What hidden ties to both Disneyland and Epcot are found in the exit of the Tower of Terror?

Drop in with us on this episode of Distory with Kate & Kirk as we check into the Hollywood Tower Hotel to decipher the history, secrets, and stories hidden within its design.

In this episode, we unload from our ride vehicle and step into the photo preview area, examining and explaining many of the details found in the room behind the photo preview area, using Imagineering’s storyboards as our guide.

As we lean in and look closer at the story being told, we explore some historic artifacts from the 1930s and take some side trails to tell stories from a few other Disney parks as well. Kirk gives us a rundown of how switchboards work, Kate finds a Canadian crate she loves, and we both reminisce about a time when technology made us get a little more creative than we are today.

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Many thanks to Disney historian Joshua at E82 | The Epcot Legacy for contributing resources for this episode!

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Kate’s Substack

There are more details in the dark in the Tower of Terror’s drop than you've likely ever noticed before... but once you see them, the ride will never be the same.

Drop in with us on this episode of Distory with Kate & Kirk as we check into the Hollywood Tower Hotel to decipher the history, secrets, and stories hidden within the design. In this episode, we buckle up for the big drop, falling into the fifth dimension by exploring some Imagineering storyboards, concept art, and some bizarre objects in the drop shaft that most people miss.

After we discuss how the epilogue has changed since 1994, we spend some time in the unload hold area, finding some unique connections back to the Twilight Zone series and some of our own nostalgia along the way. We end this episode with some hilarious vintage radio ads, a terrifying chair, and an audio animatronic that almost was.

Join us LIVE on YouTube every week! Be notified by subscribing to Kate’s Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@disneycicerone⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

You can also find us on Instagram, Facebook, and at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠disneycicerone.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠walruscarp.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

View full video versions of each episode at Disney Cicerone's YouTube channel ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠HERE ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OR on the Spotify version of our podcast.

Many thanks to Disney historian Joshua at E82 | The Epcot Legacy for contributing resources for this episode!

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Kate's books on Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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MOWD app

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There was another Hollywood Hotel designed before the Tower of Terror that inspired most of the corridor and fifth dimension scenes, but hardly anyone has ever seen its concept art... until now.

Drop in with us on this episode of Distory with Kate & Kirk as we check into the Hollywood Tower Hotel to decipher the history, secrets, and stories hidden within the design. In this episode, we buckle up for the beginning of this ride, exploring the Corridor scene before heading into the Fifth Dimension. Along the way, we see an extraordinary amount of rarely-seen storyboards and concept art from Imagineering that help explain the story being told in these scenes. As we move through these two scenes, Kate walks us through the Hollywood Haunted Hotel concept, Kirk educates us about seat belts, and we both explain many of the technical aspects of how the effects are achieved in these scenes. We also discuss a few effects that have changed since 1994, and how the Tower contains some of the most dangerous doors in Walt Disney World, before finding a Hidden Mickey, counting our RPMs and oscillations, and finishing our exploration of the 5th dimension with a celebration of electric fingers.