Tower of Terror "Late Checkout"

[NewbieMouse]

How about an 'early checkout' for the late checkout idea - am I right, fellas!?!

 

[tlovesdis]

Wow, surprised to see all the negativity! We rode it Saturday night and LOVED it! It was so cool in the dark! We were screaming and having fun and everyone in our car seemed to love it as well! We all cheered at the end and wanted to go again!!!

 

[SMD]

Wow, surprised to see all the negativity! We rode it Saturday night and LOVED it! It was so cool in the dark! We were screaming and having fun and everyone in our car seemed to love it as well! We all cheered at the end and wanted to go again!!!

I'm with you. I haven't ridden ToT in a few years, but I like the idea. If they ran Space without music or lights for a limited run, I'd love to experience that. Indy without the car motions? I'd love to get a good long look at some things in there without being bounced around. If they did something like that for a few hours instead of all day, even better, because people would have a choice.

 

[allsaintsatx]

Wow, surprised to see all the negativity! We rode it Saturday night and LOVED it! It was so cool in the dark! We were screaming and having fun and everyone in our car seemed to love it as well! We all cheered at the end and wanted to go again!!!

We've been to DL so many times that even the slightest variation is appealing to us! Besides, I wouldn't be surprised if most people complaining will probably end up doing it anyway (in seeeecret of course!). I'm planning on doing it once during the day, and once at night so I can say I did it!! Scared both times, of course...

 

[Sagginit]

Good to know. I am going next week and we loved TOT. I can't ride it so my husband is going to FP it or try to do it if its open for the morning hour. Last trip we FP to go at night as we liked it better, but this time since that's not an option he might as well go on as early as we can get him on before a line forms.

 

[mich311e]

If they ran Space without music or lights for a limited run, I'd love to experience that.

Space Mountain used to be a quiet ride. I can remember when we first rode Space Mountain at Disneyworld with the music and it was so much better! As for in the dark on Space. My husband and I frequently ride it with sunglasses in to make it even darker.

Anyway - At least we have options, I can ride during the day with the effects and we can give it a try at night in the dark.

 

[ashley0139]

Wow, surprised to see all the negativity! We rode it Saturday night and LOVED it! It was so cool in the dark! We were screaming and having fun and everyone in our car seemed to love it as well! We all cheered at the end and wanted to go again!!!

I'm so excited to do it this weekend! Glad you liked it.

 

[dislaney]

Wow, surprised to see all the negativity! We rode it Saturday night and LOVED it! It was so cool in the dark! We were screaming and having fun and everyone in our car seemed to love it as well! We all cheered at the end and wanted to go again!!!

Me too! We rode it a couple of nights this week and loved it as well. Loved riding in the dark - and those who rode with us all seemed to love it as well.

 

[alvernon90]

I don't see what would be so great about "riding in the dark." It's already dark during the drops. It seems that they are just turning off the effects before the drops begin.

I guess some DLR regulars have gotten so used to poor maintenance that riding an attraction that simulates a lack of maintenance becomes a real treat!

 

[Aladora]

I have had a hard time finding a story that does not have confusing syntax about this "ride ToT in the dark" gimmick, which appears to be just the ride with all of the effects shut down. It supposedly happens once it gets dark outside.

Will they be ruining the ride in the evenings only during the Halloween period, or are they going to ruin it every night from now until they permanently ruin it on January 2?

Well, that sounds terrible. The only thing that makes the ride different from a carnival ride is the effects. Why in the world would they turn them off? Because the locals get bored? Whatever.

Sounds like this means there will be long lines in the daytime and short lines at night.

I guess they thought they were doing so well by turning off half of the effects at Splash Mountain they might as well do the same thing here. "Guests love this attraction, but you know what they would love more? If we purposely set the ride like it was half-broken."

Seriously, if the effects were broken entirely they would close the ride for refurb instead of letting guests go on and experience half the ride. How stupid can they be????

That is so lame. What makes it any different than an unthemed drop ride at Six Flags? Why in the world would they do this? What is wrong with these people???

