On July 22, 1994, Walt Disney World Resort in Florida unveiled the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. This dark drop-shaft ride stands 199 feet tall and serves as the first thing guests see upon entering Hollywood Studios. The experience immerses riders in the eerie ambiance and creepy elegance of the abandoned Hollywood Tower Hotel. Think dust, cobwebs, and a general feeling that something isn’t quite right.
In the pre-show film, directed by Joe Dante (of Gremlins and Small Soldiers fame), the legendary Rod Serling from The Twilight Zone sets the stage. He tells a spooky tale about Halloween night in 1939, when five hotel guests vanished aboard an elevator after a lightning strike. The hotel closed after that fateful night, and the five unlucky souls were trapped in the fifth dimension.
In 1997, Disney resurrected The Wonderful World of Disney, a classic weekly series that originally aired on ABC, starting way back in 1954. Deciding to create an original made-for-TV movie based on Tower of Terror, the studio tapped D.J. MacHale, co-creator of Are You Afraid of the Dark?, to write and direct. This marked Disney’s first foray into adapting a ride into a movie, preceding later hits like Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise, and of course, Pirates of the Caribbean.
MacHale’s challenge was to expand the pre-show story into a feature-length film while capturing the essence of the ride itself. Since the real ride couldn’t be shut down for filming, the production team, including production designer Phil Dagort (from American Horror Story) and set decorator Archie D’Amico (of Ugly Betty), meticulously recreated the hotel lobby in a Los Angeles warehouse, consuming a quarter of the already tight budget.
The movie begins with the familiar premise. It’s Halloween night, 1939. A table is adorned with melting candles, trinkets, and a spellbook, accompanied by an indistinct incantation. Thunder and lightning rage outside the Hollywood Tower Hotel. Inside, a lively party unfolds at the Tip Top Club on the 12th floor, filled with big band music and swing dancers.
Amidst the flashing cameras and busy bellhops, five passengers enter the main elevator: Shirley Temple-esque child star Sally Shine (played by Lindsay Ridgeway) and her stern nanny Emeline Partridge (Wendy Worthington); actor-singer Carolyn Crosson (Melora Hardin), actor Gilbert London (Alastair Duncan), and the cheerful bellhop Dewey Todd (John Franklin). However, before they reach their destination, lightning strikes the elevator, and they vanish into thin air.
Sixty years later, we encounter disgraced journalist Buzzy Crocker (Steve Guttenberg), working for a tabloid magazine reminiscent of The National Enquirer. With the help of his niece Anna (Kirsten Dunst), Buzzy fabricates alien and ghost photos for his articles. He once wrote a story about a corrupt mayor that turned out to be false, costing him his credibility and his job at the Los Angeles Banner, where his ex-girlfriend Jill Perry (Nia Peeples) still works as an editor.
Enter Abigail Gregory (Amzie Strickland), an elderly woman who resided at the hotel 60 years prior, and believes Buzzy is the one to solve the decades-old mystery. She claims the accident resulted from a botched curse cast by Emeline Partridge, a witch who sought to damn young Sally. Since that night, their ghosts have been trapped, and Abigail wants to free them.
As a professional faker of supernatural encounters, Buzzy is naturally skeptical. However, writing about the infamous mystery could revive his career, so he seizes the opportunity. He enlists the help of the hotel’s caretaker, Chris “Q” Todd (Mike McShane), a descendant of Dewey Todd and the sole inheritor of the property. But because of his great-grandfather’s will, the hotel cannot reopen until the mystery is solved.
Buzzy is excited by the prospect of a real story but can’t resist staging photos. He has Anna dress like Sally and puts out an ad for an actress to play Partridge. Claire Poulet, who we immediately recognize as the ghostly Carolyn Crosson (Hardin), arrives looking radiant.
Meanwhile, the other specters attempt to scare them off Beetlejuice-style. Sally manifests in a green-hued phantom rain, singing a haunting rendition of “It’s Raining, It’s Pouring.” There’s a headless man in a tuxedo holding a meat cleaver and a bellhop with a noose. The witch nearly pushes Anna into a fiery elevator shaft.
As an adult, it’s clear that old Abigail is suspicious. As they delve deeper, her story unravels. Jill’s investigation reveals that Abigail was the spellcaster all along. Her motivation? Jealousy of her famous little sister, Sally Shine, and the fact that no one remembered her birthday on Halloween.
Why try to redo the curse 60 years later? Abigail had been in a sanitarium since she was 10 and recently gained privileges. Details about her mental health, why a child was committed to a sanitarium, or why a 10-year-old was dabbling in black magic are scarce. Her obsession with condemning souls to the underworld also feels excessive. So many questions remain.
However, the joke’s on Abigail because ghost Sally reveals how much she adored her big sister and was looking forward to seeing her at Abigail’s surprise birthday party at the Tip Top Club’s Halloween soiree in 1939. Whoops! Still, everyone gets a happy ending. Sally forgives her, breaking the curse. Even though Abigail is alive, the sisters’ spirits unite and float away.
If there’s any Disney movie deserving of a remake, it’s Tower of Terror. Thankfully, one is in development with Scarlett Johansson as a producer and Taika Waititi as a director, still happening as of 2023.
Disney’s Tower of Terror, a family-friendly blend of The Shining and Ghost Ship, serves as an excellent gateway into the horror genre. Despite its low-budget made-for-TV origins, the creepy imagery, intriguing mystery, and Golden Age of Hollywood setting make it a Halloween staple that continues to resonate.
Unfortunately, Tower of Terror isn’t available on any streaming service, not even Disney+. Your best bet is to find a DVD at your local library or purchase it online.
