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Attraction Spotlight: Tower of Terror, Tokyo Disney Sea.

Few attractions in any theme park today can claim they have anything that is as beautiful or on the same scale as Tokyo Disney Sea's Tower of Terror. Seriously just look at that first image, if you had no previous context to what it was you would think it was a luxurious historic resort somewhere. Now unlike the other Tower of Terror attractions around the world this ride has 0 ties to the twilight zone. Due to the show not being popular over in Japanese culture. Plus The oriental land company did not want to pay both CBS and Disney royalties for the attraction, so a new idea was used instead.

So in order to appease Japanese audiences imagineering drew a concept that had roots elsewhere. Thus the Society of Explorers and Adventurers were born!

For those that don't know this little club has all to obvious references and ties to the now extinct adventurers club that used to be in Pleasure Island over at Walt Disney World. Since a good idea never goes to waste at imagineering the spirit of that club was given real form in the S.E.A. So now that we have that down let's get into the back story of this cursed hotel shall we?

It all starts with one of the S.E.A's most prominent members Harrison Hightower the Third. For those looking at the photo's in the photo set and thinking he looks familiar that's because he does! His design is based off of legendary imagineer Joe Rohde. This entire attraction has it's story based on this more corrupt member of the S.E.A and his dealings with a cursed artifact, the Shiriki Utundu. Get ready for this back story cause it's quite the thriller.

After inheriting his father's mansion, Harrison Hightower III decided to renovate his home, adding gardens, a pool and spa, the five-story "Caliph's Tower" the eight-story "Indian Tower" with its many guestrooms and a ballroom, and finally the 14-story "Great Tower" in which Hightower kept his personal apartments in the penthouse suite. Although the overall style of the hotel is Gothic, to a certain extent there are elements of other architectural styles from all over the world. Also, as a further testament to his greatness, Hightower installed many artifacts he had acquired during his globe-spanning expeditions in various places around the hotel.

Harrison Hightower III was a collector of cultural antiquities. Accompanied by his valet, Mr. Smelding, he traveled to every continent to collect his curiosities, including Asia, Europe, South America and Oceania. Once he found an artifact he wanted, he would use any method available to acquire it, including on occasion outright plunder.

In 1899, Hightower embarked on the most hazardous expedition of his life, heading up the Congo River and into the dangerous parts of uncharted Africa. Though his intention was to collect the art and craftwork of the region, Hightower soon found himself the object of attacks by hostile local tribes, and many members of his team lost their lives.

Then one day, Hightower's severely reduced party was chased into the area of the dreaded Mtundu tribe. Though greatly feared by neighboring tribes, the Mtundu welcomed Harrison Hightower's ill-fated expedition quite cordially, and actually invited the adventurers to eat with them.

During the meal, Hightower learned of the existence of the tribe's protective idol. The statue was called "Shiriki Utundu" and Harrison Hightower wanted it for his own. He tried to persuade the village headman to sell him the idol, but was refused, which only served to increase his desire. He then told his men to prepare for battle, and grabbing Shiriki Utundu from its altar, stole the idol and escaped the village.

The expedition was nervous and afraid that the many warriors of the Mtundu tribe would pursue and attack them, but strangely they only stood by and watched expressionlessly as Hightower took their idol. Some thought they may even have been slightly smiling...

On December 31, 1899, Harrison Hightower III was back in New York and held a press conference in his private office at Hotel Hightower to unveil his latest "find". Manfred Strang, a reporter from the New York Globe-Telegraph, asked if Shiriki Utundu wasn't really cursed, but was then thrown out of the building. After that, Hightower was his usual bombastic self, giving a heroic description of his adventure and allowing no real questions. That evening, he gave a spectacular New Year's Eve party to celebrate his return from Africa.

Though the party was a success, Hightower left early to find a place for Shiriki Utundu in his penthouse apartment. As Hightower boarded the elevator, Mr. Smelding warned him to give proper respect to the idol. Hightower refused to pay heed, and, sneering in defiance, even put out his cigar on Shiriki Utundu's head!

As the clock struck midnight, all lights in the hotel went out and the party was plunged into darkness. People outside witnessed a dazzling green light bursting out from Harrison Hightower's rooms at the top of the hotel. From the top floors to the bottom, the benighted hotel was pierced by hundreds of thousands of volts of electricity. The arched windows in front shattered with a loud crash, causing broken glass and other debris to rain down on the onlookers below. Small fires had broken out, and panicked party guests scrambled to escape, with many injured in the rush.

However, the most astonishing thing of all was that Harrison Hightower III, who should have been in his rooms at the top of the hotel, abruptly disappeared without a trace.

With the explosion on the top floors, the cables of the hotel elevator were also cut, and Harrison Hightower III was heard screaming in fright. The only thing that was found in the remains of the shattered elevator, though, was Shiriki Utundu. Harrison Hightower was gone. Had Hightower somehow escaped from the elevator unharmed, or was he not even riding it when it crashed? Could he have been transported away somewhere? No one knows the truth.

After Mr. Hightower's mysterious disappearance the hotel was closed down. People in New York began calling it the "Tower of Terror". For 13 years no one dared to enter the hotel until the New York City Preservation Society, led by its president and founder, Miss Beatrice Rose Endicott, began a plan to offer tours of the building to the public. The Society hopes that through its efforts people will again appreciate the architectural beauty of the hotel and the cultural value of the treasures in Harrison Hightower's collection.

Still, dark rumors persist amongst the people of New York. Some say how they saw the "strange, green lights" on that fateful night, while others recall hearing "a terrible scream" The passage of time seems only to have increased the mystery surrounding Hotel Hightower.

Creepy right? And if that wasn't enough experiencing the actual ride is a whole other level of scary. Mainly thanks to the cursed idol. Who upon seeing your entry to the hotel not only grins it's sharpest smile, but disappears into the darkness soon after. Make sure you peer back into that darkness. You may find it's cold green eyes staring back at you, plotting and hoping you might find your way to the elevator..

To see this Masterpiece in action follow the link. If you ever find yourself visiting Tokyo Disney sea and want to see the Hightower Hotel I recommend you keep your distance. If not, well, you were warned. Keep a lookout for those green eyes...

Now this post is a set up for my next on, which will feature all the connections that the S.E.A has to offer in the Disney Parks Canon! Until then I hope this will hold you all over.

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