Bus driver drops Tower of Terror bombshell?

[AngiTN]

The theme on this ride is extremely detailed and it is fun to pick out all of the tiny references. If I just wanted fun rides I wouldn't bother with Disney World. There are a ton of parks that are cheaper and have better rides mechanically speaking.

If they want to add Guardians of the Galaxy to the park I would like to see them build a NEW ADDITIONAL attraction, not mess with one that already commands a long line on most days.

That's not what I meant. What I meant was that I feel certain whatever theme they change to, if any, it will be as well themed as ToT is now. And the ride itself will remain the same ride it's always been, which is the primary reason I ride it. What it's themed matters little, just that it IS themed. And I'm positive it won't disappoint.

 

[hiroMYhero]

This is the same guy who said a decision about Soarin' getting a third theater would not happen until after TSMM third track was built to make sure it even helped. At the time he was posting this "fact" the third theater design work was complete and the CMs at the attraction already knew it would be closing down for the construction ... all they were waiting on was FEA to be done to coordinate. Since FEA was going to take longer, Soarin' closed anyway - upsetting many. No one with direct info from Disney execs is posting on boards.

Could it happen? yes.
The biggest nod to the possibility comes from Disney itself with the California makeover.
We just don't know if it will happen particularly since the supposed closure is over a year away...
...much can happen by then.
Rumors had it at ToT, then Ellen's, then scrapped and now back to ToT......
This also does nothing to help DHS or Epcot so in a way very wasteful of valuable money.

This is more a rumors board thread .....

TPAS for now because we are blaming it on the Bus Driver!

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

I heard one of the mousekeepers say ToT is the next DVC resort ...

 

[ThornXBL]

There are few examples of attractions which get everything absolutely perfect.

ToT definitely fits this:

Setting, Music, Location, Presence, Duration, Story, Costumes, Throughput, Lighting, Layout, Special effects, level of thrill/excitement are all perfect with this attraction.

There is little about the attraction which could be improved in my view, to retheme it would be a monumentally stupid decision which if true will be hard to beat. I am beyond surprised this is even being considered and it honestly makes me question if the management have any clue what makes the Disney Parks so special in the first place. It really would be a new level of stupidity.

I couldn't agree more. I get wanting to add GotG somewhere, but why ruin a ride that (afaik) is performing admirably to do it? It's wasted money that could be better used to update something that is actually struggling.

 

[rteetz]

With all the rumors that seem to come from "expert" sources that aren't actually Disney employees, I'll take it with a grain of salt. Until WDW officially says "Yes, we're closing ToT and this is what we're doing", and the ride actually closes, to me it's all speculation. How many different GOTG rumors have there been, none of which have actually happened. Even if Disney is talking about it and someone hears of it, doesn't mean it WILL happen. I'm sure WDW puts ideas on the table that never make it to reality on a regular basis. I don't know for sure, but I'd guess that's part of the "Imagineering" process.

Disney employees can't publicly say anything most of the time especially imagineers. They sign non disclosure agreements.

There have been 2 GOTG rumors. (I track them). It started with ToT then went to UoE and now we are back to ToT.

I guess I don't see what difference it makes. It's the ride that is fun. How it's themed is just a part of it, sure, but not that big of a deal. One thing I am sure of, whatever theme they were to opt to change it to, it will be still the same ride, with the same drops and I suspect, quite entertaining too.

ToT wasn't meant to be themed to anything else. It was built around the theme. The theme and ride work perfectly together. I don't remember a giant tower with an elevator in the guardians movie...

When is Toy Story Land expected to open? Early or late 2018?

Looking at summer 2018 right now.

This is the same guy who said a decision about Soarin' getting a third theater would not happen until after TSMM third track was built to make sure it even helped. At the time he was posting this "fact" the third theater design work was complete and the CMs at the attraction already knew it would be closing down for the construction ... all they were waiting on was FEA to be done to coordinate. Since FEA was going to take longer, Soarin' closed anyway - upsetting many. No one with direct info from Disney execs is posting on boards.

