The Hollywood Tower Hotel Preservation Society

Mr. Bellcaptain's model making blog detailing the design and construction of a highly detailed replica of The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror as it stood at Disney California Adventure between 2004 and 2017.

[a-land-of-shadow-and-substance]

Alternate Tower Spotlight: The Florida Tower of Terror--The Lobby

Notably, the lobby doors were much less grand than their Californian and Parisian counterparts. The DCA and Paris Towers had wide stained-g...

Finally, the next part of Florida’s Walkthrough!  Take a look at one of the most beautiful and detailed scenes in a Disney attraction–the gorgeous lobby!

[mrbellcaptain]

August 17th, 2017 - Hollywood Tower Hotel Preservation Society - Building the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

Hello everyone and welcome to the next installment of The Hollywood Tower Hotel Preservation Society - Building the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. Today I will update everyone on progress on the model and what to expect going forward. Let us begin with the left side of the lobby. In the previous update I completed the archways and some small detail pieces, and was starting on the walls surrounding the left side.

After the walls were completed the doorways at the back of  the lobby needed to be sketched out. These pieces are extremely detailed and feature gorgeously done woodwork (on the real doors). Notably I did not sketch the handles and levers for the doors, as I figured modeling them and 3D printing them would only end up being a hassle. I will instead model them by hand, although how I have not yet decided.

(Above) Here is the entire left side. Later on I will change the upper sections and replace them with smaller, more detailed parts.

Starting on the main entryway. This piece was probably the hardest thing I have yet drawn. It was so detailed and took me well over 3 days of work to get to a state that I liked and felt comfortable with.

The finished arch/entryway (above).

Starting to enclose the lobby now. Copying over wall sections and drawing some mirror pieces.

(Above) Here is the front desk. Another part that I thought would be difficult but proved easy after I realized the designs were simply the same ones from the doors. Luckily they fit perfectly and didn’t require any redrawing to make work.

(Above) The full front desk, both inside and out.

Now for the biggest news of this update. Last week I ordered my 3D printer it was shipped out yesterday. Shortly I should be getting it and the real building process can begin. It is extremely exciting after almost 13 years of trying to find a way to build a model of this to finally have all the pieces falling into place. Also be on the lookout for a video coming up soon of my design process for drawing the doors featured at the beginning of this post! That’s all for now, thank you all for dropping in! - Mr. Bellcaptain

[mrbellcaptain]

Greetings!

Welcome to, what I hope will be at the very least, a monthly blog detailing my building and design of a model of The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror from Disney California Adventure. Today I am showing off my Google Sketchup designs as I proceed to build from the Hotel’s lobby outward and upward. I started on this project about a year ago as a little side thing while rumors of the Tower of Terror’s demise started spreading with little bits of design on the face of the building and the Tower’s iconic “The Hollywood Tower Hotel” sign. I started my design by eyeballing the outside of the building and estimating sizes of various things such as windows and the elevator doors. I then proceeded to shrink my estimated measurements down to 1:48th scale, or the standard scale for O-scale model trains. The reason for this is due to several reasons: first I wanting to populate the model with figures to make it look somewhat like a snapshot in time, and two I wanted a scale that would allow a large amount of detail while still being small enough to not take up a quarter of someone’s backyard. As such, this project will not be an exact replica, more it is intended to capture the feel and design of Disney California Adventure’s Twilight Zone Tower of Terror so things may end up exaggerated or altered to fit. Future plans for this project will get revealed as I progress further and more things can be ironed out as it were. In these pictures you will see my sketches of the pillars and archways found inside the lobby of the legendary Hollywood Tower Hotel, along with a small plaque indicating room capacity. Most of this project will probably be 3D printed so as to ensure a level of accuracy and to allow the ability to reprint pieces should a need arise. I hope to, in a few short weeks, have the entire lobby designed and some pieces printed out to begin testing various things like paint, plaster, and details like cracks and chips in the wall. Thank you all for checking in with me on this and I hope you all drop in again real soon!

-Mr. Bellcaptain

[fromthetrapdoor]

--- Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission: Breakout! Review ---

— Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission: Breakout! Review —

Warning: Attraction Spoilers and Political Discussion Ahead

    On May 27th, 2017, Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission: Breakout! opened at Disney California Adventure to massive crowds and press coverage. The attraction was certainly not without its controversy leading up to its construction and opening due to the nature of what the “new” attraction would entail. From May 5th, 2004 to January 2nd, 2017, the space now occupied by Guardians was home to a popular and well known Disney attraction called The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. The closure of this attraction has caused a massive divide in the Disney fan community, as is often the case when a beloved attraction is closed or shuttered for another.

— History and Controversy —

    To start, before discussing Guardians, one must know a little history behind the attraction that it replaced. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror originally opened in July 1994 at Walt Disney World’s MGM/Hollywood Studios. At the time it was considered one of the most detailed and technologically advanced attractions ever created, and that assessment still holds up to scrutiny to this day. Next we move to Disneyland Paris, and, its sister park, the Walt Disney Studios Park. Shortly after opening, plans were in place to build a new variant of The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney’s European experiment, but Disneyland Paris came up short in expectations. The resort had a myriad of problems, from culture clashing designs to a problem that was becoming constantly clear in the Walt Disney theme park division: to many hotel rooms. Disney wanted desperately to keep people on their resort properties and as a result overestimated the amount of hotel rooms needed to keep said guests there. When the hotels failed to fill, so too did the parks and the Tower of Terror was placed on the backburner with its reserved spot shadowed by the Hollywood Tower Hotel’s logo.

