Why is the Tower of Terror 199 feet tall?

The tower only goes up to 199-feet tall because if it had been built up to 200 feet, airplane beacons would have had to been added! Take a look at the inspection certificate right before you enter the ride elevator.



The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney’s Hollywood Studios stands exactly 199 feet tall due to specific Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations and Florida state law. Any structure reaching 200 feet or higher is legally required to be equipped with a flashing red aviation warning light at its peak to alert passing aircraft. Disney Imagineers felt that such a modern, pulsing light would completely shatter the carefully crafted "atmospheric magic" and period-appropriate illusion of a 1930s-era abandoned hotel. By capping the height at 199 feet, they successfully avoided the requirement while still maintaining the structure's status as one of the tallest attractions on the property. This same "under 200 feet" rule was applied to Expedition Everest in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, which stands at 199.5 feet for the exact same reason—to keep the mountain looking authentic without a blinking red light on its summit.

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Some little known fact about the tower is that Florida state law requires that a building that reaches or surpasses 200 ft must have an aircraft beacon be placed on top. The imagineers built the building at 199 ft to avoid putting a beacon on, which they felt would detach guests from the illusion of the Orlando hotel.

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Tower of Terror includes sudden, fast drops in a dark, enclosed space which may be frightening to some guests. Also, if you bring any bags or backpacks with you, keep them closed and tucked securely between your feet. The drop sequences will cause them to shift around or fly up.

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On July 12, 2005, a 16-year-old girl experienced a heart attack within minutes after she exited the ride. Doctors later discovered bleeding on her brain. Just three months later, a man experienced an irregular heartbeat and memory loss after riding the Disney Tower of Terror.

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Though many will see the number 13 as unlucky, if you see this posted as the wait time on Tower of Terror, you should jump into the queue immediately. Disney posting 13 isn't a spooky way of saying 15 minutes, it actually means that the ride is pretty much a walk-on.

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The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, or simply Tower of Terror, is a series of similar accelerated drop tower dark rides located at Disney's Hollywood Studios, Tokyo DisneySea, Walt Disney Studios Park, and formerly located at Disney California Adventure.

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Really big. It is a bouncing that does bring you out of your seat as you drop (lap belts should be tightened to help minimize this movement). Tower of Terror is absolutely a scary ride and just may be too scary for some kids.

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Here, you'll step inside the abandoned Hollywood Tower Hotel and take a ride through an elevator shaft where, on Halloween 1939, some of the hotel guests mysteriously disappeared. Complete with a creepy atmosphere and 13-story drops, this attraction has remained a must-do for guests for nearly 30 years.

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MacHale and starring Steve Guttenberg and Kirsten Dunst. It is based on the theme-park attraction, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, and aired on ABC on October 26, 1997, as a presentation of The Wonderful World of Disney.

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Those screams are meant to entice Guests to go ride Tower of Terror. However, those screams are totally fake! The screams you'll hear along Sunset Boulevard are actually a recording from speakers strategically placed on the walkways near the ride.

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Located in Disney's Animal Kingdom, Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain is the single tallest attraction in all of Walt Disney World. By a mere six inches. The snow-capped, rugged mountain stands 199 feet and six inches tall, making it a whole half a foot taller than the Tower of Terror.

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From February 6, 2022 through June 25, 2022, the Echo drop shaft was under maintenance, leading to Alpha and Bravo being closed and the attraction operating at half capacity. As you'd expect, wait times roughly doubled during the maintenance. All four lift elevators and both drop shafts reopened on June 26, 2022.

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Perhaps the most famous drop tower ride is the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Walt Disney World, which has been wracking the nerves of visitors since 1994. Its faster-than-freefall drop, which, according to Disney lore, plunges 13 stories in its 199-foot tower, is plenty thrilling.

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Take Dramamine® Non-Drowsy. If you know certain rides at the park will leave you feeling nauseous, start taking Dramamine® Non Drowsy as directed 30 minutes to an hour before you arrive at the park.

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The missing letters in the directory spell out, EVIL TOWER UR DOOMED.

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Between the two elevators sits the directory. Here you can see many of the main floors, and entertainment venues. You'll notice letters are missing; at one time, on the bottom of the directory, the fallen letters spelled out 'evil Tower U R doomed'.

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