Which is scarier: Tower of Terror or Haunted Mansion?

[Captain Barbossa]

I chose these two because they are the only attractions with a ghost/haunted theme. I think that they are both scary on certain levels. When it comes to HM, I'm good. Not scared at all. Until we get to the graveyard scene. I can't stand those creepy heads that pop up behind the tombstones. Gets me every time. But overall, HM doesn't scare me too much (not saying I don't like HM). In terms of TofT, I was scared to death the first time I rode it, mostly because I didn't know what to expect. I don't think that any of the ghost/haunted theme scares me at all. I think what scares me the most, has to be the anticipation of the first drop. Oh yeah, and that creepy looking ventriloquist doll at the end (anyone know what I'm talking about?). But to be honest, I'm not sure if one attraction scares me more than the other. So, does one of these attractions scare you more than the other? If so, which one and why?

 

[JusticeDisney]

Both are incredibly fun, IMO. But scary? Not even close.

 

[Matt_Black]

What's scarier? The bill when I get home! *ba-dum-tss*

Seriously though, Haunted Mansion is scary in a campy way. Tower of Terror aims to be legitimately scary.

 

[awhit066]

Seriously though, Haunted Mansion is scary in a campy way. Tower of Terror aims to be legitimately scary.

My thoughts exactly!! Beat me to it!

 

[Minnie Mum]

HM is pure camp. I've never thought of it as scary. Although DD (when she was5) vehemently disagreed. I think ToT aims to be creepy, but the only thing that scares me (and they scare the bejeebers out of me) are the drops.

 

[Matt_Black]

And let's not forget the queue is explicitly designed to evoke a sense of unease, especially the music. The HM queue is filled with bad puns.

 

[AndyS2992]

Scared by the graveyard scene? It's supposed to be a comedy piece lol The imagineers couldn't agree whether to make the ride scary or funny so came to an agreement that the 'inside' part would be creepy and the 'outside' part would be funny.

 

[JIMINYCR]

ToT. With the TZ theme and Rod Serling setting the mood, theres more creepiness. You also have the buildup and anticipation of the drop and possibilities of more to come.
With HM theres an element of some comedy and it just doesnt ever reach the level of scariness. The most scary section built in there is in the stretching room.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

Both are pretty campy to the idea....Now for more of a serious and dark tone versions of both rides...I have to go with ToT At Tokyo DisneySea and Phantom Manor at DLP...

 

[crxbrett]

I think the HM is downright creepy on the outside and all the way up until you get to the ballroom scene. Then it begins to become more campy. Although the old attic scene was super creepy with the faceless bride's beating heart. Tower of Terror overall is more scary though.

 

[Bairstow]

Tower of Terror isn't campy, at least not intentionally, so it wins by default.

I will say that the original version of the attic in Haunted Mansion was legitimately frightening. That sequence was almost all Atencio and zero Davis, and other than the hanging scene in the Stretching Room is the one part of the attraction where the music drops out entirely and there's no humor.

 

[Matt_Black]

Of course, the scariest WDW attraction was and will remain the original version of Snow White's Scary Adventures. Because you think it's going to be this cute little adventure, and instead it's five minutes of the Old Witch trying to murder you.

 

[Walt Disney1955]

Tower of Terror for sure. It is at least legitimately scary from beginning to end.

 

[Amidala]

HM has all the earmarks of a scary ride, but plays out as more funny and entertaining than actually frightening...which is part of its charm. ToT terrifies me to the point that I've never actually ridden it–but I have walked through the queue with friends who wanted to ride, and took the walk of shame down the "real elevator" to the gift shop at the end of the line. All of that being said...a dark ride themed exactly like ToT probably wouldn't faze me, it's knowing the drop is coming that makes the rest of the ride feel so menacing.

Definitely agree that Snow White's Scary Adventure was genuinely scary–and it didn't need a drop tower to achieve that. ExtraTERRORestrial also sounds terrifying, but I never got to ride the original (I was too young at the time, so I'm assuming the adults decided against it) but it does look really creepy in the POV videos I've seen.

 

[Megamazing]

The first time I rode TOT, I didn't know that the drop makes your butt lift off the seat. So, I thought that my seatbelt had malfunctioned, and I was LEGITIMATELY scared. So I'm sure my screams were hysterical to those around me. I know my husband was plenty amused. I thought I was flying to my death LMAO.

My first time on HM, since I'm afraid of the dark, I grabbed my husband's hand when the lights went out in the Stretching Room.

So if you're a wuss like me, they're both scary. Haha.

 

[Darth Figment]

That creepy Ventriloquist doll , I know the one, I hate dolls, they creep me out. I can't decide which one is more scarier HM or ToT, they both are equally thrilling in their own way. I will ride each one 10 times while im there , SPM 3 or 4 times .

 

[Disneyhead'71]

The Stretching Room, particularly the end of that scene, is legitimately frightening for some people. The rest of HM is not as intense.

Most of ToT is frightening.

 

[Raineman]

I wouldn't call either one scary, but definitely creepy. I have to ask myself this-which ride would you not want to get locked inside of for the night? For me, that's HM.

 

[Rinx]

If you feel uneasy in the graveyard scene try listening to the music. The heads pop up on musical cues at the end of verses and such. Knowing when they will show themselves may help it be less frightening.

 

[SyracuseDisneyFan]

Haunted Mansion