Meanwhile Disney’s newest park in the United States was having its own problems. Disney’s California Adventure, now Disney California Adventure, opened to lukewarm reviews. In its first year of operation, a ride was actually closed to improve guest satisfaction. A lot of complaints abounded about the park but one of the chief complaints was the lack of a Disney feel. In designing California Adventure, Disney Imagineers attempted to avoid placing known Disney characters in the park to give the park a unique feel. The characters were to stay in Disneyland across the way, California Adventure was to exist alone. This didn’t go over well with the public and so plans were immediately set into motion to build a new expansion with Disney flare. The aptly named “A Bug’s Land,” named after the Disney/Pixar movie “A Bug’s Life,” took over a section of the park dedicated to California’s Horticultural heritage and featured kid sized rides with a Bug’s Life theme. Following this, plans were pushed through to build Paris’ planned Tower of Terror at Disney’s California Adventure, in hopes of boosting park attendance. There was some hesitation to do this though. As many know, on September 11th, 2001, there was a massive terrorist attack in the United States that cost the lives of many innocent people and devastated not just the country, but the world as a whole. The words “Tower” and “Terror” became connected to the collapse of the World Trade Center buildings and the horrific events that unfolded that day. Disney was seeking to avoid having to use the words “Tower” and “Terror” with a burned out and destroyed high rise building but could find no alternative ways to go about it. Another issue arose with the planned location of the attraction. The Tower of Terror was set to be placed in the Hollywood Pictures Backlot area of Disney’s California Adventure, off a replica of Sunset Boulevard. This placement meant that the burned out and destroyed sections of the building would be directly in line with the Condor Flats Airfield on the other side of the park, leading to possible connotations of airplanes and destroyed Towers.

    Still Disney pressed forward and on May 5th, 2004, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror opened at Disney’s California Adventure to praise and extremely positive reviews. Notable criticisms came about in the changes made to the ride system. MGM Studios’, hereafter referred to as WDW’s Tower of Terror, featured a popular and complicated show scene called “The 5th Dimension Scene” wherein the elevator would move out of the elevator shaft and travel down a hallway, transporting its riders into the Twilight Zone. This single scene was noted as being one of the primary causes for the attraction to breakdown on a regular basis, as loose objects, such as park maps or tickets, may end up landing on the sensors that guide the elevator through the hallway. When this section is the main factor in a breakdown, half the attraction is left operating, as the attraction layout and design incorporates two copies of the attraction’s ride system. Disney sought to change the design while still using the same aesthetic of riding a haunted elevator. DCA’s, and by extension the future Paris and Tokyo variants, all use the newer ride design that allowed a massive jump in capacity while still keeping the feel and flow of the original attraction. Comparatively, DCA’s is a bit more simplistic in technological design, while, in this writer’s opinion, advances and improves on the story beats of the original. Without the slow paced 5th Dimension Scene, the ride instead utilizes a few unique tricks to mess with the riders. A push backwards from the loading doors at the beginning, a haunted mirror, and drift back into reality. The newer variant hits all the points needed to give the Tower of Terror the haunted elevator ride of your life while still conceding to the compromises needed to fix a messy original. Disney attractions as a whole are often subjected to newer variants as technology improves, where an original (Something like WDW’s Space Mountain) can be surpassed by a redesign (like Disneyland’s Space Mountain).

    In July, 2016, Disney announced the closure of The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at San Diego Comic Con. Reports vary, but word is the announcement was met with either silence, boos, or both. Shortly thereafter, the famous Hollywood Tower Hotel sign on the face of the building was removed unceremoniously overnight, and scrims and scaffolds went up in the following weeks. If those reading haven’t already guessed, the Tower of Terror was my favorite Disney attraction, with particular emphasis on DCA’s version, so this change was already bitter to start with. I had seen Guardians of the Galaxy not long after it had come out on insta-watch on TV and I found it funny but I couldn’t find myself relating to the characters. Overall, a good popcorn flick for the summer but nothing to write home about. So, seeing my favorite ride replaced with an “alright movie” upset me. It has made me extremely critical of the changes and for that sake I will warn that my review will be looking at it harshly; and it should be looked at harshly. Disney attractions are supposed to be top tier. Nothing on Earth is supposed to match their quality and design. I am not alone in this sentiment too. Hundreds of thousands of fans of the Tower attempted to the very last days to save its life, and even now continue hoping for its return some day. So, on with the show: Here is my review of Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission: Breakout!

— Review —

    Upon first viewing of the building, either outside the park or on approach, the bright colors and pipework are eye catching. A symbol, the one of the Collector himself, shimmers in the California sunlight, placed directly center on the building. A black bar of nothingness separates the upper half of the building into two sections. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror was designed as a permanent attraction, and as such, the attraction’s former design elements stand out in full. The pueblo deco/art deco influences are still heavy and evident across the building, albit with a new coat of paint and a healthy bit of glued on pipes and satellite dishes. The top half of the building is awash in bright oranges, yellows, golds, coppers, silvers, blues, and browns, with the aforementioned inexplicable black strip in the middle. According to the comic book released to help detail the ride’s backstory, the black strip is intended to make the section “go away,” similar to how backstage areas of theatrical shows are painted black to hide it from the audience’s view. This is blatantly poor design, as sections of a massive 183 foot tall building in the middle of Southern California cannot be made to just disappear by painting it black. Admittedly it does vanish with clever lighting at night, but the majority of people will see it in the daylight. This top half of the building was the first thing seen by many as the scaffolds came down on the construction of the attraction, and as such has had time to grow on many and become less of the visual eyesore it was from the get go. That isn’t to say it’s not ugly, it is horribly ugly, but it is nowhere as bad as the lower half, which I will get to soon. The shiny pipes and other various “design elements” are highly reflective in the sunlight, and from some angles can make the building appear to be a lighthouse in broad daylight. The building stands out visibly from various areas in Disney California Adventure, most notably the tied in themed Buena Vista Street. As was mentioned earlier with the concerns about building Tower in sightline of an airfield, the new burned out destroyed segments are still in line with Grizzly Airfield, though whether the roadway there is an airstrip still is uncertain at the moment. People looking for it can also see the building from Disneyland’s Main Street, but that has always been the case, albit less visually disruptive before.

