You may have ridden the Tower of Terror at Disney World more times than you can count, but did you know there’s a whole world of hidden details and secrets only the hardcore fans know? Check out these cool (and spooky!) facts to up your Tower of Terror game:
The "Take the Stairs" Message: In the lobby directory, there’s a spooky detail many miss. Some of the letters on the directory are missing, and if you look closely, you’ll see a message that reads, “Take the Stairs." A chilling reference to the disaster that befell the hotel guests in 1939, just before everything went south!
The "To Serve Man" Book: Keep an eye out for the creepy “To Serve Man” book in the pre-ride. It’s a nod to one of The Twilight Zone’s most famous episodes where aliens offer humans food, only to later reveal that the book's title is actually a cookbook!
A Broken Pair of Glasses: You’ll spot a pair of thick glasses in the hotel lobby. These are a reference to The Twilight Zone episode "Time Enough at Last," where a book-loving man survives a nuclear apocalypse only to accidentally break his glasses, leaving him unable to read in a world of devastation.
The Creepy Doll: There's a haunted doll on the stairs that fans may recognize from the Twilight Zone episode "Living Doll." Her name is Talking Tina, and she's not a fan of anyone who dares to cross her path. A perfect addition to the creepy atmosphere!
The Plane on the Stairs: On the stairs, look for a reference to "Nightmare at 30,000 Feet," an episode with William Shatner. In it, Shatner’s character sees a creature tearing apart the wing of a plane mid-flight, but no one believes him! You’ll spot a tiny plane as part of the hotel’s eerie decor.
The "Unusual Camera": Another Easter egg: The "most unusual camera" seen in the hotel lobby references an episode where a camera shows the future, but it’s not the future anyone would want to see. Spoiler: It’s all doom and gloom!
The Monkey Connection: Hardcore fans know that the Tower of Terror at Disney’s Hollywood Studios shares a little Easter egg with another Disney park. If you look closely, there’s a monkey statue in the hotel, similar to an animatronic monkey found at Hong Kong Disneyland's Mystic Manor. The monkey even shares the same name: Albert!
Hidden References to Aging and Time: One of the final nods fans love is the letter to Pamela Morris, a movie star who never ages, referencing the Twilight Zone episode "The Long Live Pamela Morris." In the story, the star never grows older, staying forever youthful—an eerie touch for the already haunted hotel.
Watch this video to learn even MORE creepy facts!