Tower Film A Ghost Story...

Just had a source confirm for me that Bloody Disgusting article about a Tower of Terror film was all bunk...

It's not happening.

No film is in development at this time. So it looks like they got it wrong. That's fine... it would make a great story if done right, but at this time the Mouse has no plans of doing it at all...

Rebuilding The Tower...

You know, I was in the gift shop last week with a friend showing her all the merchandise and pointing out what worked and what didn't. A little advise to the Mouse... Don't put Pirate merchandise in the Tower of Terror shop. It don't belong...

But while there I glanced at the DVD of that old television movie staring Steve Guttenberg and Kirsten Dunst. The really cheesy one that looks like it could have been an episode of "Goosebumps" or some other mediocre series. But then I stared at those "Dead Men Tell No Tells" shirts and I wondered what would happen if they treated this with the seriousness that they gave Pirates as a film. A scary, theatrical film.

Well, the guys over at Bloody Disgusting are saying they're hearing a rumor that Disney plans on making an actual theatrical version of this attraction. Now I haven't heard anything to validate this, but I can tell you if they were to get a good script with a strong story and then attach a director and cast to match I wouldn't be opposed. What about having Michael Dougherty write the script? He did an awesome job with his film "Trick R' Treat." Heck, what about Gore Verbinski to direct it? He did "The Ring" and did a great job I thought...

Of course, they also mention that the rights are being negotiated right now... And I had to ask: "What rights?" They own it. Then I remembered the "Twilight Zone" subtitle. I think Disney could do it fine without that element. They did it at Tokyo DisneySEA and it worked out great. I see no reason to have to tie Rod Serling to this film should this rumor turn out to be true. Were the Mouse to squander money on getting the rights to use that name it'd be a bizarre waste.

Something right out of the Twilight Zone...

Terror Opens...

Fourteen years ago today "The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror" opens up on Sunset Boulevard in Walt Disney World's Disney-MGM Studios. Themed in the old Spanish Revival style(which is the same style DCA's new front entrance will be, btw), it offers a thrilling experience of a haunted hotel where you are trapped in an elevator that becomes stuck between dimensions. Never ridden it before?

Drop in sometime...

Saving Face, Propping Up...

Before the Suits in Burbank finally began to realize the mistakes in conceiving Disney's California Adventure, the mantra was
"Well, we'll just keep adding attractions and that will be enough.".

It wasn't, but it's hard to get bean counters to admit they're not Imagineers, much less Walt himself...

On this day...

Four years ago today, the clone of Disney's Hollywood Studios "Twilight Zone Tower of Terror" made it's official debut. While somewhat different architecturally, the basics of the ride are actually the same. The placement of it near the end of the Hollywood Backlot section of the park is somewhat awkward due to flawed designs. Designs that will hopefully be fixed in the second phase of DCA's "Extreme Makeover" with a more period themed and expanded area surrounding the attraction. While there was a boost in park attendance, it wasn't what the Mouse wanted/intended and wasn't the much needed "E-Ticket" that would become the savior of the park. But it was at least a new ride and a much better one that "Superstar Limo".

Hopefully, the mistakes of the past will not be forgotten and will not be repeated...

Terror Around The World...

There are very few attraction that are in all the parks.

This is not counting Hong Kong Disneyland, which just celebrated it's first birthday. So we will leave this one out.

But in the other four parks, there are only a handful of rides that are in each of them. They are:

Space Mountain.

Pirates of the Caribbean.

The Haunted Mansion.

and The Tower of Terror...

I know, some are saying "what about the Jungle Cruise?" Well JC isn't in Paris because of the weather. It is in Hong Kong though. But those four attractions are the only ones reproduced in all four of those parks. And in about five or so years, they will have been put in five parks. Pirates should join HK in 2010 and Mansion a year or so later. That will only leave the Tower of Terror to join it. This will come sometime, I'm sure in the next decade, particularly if they decide to build a Disney-Pixar Studios park as a second gate. Not saying they will... just saying it might be a second gate. No one knows what the future brings.

Anyways, I thought I'd put up some pics of each Tower from each park and compare them.

First up is the original Tower at Disney-MGM. It's a very beautiful, very detailed representation of 1930's Hollywood glory. The Imagineers build a great ride with a great deal of detail.









Next is the Tower in Disney's California Adventure. This one has slightly less detail and is build in a more traditional art deco style. The ride itself is quite simular to its Florida counterpart, but the lobby and loading area aren't as well themed.

Here we have the Tower that opened in November in Tokyo DisneySea. This one isn't called the "Twilight Zone" Tower of Terror because most Japanese have no never seen the television show. It is in the American Harbor "port" of TDS and is themed much different than its American cousins. It has more of a gothic feel, and has nothing to do with Hollywood. As one would expect from the Tokyo Disney Resort it is incredibley detailed. No surprise that it is my favorite.

Now we have the Tower that is being built at the Disneyland Paris resort for the Walt Disney Studios. It is esentially a copy of the DCA version with very little noticable difference. The only main structural difference is that they built it out of concrete instead of steel which is what the others were constructed with.

They are all beautiful, but it is nice to have each one given it's own individual character. Hopefully, the Tower in Paris will be a little different from the other three besides the directions being in French.