Tower of Terror Vanishes From Hollywood Studios in Latest Disney Update

The Hollywood Tower Hotel is disappearing behind construction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror has dominated Sunset Boulevard since July 1994, when the park was still known as Disney MGM Studios. At 199 feet tall, the fictional hotel remains one of Walt Disney World’s most recognizable structures.

Its profile has become even more important over time. The Earffel Tower, once another defining piece of the Hollywood Studios skyline, was removed in 2016, leaving Tower of Terror as one of the clearest visual anchors inside the park.

The attraction itself remains largely faithful to the experience guests have known for decades. Riders enter an abandoned 1930s hotel before boarding a service elevator and entering the Twilight Zone, with a randomized drop sequence that has been operating since 2002.

Its exterior is just as carefully designed. Faded pink walls, exposed brickwork, damaged architectural details, balconies, railings, and weathered finishes make the Hollywood Tower Hotel look as though it has been abandoned since its fictional disaster in 1939.

For now, much of that design has vanished from view.

Disney’s Tower of Terror Is Now Hidden Behind Scaffolding

As of September 11, scaffolding covers almost the entire front of the Hollywood Tower Hotel as Disney continues a major exterior refurbishment at Hollywood Studios.

The latest view shows the structure extending from the lower sections of the facade to the uppermost portions of the tower. What began as a relatively contained project earlier this year has now swallowed most of the building guests see while walking down Sunset Boulevard.

Tower of Terror is now nearly completely covered in scaffolding:

Tower of Terror is now nearly completely covered in scaffolding: pic.twitter.com/OqQBjV5ZB3

— Mattlegostar (@Mattlegostar2) September 11, 2026

The work traces back to early May, when refurbishment began around the outdoor queue. Flags later disappeared near the Tower Hotel Gifts exit, while scrims covered parts of the building before scaffolding started climbing above the gift shop in July.

By August, the project had shifted dramatically toward the front of the hotel. Crews were seen priming railings, balconies, decorative friezes, and sections of the roof, while fresh pink paint began appearing across previously weathered portions of the facade.

Scaffolding reached above the enormous Hollywood Tower Hotel later into the month. By early September, it had also started wrapping around the right side of the tower shaft, with gray paint visible around a balcony and chimney stack.

The project follows a construction permit Disney filed in March for “General Construction” at Tower of Terror. The filing named MLC Theming, a contractor whose work includes scenic painting, aging structures, and facade fabrication.

Tower of Terror scaffolding has grown immensely, covering much of the front. Both sides of shaft doors still open and close

Tower of Terror scaffolding has grown immensely, covering much of the front. Both sides of shaft doors still open and close pic.twitter.com/yFYMGB7Rkp

— RockNstardust🎸✨ (@CoasterK24) August 9, 2026

 

That lines up with what guests can currently see. Windows and other architectural details have been covered for protection while painting continues, with no indication that Disney is changing the attraction’s Twilight Zone story or ride system.

Most importantly, Tower of Terror remains open. Disney has deliberately left gaps around the elevator windows, allowing the shaft doors to operate and preserving the brief exterior view riders receive during the attraction.

Disney has not announced when the exterior refurbishment will be finished.

A Holiday Deadline Is Starting to Loom

That missing completion date is becoming more notable as Disney World approaches its 2026 Christmas season.

The Hollywood Tower Hotel is not just a backdrop during the holidays. It becomes the centerpiece of Sunset Seasons Greetings, which uses large scale projections to transform the building with seasonal scenes after dark.

Disney has officially confirmed Sunset Seasons Greetings for the 2026 holiday season. Walt Disney World’s broader holiday celebrations begin November 13, placing the start of the main Christmas period just over two months after the tower became almost completely covered.

Tower of Terror will also feature during Disney Jollywood Nights, which returns to Hollywood Studios on select evenings from November 7, 2026, through January 5, 2027.

The separately ticketed event runs from 7:30 p.m. until 12:30 a.m., with Tower of Terror currently listed among the park attractions operating during the party.

That gives the ongoing exterior project added significance. Sunset Seasons Greetings depends on the Hollywood Tower Hotel facade as its projection surface, meaning extensive scaffolding would be difficult to reconcile with the experience in its usual form.

Disney has not said the building must be uncovered before either Jollywood Nights or the wider holiday season begins. It has also not announced any changes to Sunset Seasons Greetings because of the refurbishment.

Has the ongoing construction on the Tower of Terror impacted your Disney trip? Let us know in the comments!