    Moving downward on the building, one comes to the former elevator doors that once allowed screaming guests a view into DCA and Disneyland before plunging into The Twilight Zone. Here, where the former lightning scar was, is what, according to the Disney Parks Blog, a section the building that appears to have been “attacked.” Now, let me start by saying that this is terrible design for a theme park attraction, especially in today’s political climate. Theme parks are supposed to be destinations that distract and remove you from the world beyond the park gates. Disneyland, for example, hides the entirety of Anaheim from the guests’ view, and that was intentional as, Walt Disney believed that Disneyland should be a place similar to a sanctuary. A location where one can forget their troubles and burdens for a few hours and enjoy some “real” magic. Having the tallest attraction in the Disneyland Resort, and by extension the tallest building in Anaheim, look like it was attacked, is poor in taste. Admittedly, the Tower of Terror’s lightning scar was similar in design, but the otherworldly purple and black scar made the broken building appear damaged by mysterious means. The burned and charred exterior of Guardians’ broken segments can be horribly offensive given the climate of today’s world, where attacks that have left buildings horribly damaged and people’s lives ruined have become uncomfortably common place. Reflecting on old rumors, this piece of the building was originally supposed to be covered up and enclosed to include a new “view into space” scene for the elevator ride. Rumors report that was cut due to the building unable to support the additional weight without massive structural work to match up with California’s strict codes for earthquake safety. Could this problem have been avoided? Certainly. Squaring off the scarred and broken sections to make it appear as if they were balconies and just normal looking building would have been easy and quick, but instead they sealed up the remains of the windows from the Hotel’s lightning scar and incorporated them into the broken remains of an attacked building.

    Moving further down, we get to the lower half of the building, most seen from the rides’ grounds and queue. This area is a complete mess. Sections are covered up with what looks like randomly placed junk and air vents. The colors are dingy and drab, with muted tans, browns, reds, oranges, golds, blues, coppers, silvers, greys, and blacks. The colors are similar to the upper sections of the building, albit with a dingier, dirtier, and more faded look. Notably, some sections appear as if the Imagineers ran out of paint midway through and started painting with another color. I am unsure if the reasoning behind the shifts in color brightness is due to the the lower and upper halves being two separate buildings, or what? Right now though there is an absolute visual clash between the bottom and top half and the only cohesion between the two is pipes and satellite dishes places haphazardly all over. The one redeeming section of the building is the small tower adjacent to the former lobby’s roof, just over what used to be the libraries of the Hollywood Tower Hotel. This part is gorgeously done with both the dingy and clean sections, featuring a dark blue and gold circuitry design and gold and copper accents. It is very much how I would picture a newer and revitalized Tomorrowland across the Esplanade. Other segments, are nowhere near as gorgeously done, which is a shame.

    At night, the building is lit by greens and oranges. With the building’s new spiky crown, some have jokingly called it a “pineapple.” A lighting designer friend found that the exterior lighting was a bizarre and semi sickening choice. From someone with a theatrical background in lighting, the colors of green and orange are chosen to create an uneasy and sick feeling in the audience. Where Tower’s dark blues and purples (jokingly called blurple) touched the soft tans of the building and created another atmosphere, the greens and oranges of Guardians clashes with the bright, garish colors of the attraction’s exterior, awarding it no favors. The boiler room is another notable misstep in lighting design, with more sickness inducing colors such as “dirty window yellow” and various greens. It was noted as looking as if “Disney gave their lightning designer either no time, no budget, or no tools to create something fitting the attraction, and instead did a quick job with what they had and walked away.” Strangely, I have not noticed any of the promised “things moving through pipes and glowing effects” on the exterior of the attraction at night. I am unsure if this was dropped entirely just before opening or is yet to come, or if I simply just missed it.

    The surrounding grounds are almost entirely untouched. The former bus stop fastpass stand remains exactly the same as it was in the Tower’s former glory days, and the Red Car Trolley stop still remains, although now is notified as a stop on “Sunset Boulevard” as opposed to “The Hollywood Tower Hotel.” The former HTH logos from the surrounding grounds were covered up or sealed and any references to the Hollywood Tower Hotel were stripped out of Buena Vista Street in the weeks leading up to the Guardians’ opening. This is an unfortunate shame, seeing as the Tower is supposed to still exist in the overarching lore of the park. Early reports stated that the Collector acquired the Hollywood Tower Hotel and by noticeable references in the current attraction’s line that still seems to be the case. So why remove the references everywhere else? This is a heartbreaking loss to the beautiful theming on Buena Vista Street where nothing but hooks were left in place of the posters after removal some weeks ago. After the attraction’s opening, the posters were placed back on Buena Vista Street with a single minor change. All references to the “Hollywood Tower Hotel” were replaced with Carthay Circle Theatre, but nothing design wise was altered. The building on one poster still is the Hollywood Tower Hotel and the former HTH at the top of the other is now CTC for some reason. This feels lazy and inconsiderate to a former popular attraction and to the land that these posters rest in.

    The former fountain is now a sign displaying the Collector’s newest acquisitions “THE GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY” as they are now on display for you, his very own VIP guests to his vault of wonders. Walking in through the former entryway is a massive statue of the Collector himself, shining and splendid. This is an admittedly nice touch, as the Collector seems to be the epitome of greed and self indulgence. The former gardens of the Tower are now much the same, except with some cards identifying rare plant breeds from various locals. The real treat comes when you enter into the former lobby. Another honest admission is the showroom for the various objects the Collector has acquired is a mixed bag. On the one hand, we have more pipework and questionable paint and style choices, but the artifacts on display are excellent in quality. Each has its own unique character to it in its own right. From the dog, Cosmo, wagging his tail, to the Ultron bot lighting up, each has life and a unique feel. There is a hidden “Figment the Dragon” from Walt Disney World in one of the containment cases suspended from the ceiling. This is a strange addition as west coast park goers are less likely to know who Figment is and the long battle park fans have had with Disney involving him. Maybe a subtle reference to the loss of Tower, a beloved attraction, for something new. On the back wall of the showroom is a large TV screen where the Collector first welcomes you and shows you his newest “artifacts”. This gives some exposition early, as it explains that the Guardians got captured due to Star-lord thinking the VIP tour was extended to everyone. Heading toward the former libraries, we are greeted with big metal doors with a red light above it that changes to blue when the room is ready to be entered.

