Disney's Hollywood Studios

Guests Locked on 30-Year-Old Disney Ride, Mass Alert Activated

A thrilling ride on The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror took an unexpected turn when Walt Disney World Resort guests found themselves trapped at the top of the iconic drop attraction. As the 30-year-old ride malfunctioned, Disney cast members activated emergency procedures, leaving guests in eerie silence before the attraction’s system rebooted.

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror has been terrifying guests since its debut at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in 1994. While the Disneyland Resort version was rethemed in 2017 to Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!, the Walt Disney World Resort version remains one of the most popular thrill rides in the park. However, with an attraction this complex, occasional malfunctions are bound to happen.

A tall, aged, pinkish-brown building with a sign reading "Hollywood Tower Hotel" stands against a bright blue sky with white clouds. With its old-fashioned design and worn-out facades surrounded by greenery, one might imagine Disney World characters exploring its partially exposed brickwork.
Credit: Inside the Magic

During a recent discussion about attraction breakdowns, Redditor u/ledaswanwizard shared a chilling experience from a December visit to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

“My daughter and I were just at the point at the top of the ride where we were just about to move forward into the drop-zone shaft when it broke down,” they recalled. “We were all sitting in darkness for a few minutes when someone next to us said ‘I think we actually entered the Twilight Zone!’ and we all laughed.”

With the attraction stuck just before the thrilling plunge, guests were left suspended in a motionless state. Soon after, emergency procedures kicked in, and ride operators attempted to restore functionality.

Visitors gather outside the entrance of Disney's Hollywood Studios. The sign is displayed above the entrance, with teal columns and palm trees in the background.
Credit: Paul Hudson, Flickr

“The lights came on and we could see the entire empty shaft section,” the Disney Park guest continued. “We heard voices over the loudspeaker from the control room telling us the usual info about the ride being stopped temporarily and going through various startup codes/routines etc. trying to get the ride going again, and how the ride would be restarting ‘momentarily.'”

For nearly 20 minutes, Disney Park guests sat in suspense as cast members worked to troubleshoot the problem. However, the Redditor found an unusual way to pass the time.

Four teenagers laughing and talking in front of the twilight zone tower of terror attraction in Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park on a sunny day.
Credit: Disney

“At one point, I looked down at the floor where I had set my loungefly backpack and noticed that the keychain I had hanging off one of the zipper pulls was ‘stuck’ in the floor grating,” they explained. “It took me and my daughter a while to get it unstuck and (this is probably a coincidence) almost to the second that we got it unstuck the ride was successfully restarted and we finished it without incident.”

The family now jokes that they were the ones responsible for “breaking” The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.

“My daughter and I joke about ‘maybe my keychain tripped a sensor or something in the floor track causing the ride to stop,'” the Redditor concluded. “We laugh about it now.”

Have you ever gotten stuck on a Walt Disney World Resort or Disneyland Resort attraction? Share your experience with How to Disney in the comments! 

Jess Colopy

Jess Colopy is a Disney College Program alum and kid-at-heart. When she’s not furiously typing in a coffee shop, you can find her on the hunt for the newest Stitch pin.

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