Beloved Disney Ride The Tower of Terror to Undergo Refurbishment

Planning a Disney vacation is always one of the best things to do.

With so many dining options, attractions, and Resort hotels to pick from, Disney Guests are sure to enjoy some of their favorite experiences when visiting Walt Disney World in Florida or Disneyland in California.

One of the most disappointing things, however, is when you find out that one of the rides you’re most excited about is going to be closed for the duration of your stay.

And if your favorite is The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, then you might be disappointed at some point this year.

Disney World has seen multiple refurbs already this year. Both Splash Mountains at Magic Kingdom and Disneyland Park closed back in January for routine refurbishment, with Walt Disney World’s version of the popular ride reopening on February 10 and Disneyland’s version reopening soon on March 7, 2022.

Big Thunder Mountain in Walt Disney World also just reopened after a short refurbishment, while Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain at Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be reopening in April 2022 after an extended closure. 

The Walt Disney World Railroad in Magic Kingdom has now been closed for over three years while we await the opening of the new TRON Lightcycle roller coaster, which has now taken longer to build than the entire theme park itself. 

Construction began on TRON in February 2018, with Disney hopeful that the eagerly-awaited attraction would be open in time for Walt Disney World Resort’s 50th Anniversary celebration, which began on October 1, 2021. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the attraction’s progress.

So much change is happening at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and now, it seems another update is coming.

Disney’s theme park attractions frequently require repairs and routine maintenance, and now it seems the beloved Tower of Terror is on the list.

We recently noticed a permit filed by Disney Parks that indicates that work is set to begin on the Sunset Boulevard attraction soon. The permit shows that major electrical work is required on the ride, with MaddoxElectric Co, Inc. being named as the contractor to perform this work.

The permit does not note, however, what the repairs and maintenance are for on the elevator attraction, but it does probably mean that a temporary closure is coming to the Hollywood Studios attraction. With so many moving parts, amazing ride engineering, and innovative effects, it only seems right that the famous ride needs some Disney love every now and then.

We haven’t been given an exact date for the closure, but the permit shows an expiry date of January 18, 2023. So, expect an announcement about a Tower of Terror closure before the end of the year.

The attraction itself has many incarnations across Disney’s theme parks, but all feature the thrilling elevator drop.

At Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida, the Hollywood Tower Hotel is located in Sunset Boulevard and takes Guests through a spooky library preshow to the service elevators featuring none other than Twilight Zone host Rod Serling.

Guests at Tokyo DisneySea and Walt Disney Studios Park in Disneyland Paris also enjoy different versions of the attraction, while in Disney’s California Adventure, the attraction saw a controversial refurbishment into Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout! that saw actors like Chris Pratt and Zoe Saldana reprising their famous Marvel Studios roles.

Tower of Terror was, in fact, the first theme park ride to be adapted into a movie, with a made-for-television movie released back in 1997 starring Steve Guttenberg and Kirsten Dunst.

We’ll keep you posted when we hear confirmation of the dates for this electrical refurb of The Tower of Terror at Walt Disney World in Florida.