Twilight Zone Tower of Terror Summer Nightastic drop profile details - SPOILERS

[Timekeeper]

Originally (very originally - 1994) there was an added effect. All the props (clock, mannaquins, doors) were and still are behind glass - in sealed rooms.

I've always wondered, why are there glass walls in the 5th Dimension anyway? I'm not sure that I fully understand the theming of what's going on in there. The framework around the glass walls looks like piping/plumbing and gives the appearance of an extended boiler room of sorts.

It does not seem to me that the glass walls are necessary (like they are for the Pepper's Ghost illusion in the HM). Traveling through the 5th D feels like window-shopping through some bizarre department store...:brick:

 

[Lee]

It does not seem to me that the glass walls are necessary (like they are for the Pepper's Ghost illusion in the HM).

Like Martin said, the glass walls were part of the fog effect that used to be in the 5th. They contained the fog in a controlled environment.

 

[brent2124]

I rode the ToT twice, yesterday afternoon and early this morning. The exterior queue had all the fog effects working which I havent seen all on in a long time. The boiler room lights turn off and flicker following loud clashes of thunder.The fifth deminsion curtains do look like they are temporary, until August or in a few days who knows. As you approach the drop shaft they display a photo of you sitting in the elevator and as you get closer everyone disappears just prior to the doors opening. It does use more full length drops but I feel a false ending would have been a great addition. Overall it is an improvement other than the cheap looking star curtains.

 

[MiddKid]

I've always wondered, why are there glass walls in the 5th Dimension anyway? I'm not sure that I fully understand the theming of what's going on in there. The framework around the glass walls looks like piping/plumbing and gives the appearance of an extended boiler room of sorts.

It does not seem to me that the glass walls are necessary (like they are for the Pepper's Ghost illusion in the HM). Traveling through the 5th D feels like window-shopping through some bizarre department store...:brick:

The original intent of the 5th was an illusion that you were still going UP an elevator shaft...facing upwards. It was supposed to be an illusion to build suspense that you were going higher and higher yet it was supposed to be disorienting that you were now looking up. The biggest hurdle of this effect was getting a seamless transition from the first shaft to the fifth...had things gone as planned you'd go up in the load shaft as you do today after the hallway scene and the elevator would seamlessly transition to the 5th...next time the lights come on after the hallway scene you are going "up" the 5th. The wire/antenna system in the floor is so sensitive, however, they could never get the vehicle to seamlessly transition...we're left with the pause and bump-bump coming out of the shaft.

Want the simple proof of this that most people miss? Note the metal sign "hanging" on chains on the side wall of the 5th...it is "hanging" sideways (90 dergrees)...this is how it would hang if you were laying on your back going up the shaft!

 

[Rob562]

The original intent of the 5th was an illusion that you were still going UP an elevator shaft...facing upwards. It was supposed to be an illusion to build suspense that you were going higher and higher yet it was supposed to be disorienting that you were now looking up. The biggest hurdle of this effect was getting a seamless transition from the first shaft to the fifth...had things gone as planned you'd go up in the load shaft as you do today after the hallway scene and the elevator would seamlessly transition to the 5th...next time the lights come on after the hallway scene you are going "up" the 5th. The wire/antenna system in the floor is so sensitive, however, they could never get the vehicle to seamlessly transition...we're left with the pause and bump-bump coming out of the shaft.

Want the simple proof of this that most people miss? Note the metal sign "hanging" on chains on the side wall of the 5th...it is "hanging" sideways (90 dergrees)...this is how it would hang if you were laying on your back going up the shaft!

Other examples of the attempt to make it look like you're looking *up* the elevator shaft are the worklights in the 5th dimension scene (the ones that are on when the doors open but turn off as you roll out of the Load shaft) are turned 90 degrees from how they'd normally be mounted.
And another one that's hard to see unless you're specifically looking for it, as you reach the starfield doors, off to the side is a set of elevator doors on its side, as if you're passing it going "up" the shaft.

-Rob

 

[rodserling27]

In all my years of riding ToT, I never realized that they were aiming for that kind of view, looking "up" an elevator shaft. I always kinda thought we were meant to be looking at some sort of abandoned part of the hotel that leads to the 5th dimension of the Twilight Zone, hence the horizontal movement of the elevator.

 

[devoy1701]

DCA does the photo effect so much better IMO. Since you don't leave the shaft over there, you can clearly see that it is a picture of us in the elevator that is slowly disappearing. In DHS's version, half of the people are gone by the time you get close enough to notice that it's a picture of the people currently riding. I heard one person go "is that us???"

Now the 1940s music playing as you enter the shaft is pretty awesome, and I had no problem with the star tunnel look (almost a tribute to SSE). I really wish they would have given us the shimmying effect from DCA though...that really REALLY adds to the uncertainty of where you're going to go.

Couple more things, the boiler room effects are nice...but didn't someone say we'd be getting smoke effects in there too?

And the air time before the last drop is VERY VERY VERY much appreciated!

 

[marni1971]

In all my years of riding ToT, I never realized that they were aiming for that kind of view, looking "up" an elevator shaft.

The best way to describe it imagine the doors to the 5th D open, and you get the impression you are lying on your back looking up the shaft instead of sitting down looking forwards. My first ever ride I got this straight away - the lighting was spot on and I found the effect very clever. It dosn`t have the same impact anymore.

but didn't someone say we'd be getting smoke effects in there too?

No. I said the effects are still installed but havn`t been used since the late 90`s.

 

[the-reason14]

Man I can't wait to do this, as well as see the other summer enhancements.

 

[dizneeboy]

I never realized the "you're laying on your back" 5th dimension effect described here. how cool. Can't wait til my next visit to look for the things posted here...thnx guys.

