News Walt Disney World's iconic Twilight Zone Tower of Terror billboard to be permanently removed

[yensidtlaw1969]

Well yeah. I doubt the building is going anywhere, but the theme might be.

I'd be surprised, at this point. The lack of projects on the horizon, forecasted financial climate, and the opening of Epic Universe has me feeling two things: 1) That Disney really doesn't want to spend money right now, and 2) They probably know they're gonna have to, and that they're gonna have to make the most of that money if they want to compete. I don't think yet another refurb of a major attraction is gonna be the thing that makes them look good.

That's speculation for sure, but I feel like if a TOT redo were coming we'd have heard a credible rumor recently. It just doesn't seem like something that would be a priority for them, especially since this version of the attraction satisfies guests in a way the West Coast version didn't.

 

[montyz81]

So now here's something that's important to remember - there's no hivemind about what is important. Clearly, a number of people thought there was some level of importance to this sign. I haven't posted my opinion on it yet, but if given the choice between keeping the sign and watching the space become an empty lot, I would certainly prefer they keep the sign. It's one of those fun, unique things that used to be scattered around the resort, and I can't think of any good reason the guests would be better off without it than with it.

But this idea that everyone cries out about every change is silly. There are simply lots of people here who have lots of different priorities, and when you get enough people in one space there will likely be a large enough amount who will speak up about any particular change because that's the one that happens to be important to them. It's not like the list of people who complained in the thread about The Great Movie Ride's Closure are all the exact same people speaking up now in this thread. You make it sound as if there's a finite amount of devout pessimists who are ruining everything for the rest of us, and that just isn't the truth.

Not to mention, I really don't see a lot of raging over this - I see "Boooooo" and "What a shame" and "Seriously?" and "Bummer" and "But why?" and "Another detail stripped by Disney", but I'd hardly call any of those reactions outsized. One or two that are in all caps that seem easy enough to brush aside as one person taking things too seriously. But it seems like your reaction might be mischaracterizing the general reaction here.

I 100% agree with you. But, my guess is the argument or frustration over this change and most changes recently are rooted in the resentment for what the company has become in the last ten or twenty years. Meaning; Disney has become less and less the standard barer of emersion than the expectation they created 67 years ago. Over the last twenty years that expectation has turned into disappointment each time a change happens when the changes is replaced by something much less than the original. This feels like just another nail in the “emersion” coffin albeit a much smaller nail.

 

[Tha Realest]

That last part is the most important part, for me - kind of the thing that sums up WDW across the last decade.

There's a reason none of us read about this with any faith that there would be something - anything, better OR worse - coming to replace it. It's because we knew there wouldn't be, and reportedly there truly isn't.

The way WDW been run for the past too-many years shows a pattern of doing away with things that spoke to the personality of the resort, but without making any real effort to establish a new personality. At this point I really believe that comes mostly down to the fact that they don't have a vision for the resort's personality.

They don't know what they want it to be, except more efficient . . . which somewhat directly opposes what the guests are paying thousands and thousands of dollars for. And if threads like this are any indication, guests are noticing more than ever, even when it comes to the "small stuff".

Yes. I think this also explains the apprehension towards, for example, the GF lobby refurbishment and the new DVC Poly tower.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I 100% agree with you. But, my guess is the argument or frustration over this change and most changes recently are rooted in the resentment for what the company has become in the last ten or twenty years. Meaning; Disney has become less and less the standard barer of emersion than the expectation they created 67 years ago. Over the last twenty years that expectation has turned into disappointment each time a change happens when the changes is replaced by something much less than the original. This feels like just another nail in the “emersion” coffin albeit a much smaller nail.

Smaller nail for sure, but even a small nail helps hold things together. This was mostly showcasing a time of fun and whimsical mind set. That time is probably gone forever.

 

[Kamikaze]

That's a really good point. 90's WDW was all about being "larger than life" so to speak. Being bold, taking risks. What do they strive to be today? Streamlined... efficient... and "safe" (as in choosing designs and attractions that are not bold).

Also, anyone else have a bad feeling about this? They haven't taken care of the attraction's show quality in years... they've been in no hurry to actually restore the motors and restore the ride to full intensity... we're seeing the signs of an attraction on borrowed time. I hope this isn't true.

You're talking about Tower itself, right?

Its going to be rethemed to ScarJo's movie. That's about as sure as price increases.

But hey, they'll ignore complaints about that too, because everyone cried just as much about the billboard as they will for the retheme.

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

You're talking about Tower itself, right?

Its going to be rethemed to ScarJo's movie. That's about as sure as price increases.

But hey, they'll ignore complaints about that too, because everyone cried just as much about the billboard as they will for the retheme.

Yeah, that's really not what's happening here.

Compare this 14 page thread to the 400+ of Splash Mountain. Or am I asking for trouble invoking that name?