    Entering the former Libraries, we are now treated to the offices of the Collector himself. He unfortunately couldn’t meet us personally but he sends a greeting to us via another screen. This is where a beautiful Rocket Raccoon animatronic shows up, having freshly escaped. Rocket then reveals his plan to us on how to break out the rest of the Guardians and how he needs our help. This is also where the cast members’ role in the attraction comes into play. The cast members are supposed to be mistreated by the Collector, and aren’t ones to object to messing with him and his collection. These disgruntled employees are there to assist us and Rocket in getting the Guardians free. This is an odd choice for a role for cast members to play, especially ones who were mostly former Tower Bellhops. How much is that play disgruntled actually real is the question here? Once again, these rooms (the Collectors’ Offices) are absolutely amazing and really well done, which is something I expect of Disney. Cluttered offices seem to be a specialty (see Jungle Cruise, Indiana Jones Adventure, Flight of Passage, Tower of Terror … ) and this one is certainly not missing any pieces. A few Hollywood Tower Hotel references are scattered around in here for those looking for a hint of the past.

    After Rocket gives us our mission, and steals back Star-lord’s walkman, we venture into ……… the boiler … room. There isn’t much to look at here. The room is almost entirely unchanged from the Tower of Terror days, save for some new paint and lighting, not to mention the props were switched out but if you remember Tower’s basement, you know Guardians’ … boiler … room? I’m not exactly sure what to call it but it’s basically the same. A few references are scattered about in here too, with one big one being the old Matterhorn yeti, Harold. Why he’s there, I have no idea, but he’s in there. This placement is a massive misstep as the Matterhorn yeti is supposed to be a real creature in the Swiss Alps and having the animatronic just standing there stationary in a collection breaks show of not just the attraction he’s from, but the attraction he’s currently in. Another big change is the new elevator loading area design, or I should say Gantry loading area. The former elevator dials have been swapped out for blue/red lights (just like the ones above the doors leading into the offices from the showroom.) The ride has you go through a security scan here, which I expected to be either a completely terrible idea or something similar to Flight of Passage’s high tech scanning screen. Sadly we get the “wave your hand so I can scan you. Okay done.” This feels, again, in bad taste given that park goers already had to do one security screening for the day, why do we need another? Next stop, the Twil … sorry … your Gantry Lift.

    Boarding is exactly the same as before, row by row, seat buckles from left to right. The cast member assisting with your loading winks and nods at your mission set forth by Rocket before sending you on your way. Here is where the ride starts. The Collector welcomes you grandly to his newest exhibition of his collection when Rocket cuts the party short. He disconnects the sound system and somehow plugs the walkman into it. Here one of six songs starts playing, signaling the ride you get. Now, a noticeably missed opportunity arises here, the songs are not from the movies. No Fleetwood Mac’s The Chain, no Blue Swede’s Hooked On a Feeling. Surprisingly the only song that carries over is the Jackson 5’s I Want You Back, which is an odd choice for the attraction as is. That isn’t to say the songs are bad choices, just that it feels like a missed opportunity with the movies having such a huge and known collection of songs to just skip over that and pick some random ones. The ride, once locked into the elevator shaft, does not stop. It shoots straight up to the generator room which is promptly powered down amid flickering and sparks. For those former Tower fans, the layout of the building is pretty well known and can easily recognize this room as the generator room takes place in the former Hallway Scene. Strangely, from the earlier mentioned videos on the showroom and offices, the generator room is shown to be above the Guardians, who are suspended above a death pit. The only “canon” gantry is the far right (when facing the building) due to the former Hallway Scene and Mirror Scene layout. From my experiences, the attraction shows various scenes of either the Guardians escaping captivity, fighting off various creatures (including some large tentacle monster) and finally leaving. The ride does not stop moving. I can’t stress this enough. The only pause moment is at the generator room which takes all of about 10 seconds to go through. The ride continues in a constant 2 to 2 and half minute drop sequence. The other show scenes showing the Guardians escaping and fighting have the gantry moving up and down in short bursts throughout the entire scene. The elevator doors, sorry, Gantry doors, at the top of the Tower open once to allow a picture and there is sometimes a comment at this point about seeing Disneyland. The other sets of doors never open, and this view is, again, only seen once per ride cycle. For me, who would get weak in the knees after riding Tower, I find the attraction lasts way too long in the drop sequencing. People with motion sickness should avoid it, as should anyone who avoided Tower for any reasons (such as it being a drop ride.)

After the Guardians have been rescued and escaped, your Gantry comes to a rest at the basement again and is returned to the loading bay. You exit through a hallway and into the photo viewing area. Notably, the consistency of the Collector being a terrible boss continues in the exit hallway with his Assistant winning “Assistant of the Month” every month since it started. The gift shop, according to a few internet sites, is set up to sell off the Collector’s stuff due to his collection being too large, or the employees being disgruntled enough to try and earn a quick buck on the side. The merchandise is, of course, entirely Marvel themed, with some pieces here and there dedicated to the ride itself.

— Additional Notes —

Before I wrap up here, I should talk a little about the state of this attraction and what this means going forward. This change to Tower was sudden, and appeared rushed from the moment it was announced to the closing and subsequent opening. Questions abound as to why it was rushed through so quickly. Early rumors spoke of a push from executives in the company for a Marvel presence in the parks, and by extension a ride. Hong Kong got its new Iron Man simulator attraction, but what about the parks in the States? Now many would cite the reasonings behind Disneyland getting Guardians due to the contract regarding Marvel usage in theme parks and Universal’s theme park division but that is simply not the case here. The restrictions cover most of the movie properties prior to Disney’s acquisition of Marvel, and the Marvel name but Guardians and a few others are absent from this. This is why Walt Disney World was able to do various meet and greets with Marvel characters. Disneyland Anaheim can still not use the Marvel branding/name which is why the attraction is not “Disney/Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission: Breakout!” Another popular argument is the supposed loss of the Twilight Zone license. Now again, this is certainly not the case due to Walt Disney World’s and the much more expensive Paris version not being affected. Some have argued that the license is by park, which would make sense, but losing a license at Disneyland certainly means doom for the other attractions. CBS coyly teased their confusion about the change in a news article talking about the announcement of Guardians and how Disney would not reply to statements as to why they decided to change the attraction. This was a clever way of CBS basically throwing their hands up and declaring that it’s “not our fault guys!”

