Disney's Hollywood Studios' Twilight Zone Tower of Terror: Sunset Boulevard
Disney California Adventure's Twilight Zone Tower of Terror: Hollywood Pictures Backlot
The differences? Both versions of Tower or Terror are, at their heart, themed drop rides set in a hotel. Beyond that, though, the differences are substantial. The Hollywood Studios original in Florida opened in July 1994 and its exterior is inspired by the Hollywood Tower in California. (You can see it just north of the 101 freeway in Hollywood, if you're ever out our way). The California Adventure version opened 10 years later, in May 2004, and its exterior is inspired by Pasadena's Castle Green.
On the inside, once you've boarded the elevator, you are in for different ride experiences on each coast, In Florida's Tower of Terror, you proceed up the first elevator shaft, before proceeding forward into a Fifth Dimension scene that will lead you to the drop shaft. In the drop shaft, riders get a randomized pattern of drops, before descending to the unload station. In California, your elevator pushes back immediately, before rising to the "ghost riders" scene, then proceeding to the drop sequence in the same shaft.
Feel free to further break down the match-up in the comments.
Other Showdown winners:
Up ahead, there's a signpost. It reads California Adventure. But before you check into this hotel, you should think twice. You are about to enter... The budget cut zone.
(Music concludes, dramatically of course)
Seriously. This isn't even a contest. I'll never forget going on the ToT at CA, and discovering that the elevator doors in basement boarding area didn't open to an elevator, but rather a hallway which leads to the elevator. The only good thing that the CA version adds is the mirror illusion just before the drop sequence (which, I must admit, is pretty cool). Other than that, the WDW ToT wins hands down. The DL's version's lack of a forth dimension room where the elevator leaves the shaft places it at an unrecoverable disadvantage.
Without question the Florida ride is superior, but part there is a part of the California ride that is better and that is the audio. The audio in both the library and ride are superior at California Adventure.
This article has been archived and is no longer accepting comments.