Could it happen? yes.
The biggest nod to the possibility comes from Disney itself with the California makeover.
We just don't know if it will happen particularly since the supposed closure is over a year away...
...much can happen by then.
Rumors had it at ToT, then Ellen's, then scrapped and now back to ToT......
This also does nothing to help DHS or Epcot so in a way very wasteful of valuable money.

This is more a rumors board thread .....

When did he say that first part? I don't recall that.

How do you know Disney execs aren't giving info to people? Are you best friends with Disney executives? And no I'm not talking about General theme park employees, I'm talking about imagineers, Burbank, stuff like that. You don't know everything...

Of course it's wasteful of valuable money but this is Disney that doesn't stop them does it? Look at frozen in Norway for example. They could've built a full fledge e ticket in DHS or fantasyland. Nope they took the cheap way out.

Yes there is a rumors board. We invite all to join in our conversations.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

We once had a server at HBD who, every time she came to our table, talked about something new (and completely unannounced) that was going to be happening at DHS (she was actually spot-on about Star Wars). I just kept smiling and nodding my head wondering if she really had some WDW insider info. The last time she came to our table she said, "well, we'll see if any of this actually happens. I get all my info in the chat rooms!" LOL!

 

[AngiTN]

I think one item to remember, Twilight Zone is becoming more and more obscure as the years go by. More and more people are coming up that have never seen a show or a movie and haven't a clue what it is. I'm sure that's doesn't help with keeping the theme as it is

 

[HopperFan]

TPAS for now because we are blaming it on the Bus Driver!

I don't know why I suddenly imagined the job postings for Bus Driver must surely include:
(1) imagination beyond your wildest dreams
(2) actor
(3) sense of humor
(4) understand your boss is a Mouse
AND
(5) ability to create threads on the DIS.

 

[rteetz]

I think one item to remember, Twilight Zone is becoming more and more obscure as the years go by. More and more people are coming up that have never seen a show or a movie and haven't a clue what it is. I'm sure that's doesn't help with keeping the theme as it is

I don't think that matters. Sure there is a twilight zone tie in but the ride isn't based on any of the actual twilight shows. It is its own thing, and Disney could easily take out the twilight zone name while keeping the theme.

 

[rteetz]

I don't know why I suddenly imagined the job postings for Bus Driver must surely include:
(1) imagination beyond your wildest dreams
(2) actor
(3) sense of humor
(4) understand your boss is a Mouse
AND
(5) ability to create threads on the DIS.

If you and I can create threads on the dis why can't a bus driver?

 

[mi*vida*loca]

ToT is my favorite ride and DDs. We don't plan on going back until August 2018. If this is true, and the time line is correct, I hope Toy Story land runs late on their opening. I really want to ride it as Twilight Zone one last trip. And especially don't want it to be closed.

 

[hiroMYhero]

I don't know why I suddenly imagined the job postings for Bus Driver must surely include:
(1) imagination beyond your wildest dreams
(2) actor
(3) sense of humor
(4) understand your boss is a Mouse
AND
(5) ability to create threads on the DIS.

At least he's a real person.

One discounted ticket ended up with a 16 page thread. Perhaps the Bus Driver can top that??

 

[Angel Ariel]

I think one item to remember, Twilight Zone is becoming more and more obscure as the years go by. More and more people are coming up that have never seen a show or a movie and haven't a clue what it is. I'm sure that's doesn't help with keeping the theme as it is

I can't say I've ever watched a Twilight Zone show or a movie...my main (if not only) exposure is Tower of Terror. And I still think the ride is perfectly themed and doesn't need to be changed. You don't need to know anything about the Twilight Zone to "get" the theming, it's just that well done.

And, for myself, I do have concerns about the quality of the theming they will replace it with. For as much as I LOVE The Little Mermaid, it was very disappointing to ride the dark ride for the first time (NOT having read anything about it beforehand) and then see exposed warehouse type ceilings in the Under the Sea Room. I didn't know anything about the ride, so I wasn't "looking for" anything...it just stood out like a very sore thumb. But then on the other hand, SDMT was extremely well done. I think they've been a little hit and miss at times lately...I hope that GOTG will be as well done as TOT, but I do have concerns.