Why am I pointing this all out? Well, let me refer back to the original rumor leak and subsequent posts from the leaker. The posts detailed that the project was originally planned for Walt Disney World’s classic and original Tower. Now, that seems impossible right? Why would they even think of touching something that is considered sacred by almost all Disney fans? Well, that’s just it, Disney has proven before there is nothing sacred. Walt Disney World is no stranger to changes against fan favorites, and this would have been no different. Why didn’t it happen though? Well according to the post, the president of Hollywood Studios rejected the closure of one of the most popular and high capacity attractions in a park that is nearly under complete reconstruction, but Disney still wanted their Marvel attraction. Now, does any of this hold up to scrutiny? Yes. Particularly the lackluster exterior and boiler room. WDW’s and DCA’s Towers are very different rides that feature entirely different exteriors and a completely redone boiler room, but the lobby and libraries are almost entirely identical. If the project was planned for WDW’s Tower first, and scrapped, DCA’s got it next and required a rush job boiler room and exterior. Certain stylistic elements of Guardians would look much more visually appealing on the gothic points and spires of WDW’s Tower as opposed to the soft curved domes and boxy shape of DCA’s. Another element that was scrapped from even our version was the enclosure of the elevator doors so as to feature a view of space. WDW’s building would have allowed the enclosure of the exterior facing elevator doors much easier and without the hassle of California’s strict earthquake codes and building requirements. What I am getting at in the long run is that Disney determined The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at all parks worthy of being changed into an interior IP attraction, losing the gorgeous 1930’s hotel for a futuristic factory/warehouse. This is likely to remain unchanged, and I expect that Paris’ is next on the table for change, followed by WDW’s, no matter what the executives claim.

— Conclusion —

So, is it a bad ride? No, but neither was Tower. The ride system is true and proven and has been that way for over 20 years (WDW’s included.) The theme is where things are kind of a mess. Arguably, theming a Twilight Zone ride to an elevator drop ride sounds like a challenge, but it worked so well, and was done repeatedly because it worked so well. The Twilight Zone show was full of exposition and narrative. Every episode was a contained story and told you everything you needed to know from start to finish. The Tower of Terror did this as well, telling you everything you needed to know about the hotel, the missing guests, and that stormy night long ago. The ride had a slow build that gave more exposition and narrative, allowing you to fully wrap yourself in the lore of the attraction. The Tower ride system is good at that. Slow builds, tense anticipation, and a sudden thrilling adventure. It thrives on storytelling and that’s where Guardians fails the most. The Guardians’ story isn’t bad, completely the opposite, but it isn’t suited to the ride that it is on. Mission: Breakout! could have been an amazing coaster for example, flying through the Collector’s vast warehouse before blasting our way into space. Having a fast moving elevator that has no slow build defeats the anticipation and build that made Tower so memorable. People remember Tower for it’s lavish 1930’s theme, for the nervousness felt as the elevator ascended, knowing every floor you go up means just as many floors down. Guardians just shoots you up and down, flashing scenes of a story in front of you. Having it bounce around and move while the story that is there is displayed before you makes you lose the focus you have on it. Having characters say things that are barely audible over guests screams as the elevator drops makes having the characters saying anything pointless. Guardians has a lot of great points and moments. The showroom and offices are amazing and wonderfully detailed and furnished. I could spend hours looking at all the props and items throughout, soaking up the lore behind them, but the barely touched boiler room and the ugly exterior take so much away from the attraction, and the loss of Tower’s ultimately better told story makes the ride out to be lesser than the sum of its parts. When it comes down to it, Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission: Breakout! is a ride worth hitting once, but loses it’s luster fast when held up to the former Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.

Grade: C-

Summary: Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission: Breakout! is a thrilling attraction that has a good solid foundation, but misses the beats of the music going forward. Too much action in an ride system designed for narrative storytelling and tense builds makes it wear out its welcome quickly. An ugly exterior gives way to a wonderfully themed interior with some missteps but overall a strong design that would have better suited a custom ride system for it. Ride it once, then move on and see what Disney can do when they start from the ground up elsewhere.

[mrbellcaptain]

I’ve been working on this since the Planet Coaster beta. Restarted when new pieces were added that gave me more flexibility. I might have gone a bit over the top on detail, and unfortunately can’t do the interior but at least the outside looks nice!

[mrbellcaptain]

Guardians Theories and Feelings

The Orange County Register’s website posted an article this evening detailing some, if not most, of the story concepts and elements involved in Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission: Breakout! Referring to concept art currently available and the story we know so far, I will theorize what is to be expected and my feelings so far.

Starting out, the building’s layout is completely unchanged. Entering you will walk into the lobby…. Sorry, a display room of artifacts from various Marvel properties. The back wall where the grand fireplace was will be a television set that details the Collector’s most recent acquisitions (the Guardians of the Galaxy). Moving into the former libraries is where things get vague about aesthetic but detailed in story. I think it will be another set of display rooms with more prized artifacts and possessions. In here, Rocket Raccoon will communicate with you via an air duct about his plan to escape. This will likely utilize the former television sets that once depicted a stormy night long ago. Afterwords you will move into the basement/boiler room. No details about how different this room will be was discussed really, except that it will be more themed to the style and will have a security checkpoint. This actually throws up some red flags for me due to the sensitive nature of security checkpoints already. You have to enter at least one to get to the parks already, but now a second, fake, one just doesn’t sit well with me. If done carefully it can work, such as with Star Tours across the way, but the more adult aesthetic of Guardians makes me feel uneasy.

Boarding the elevator will be no different, although the elevator’s style will, of course, be changed, likely to resemble the display cases that the Guardians are trapped in as shown in the originally released concept art. Here’s where things get vague again. What we know is that you assist Rocket Raccoon with deactivating a generator. Where this happens is unknown but I have a theory. One show scene stands out as a perfect fit for this: The Mirror Scene. Having the electrical surge effect provided by fiber optics already set up, all that needs to be done is a coat of paint and a set up of control panels in front of the former mirror. Where the mirror once was will be a projection of a window viewing a generator room. Here, Rocket Raccoon will help disable the generator and send your elevator into a wild drop cycle.

So theory time. The loading will likely involve you boarding the display cases and being loaded into a service elevator. Where the security checkpoint occurs is unknown but they way the article phases it, it seems to occur here, likely as the elevator carriage its moving into the ride shaft. The hallway scene is confusing as what they will do with it. Likely it will be another display floor/room where the Guardians are actually on display. This would tie in with them actually being shown, as the line has very limited space to display them. This layout also seems to suggest that instead of Mirror Scene to Hallway Scene that Tower did, it will instead go Hallway Scene to Mirror Scene, similar to Tokyo’s Tower.