 

[Smiley/OCD]

It was definitely tacky but in that sort of 90s outrageous, over-the-top Disney way that they just don’t do things anymore. In some ways I think that is more what people are responding to, the continued loss of identity.

I loathed the other billboards, didn’t much care for this one, but I’m also not going to delude myself into thinking this was due to some newfound pride in show.

Think about it…if the All Stars, Pop Century and Art of Animation were being built in 2022, do you really think those larger than life props and statues would even be placed there? I think not…

 

[lazyboy97o]

Yeah, that's really not what's happening here.

Compare this 14 page thread to the 400+ of Splash Mountain. Or am I asking for trouble invoking that name?

Many threads also get plenty of schadenfreude and complaining posts in response to those upset by a change. In some cases it even preemptive.

 

[ppete1975]

Don't forget the TTC having toparies

.

EXACTLY what I was remembering. Stuff like that was so fun.

 

[Kamikaze]

Yeah, that's really not what's happening here.

Compare this 14 page thread to the 400+ of Splash Mountain. Or am I asking for trouble invoking that name?

The Splash Mountain thread has had ... 2 years? to get to 400 pages. This thread is only 2 days old.

 

[dreday3]

Don't forget the TTC having toparies

.

Those are my first memories from my first trip back in either 79 or 80 I think!

I almost thought I imagined them, thanks for this!

 

[Sir_Cliff]

That last part is the most important part, for me - kind of the thing that sums up WDW across the last decade.

There's a reason none of us read about this with any faith that there would be something - anything, better OR worse - coming to replace it. It's because we knew there wouldn't be, and reportedly there truly isn't.

The way WDW been run for the past too-many years shows a pattern of doing away with things that spoke to the personality of the resort, but without making any real effort to establish a new personality. At this point I really believe that comes mostly down to the fact that they don't have a vision for the resort's personality.

They don't know what they want it to be, except more efficient . . . which somewhat directly opposes what the guests are paying thousands and thousands of dollars for. And if threads like this are any indication, guests are noticing more than ever, even when it comes to the "small stuff".

I do understand why people may mourn this loss even if, honestly, I think a nicely landscaped median strip creates a nicer atmosphere for the resort than this type of giant animated billboard. If you had to freeze WDW in a particularly time period, then the early-to-mid-1990s would be the time to do it and as more and more vestiges of that era disappear I understand why people may get nostalgic and upset when it doesn't seem like anything better is coming to replace it.

There does seem to have been some effort to update the personality of WDW at least in terms of the colour pallet over the past few years. Whatever people think of it, the bright purples, greens, and yellows of the 1990s are being replaced by a more blue and white-centric scheme that is carried through from the entry signs to road signs and places like the TTC. This seems positive to me at least in principle, as I will always remember finding WDW almost depressingly caught in a time warp when I had a long gap between trips from 1999 to 2013. DLP which was built at the same time seemed to move on a lot more quickly in terms of updating the general look for the resort.

I do look at particularly the new hotel developments and wonder what the thinking is, though. Things like the new Poly tower, the horrible porte cochere of the original resort and new hotels like Riviera speaks to a push to make the resort a more generic tourist destination differentiated by the incorporation of Disney IPs. I'm honestly very interested to know if this all accords to some strategy they have developed internally according to some logic or if they've just more or less decided that the old approach to theming resorts is a waste of money.

Don't forget the TTC having toparies

.

See, this is charming! If they announced a new project to roll out topiaries along the roadways of the resort showing characters, attractions, etc., that would be a fantastic addition that would really add to the atmosphere of the resort. It also speaks to the large, green expanses of the resort, which I think they should lean into as it's something their competition will never have.

 

[Smiley/OCD]

I do understand why people may mourn this loss even if, honestly, I think a nicely landscaped median strip creates a nicer atmosphere for the resort than this type of giant animated billboard. If you had to freeze WDW in a particularly time period, then the early-to-mid-1990s would be the time to do it and as more and more vestiges of that era disappear I understand why people may get nostalgic and upset when it doesn't seem like anything better is coming to replace it.

There does seem to have been some effort to update the personality of WDW at least in terms of the colour pallet over the past few years. Whatever people think of it, the bright purples, greens, and yellows of the 1990s are being replaced by a more blue and white-centric scheme that is carried through from the entry signs to road signs and places like the TTC. This seems positive to me at least in principle, as I will always remember finding WDW almost depressingly caught in a time warp when I had a long gap between trips from 1999 to 2013. DLP which was built at the same time seemed to move on a lot more quickly in terms of updating the general look for the resort.

I do look at particularly the new hotel developments and wonder what the thinking is, though. Things like the new Poly tower, the horrible porte cochere of the original resort and new hotels like Riviera speaks to a push to make the resort a more generic tourist destination differentiated by the incorporation of Disney IPs. I'm honestly very interested to know if this all accords to some strategy they have developed internally according to some logic or if they've just more or less decided that the old approach to theming resorts is a waste of money.


