What is it about the Tower of Terror?

[TiggerBouncy]

My DS was FASCINATED by TOT. But he hated to ride it. I mean, this kid had watched every TOT video on youtube. knew every square inch of the ride - in every version it existed in the collective Disney Parks. Lights on, light off, back stories, different languages, minor differences in the ride decor, everything. Obsessed! (He has Asperger's, so I think his focus comes from that).

Whenever we went to Disney, he would point every time it was in sight and say "Look Dad! It's the Tower of Terror!" I would return "Do you want to ride it?" Every time without fail he would shake his head and say "nnnnoooooooo.". Dozens of times a day whenever we were in HS. From 4 to 12 he did that.

At 13 this year, he told me he wanted to ride it. I shrugged and told him I wasn't going to stop him, but I wasn't going to ride it with him either. I think he set a new record. I counted 27 times in 2 days he rode it (based on the photopass shots of him). We got a great collage of it. I had to purchase the photopasses just to give him a hard time.

 

[Catvondita]

I think the ride is overall very creepy and the fact that its a free fall is unnerving to some. I'd try to get him to do it but if he's that scared you can always try next time

 

[BrianL]

I think the ride is overall very creepy and the fact that its a free fall is unnerving to some. I'd try to get him to do it but if he's that scared you can always try next time

FYI, ToT is actually not a free fall, it is an accelerated descent meaning you fall faster than you would in a free fall. That's what makes it even cooler!

 

[Regan117]

I'm 32 and I HATE this ride. I've ridden it 3 or 4 times, but I get really shaken up and upset. Last time I rode, it dropped so many times, I was actually crying real tears. My husband was horrified and won't make me go on it anymore. Just don't push him...he will go on it when/if he wants.

 

[Tink1987]

ToT is my favourite attraction. It terrifies me (in a good way) everytime I go on it, it just wows me. I never get bored of it, I love the theming and I get shivers walking through the lobby. Nothing better then going on it at night. And it took me days to get over them closing the DCA version, sounds dramatic but first world problems and all that.

I can see how some people find it too scary to go on, like some people won't get on any rollercoasters etc.

 

[bumbershoot]

When my son was younger, he thoroughly enjoyed the actual ride (drop) part. But we had to skip ToT for a couple years because he was freaked out by the "electric people."

I can't remember what the effect at dhs is but at DCA you're seeing the group in the elevator, then lightning hits, and you turn into blue skeletons.

My son loved the physical part of the ride even at 4 but hates the whole thing because he was convinced that we had died on the ride. He's logical in many ways but he was 9 before he would ride again. Even now at 12 he's not in love with the whole thing. But now, to my horror, he loves the Guardians monstrosity they are making at DCA and he will be happy to go on that.

I absolutely love the Twilight Zone. Love it. I used to be able to do the ride, but I just can't anymore. I kept having recurring nightmares about it breaking....ha.. ha.. mphh.

Because of the way the ride works, if it broke it would stop. You're actively being pulled down and pulled up. If that broke you wouldn't be pulled. Make sense?

Interestingly, now that I've been through it once I would be willing to do it again.

Probably because it's not a free fall. I cannot stand free falls rides. Never have liked them even as a kid. But I can feel the difference with tot.

 

[#1hoosierfan]

I'm "that" mom that pretty much makes the boys try everything once.

Then if they don't like it, they don't ever have to do it again.

DS1 was hesitant to do ToT when he was 6. He got on, and did not like it. We have since learned he really does not like heights.

The rest of us rode ToT last month. He went through the line with us and exited with a CM right before we got on the elevators and waited for us (he is now nine.)

 

[SonicSunglasses]

I hope to do this ride before it changes themes. I'm a big fan of the Twilight Zone, and ToT has intrigued me for a long time. The opportunity has, sadly, not presented itself yet.

 

[ConnecticutNonna]

I'm terrified to go on it, don't ike drops, BUT, I would love to see the themeing! (Did I spell that right, it looks so wrong!)

 

[ols386]

It's intimidating looking...you can't even see the actual ride (which is intense in and of itself) so of course for a kid, not even being able to see what you're going on is a scary proposition. Inside is dark and creepy. I adore this ride. I love drops. They are not everybody's cup of tea.

Let him be. If he changed his mind someday, great.

Couldn't agree more.

 

[kathy884]

My son found it terrifying at seven too when he did it and wanted to skip it on the next trip, which I let him do. On his own time which happened to be two trips later when he was 10 he said he'd really like to do it. It was his favorite attraction on that trip, and he did it three times.

I agree with other posters and agree that it is the superb theming that is why it is scary to so many people -- That Twilight Zone stuff (even just the TV show guy talking) is just kind of creepy.

You know your kids best, but I think it's fine for anyone child or adult to sit out from any attraction that they don't want to do and am in the camp for my own son at least of letting him make his own decisions on that. If you are uncomfortable with a child waiting by himself, though, that does typically mean you or another adult in your party skips that too. In my case, that always ended up being me, but I didn't mind. We just waited for others while they did the attraction. TOT too FYI is my third favorite attraction in all of WDW, a very well put together attraction.

