About ToT

[CPTNMatt]

I have a quick question about DCA's Tower of Terror: At nighttime, when you look up, you can see a light-it looks like a room. Now, I know at WDW's Tower of Terror, that room with the light is a "dummy" room. Is that the same with DCA's Tower of Terror? Am I clear or did I make it confusing?

[CPTNMatt]

85 views and not 1 answer. I know a lot of you out there know this question...

[EmeralineDragon]

I don't! I didn't even know there was a light...I've never seen ToT at night.

[CupcakeTerror]

I didn't even know there was a room there. I hope you get your answer soon.

[Bruce Bergman]

I haven't seen what you are referring to - There are windows and "rooms" up there, but nothing that you could rent out for the night. The light is either a prop, or they left a light on in a maintenance area, or the stairwell light you are seeing through a ventilation grille...

There are equipment rooms up there for the elevator equipment, the ride electronics, and the related service and maintenance gear. And most likely a break room and a restroom so the Third Shift folks don't have to go downstairs just for that.

And there are other floor levels with access doors, so they can get outside and work on the sign, and the lights and effects at various levels of the building. The cameras where you look out over the park (and they take your picture) have to be cleaned and the flash lamp tubes changed every once in a while.

And probably a real 'service elevator' to get the repair and maintenance people and the spare parts up and down - I sure wouldn't want to lug 1000# pieces of gear and motor armatures up 15 flights of stairs, or call in a crane each time I need to pick and place something on the roof.

--<< Bruce >>--

[DisneyPro]

^^ Pretty much what he said, probably a prop or maintenance room. Definately not a real room where guests could stay. ^^

[kristibaer]

I have a quick question about DCA's Tower of Terror: At nighttime, when you look up, you can see a light-it looks like a room. Now, I know at WDW's Tower of Terror, that room with the light is a "dummy" room. Is that the same with DCA's Tower of Terror? Am I clear or did I make it confusing?

What I can tell you about WDW version is that I saw a special several years ago ont he Travel Channel (before ours opened at DCA) and (I'm not the only who saw this) but the elevator did come off the track and cruise around some of the floors and re-aligned back on the elevator track/cable. That may be the rooms in WDW, but ours is considerably smaller, so what you are refering to is most likely affect.

[kristibaer]

What I can tell you about WDW version is that I saw a special several years ago ont he Travel Channel (before ours opened at DCA) and (I'm not the only who saw this) but the elevator did come off the track and cruise around some of the floors and re-aligned back on the elevator track/cable. That may be the rooms in WDW, but ours is considerably smaller, so what you are refering to is most likely affect.

[sir clinksalot]

What I can tell you about WDW version is that I saw a special several years ago ont he Travel Channel (before ours opened at DCA) and (I'm not the only who saw this) but the elevator did come off the track and cruise around some of the floors and re-aligned back on the elevator track/cable. That may be the rooms in WDW, but ours is considerably smaller, so what you are refering to is most likely affect.

Are you referring to the 5th dimension room?

[Bruce Bergman]

What I can tell you about WDW version is that I saw a special several years ago ont he Travel Channel (before ours opened at DCA) and (I'm not the only who saw this) but the elevator did come off the track and cruise around some of the floors and re-aligned back on the elevator track/cable. That may be the rooms in WDW, but ours is considerably smaller, so what you are refering to is most likely affect.

Are you referring to the 5th dimension room?

Sounds like he is - I'd have to look at the blueprints, but...

The WDW version, the elevator cars are NOT loaded when you are in the actual elevator shaft, it's a seperate cabin on tracks. The elevator rack is on the tracks in the shaft.

When you are loaded into the WDW TOT cabin and seatbelts all check out OK, you roll backwards into the rack in the elevator shaft and the cabin locks in, and then you do the up-and-down. Then you do the Fifth Dimension Room where you unlock on a middle floor and roll forward with the door open, then roll back into the shaft and lock in for the final drop sequence and back to the Load and Unload area. And someone said there are two cabins per shaft, so one can be unloading and loading while the other is in the show cycle.

I haven't been on the WDW TOT, or even without the blueprints I could be a lot more certain how it works just from analyzing it from the inside. (It takes a magician - or in this case a mechanic.)

It's like the DLR Indy Ball, you know something's up, but after you've seen the diagram of how it works it's a lot easier to pick out how it really works while you are on the ride - and when they can fool someone who is deliberately playing hard to fool, that's still just as magical as meeting Mickey to me... (Watch the floor - it doesn't move.)

In DCA, the TOT cabins are one to a shaft, and permanently installed like a normal elevator cabin. Lower guests per hour throughput, but a whole lot simpler to build and run.

--<< Bruce >>--

[kristibaer]

Are you referring to the 5th dimension room?

Is that what it's called? I've never been to WDW, but I recall the cable special and I've heard others talk about it too.

[jl559]

I think they should have built some hotel rooms in the tot. I'd sure pay to stay

[Bruce Bergman]

I think they should have built some hotel rooms in the tot. I'd sure pay to stay

They would be good for the novelty, but you wouldn't get much sleep with the cars whizzing up and down the shafts at rapid speeds half the night - and then the maintenance and testing in the wee hours.

There aren't that many usable spaces in the tower left after you figure in there are the three show elevator shafts, the maintenance elevator shaft and the emergency stairwell - there's probably a landing or another way to evacuate the cars at the top if that's where they E-stop at.

And it all has to be secured when the ride is operating for safety reasons. Or there has to be a trained escort so someone doesn't open an alarmed door or hatch and trigger an E-stop

Then add in HVAC equipment rooms, lighting and computer equipment, etc.... I'm betting they would be lucky to carve out enough space for restrooms and a break room at the top, and odd spaces resembling a large closet on the other floors.

--<< Bruce >>--

[hollywood1939]

I have a quick question about DCA's Tower of Terror: At nighttime, when you look up, you can see a light-it looks like a room. Now, I know at WDW's Tower of Terror, that room with the light is a "dummy" room. Is that the same with DCA's Tower of Terror? Am I clear or did I make it confusing?

I know what you are talking about and yes it is.





It's not what DHS ToT does but it kind of 'pulses' like that is the portal to the 5th dimension. Very similar to the second story of Haunted Mansion at night. That room is supposed to be the Tip Top Club as it's on the 13th floor. In the second pic you can see a doorway for it. Just a small detail that no one notices.

[EmeralineDragon]

Thanks for the photos, Hollywood1939! When I'm there in October, I'm going to look for the lights.