Tower of Terror from Epcot pictures

[Mickey Rules]

Hey guys, I was roaming around the "secrets" section of the ToT website and saw that they designed the hotel not only for MGM, but also to fit in with the Morocco Pavilion in EPCOT. They said "The exterior of the Tower of Terror was designed to match the buildings in the Morrocco pavilion at Epcot because Tower of Terror is visible from a certain angle in World Showcase and Imagineers wanted to make it look like Tower "fit in" with the landscape of Morrocco." My question is does anybody have any pictures of this? I've been som many times, I've never seen it before. Thanks!!

 

[bradk]

doubt i have one personally, but from wikipedia

good to know though.. i'll maybe someday get a better shot of my own

 

[Robo]

Hey guys, I was roaming around the "secrets" section of the ToT website and saw that they designed the hotel not only for MGM, but also to fit in with the Morocco Pavilion in EPCOT. They said "The exterior of the Tower of Terror was designed to match the buildings in the Morrocco pavilion at Epcot because Tower of Terror is visible from a certain angle in World Showcase and Imagineers wanted to make it look like Tower "fit in" with the landscape of Morrocco." My question is does anybody have any pictures of this? I've been som many times, I've never seen it before. Thanks!!

I really think if they were so concerned about what could be seen from Epcot's WS they would not have allowed the too-tall and unsightly Swan and Dolphin hotels to be built where they are.
They cause so much trouble in the sight-lines from Epcot that they must turn off the exterior lighting on those hotels every night for IllumiNations.

The theaters for Soarin' were very visible behind Canada during their construction.
But upon completion, they painted their smooth arch roof a light blue... and they nearly disappear against the sky.

 

[Robo]

Double-post.
TWICE the fun!!

 

[NikkiLovesWDW!]

Found this one on google.

 

[Mickey Rules]

wow...it actually does fit in...not that I doubted it...but wow. You have to admit that that is pretty cool that they take these things into consideration. It is Disney though...they always do these things that no-one would really think of.

 

[DepCor0311]

That is pretty cool, I have probably looked at Morocco from that vantage point 20 or 30 times, and never noticed that. I must not be as observant as I thought.

 

[princess22]

I really think if they were so concerned about what could be seen from Epcot's WS they would not have allowed the too-tall and unsightly Swan and Dolphin hotels to be built where they are.
They cause so much trouble in the sight-lines from Epcot that they must turn off the exterior lighting on those hotels every night for IllumiNations.

The theaters for Soarin' were very visible behind Canada during their construction.
But upon completion, they painted their smooth arch roof a light blue... and they nearly disappear against the sky.

Don't they have a new "rule" about not building a resort so it's visible from a theme park. Maybe after they built the Swan and Dolphin, they realized that it ruined the scenery of Epcot, so now they are more conscious in making decisions (and that's why they painted TOT the way they did)

 

[Robo]

Don't they have a new "rule" about not building a resort so it's visible from a theme park. Maybe after they built the Swan and Dolphin, they realized that it ruined the scenery of Epcot, so now they are more conscious in making decisions (and that's why they painted TOT the way they did)

Those "rules" have really always been place at WDW.
Walt Disney, himself, was well aware of the importance of keeping out views of the "outside world" even when he first built Disneyland with its high berm of earth around the perimeter.

Disney designers usually float helium balloons to the height of a newly-proposed building and check how visible they are from other guest locations.
Then, they sometimes even erect a temporary silhouette of a section of the roof-line to check further.

From what I was told (you know how THAT goes) the Swan and Dolphin were just "allowed in" as they (Disney, and others) had plans for lots of conventions to be held near to the "adult park," Epcot.

 

[lyzziesmom]

I remember hearing the same thing about the paint and the style of ToT, it must have been on one of those Travel Channel WDW shows because I didn't even know ToT had it's own website. It certainly does blend in nicely!

I can remember when S/D were the only hotels around that area... never gave a thought to them being visible though because I was just a kid and so happy to be in WDW that I didn't notice things like that. It does bug me now though.

 

[Macca1111]

I had no idea...i learn so much on this site!

 

[Mickey Rules]

Actually, I have a couple of questions/comments here. Regarding the Swan and Dolphin...would it make any difference that Disney doesn't own them? They are actually owned by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide under the Sheraton Hotels brand. I don't know if that would play a factor into it. Also, the S and D were opened in 1990 and EPCOT was opened in 1982...now I don't exactly know...considering I wasn't born until 1988, but wasn't EPCOT not that popular then? So maybe Disney just didn't care as much about it.

About the post about Walt not wanting the outside world to be seen...but, IMO, technically the Swan is not the outside world, it is still Disney...so seeing Disney within Disney...i don't know...just my opinion. I do know and completely understand and AGREE with where you are coming from, but I'm just throwing out some ideas about why this could be.

 

[Mickey Rules]

I remember hearing the same thing about the paint and the style of ToT, it must have been on one of those Travel Channel WDW shows because I didn't even know ToT had it's own website. It certainly does blend in nicely!

I can remember when S/D were the only hotels around that area... never gave a thought to them being visible though because I was just a kid and so happy to be in WDW that I didn't notice things like that. It does bug me now though.

I don't know if I can post this because I'm confused about the linking to private/commercial(or whatever) websites, but the ToT website is http://www.towerofterror.org

 

[Robo]

Regarding the Swan and Dolphin...would it make any difference that Disney doesn't own them?

Nope.
The designs and locations were approved by Disney.

So maybe Disney just didn't care as much about it.

I suppose, logically, that would have to be true, because they allowed them to be built.

About the post about Walt not wanting the outside world to be seen...but, IMO, technically the Swan is not the outside world, it is still Disney...so seeing Disney within Disney...

Walt didn't even want the different "lands" INSIDE Disney parks to intrude upon each other.
Didn't want to see a cowboy from Frontierland walking thru Tomorrowland.

So the two behemoth hotels whose outlines impose themselves into World Showcase (especially at night) were just a visual mistake that just keeps on going.

 

[lyzziesmom]

Very cool, thanks for the link! Will definitely have to check it out, it's one of my favorite rides.

Slighty OT but funny story - I "tricked" my DD into riding ToT when she was 6 and she hated it... when we got off the ride she said, "I think I'm going to cry unless you buy me something!" In February '07 I went on a DISmeet without DD, and told her that since she wasn't coming I would ride ToT 6 times in a row, because I can never ride it when she's with since she won't ride. Well I DID get to ride 6 times, although not in a row, and it was just as great every time as my very first ride.

 

[JulyGirl]

Wow. That is really interesting! I never realized that before. Next trip, I must pay closer attention.

 

[Mickey Rules]

Walt didn't even want the different "lands" INSIDE Disney parks to intrude upon each other.
Didn't want to see a cowboy from Frontierland walking thru Tomorrowland.

Thats right, I completely forgot about that...must have been the exhaustion at 11:30 last night lol . I knew that too lol...oh well.

 

[Poohbear123]

I remember the Bellhop on my very first visit and also the fog in the boilerroom, however thru the years, I forgot about both of them, thanks for the reminder.

 

[ricktib]

Here's one at night:

 

[lyzziesmom]

Doesn't blend in too much there at night now, does it?