Some other members of my extended family indicated that they were concerned that my son was skipping rides (skipped both this one and an haunted mansion on the following trip). They said they were concerned he would get teased perhaps by friends in the future perhaps for being scared of things. I said that I thought the better lesson here is being comfortable being able to say no to friends/other people and not being embarrassed about that, being able to say that's just not by thing and meeting them at the exit, and being comfortable with that. If you can say no to a ride, later it's easy to say no to drugs, alcohol, or any other activity that doesn't sit right with you.

 

[ariane37]

I think TOT is the best ride EVER, it's my favorite in Disney (and I think anywhere else for that matter). But the first couple times I went to MGM after the ride opened I was too scared to ride it. Like pp's have said, just looking at it up there, hearing the screams.....you have no idea what exactly is going on inside! When I finally rode it, by myself because our kids were very young and DH had no interest in trying it yet, I fell in love. Everything about it is perfect! I rode by myself or with friends' kids for a few years and finally when DS14 turned 11 he tried it and has loved it ever since. As an FYI, he'll go on any coaster at places like Great Adventure and goes on every other ride in Disney EXCEPT HM, which cracks me up. He's been on it before but something about it freaks him out He won't or can't say what but he steadfastly refuses to ride it again! Yes I do tease him, say what you will
Now DS11 is more unsure of rides and doesn't ride Space or Everest yet. We paid him (I won't say how much) to try TOT last Nov. because I just really wanted all 4 of us to go on. Well he hated it and you can tell by the ride video/PP picture, which again were both hysterical. No harm done, he was 10 at the time and has stated more than once that he will never ride again. Ok, at least I have DH and older DS and have no qualms riding by myself! I don't feel bad sort-of tricking him into riding at the age of 10, but obviously before that we didn't try it. And we didn't force. That's no fun for anyone and I would spend the whole ride concerned about how the forced one was reacting.

 

[No.1000]

My ds15 still blames me for his fear of heights for taking him on TOT when he was 6. He has not been on it since and says he never will.

 

[Captain_stevEO]

I will admit I was a bit afraid of this ride and didn't ride it when I was younger. fast forward awhile and instead of being a kid going to Disney world I'm now the dad with his family in Disney world. It took my 9 year old daughter to convince me to ride with her lol.

I was nervous whole time in line and I was thinking what have I done once the elevator doors opened and it was our turn to load. The ride is an amazing experience and it was scary to me but I loved it and can't wait to do it again.

But its the scared feeling that makes me love this ride and it's a testament to how awesome Disney attractions are. This ride completely pulls you out of a Florida theme park makes you really feel like you're in an old sketchy haunted hotel, from the que till your exit your giving a feeling of being unsafe even though your in one of the safest places on earth.

Although I wouldn't push him into riding it yet because he might on his own in the future I would stress that this might be his last chance to experience the ride in its current form and it would be ashame if he missed out on that.

 

[SueM in MN]

What helped me was learning about the 3 "types" of drops that happen on this ride. Once I knew what was coming, it became exciting, rather than scary. There's one Big drop, one Small drop and one Bouncy drop. This knowledge took this ride from my least favorite, to top 5. I wouldn't push my 7 year old niece to go on the ride, but I'd definitely explain what happens to her so that she can make the decision on her own. Hopefully your DS will ride it on this trip, but if not, it just means you have reasons to go back in the future!

There are 3 main types of drops, but you cany count on one big drop, one small drop and one bouncy drop.
When it first opened, there was kind of a specific sequence of drops. It's been random for quite a few years now, so you can get any number and any combination of those kinds of drops.
That's the part I don't like. If it actually only did one big, one small and one bouncy drop, I'd be good with it. But, I've been on with many more drops.

 

[joyjoy]

I don't like it at all. The theming is cool, but...... I think of it this way: I have NIGHTMARES about falling. Why would I want to actually do it IRL? Yuck, no thanks. I'll people watch with a beer from the turkey leg place while all of y'all (and everyone else in my family, too) ride it.

 

[jenniy122]

A friend of mine in her 30s won't go on Tower, despite having basically no fears of anything else in life. We worked in a historic building with original elevators, and having them drop at random and being stuck in them for real was enough of that.

 

[HMANSION LOVER]

Let him watch the movie. It winds up having a happy ending. That may put his fears to rest if it the theme of the ride that has him scared. If it fear of the unknown actual ride experience itself don't push, could backfire!

 

[NMAmy]

Please don't push your son to ride it or bribe him. There's nothing more awkward for me as a random stranger standing in line than to watch a scared child be coerced into riding.

DD is 26 and she still hates it. I think it 's the randomness. She likes predictability. I ride it with my son-in-law since DH can take it or leave it.

 

[Catvondita]

FYI, ToT is actually not a free fall, it is an accelerated descent meaning you fall faster than you would in a free fall. That's what makes it even cooler!

Yea I know it actually pulls you down but I'm pretty sure it can still be classified as one.