Presumably to make people think the ride sucks and make them glad that Disney is removing such a boring piece of crap from the parks.

Upcoming "special events" for other popular rides include:

1. Space Mountain Undark After Dark -- when the sun goes down, the lights go on inside Space Mountain and the music gets turned off. Enjoy your wild mouse!

2. Soarin' On The Ground After Dark -- when the sun goes down, all rides on Soarin' feature the movie, but the ride vehicles never leave the ground.

3. Toy Story Midway Mania After Dark -- when the sun goes down, everybody rides without 3D glasses

4. New Normal Splash Mountain -- ride scenes are permanently turned off or removed, ride stays that way for years (in place since 2014)

5. Indiana Jones After Dark -- all movement in the ride vehicles are turned off and move through the building in complete darkness and silence. "Why did it have to be whatever the hell that is?"

6. Star Tours After Dark -- the ride is completely shut down and all passengers are given a ViewMaster with scenes from various Star Wars movies

That appears to be the case, yes. Pretty tragic, as it takes a huge chunk of potential ride times and throws them in the garbage. Presumably that also means you should pull FPs for the ride as early as possible, because if your return time is after 7:00 you will only be allowed to ride the broken ride.

I don't see what would be so great about "riding in the dark." It's already dark during the drops. It seems that they are just turning off the effects before the drops begin.

I guess some DLR regulars have gotten so used to poor maintenance that riding an attraction that simulates a lack of maintenance becomes a real treat!

Don't hold back, tell us how you REALLY feel about the change!



FTR, I love TOT and it is one of my two favourite rides. While I love the original theme, I am looking forward to riding it after dark and will be very excited when it reopens after the refit.

 

[alvernon90]

Don't hold back, tell us how you REALLY feel about the change!

Wow, when you put it all together like that, I guess the message does come through. I only wish I could get my wife or daughter to pay such close attention to my opinions!

I do have plenty more to say about what a ridiculous decision Disney has made here, but I think I've probably said enough. At least until they launch "Why Check Out At All?" which is leaving the effects on but eliminating the drops.

 

[stardusty21]

We were there from the 9th-14th. Rode it numerous times, the regular ride and the late check out. Late check out was great, everyone was in the spirit and having a great time! Just so you are aware, they do not offer fast pass for late check out. The nights the park closed at 8:00pm, it started a bit earlier. The longest we waited though was about 25 minutes (even when wait time was listed as much longer), they had all of the elevators running.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

I'm going this weekend, and looking forward to trying it out.

 

[Astylla]

Ditto here , just booked a last minute weekend trip so we will be checking it out Saturday!

 

[Disneydreamsdancer]

Wow crazy amounts of negativity!

We rode it tonight and I am a huge fan of the normal ride and loved the dark ride. We were one of the first in line at 6ish, they held us all over in the Hyperion quarter and then walked us over to the tower at about 7.30pm. The ride is running in no show mode so no video within the shaft and weirdly absolutely no sound effects during the drops, which was eerie! We also got held after "this time it's opening for you" everyone was ready for the drop and it didn't come! That was unsettling and awesome, love how excited everyone was and a good vibe in line enjoy all who ride!

 

[pjlla]

My opinion..... we rode it twice this past Monday.... once during the day and once "after dark" (really more like twilight/late evening). It was great both times.... but the "Late Check-out" had the addition of the musical attraction in the lobby (?? Silverstone sister?? brain won't recall the name at this moment) that we got to see briefly during our time in the queue and once you are queued up for the drops, there is no more audio/visual additions.... it is just dark and quiet. It was actually interesting because it seemed like you never got a "prompt" that you were about to drop. With the lights totally out you couldn't really even feel the full sensation of the rise in preparation for the drop.... I told my daughter "the anticipation is great!!".

