2. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror – Drops gone wild
The history of the Tower of Terror is an interesting story, but there’s one section of the Tower saga most guests are not aware of. When it first opened in 1994, the Tower was similar to today’s version with one exception— the ride culminated with only a single drop. When you reached the dreaded elevator shaft, guests hovered in the dark then dropped a few feet. The doors opened and with the loud crack of a cable snapping, the elevator plummeted to the bottom.
While the attraction was a huge hit, this proved a painfully short experience for the enormous queues the Tower drew. Recognizing the dilemma, Disney Imagineers swept in with a much-needed upgrade: The Hollywood Tower of Terror II. Double the drops, double the terror.
In this version, you reached the elevator shaft, dropped a few feet, then with that terrifying sound of a cable snapping in the dark, you’d fall nearly the full height of the Tower. Just as you neared the bottom, you blasted back to the top and hovered in front of the open doors looking over Hollywood Studios. The camera flashed, and you plummeted the full thirteen stories, an incredible effect as the elevator blasted past the speed of gravity. It was the perfect mix of fright and Disney magic, and the attraction finally reached a suitable length.
It seems plain to assume that all signs within Disney pointed to “more is better”. Before long, The Tower was updated to the version we’re all familiar with, where the elevators fall in a randomized sequence of drops and lifts. Overall, it was another great upgrade as it lengthened the drop section and kept guests guessing just what horrors the Tower had in store each time.
Unfortunately, this refurbishment came at a small cost: first, that heart-stopping sound of a cable snapping was, at some point put by the wayside. Perhaps it didn’t fit with the supernatural element. It’s such a subtle change, I’ve actually wondered if those of us who remember it only imagined it.
Second, the random drop sequence cost the ride an important element—the thrill of a full fall down the tower’s thirteen stories. Tower of Terror II emphasized the power of the drop perfectly. The current effect feels rather more like being on a giant yoyo than plunging into oblivion. After being bobbed up and down, it’s a little harder to appreciate that faster-than-terminal-velocity drop. There’s much to appreciate in the randomized version of the Tower, but there are some things to be missed about the perfect blend of sound and horror that was Tower of Terror II.
3. Test Track – Surprise tests
We’ve explored the differences between the two incarnations of Epcot’s Test Track before. Whereas the original ride was a wacky exploration of safety testing for new vehicles, today’s Test Track is an ultra-sleek simulation-of-a-simulation surrounding the design of new cars.
There’s so much to love about the new Test Track: the ability to design your own vehicle, the switch to a dark ride setting, the not-so-subtle hints that it might be a spiritual successor to Tron… However, there’s one key area where the new Test Track lost the magic.
The fun factor.
There were so many hilarious moments in the original Test Track—the corrosion test robots, the “surprise tests” joke. These segments wouldn’t have fit with the new vision for the ride, but there’s one moment we truly lament the loss of.
The barrier test.
You can watch the segment at about 9:20 in the video. In the original attraction, after you completed the main gauntlet of tests, you entered a large warehouse with a foreboding sign: Barrier Test. Your car cleared the corner and slowly lined up to face a wall marked with a crash target. Obliterated cars lined the track. In what might be one of the greatest pranks in Disney attraction history, you accelerated towards the wall. Just as you were about to strike, the wall split to send you speeding onto the famous test track surrounding the pavilion.
It was probably the funniest moment in any Disney attraction. I can’t think of a single instance where people didn’t laugh nervously at this brilliantly executed joke. The new attraction has a distinct feel of a Chevrolet commercial, one that takes itself just a little too seriously. The moment when the car blasts through a dark void onto the open Test Track is a bit anti-climactic compared to the old version. It begs the question if the barrier test segment could have been given a “Sim-Track” upgrade to maintain some of that old Disney magic.
Comments
1. Pirates - totally don't agree with you on this one. It was the best way they could have updated Pirates and incorporated the movies while still staying true to the original. Having the new characters replacing forgettable one like the captain of the frigate and the captured prince and having Captain Jack Sparrow hiding throughout the bulk of the ride was a masterful stroke in merging the two. The last Jack fits in perfectly as he enjoys the spoils of war and I think him mumbling/singing to himself fits the character perfectly.
2. ToT - You're wrong on this one again IMHO. While ToT II indeed was a marked improvement from the initial offering the randomization of the new ToT is incredible. It makes it so you never know when the ride is really done and yes you can fall the entire 13 stories. My favorite is one sequence where you think you are done because you see the unload area but then it unexpectedly shoots you up again.
3. Test Track - totally on the mark with this one. I like the design aspect of Tron Track but miss the fun of the old TT.
4. The Great Movie Ride - on the mark with this one too. Much better whenever it was totally a spiel ride.
Some minor changes I don't necessarily appreciate:
Thunder Mountain - the cave in with the moving rocks. Not sure if this one has been perpetually broken. I heard a rumor it might have been OSHA regulations that they were too close to riders or something?
Splash Mountain - the addition of the lap bars. Just a bit annoying and less fun with them.
ToT - I miss the lap bars on this one. I think it made you feel less secure than the seat belts.
Star Tours - I LOVE Star Tours the Adventure Continues but why oh why isn't the classic Death Star trench battle not one of the choices? I know we had it for decades but still I think it should be a choice.
Universe of Energy - I miss the snake like dinosaur. It's especially awkward with the references to it in the movie following the dino diorama.
The Land - I miss the spieling in the boat ride. Not quite the same without it.
Dinosaur - This one is so minor it's almost not worth mentioning but the descriptive name Countdown to Extinction is a MUCH better name than the absolutely droll Dinosaur. I don't know who named that movie but it's a terrible name. Even the movie should have been named Countdown to Extinction. It's very evocative of what you're about to experience in the ride. It's like if Finding Nemo was called Fish, or Lion King was just Lion, or King Kong was Big Ape. Terrible naming.