Now, cut parts. Originally, the idea apparently was to enclose the exterior elevator doors and project a starfield as though you had entered space. This was cut, according to rumors, due to California building codes restricting the addition and the building simply not being up to supporting it in the event of an earthquake. This change required a script change so the Guardians would point out Disneyland in the distance. Another apparently cut segment was the enclosing of the former garden line section. This likely would have extended the lobby/viewing section but due to budget, this was also cut.

Finally, my feelings on this. Tower is and was my favorite DCA attraction. I was angry and upset at the closure and ultimately decided that this year would be my final year as an annual passholder. Guardians does not interest me in the slightest and reflects a downward shift in the company in my eyes. The project seems forced and rushed, with elements being cut and a massive reuse of the layout and design of the attraction. Even Maelstrom’s change to Frozen had changes in the ride’s track and line. The confirmation that the attraction will still maintain the same capacity and ride time reflects the point that there is nothing gained and that this attraction will ultimately still break even with the building’s former occupant. It screams merchandise sales and movie tickets instead of theme park thrills and good story telling. Will the attraction be good? I don’t know. The building’s outside design pales massively in comparison to The Hollywood Tower Hotel, looking like a hodgepodge smash of “throw-gears-at-it-steampunk”, “stick-pipes-on-it-cyberpunk”, and what used to be a 1930’s pueblo deco hotel. I have joking commented that the color scheme resembles that of dry cat food and the overall futuristic industrial design severely takes away from the Californian theming of the park. Now, to be fair, this attraction could be highly successful, but a deep part of me desires failure. The blatant money grabbing from corporate Disney shows heavily in this project and does not resemble the heart and soul of the creative imaginations that should be in charge in the first place. I hold no grudge against the creative people involved and I willfully admit that what ever we get is the best that they could provide due to the circumstances, but for me it is nothing that I want to be a part of. Tower is my ride and will remain my ride forever.

Also, the Tower at DCA in Anaheim isn’t 199 feet tall as mentioned in the article. It’s 183 feet tall. WDW’s is 199 feet tall.

[mrbellcaptain]

Back in early 2004 The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror opened at Disney’s California Adventure. I was obsessed from the first time I stepped into the remains of this once luxurious Hollywood retreat. That summer I set about designing a model of the Tower out of LEGOs. This was no easy feat and took a good portion of a year to do. Using a program called LEGOCAD I set about testing various designs. The one featured here is the second version and started with just a simple build of the wall of the Lobby that faces into the garden courtyard of the Tower. The second set of pieces I built were the upper floors where “The Hollywood Tower Hotel” sign would be fitted.

As many fans of the attraction will notice I placed an extra set of elevator doors on the far left and center elevator shafts. This is due to being able to see the model from all angles and not wishing to build some of the uglier backstage elements (such as air vents seen on the “roof”). On the actual attraction the lightning scar hides many rooftop elements that wouldn’t, in the “reality” of the building’s mythos, be there as the removed wings were floors with elevator shafts and rooms. I substituted the rooftop for floors similar to the removed sections above it. I also took inspiration from Disney Experience’s Tower of Terror Paper Model that also had 4 elevator door sets on the center and left shafts. This is again likely due to the model being seen from more angles than the actual attraction.

Another note is the color choices on certain parts of the building. The domes are a dark grey color, matching the window frames and fences. The “floors” are blue and red as opposed to the muted green and brown found on the actual attraction. These were design choices I made based on LEGO colors that were available at the time.

Building with LEGOs offered many difficult challenges and this design certainly has some of those difficulties featured loud and clear. What I did manage though was to capture the spirit of the attraction and the elements I wanted to show. Looking at this you can instantly see The Hollywood Tower Hotel as it once stood. Even still this version did not turn out to be the final, and even still, no version has been built by me personally. A few LEGO fans have built this model using my designs with my permission and can be found easily on the internet. I hope to some day return to the LEGO Tower of Terror model, but for now I will continue to work on the model I am currently designing and building. I hope soon to have some physical work to show off here, but for now, designs and artwork are all I have. Thank you for joining me here on my blog and for dropping in on this Throwback Thursday special!

[clterryart]

So long to my favorite ride <3

[mrbellcaptain]

I'll miss this on the skyline.

[mrbellcaptain]

Goodbye from The Hollywood Tower Hotel

I know this is really long, but I need to open up somewhat about this. For those of you that do read this, thank you.

“Hollywood, 1939 …”

Those words ring loudly in my head and have ever since May, 2004. I was 12 at the time and had avoided thrill rides adamantly up to that point. That single day in 2004 changed everything for me.

It started back in November of the previous year. I had received an annual pass for Disneyland for my birthday. I hadn’t been there since 1997 and couldn’t remember what the place was even like. At the time, Disney was seen as a kids thing. Being the preteen I was, I avoided talking about it among my friends for fear of being seen as less “cool.” This first trip was also the first time I’d see Disney’s California Adventure. As it had opened in 2001, I had not had a chance to go and experience it.

Upon arrival at the esplanade I was shocked to see this building looming over DCA’s skyline. My family and I debated what it was and if it was even in the park or just in Anaheim beyond. The words “The Hollywood Tower Hotel” stood out among the skyline. We were confused to say the least. This “hotel” didn’t feel like one as much as it looked like it. Our curiosity was piqued so we booked it into Sunshine Plaza and down through the Hollywood Picture’s Backlot. As we reached the Hyperion and turned the corner we were met with … Walls. But these walls made me the most excited I had ever been. Along the stretch of construction walls that lined the street were the words “The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. Opening May 2004. Drop in … If you dare.” I was blown away. I thought I had never heard of this attraction before and shamefully learned I did know of it quite well when I got home that evening.

I was a big fan of The Twilight Zone television series having been raised with it among other classic shows of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. The Twilight Zone was paranormal, exciting, easy to grasp but complex in nature. It was everything I enjoyed in tv. To have an attraction entirely themed around it excited me. I was deeply curious about it so I jumped into researching it. Mind you, I had seen the Tower of Terror television movie but I never pieced it together that it was, in itself, based on something real. When I finally saw WDW’s Tower I was awestruck. I researched everything I could about it. I looked deeply into the attraction through fan sites and low resolution videos. I couldn’t get enough.