I will point out that I WANT to see GOTG in the parks. I enjoyed the movie, I love the MCU...I am excited for them to go into the parks with these IPs. That said, I am disappointed that they are shoe-horning these incredible IPs into pre-existing rides rather than giving the IPs their due by constructing something new specifically for that IP. I honestly would rather they tear down TOT in DCA and build a whole new GOTG ride than just re-theme TOT.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I love DHS. We easily spent almost 2 days there last trip. I know Star Wars an Galaxy movies are HUGE but we aren't fans. We've actually never watched one of these movies. No one in my family. They don't appeal to us. I wonder how much time we will spend on future trips.

 

[HopperFan]

At least he's a real person.

One discounted ticket ended up with a 16 page thread. Perhaps the Bus Driver can top that??

Touche' real bus driver vs a spirit that lurks on an anonymous board would almost have me believing the bus driver.

THAT SAID - I've had some great bus drivers, love the one who talked the whole ride about all the animals on property and even quoting the approximate numbers. I remember being surprised by a few like the big cats.

I have no doubt this thread can get past 16 pages with all the bus driver stories of rides past.

 

[gatorlisa]

I don't think that matters. Sure there is a twilight zone tie in but the ride isn't based on any of the actual twilight shows. It is its own thing, and Disney could easily take out the twilight zone name while keeping the theme.

I also don't think it's relevant because there are other extremely popular rides at Disney parks that many people today have not really seen. For example, Splash Mountain. To my knowledge, Song of the South has never been released on home video in the US and was last released in theaters in the 1980s. So many people visiting Disney parks today have never seen Song of the South, yet they still felt it was a good fit on which to theme a ride and the ride remains very popular today. Mr. Toad's Wild Ride in Disneyland is another. Few young people today know much about the Wind in the Willows, yet the ride still stays busy. I've actually never seen an episode of the Twilight Zone myself (late 30's here), but I have always known the cultural reference. Though I love the mechanics of the drop, what makes this ride is not the drop. It's the whole atmosphere. From the eerie garden and abandoned terrace/porch of the outside part of the queue, to the details in the lobby, with cobwebs and dust everywhere, yet things having the appearance of people just disappearing, to the dusty prop-filled library, to the noise and lighting of the boiler room, and to the CM in all parts of the ride who are better at staying in character than just about any WDW attraction I can think of, ToT is so much more than a drop ride. It tells a story from beginning to end and fully immerses you in that story. Everything about the attraction was custom built around the theme and to try and retrofit something into that is just not going to work as well. IF they do this, will the drops still be fun? Yeah probably. But will it be the same immersive experience with a new theme? Time will tell, but I don't think so.

 

[kittyab]

Not surprised since they are pulling it in Disneyland. We were there in September the line for the TOT was pretty short compared to Aerosmith roller coaster.

Please no more Frozen attractions. They have over done that.

 

[angierae]

How are they working around the "no Marvel east of the Mississippi" rule with GotG at WDW, anyway, regardless of where it goes. Did I miss a change in the contract?

 

[nkereina]

Curious about what a Guardians overlay would even look like. The main thing with ToT is that there is an element of scare to it. Dark, creepy, ghosts, etc. The Guardians movie was more of a comedy to me. Entertaining but light hearted, not entirely suspenseful like ToT is currently. Just seems like a weird fit.

 

[HopperFan]

How are they working around the "no Marvel east of the Mississippi" rule with GotG at WDW, anyway, regardless of where it goes. Did I miss a change in the contract?

No change, there are some characters that are within the contract and some that are not. Guardians is not. Big Hero 6 is not. And others. Disney would be wise to capitalize on those Marvel properties they are able to use. ALTHOUGH I would appreciate something NEW - not overlayed.