Bizarre WDW Tower of Terror stuff

[sfogviper]

I don't really have a better place to post this and I know some here will appreciate it... so here goes.

I have ridden ToT many many times since it opened and I have never seen such odd stuff before this trip. Here's some of what I noticed.

Hallway scene music was way off. The aggressive part of the music that happens as the people disappear (for lack of a better description) sometimes didn't happen until way after they were gone, which resulted in the window breaking before the strings crescendoed. The doors would be closing as the strings peaked, and instantly the audio would cut to the next Serling part ("One stormy night..."). This happened in several of the chambers though I'm not sure if it was all of them. But it wasn't every time, and the latency would vary.

The 5th dimension had weird stuff going on too. One time the mirror door was slow, so it flashed and then the beam formed while the doors were already splitting apart. On two rides, all of the lights turned off completely while we were making the turn, then the blue show scenes faded up. The stars on the doors appeared, but never coalesced, and just faded out, then the doors opened while only one side formed its beam. (Both rides were on the Foxtrot side.)

Then I would hear the ending audio and script all the way up on the 5th dimension floor! We'd be moving into the drop shaft and hear "The next time you check into a deserted hotel..." or, even worse, the music from down there would be playing. So right before we began the drop sequence, we'd hear the very end of the music (right before the "manager" returns with "Ladies and gentlemen...") and then we'd start the sequence! It was so bizarre.

I found the whole thing amusing, but still slightly disappointing that my favorite attraction has such sloppy show problems. Just wanted to vent!

Jeff

[Chris]

I don't really have a better place to post this and I know some here will appreciate it... so here goes.

I have ridden ToT many many times since it opened and I have never seen such odd stuff before this trip. Here's some of what I noticed.

There's actually simple explanations to each of these things:

Hallway scene music was way off. The aggressive part of the music that happens as the people disappear (for lack of a better description) sometimes didn't happen until way after they were gone, which resulted in the window breaking before the strings crescendoed. The doors would be closing as the strings peaked, and instantly the audio would cut to the next Serling part ("One stormy night..."). This happened in several of the chambers though I'm not sure if it was all of them. But it wasn't every time, and the latency would vary.

Semi-recently, the entire audio system for the attraction was overhauled and very much upgraded. There have been sync issues since, and clearly it sounds as though they have not yet been resolved. I'm sure you know this, Jeff, but for the benefit of others who do not understand how an attraction A/V package works - the audio and video are almost never married. Especially in the case of The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror - as there are incab speakers as well as speakers in the hallway itself that play completely seperate pieces of audio. The speakers in the hallway play the background buzz of the ghosts, the ambiance that enhances the score as well as the window's shatter. The score itself plays in the cab. Something as simple as a delay at load (accidently tripping the door sensor after dispatch, for example, will cause this.) There is absolutely no safety risk to be concerned with - the vehicle can still advance just fine, but the show has already begun leaving the timing a mismatch.

The 5th dimension had weird stuff going on too. One time the mirror door was slow, so it flashed and then the beam formed while the doors were already splitting apart. On two rides, all of the lights turned off completely while we were making the turn, then the blue show scenes faded up. The stars on the doors appeared, but never coalesced, and just faded out, then the doors opened while only one side formed its beam. (Both rides were on the Foxtrot side.)

Another funky timing thing. For some reason it sounds like that zone got a show trigger sooner than it should have. As for the Starfield Doors, see below:

Then I would hear the ending audio and script all the way up on the 5th dimension floor! We'd be moving into the drop shaft and hear "The next time you check into a deserted hotel..." or, even worse, the music from down there would be playing. So right before we began the drop sequence, we'd hear the very end of the music (right before the "manager" returns with "Ladies and gentlemen...") and then we'd start the sequence! It was so bizarre.

It sounds as though the Starfield Doors eiher did not close between cycles, or closed too late. They very much act as a sound barrier, and with them open, yes, you can hear the unload floor audio.

I found the whole thing amusing, but still slightly disappointing that my favorite attraction has such sloppy show problems. Just wanted to vent!

At least you got to ride Goodtower on your trip! My trip was to DCA.

[sfogviper]

It sounds as though the Starfield Doors eiher did not close between cycles, or closed too late. They very much act as a sound barrier, and with them open, yes, you can hear the unload floor audio.

Wow. That's really surprising for some reason.

At least you got to ride Goodtower on your trip! My trip was to DCA.

Gross. It was my boyfriend's first trip to Orlando and he was concerned that all the talk about how much better WDW's is would lead to a letdown. Of course it didn't, and I can finally stop riding the stupid DCA one now.

Jeff

[Chris]

Wow. That's really surprising for some reason.

No reason to be - the Starfield Doors and the actually shaft doors are completely seperate. The Starfield Doors serve no purpose beyond show/story.

Gross. It was my boyfriend's first trip to Orlando and he was concerned that all the talk about how much better WDW's is would lead to a letdown. Of course it didn't, and I can finally stop riding the stupid DCA one now.

Jeff

Yeah, the DCA ride is pretty awful, and all it takes it to ride the DHS version once to see that differently forever. I will give it this much though - I rode DCA's ride on opening day (and before that) and have taken probably a dozen trips out since then. The drops *are* a bit more forceful and sudden than they once were, though still not as good. Honestly though, it was never the drops themselves that bothered me with the DCA ride; it was how cartoony everything feels with the bright colored lighting. Why is the corridor scene lit bright green BEFORE the ghosts arrive? Especially given the ghosts are purple.

I also have a serious problem with the fact that the cobwebs only exist in areas easy to reach from a step ladder. Nothing goes all the way to the ceiling. It's very awkward and predictible. The same can also be said for the cracks and distress to the walls. They don't feel natural. They feel designed to look cracked. The scenic painting isn't as effective. Everything feels like a theme park attraction at DCA, whereas everything could be mistaken for a very old, poorly maintained hotel at DHS.

Everyone else bitches about the DCA ride because the drops aren't as good, or because it has no 5th Dimension- but honestly those factors really never, ever come into play with my displeasure for it.

[sfogviper]

I have noticed the DCA drops improving slightly, especially comparing them to DHS's. Not as good, but not as glaring of a discrepancy.

I don't really think the lack of 5th Dimension is the problem, but what that does create for me is a huge problem with pacing. The 5D means that there's more buildup and more time to enjoy the anticipation of the drop sequence. The story dialogue flows better. It all just works. DCA's is like the hyperactive version. And like you said, so much attention to detail is missing, like the lighting and the ambiance of the aging architecture. I really just have no use for DCA's.

Jeff

[Chris]

I have noticed the DCA drops improving slightly, especially comparing them to DHS's. Not as good, but not as glaring of a discrepancy.

I don't really think the lack of 5th Dimension is the problem, but what that does create for me is a huge problem with pacing. The 5D means that there's more buildup and more time to enjoy the anticipation of the drop sequence. The story dialogue flows better. It all just works. DCA's is like the hyperactive version. And like you said, so much attention to detail is missing, like the lighting and the ambiance of the aging architecture. I really just have no use for DCA's.

Jeff

I would certainly not ever argue any of those points with you. Simple fact is, I'm completely obsessed with the original version of The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, and honestly, the only ride I like more than it is Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye. That being said, while I could ride the Florida Tower (hereafter known as "Goodtower") over and over again, I literally ride the California Tower (hereafter known as "Badtower") once per trip, if that, without regret.