January 1st, 2004. I had made it a point to watch the Tournament of Roses Parade every year and this year was no different. I got up and watched in wonder as parade float after parade float turned the corner and showed off it’s detail. Late into the broadcast a looming building came into frame. It was so noticeable that even the broadcasters commented on it before it turned the corner. At 100 feet tall, the float “A Sudden Drop in Pitch” made me bounce off the walls. This floral ode to the coming haunted Hollywood retreat just blew my mind. Again I was energized. As the clock ticked down to May, I kept up with the attraction. I watched video after video, many of which seem to have been lost to time. Gallagher and the sign lighting ceremony stands out as one of the stranger ones.

Finally, May arrived. I booked it to Anaheim about the second or third week of it’s opening. The lines were massive (for the time) but I stood there, eagerly awaiting my turn to “drop into the zone.” The lobby was lavishly furnished, every crack and speck of dust seeming to tell a story. Everything stood out to me and I could barely soak it all in. When we entered the library I stood in wided eyed wonder at the shelves of books and the raging storm just beyond the window. With a flash of lightning came the story of that fateful night long ago. The eerie intro, the echoes of a child singing, the thunderstorm just beyond. I was lost. Dragged into an episode of Rod Serling’s anthology of terror. As our huddled group wandered into the boiler room the sound of pipes clanging and furnaces roaring gave life to this dead building. The heart was still beating, long after it’s veins had rusted and faded. The gloomy bellhops throughout encouraged our group forward, helping us deeper into the depths of the hotel. As we arrived at the service elevator, my heart was racing. I was nervous, I was scared, and I was excited. I stood with sweaty hands watching the dial slide down slowly to “B.” The doors opened to our final bellhop who loaded us into our rickety elevator. The sounds of screams echoed throughout. Everyone was nervous. With a devious smile the bellhop bid farewell and the doors closed on us.

A lurch backwards and flashes of lightning dragged us beyond the depths of the Tower and to the front door of The Twilight Zone. I gripped the handlebars of the elevator seats tightly. I was terrified but entranced. We moved up and in front of us was a grand mirror. A bolt of lightning and we turned into ghostly reflections of ourselves. In a flash we were gone. The empty elevator carriage sat staring back at us. We descended to a long stretched hallway. 5 ghostly apparitions beckoned us to follow them. The hallway grew dark, stars glittering all around. Those same 5 guests beckoned one final time from a distance set of elevator doors, then they were gone.

We plunged into darkness.

As the sunlight stung my eyes, I could see everything. In those couple seconds I viewed the distant horizon of Disneyland and Anaheim. Before I could even process it we were falling.

When the elevator came to a rest with clanging and bangs, cheers erupted from our elevator. We had survived. As we returned to reality we were greeted by our haunting bellhop one final time before we drifted toward the gift shop.

I was in love. Everything about this ride captivated me. In one single ride in May I became obsessed. I collected everything I could afford. I bought pins, I got shirts, picture frames, posters. You name it, I tried my best to buy it.

That summer I spent working on a digital rendering of the Tower of Terror in LEGO form. I wanted a replica of this attraction for me. I wanted my Hollywood Tower Hotel. I spent weeks studying every angle, looking at picture after picture. I tried so hard to detail this model out of little blocks. When I finally finished and sat back, I was, for the first time, impressed with myself. There in front of me was a LEGO rendering of the Tower of Terror. I immediately set to work. I used every LEGO brick I had and when I ran out, I bought more. After the 6th tub of bricks I stopped. It was getting too expensive. With the need to paint the LEGOs afterwords, I shelved the project till I could reasonably get everything I needed.

Still, I ached for replicas. My brain kept latching to LEGOs and after a couple years I tried again on LEGO’s official Digital Designer program. As I reached the half way mark, I decided to check the price for the massive Tower of bricks I needed. The program promptly crashed. I selected a third of the building and copied it elsewhere, then tried again. After a few minutes the price popped up. $1800. I gasped and was discouraged. I couldn’t realistically shell out almost $2000 for just a segment of a massive project. Again I shelved the project and looked for alternatives. I stumbled on a now defunct YouTube channel HomeImagineering. The channel featured someone building custom miniature attraction variants using materials like foamcore. I also stumbled on Sam Towler’s Mine Train model and was inspired. My dad ended up bringing me home some foamcore poster board and I went to work. I carved windows and doors. I tried to shape out the Tower of Terror with foam and paper. It made a terrible mess and I was never able to figure out how to best support the massive structure. Eventually I shelved this project too.

As DCA started it’s 2.0 conversion I was at the parks almost every other week. Tower was my go to for a must ride attraction. I had memorized everything about it. The layout, the script, the drops. I loved it still. It was a classic to me and I desired nothing more than to be a bellhop. I started applying but got nowhere. It wasn’t until fall 2012 that I hit the jackpot. I was hired on October 13th, 2012 as a DCA Stores cast member. I started on Buena Vista Street and came to know many great people through that fall and subsequent winter. I still ached for Tower. I wanted to get photo training so I could work the gift shop, but my true dream was to transfer to attractions and fight my way to Tower. Unfortunately that dream fell short. I quit Disney in late April 2013 due to medical problems making it hard for me to continue working. I dreamed of going back, but for the time I set my dream aside to focus on school.

In February of 2016, a rumor sprouted that the Tower of Terror at DCA was to be changed to a Guardians of the Galaxy ride. I was scared. A part of me tried to ground reality and tell myself that it was way too stupid to be real. There’s always rumors and they almost never happen. As time moved forward the rumor persisted. The original leak kept insisting it was real and continued to detail the changes to come. Petitions popped up, attempting to fight the truth in the rumor.

In July, 2016, at Comic Con San Diego, Disney announced that Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission: Breakout! would take the place of The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. I was heartbroken. Here was something I had spent 12 years of my life involved with suddenly dying in front of me.

