations:
1. Original 1994 configuration - slowly rise to the top, doors open to reveal you're at the top, fall complete length of drop shaft.
2. Sometime in 1995-ish - A partial drop was added from the 5th dimension floor, followed by the original drop. This is where the concrete wall was brightly lit up for half a second before your first drop.
3. Twice the Fright - 1996 or 1997-ish: the previous configuration plus a second complete drop added on. This was my favorite version because you got 2.5 complete drops and the movements were aggressive.
4. Fear Every Drop - Apparently 1999 - the drop profile became one of the four randomized sequences in...
5. Never the Same Fear Twice - 2002 - the current configuration - one of four different drop sequences is chosen randomly.
6. Summer Nighttastic - Summer 2010 - A different drop profile was used for this summer only

 

[HansGruber]

The original drop wasn't a true 13 story drop. The car would start to brake well before the ground floor.

I would also argue that the cables would be more susceptible to wear in the current format as the car is most likely traveling a much greater distance than simply going from floor 13 to floor 1 (the original ride design). The current format makes at least two trips to the 13th floor.