See, this is charming! If they announced a new project to roll out topiaries along the roadways of the resorts showing characters, attractions, etc., that would be a fantastic addition that would really add to the atmosphere of the resort. It also speaks to the large, green expanses of the resort, which I think they should lean into as it's something their competition will never have.

If they put those in the median, I give it 48 hours before someone tries to dig it out…

 

[brb1006]

I do understand why people may mourn this loss even if, honestly, I think a nicely landscaped median strip creates a nicer atmosphere for the resort than this type of giant animated billboard. If you had to freeze WDW in a particularly time period, then the early-to-mid-1990s would be the time to do it and as more and more vestiges of that era disappear I understand why people may get nostalgic and upset when it doesn't seem like anything better is coming to replace it.

There does seem to have been some effort to update the personality of WDW at least in terms of the colour pallet over the past few years. Whatever people think of it, the bright purples, greens, and yellows of the 1990s are being replaced by a more blue and white-centric scheme that is carried through from the entry signs to road signs and places like the TTC. This seems positive to me at least in principle, as I will always remember finding WDW almost depressingly caught in a time warp when I had a long gap between trips from 1999 to 2013. DLP which was built at the same time seemed to move on a lot more quickly in terms of updating the general look for the resort.

I do look at particularly the new hotel developments and wonder what the thinking is, though. Things like the new Poly tower, the horrible porte cochere of the original resort and new hotels like Riviera speaks to a push to make the resort a more generic tourist destination differentiated by the incorporation of Disney IPs. I'm honestly very interested to know if this all accords to some strategy they have developed internally according to some logic or if they've just more or less decided that the old approach to theming resorts is a waste of money.


See, this is charming! If they announced a new project to roll out topiaries along the roadways of the resorts showing characters, attractions, etc., that would be a fantastic addition that would really add to the atmosphere of the resort. It also speaks to the large, green expanses of the resort, which I think they should lean into as it's something their competition will never have.

Still miss the Magic Kingdom having trees.

 

[Rodj]

I just don't get why people are more upset at this than the state of the actual attraction is in. Especially the fact the hallway scene window projection has been in greyscale and the audio system has been completely wonky for a full year at this point. I am still not over this and I will not let Disney maintenance live this down.

 

[Tom Morrow]

I just don't get why people are more upset at this than the state of the actual attraction is in. Especially the fact the hallway scene window projection has been in greyscale and the audio system has been completely wonky for a full year at this point. I am still not over this and I will not let Disney maintenance live this down.

View attachment 653411

The audio's been wonky for over a decade. I remember when it first switched. The audio used to all be in sync and loud and prominent. It has been consistently out of sync and too quiet ever since... since probably 2008 or 2009.

Less people care about it because there wasn't a thread stickied at the top of the forums for 15 years telling them to care about it like Everest had.

 

[Magenta Panther]

I just don't get why people are more upset at this than the state of the actual attraction is in. Especially the fact the hallway scene window projection has been in greyscale and the audio system has been completely wonky for a full year at this point. I am still not over this and I will not let Disney maintenance live this down.

View attachment 653411

Oh, I'M upset. It makes my blood boil. is going on? Does nobody at Imagineering CARE about this pathetic situation? ToT was PERFECT in its prime. All the Imagineers had to do was maintain it. That's IT. And they can't even do that! Every one of the people who let the Tower deteriorate to this point need to be fired. Every one. And then never allowed to work at a theme park again.

I wish I could somehow attend a D23 again or a stockholder meeting. I'd light the place on fire (verbally speaking). What I'd have to say would definitely make the papers. In lieu of that, I'm really enjoying watching Disney stock tank. And Lightyear flopping. I hope more pain is to come. More pain is definitely deserved.

One of the reasons I won't visit WDW again is my fear of what's happened to the Tower, my favorite ride. I can't bear to see it in its present state. Thank God I saw it at its best. At least I have good memories of it. I wish with all my heart that the OLC would buy the American Disney parks. OLC cares about plussing and maintenance, and respects Walt's vision for his parks. But it'll never happen. Dream on, silly dreamer...

 

[Thelazer]

To be fair, once it's open it's handed off to Ops and park management...
If they don't approve the dollars to fix.

That said, I do agree though.. it is a shame.

 

[Kirby86]

I just don't get why people are more upset at this than the state of the actual attraction is in. Especially the fact the hallway scene window projection has been in greyscale and the audio system has been completely wonky for a full year at this point. I am still not over this and I will not let Disney maintenance live this down.

View attachment 653411

Agreed maintenance as a whole is such a downer for the entire resort

 

[lazyboy97o]

I just don't get why people are more upset at this than the state of the actual attraction is in.

Why don’t you ask whoever it is you’re talking about?