The reason it hurt so much is difficult to pin down entirely. Looking back, I struggled greatly with depression and continue to do so to this very day. I was teased and bullied in school and there wasn’t much of a way for me to escape. My home life was okay, but fighting between my parents and the affects of what caused those fights strained the household. Disneyland was my sanctuary, and Tower, to me, was my escape. I could be someone else with Tower. It gave me confidence and it inspired me. On nights where I might have been struggling, where my mind drifted to thoughts of suicide, I spent them at a computer, designing and building, and connecting with the Tower fan community. I made friends due to the shared passion for something that is as simple as a ride at a theme park. While my depression never healed, I was able to fight it back through this passion. As time pushed forward, I lost connection with a lot of these Tower fan communities. Many faded away or died as time marched on. I lost connection with the friends I had made and struggled to maintain my happiness. When I was forced out of high school, I spent a lot of nights with these fan communities, and suddenly they were gone. I held onto the memories of the conversations had and the stories shared and still kept returning to the parks with hopes of finding new friends and people that could be a part of a Tower of Terror family. When I worked there, I wanted nothing more than to be a part of the Tower, but my diagnosis of fibromyalgia and the worsening of it made that impossible. With the announcement it felt as if my heart was ripped apart. Everything from the past 12 years shattered instantly. I know I have the memories of this attraction and the joy and happiness it brought, but with me it’s not the same. Those memories are sad now, reflections of a history and point in time where there was an escape for me. It sounds stupid, even to me, but Tower was more to me than just a ride. Everything about me was connected to it. I built my life on that ride. My education and major was directly inspired by the ride. I wanted to one day craft something unique and amazing. Something that would inspire another the same way I was inspired way back in 2004. The change of this ride also spoke to the climate inside Disney. The corporate meddling and orders from higher ups that have no reflection on the guest satisfaction but instead on the easiest way to sell things now and to forget the long term. It hurt to see a company so good a hiding their corporate side suddenly flashing it for all the world to see. Their reckless disregard for the masses of fans and for the terrible show caused by this change is unforgivable. The Tower died in September, 2016, when the sign was pulled off unceremoniously. Ever since it has been on life support, being kept barely breathing as they slowly strip away what made it unique.

Some of you might say that there is still Walt Disney World’s Tower (and Paris’), but that isn’t the point. To me, DCA’s was the Tower of Terror, original or not. It fit the world crafted in that park. It told it’s story perfectly and dragged you into the hallowed halls that once held lavish parties. It was my definitive version.

On January 1st, I attended the 13th Hour party. There I met two wonderful Tower fans and celebrated this attraction in a way no other attraction could ever be celebrated. Disney did a great job on a party that should never have happened in the first place. That night, on our final elevator’s return, our bellhop greeted us crying. That’s when I noticed that every bellhop had been struggling to choke through the spiels. It sunk in. I felt the shockwave of this loss throughout yesterday and struggled till the very end to maintain myself. In the end it was too much. As I sit here writing this, I find tears streaming down my face.

For me, my year ended last night. 2016 has frequently been personified as this taker of life, this year of the reminder of our own mortality. We did lose many great people in such a short time, and while that can be explained by the years from which these greats were born, it doesn’t change the fact that we desire someone or something to blame. 2016, for me, took one last life. It took something I found sacred and tore it away.

Walt Disney said that “Disneyland would never be completed as long as there is imagination left in the world.” This isn’t a justification for the change of something loved and enjoyed, but a reflection on the shifts of guest’s desires and wants. A story goes that Walt overheard a child wish to ride Jungle Cruise only for the mother to refuse, stating that they “rode it last time” and “didn’t need to this time.” Walt was mortified. He went about shifting what the ride’s purpose was, giving the skippers freedom to spiel in a way they felt fit. Jokes and comedy became the ride’s signature and to this day is beloved by many. He didn’t rip it out because it was stale, nor did he retheme it. It was still an adventure through a jungle, but instead of a serious documentary tone, it took on a dark foreboding joking aesthetic. Tower was loved, and the massive lines and 300% merchandise sale increase proves that guests still wanted it. The change for change’s sake should only ever be done for the betterment and improvement of something. Guardians, especially to me, is no improvement, and does neither Tower, nor Guardians justice.

Today I struggle to push forward. My future feels shaky and distorted. I am uncertain of where I am to go next and while I will continue to try, the desire to just lay down and give up is very strong. So with this I say goodbye to The Hollywood Tower Hotel and the The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. I hope, as Vera Lynn sang, “we’ll meet again. Don’t know where, don’t know when. But I know we’ll meet again some sunny day.”

[mrbellcaptain]

A few months ago I got some el wire for the Tower’s sign. The wire was a bit thick in diameter but it shows promise. Soon I’ll be getting smaller diameter wire to better fit the letter’s shape.

[a-land-of-shadow-and-substance]

The DCA Tower of Terror official attraction poster

[mrbellcaptain]

Hey everyone! Check out this blog dedicated to the DCA Tower of Terror! Definitely something to keep an eye on.

[mrbellcaptain]

Further work on my sketchup designs for the Tower of Terror model. I also did a quick sketch of a row of seats for the elevator to make sure I can fit 21 figures in it. That should be here next week.

[mrbellcaptain]

Unfortunately in Disney history, and Tower history, it is a sad day. DCA's Tower had it's beautiful sign removed over the night. Though the show must go on! I've sketched out more dimensions for my Tower, and am attempting to move forward further into the project. I also have a name for the project, and a wider project as a whole that I hope to get up and running here soon. That is also why the video has been postponed for the time being, but work keeps pressing on.

[mrbellcaptain]

Hello everyone!

Earlier this month, I ordered parts of my tower sign. On Monday, I got in “Hollywood” and “Tower” which I think look wonderful. Each letter is about an inch and a quarter in height, or 5 feet in full scale. I’m still working out dimensions for the building and materials. Hopefully this weekend, I’ll have a video showing my progress. Until then, thanks for dropping by!

[mrbellcaptain]

Intro and first project!

Hello everyone! My name is Trevor, or Mr. Bellcaptain, a name I picked up from an obscure character from Disney/CBS’ The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. This is my model making blog where starting soon I will be displaying the trials and tribulations of designing and building a 1:48 working scale replica of the Tower of Terror. Along the way other projects will be slid into the blog, like a model Disneyland Railroad, and set designs from my theatre life. So again, welcome and I hope you enjoy following along with me on this journey into imagination!