 

[Tom]

In all my years of riding ToT, I never realized that they were aiming for that kind of view, looking "up" an elevator shaft. I always kinda thought we were meant to be looking at some sort of abandoned part of the hotel that leads to the 5th dimension of the Twilight Zone, hence the horizontal movement of the elevator.

I'm right there with ya. I rode ToT the first year it opened, and countless times since then. I go out of my way to look around outside the vehicle and have never noticed any of these things.

Never have I had the impression that I was supposed to be traveling "up" during 5th. I think I know why they took the focus off of this part of the story...since it wasn't very convincing.

 

[MiddKid]

I'm right there with ya. I rode ToT the first year it opened, and countless times since then. I go out of my way to look around outside the vehicle and have never noticed any of these things.

Never have I had the impression that I was supposed to be traveling "up" during 5th. I think I know why they took the focus off of this part of the story...since it wasn't very convincing.

Glad to teach everyone something new to look for on their next ride...assuming the curtains come down! Would have been a cool effect had they ever really gotten it to work right, but it's way too subtle the way it is now to really be effective. Fun trivia to point out to people (sign, lights, elevator doors) on your next trip...

 

[PurpleDragon]

I rode ToT yesterday and I have to say the projection of the riders on the door is done very poorly. While the starfield blends very well from the previous scene, and all the other effects were a great addition, the projection seemed so cheap. It's apparently a very old projector projecting an image on an uneven surface so the result is a very dim/out of focus image that is impossible to see from a distance. By the time you get close enough to see that it's you in the image, it fades away to the image of an empty car. I think if they had a better projector and a flatter surface the effect would be great, but as of right now the effect is completely lost on most guests. I heard someone in our car yesterday saying "I think that's supposed to be us". :shrug:

 

[devoy1701]

I rode ToT yesterday and I have to say the projection of the riders on the door is done very poorly. While the starfield blends very well from the previous scene, and all the other effects were a great addition, the projection seemed so cheap. It's apparently a very old projector projecting an image on an uneven surface so the result is a very dim/out of focus image that is impossible to see from a distance. By the time you get close enough to see that it's you in the image, it fades away to the image of an empty car. I think if they had a better projector and a flatter surface the effect would be great, but as of right now the effect is completely lost on most guests. I heard someone in our car yesterday saying "I think that's supposed to be us". :shrug:

I agree with you....i kind of made that point in my earlier post. After seeing DCA's in December, this projection is a far cry from their effect.

 

[Rob562]

I rode ToT yesterday and I have to say the projection of the riders on the door is done very poorly. While the starfield blends very well from the previous scene, and all the other effects were a great addition, the projection seemed so cheap. It's apparently a very old projector projecting an image on an uneven surface so the result is a very dim/out of focus image that is impossible to see from a distance. By the time you get close enough to see that it's you in the image, it fades away to the image of an empty car. I think if they had a better projector and a flatter surface the effect would be great, but as of right now the effect is completely lost on most guests. I heard someone in our car yesterday saying "I think that's supposed to be us". :shrug:

Makes you wonder if they could somehow create a projection surface on the *real* shaft doors behind the Starfield mirror doors. Then they could keep the starfield and splitting white line effect, perhaps do that a little earlier to allow for the shaft doors to be in view.

Once the mirror doors open, the rest of the scene lighting could all go black as you then see the projection of your elevator on the shaft doors. And because it's dark, it'll seem to just float there for a moment before disappearing. The shaft doors would open in the dark and you'd continue rolling into the Drop shaft as normal.

(All this could still be done while the AGV is in motion, just some show elemant timings would have to be tweaked)

-Rob

 

[Tom]

Makes you wonder if they could somehow create a projection surface on the *real* shaft doors behind the Starfield mirror doors. Then they could keep the starfield and splitting white line effect, perhaps do that a little earlier to allow for the shaft doors to be in view.

Once the mirror doors open, the rest of the scene lighting could all go black as you then see the projection of your elevator on the shaft doors. And because it's dark, it'll seem to just float there for a moment before disappearing. The shaft doors would open in the dark and you'd continue rolling into the Drop shaft as normal.

(All this could still be done while the AGV is in motion, just some show elemant timings would have to be tweaked)

-Rob

I'm struggling to envision this new effect. So, did they add a screen that drops down in front of the mirror doors which flies out just before you reach it?

Or are they projecting on the actual mirrored doors?

 

[devoy1701]

I'm struggling to envision this new effect. So, did they add a screen that drops down in front of the mirror doors which flies out just before you reach it?

Or are they projecting on the actual mirrored doors?

image is projected on the existing doors

 

[Tom]

image is projected on the existing doors

Ok, that's what I thought. Now I understand why people are saying it looks terrible. How do you successfully project an image on two diagonal mirrors?

I think I know my answer: not very well. :lol:

 

[devoy1701]

Ok, that's what I thought. Now I understand why people are saying it looks terrible. How do you successfully project an image on two diagonal mirrors?

I think I know my answer: not very well. :lol:

exactly...not to mention that the image appears when you're still 25ft away from the doors, and people start disappearing soon after... by the time the car is close enough to make out what it is and ask if that is a picture of us, 3/4 of the riders are already out of the picture!

 

[Rob562]

Ok, that's what I thought. Now I understand why people are saying it looks terrible. How do you successfully project an image on two diagonal mirrors?

I think I know my answer: not very well. :lol:

I thought someone said that they covered over the mirrors with some kind of surface to project onto, leaving only the edge lighting effect down the middle visible.

But if it's as simplistic as that, I hope they worked with the projector/video feed to eliminate the "keystoning" that occurs when you project onto an angled surface.

-Rob