Don't like the idea?.... then don't ride or ride only during the day when it is the "TOT" as usual. Why fuss and grouse about it.... Disney tried to do something interesting and different. Don't like it, don't visit. I don't care a whit for TSMM on either coast.... just isn't my thing. But obviously tons of people love it. So rather than complain about it, I just don't ride it. Leaves room in the queue for those who love it......P

 

[alvernon90]

My opinion..... we rode it twice this past Monday.... once during the day and once "after dark" (really more like twilight/late evening). It was great both times.... but the "Late Check-out" had the addition of the musical attraction in the lobby (?? Silverstone sister?? brain won't recall the name at this moment) that we got to see briefly during our time in the queue and once you are queued up for the drops, there is no more audio/visual additions.... it is just dark and quiet. It was actually interesting because it seemed like you never got a "prompt" that you were about to drop. With the lights totally out you couldn't really even feel the full sensation of the rise in preparation for the drop.... I told my daughter "the anticipation is great!!".

Don't like the idea?.... then don't ride or ride only during the day when it is the "TOT" as usual. Why fuss and grouse about it.... Disney tried to do something interesting and different. Don't like it, don't visit. I don't care a whit for TSMM on either coast.... just isn't my thing. But obviously tons of people love it. So rather than complain about it, I just don't ride it. Leaves room in the queue for those who love it......P

I guess we just have a difference of opinion as to whether running a ride in "no show" mode is interesting and different or if it is exactly the opposite of why people spend so much at Disneyland instead of going to Six Flags. I'm one of those people who thinks show is everything. Turning off the effects may be great for people who are so bored with the ride that anything different will seem interesting, but I still don't think that means Disney should do it.

And it's not the same as having an entire attraction you simply do not care for. It's taking an extremely popular E-ticket ride (one that is even more popular because it is going away forever) and removing a significant amount of time it is available to ride during the day. There is something special about riding ToT at night, so intentionally breaking the ride is like taking the ride away for hours of each day. Again, maybe that's great for the people who are so bored with the ride that they need something, anything different to add tension again. But not for the rest of us.

If Disney decided to put Pirates of the Caribbean on "freeze frame" mode for half the day, leaving the boats on but turning off all other effects and sound, I wonder if there would be so many "I rode it and loved it" posts. I'm guessing there would be. But I would still feel free to point out that turning off all of the effects on a ride where the effects ARE the ride is a terrible idea.

 

[heybets30]

Six Flags Great America used to run their roller coasters backwards for select periods of time. I would LOVE to experience something like that at DCA - CA Screamin, Goofy's - that'd be pretty awesome (probably very painful, but fun ONCE)! Space Mountain could work too - same ride, just a totally different perspective. Growing up, riding the American Eagle roller coaster (Racing coaster) backwards, was seriously a highlight of just pure fun and will stick with me forever. I'm 45, and my childhood friends and I still talk about it each time we take our kids to Great America ... "remember when the Eagle went backwards, yeah, that was awesome". I've heard some Six Flags have their coasters running in the darkness too for Fright Fest. My DD, 9-3/4, LOVES ToT. She has announced we're dropping her off at park opening at ToT, we can pick her up at park close. She seriously intends on riding it all day long as a fond farewell. I think she'll enjoy the dark ride! I'm kind of looking forward to it too. I've ridden it probably 100 times over all our trips there - easily 10 times per trip, so I'm more curious how much I'll really miss the story (originally against the Guardians theming) when ridden in the dark.

 

[agamble]

Six Flags Great America used to run their roller coasters backwards for select periods of time. I would LOVE to experience something like that at DCA - CA Screamin, Goofy's - that'd be pretty awesome (probably very painful, but fun ONCE)! Space Mountain could work too

Although a cool idea, the Disney coasters can't run backwards. Different types of coasters have different functions. Disney uses traditional lift hills, even CA Screamin’ which shoots you off has a chain hill in the middle of the ride. You can’t just run the ride backwards as you would need something to get you to the top so you could cruise back down. Space Mountain essentially sends you up, up, up, and then the train just goes down with nothing to stop it on the way. Goofy’s is essentially the same as you go up at the beginning of the ride and then the car just goes. Coasters are basically engineered examples of gravity. They’re very cool.

 

[TalkDisnerdytome]

This sounds so lame. I am glad my son got to ride it for his first time back in March and has the t shirt for proof. XD