The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Florida Guide > Hollywood Studios
For someone who has a fear of lifts this ride is something that you would never dream to go on. Why would I subject myself to a ride that 13 stories tall and the lifts plunge at varying stages?
We have been visiting Florida since the children were all babies some 14 years and in the early days always had an excuse not to go on the ride as I had to stop with one of the 3 children. Anyway over the years the children have grown up and all too soon they all met the 40-inch height requirement and all loved going on the ride. I became under increasing pressure just to try the ride.
Eventually after quite a number of years/visits I plucked up the courage and this is a recount of that day. I didn’t tell the rest of the family that I was going to do the ride today just in case I decided that today wasn’t the day.
We set off nice and early to Hollywood Studios getting there for rope drop and we headed straight away along Sunset Boulevard for Rock N Roll Rollercoaster where the teenagers and their dad went straight onto the ride while I went and got fast passes for Tower of Terror. They were soon off the ride and we headed over to Tower of Terror, there was no wait so they head towards the standby line. I was now getting nervous and instead of waiting outside in the courtyard I headed up the slope to the entrance of the hotel. At first no-one really noticed that I was still with them and then we got to the back of the queue the girls suddenly realised – they then kept saying ‘you will be okay mom there is nothing to worry about’! Well that didn’t really help at all.
The queue was quite long and winds through the overgrown gardens of the Hollywood Tower Hotel and all of the time I could hear the screams of the people on the ride. Eventually it leads into the lobby where everything is really dusty and covered in cobwebs. You then enter the library and the television then comes on and they explain why the hotel had to close back in 1939. We were then invited to discover the secret of the Tower of Terror. At this point I was ready to back out – I wasn’t sure that I could do this!
We then had to go into the hotel’s boiler room and you are loaded into your lifts, I was really nervous and i couldn’t really speak – did I want to go through with this or would I escape?
How could I let the children down they so wanted to have the family photograph. We were loaded onto the 2nd row and I put my lap belt on – it was too late now there was no going back. We went into the fifth dimension where you see ghostly images of previous guests. The lift then starts to maneuver towards the lift shaft itself and at this stage I just can’t speak I am terrified! Why did I want to prove a point to my teenage offspring’s and myself?
It is pitch black and I just know what is about to happen we drop and I rise off my seat – I scream and scream and scream. We go back up and the elevator doors open before us – we have a fantastic view of the whole of the park and then we drop and rise again and again. I have tears rolling down my cheeks and I am still screaming – it seems to last forever.
Eventually we return to the basement and we are welcomed back by the Bellhop. I quickly undo my lap belt but the teenagers are off to look at the photo and yes we buy it.
Have I done the ride again – well yes a couple of times but it is even worse now because I know where the drop is.
Michelle
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