I found this to be VERY cool. this is from www.towerofterror.org, if you've never been there, i HIGHLY suggest you visit it.
Secrets Walt Disney Imagineers screened each of the 156 episodes of The Twilight Zone at least twice to capture the mood of the television series. Many episodes were screened three or four times and studied in regard to props, guest stars, settings, and music for inspiration, as well as to find the most representative quotes and characteristic phrases used by Serling in his role as host of the show.
In the load area out side of the elevator there is an inspection certificate that is dated October 31, 1939. It is also signed by "Cadwallader", who is a character is the Twilght Zone's "Escape Clause". It turns out that he is the devil. Also the certificate number is 10259, which stands for October 2, 1959. The date the first Twilight Zone episode premired.
On the directory in The Hollywood Tower Hotel lobby, some of the letters that have fallen off spell "evil Tower U R doomed".
The motors that are used in The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror are three times more powerful than those that were used in the World Trade Center.
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror was struck by lightning during construction.
By the concierge desk in the hotel lobby, there is a 13-diamond award. In reality, it only goes up to 5.
The room numbers in the Corridor Scene are 414-426.
The footage in the library video in which Rod Serling appears was taken from the episode "It's a Good Life." In the episode, Rod says, "This, as you may recognize, is a map of the United States."
Cast Credits for Library Film in Lobby Show:
The luggage in the lobby is a complete set made from genuine alligator skin.
While looking through a 1930s furniture catalog, Imagineers decided to call the company to see if they were still in business. They were, and Walt Disney Imagineering had them reproduce two settees for the lobby.
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Ride engineers tested 33 versions of the Tower of Terror before coming up with what they felt was the best and most thrilling attraction.[/FONT]
It is said that Imagineers had mahjongg players set up the game in the lobby so guests who know how to play the game can see that it is authentic.
The corridor scene uses an old theatre trick called "Pepper's Ghost" where an image is projected using a mirror onto glass (a variation of Pepper's Ghost as in the past, the images are projected onto a scrim(a thin, translucent screen)) to make the image look as though it's right in front of you when it's actually off to the side.
Disney Imagineers have calculated that if both towers were to drop at the same time that Rock'n Roller Coaster launched it would bring down the Studio's power grid. This is prevented because the Imagineering department decided to build a power sub-station that services just this section of the park.
There is a dummy room near the top of the hotel. At night you can see a light in the window where there looks like there is a room. It's really just a light but no real room.
Room 259 in the Tower of Terror is the motor room. It is room 259 because it is 259ft above water level.
The Drop Shaft:
The last and purpose of the ride: the drop. First of all it is not a drop. It forces you down. So once you leave the 5th dimension the elevator pulls on to a platform and locks into place. The platform is hanging by cables in a pully system, which is attach to the motors that is above the drop shaft. The motors are supported by a column of beams that is seperated from the actual building, do to the weight. The motor then pulls the cables to force you up and down. At the bottom of the drop shaft is the buffer zone. It is a pit that out of control elevators land and slow down with springs and buffers. Above the buffer zone is a projector and screen that projects a broken window and then the wormhole. The elevator backs out of the shaft and into unload.
Ride System: Elevator car (The capacity per elevator is twenty two passengers.)
Motors
The motors are 12 feet tall, 35 feet long, and weigh 132,000 pounds. They are able to accelerate 10 tons at 15 times the speed of normal elevators. They generate torque equal to that of 275 Corvette engines and reach top speeds in 1.5 seconds.
Secrets Walt Disney Imagineers screened each of the 156 episodes of The Twilight Zone at least twice to capture the mood of the television series. Many episodes were screened three or four times and studied in regard to props, guest stars, settings, and music for inspiration, as well as to find the most representative quotes and characteristic phrases used by Serling in his role as host of the show.
In the load area out side of the elevator there is an inspection certificate that is dated October 31, 1939. It is also signed by "Cadwallader", who is a character is the Twilght Zone's "Escape Clause". It turns out that he is the devil. Also the certificate number is 10259, which stands for October 2, 1959. The date the first Twilight Zone episode premired.
On the directory in The Hollywood Tower Hotel lobby, some of the letters that have fallen off spell "evil Tower U R doomed".
The motors that are used in The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror are three times more powerful than those that were used in the World Trade Center.
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror was struck by lightning during construction.
By the concierge desk in the hotel lobby, there is a 13-diamond award. In reality, it only goes up to 5.
The room numbers in the Corridor Scene are 414-426.
The footage in the library video in which Rod Serling appears was taken from the episode "It's a Good Life." In the episode, Rod says, "This, as you may recognize, is a map of the United States."
Cast Credits for Library Film in Lobby Show:
- Rod Serling: himself
- Rod Serling sound-alike: Mark Silverman. (Hundreds of folks auditioned for the part but Mark was chosen for the role by Rod Serling's widow who made the final selection after listening to him on audio tape.)
- Bellhop: Parviz Perry Vessali
- Child Star: Lindsay Ridgeway
- Nanny: Charlotte Helms
The luggage in the lobby is a complete set made from genuine alligator skin.
While looking through a 1930s furniture catalog, Imagineers decided to call the company to see if they were still in business. They were, and Walt Disney Imagineering had them reproduce two settees for the lobby.
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Ride engineers tested 33 versions of the Tower of Terror before coming up with what they felt was the best and most thrilling attraction.[/FONT]
It is said that Imagineers had mahjongg players set up the game in the lobby so guests who know how to play the game can see that it is authentic.
The corridor scene uses an old theatre trick called "Pepper's Ghost" where an image is projected using a mirror onto glass (a variation of Pepper's Ghost as in the past, the images are projected onto a scrim(a thin, translucent screen)) to make the image look as though it's right in front of you when it's actually off to the side.
Disney Imagineers have calculated that if both towers were to drop at the same time that Rock'n Roller Coaster launched it would bring down the Studio's power grid. This is prevented because the Imagineering department decided to build a power sub-station that services just this section of the park.
There is a dummy room near the top of the hotel. At night you can see a light in the window where there looks like there is a room. It's really just a light but no real room.
Room 259 in the Tower of Terror is the motor room. It is room 259 because it is 259ft above water level.
The Drop Shaft:
The last and purpose of the ride: the drop. First of all it is not a drop. It forces you down. So once you leave the 5th dimension the elevator pulls on to a platform and locks into place. The platform is hanging by cables in a pully system, which is attach to the motors that is above the drop shaft. The motors are supported by a column of beams that is seperated from the actual building, do to the weight. The motor then pulls the cables to force you up and down. At the bottom of the drop shaft is the buffer zone. It is a pit that out of control elevators land and slow down with springs and buffers. Above the buffer zone is a projector and screen that projects a broken window and then the wormhole. The elevator backs out of the shaft and into unload.
Ride System: Elevator car (The capacity per elevator is twenty two passengers.)
Motors
The motors are 12 feet tall, 35 feet long, and weigh 132,000 pounds. They are able to accelerate 10 tons at 15 times the speed of normal elevators. They generate torque equal to that of 275 Corvette engines and reach top speeds in 1.5 seconds.
