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 Review of Tower of Terror @ California Adventure
1 Rating Posted by: biosciking on 12/15/2005 4:29:00 PM
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror ranks as my favorite ride at California Adventure. I have ridden the Florida version, and I would give the slight edge to it, but I can still speak very highly of the California version as well. It is hard for me to compare the outside theming of the two versions, as every time I ride this one there is an unbelievably short line outside and I pretty much get into the library room immediately. The preshow does a very nice job of setting up the plot and getting riders into the appropriate mood. I am a sucker for the old-fashioned feel that is created, as well as for the mixture of gloomy premonition and excited anticipation. The boiler room that follows is very well-themed (and also where the majority of the waiting in line takes place), and then the ride itself is boarded. (I guess I should mention the little hallway between the elevator doors and the ride vehicle, as that is what everyone seems to complain about. I really do not let it become a distraction, as it takes about a millisecond to walk through.) Riders stay in the same elevator shaft for the duration, ascending to a floor to watch a mirror image of themselves morph into undulating shapes as they are transported from this dimension into the Twilight Zone. The elevator changes floors again to look down a hallway at the previous guests/ghosts of the hotel. This entire scene, including the elevator that surrounds the riders, switches to a star-filled space. It is a great effect. And then the ride drops. It is unexpected, tummy-tickling, and awesome! The elevator continually drops and climbs back up, only to drop again. A couple of times it stops at the top, allowing riders to look out at the park. A couple of times there is no stopping. As soon as the climb loses momentum, the vehicle falls right back down the elevator shaft, which actually provides some very good airtime. And then the ride comes to an end. When all is said and done, this ride is really just an extremely glorified drop tower, but there is nothing wrong with that. I love drop towers, and I love the theming here. And I do not think anyone (even those who prefer the Florida Tower) would argue that this was not a good (and even necessary) addition to DCA. Nothing has been mentioned about modifying this ride during the make-over of the park, and that is a good thing. Even the drop sequence, which could probably easily be reprogrammed, has not been rumored to change, and I am fine with that. I like it the way it is.
 
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