If it were just one foot taller, the Federal Aviation Authority would require it to have a flashing red light on the top. The Hollywood Tower Hotel stands at 199 feet tall. Decorations have been added to ensure that it blends in when viewed from Hollywood Studios' sister park. The Tower of Terror is a very tall structure, and the back of it is visible when looking at the Morocco Pavilion in Epcot's World Showcase. Image: sanctumsolitute, Flickr ( license ) In his autobiography, former Disney CEO Michael Eisner reveals that he suggested that the Hollywood Tower Hotel be an actualhotel, as well as hosting the Tower of Terror. This is just a dummy room to add to the impression that this is (or was) a real, working hotel. Inspirationįrom the front of the hotel, you can see a window with a light in it. Some 1,500 tons of steel were used to construct it, along with 145,800 cubic feet of concrete. Take a look at the hotel from the outside, to appreciate its scale. Next time you ride, keep your eyes peeled for these 30 hidden secrets! 30. There are dozens of little details scattered throughout the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. Guests are about to take that same journey, via a very unusual service elevator. After passing through the lobby of the enormous Hollywood Tower Hotel, they are informed via a pre-show video that the hotel was struck by lightning decades ago, sending some of its occupants spiralling into the Twilight Zone. Riders step straight into an episode of The Twilight Zone. 20 years later, first-time guests still sometimes mistake its facade for that of a real hotel.

The Imagineers took a simple concept - a drop tower - and turned it into a complex dark ride with some of the most detailed and convincing theming ever seen. The result was the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, an attraction that is still considered by many today to be Disney's best ever. The vast majority of Disney's budget, however, would be spent on a thrill ride to match those over at Universal's park. This included the addition of a Muppets-themed area and several smaller attractions. Attendance at the park would eventually surpass that at Disney-MGM Studios, and Disney put into place rapid expansion plans.

By 1991, rival Universal Studios Florida was firing on all cylinders after its disastrous debut a year earlier. This was by design - Disney CEO Michael Eisner had deliberately opted to make it a 'half-day park', keeping the cost low but still encouraging Walt Disney World guests to stay for an extra day.

The park had debuted in 1989 to huge crowds, but only offered a handful of attractions. Back in the early 1990s, Disney-MGM Studios was facing criticism from the press and some visitors.

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