Tower of Terror 10-Miler Race Medals

October 13, 2013 by

The Tower of Terror 10-Miler is an annual Walt Disney World running event that began in 2012 (it replaced the Tower of Terror 13k).  Participants in the Tower of Terror 10-miler take home a large, detailed Tower of Terror shaped race medal with commemorative ribbon. Bonus: the little elevator in the middle is spring-loaded!  This page collects all of the The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10-Miler race medals into one handy reference.

2013

The 2013 Tower of Terror 10-miler medal is very similar in design to the previous year’s medal.

The medal itself is cast in a heavy pewter-like metal with a red-trimmed ribbon featuring Stitch dressed as a Hollywood Tower Hotel bellhop.

The tiny elevator in the center of the medal is spring-loaded. The windows and Hollywood Tower Hotel sign use a glow in the dark surface material.  eBay prices typically range from $50-100 for the Tower of Terror 10-Miler 2013 race medal.

2012

The 2012 medal was the first of its kind, a heavy pewter-like medal with the year “2012” in the upper left corner.  The ribbon is orange and black and emblazoned with a Tower silhouette, lightning bolts, and the words “Inaugural” “Sept. 29, 2012” and “The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10-Miler”.  The tiny elevator in the center of the medal is spring-loaded. The windows and Hollywood Tower Hotel sign use a glow in the dark surface material.

Inaugural Tower of Terror 10-Miler medal and ribbon from Amanda's celebratory "I Ran Disney!" blog postabout the race.

Inaugural Tower of Terror 10-Miler medal and ribbon from Amanda’s celebratory “I Ran Disney!” blog postabout the race.

2009

The Tower of Terror 13k rewarded a similar medal.

tot_13k_medal

2008

tower_of_terror_13k

Photo credit: Laura Gilbreath

Size

Juan Morales finished the Tower of Terror 10-Miler at 58:00. Kimberly Mueller, the first woman to reach the end, finished at 1:04:50. Source: thedisneyblog.com

Juan Morales finished the Tower of Terror 10-Miler at 58:00. Kimberly Mueller, the first woman to reach the end, finished at 1:04:50.
Source: thedisneyblog.com

It’s easy to assume it’s the same size as the ever-popular Disney pins, but it’s actually closer to a Pop-Tart pastry in size.

Check out the photo of the inaugural Tower of Terror 10-Miler winners to the right for a sense of scale for the medal.  It’s huge!

 

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Tower of Terror Memo Holder (Florida version)

October 13, 2013 by

This Tower of Terror memo holder is one of my favorite pieces of official Tower merchandise.

Don’t let the pic fool you – this Tower replica is actually quite tiny – the hotel itself is only about 3″ tall x 3″ wide.  The entire memo holder is about 6.5″ tall.   I’m not sure what years it was available, but there’s just something late 90’s about it, don’t you think?

It’s difficult to find official Tower of Terror merchandise in the likeness of the hotel structure itself.  Not that I don’t love Disney’s characters dressed up in bellhop costumes –  those are all 100%  adorable.  But I’m a huuuge fan of the look and feel and the architecture of the Tower of Terror itself, so I must admit a soft spot in my heart (and my collection) for Tower merchandise made in the image of the Tower itself.  I found mine on ebay for $24+ shipping.

tower of terror memo holder replica souvenir front

tower of terror memo holder replica souvenir side and back

tower of terror memo holder replica souvenir back

tower of terror memo holder replica souvenir front and side

tower of terror memo holder replica souvenir front detail

tower of terror memo holder replica souvenir front detail bottom

tower of terror memo holder replica souvenir bottom Disney stamp

PS: Disney, if you’re reading this – please send more tower replicas! 🙂

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Tower of Terror Big Fig

October 12, 2013 by

What’s a Big Fig?

Appealing mostly to elite collectors (and elite wallets), Disney big figs (literally, “big figurines”) are some of Disney’s largest, most elaborate, and most expensive souvenirs. These replicas of beloved characters and park features are typically between 20” and several feet tall.

Tower Big Fig

Figurines of the Tower of Terror itself are, in general, quite rare.  Disney seems to prefer promoting the Tower through licensed characters and Hollywood Tower Hotel-themed merchandise like bathrobes and front desk bells.  But a few figurines of the Tower itself exist, and the biggest and brightest of all is this gorgeous DCA Tower of Terror replica.

tower of terror big fig replica

tower of terror big fig replicaThis Tower statue is not a “true” big fig (it’s 9” tall whereas normally big figs are 20”+), but it widely accepted as “the Tower big fig” because it’s the closest thing to a big fig Disney has made for the attraction.

The Tower of Terror big fig is 9” x 9” x 9” and made of carefully detailed cold-cast resin.  It is HEAVY – about 10 lbs.  Nearly two dozen individual trees decorate the exterior, along with a miniature fence perimeter, tiny window sills, roof tiles, detailed facade cracks, and light-up sign that flickers almost exactly like the sign of the real-life DCA Tower of Terror.

How to Find

This Tower replica is a must-have for any serious Tower of Terror and Disneyana collectors but Disney doesn’t make ’em anymore, and at $200+ (if you can even find it for sale) it won’t come cheap.  Stalking around eBay yields an occasional Tower big fig.  So if you’re interested in adding this one to your Tower collection, keep an eye on eBay and may the force be with you!

 tower of terror big fig replica side view

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Tower of Terror Mistakes & Bloopers

October 11, 2013 by

No one’s perfect, not even our dear Tower of Terror. 🙂

Video Tower vs. Real Tower

The Tower you see in the pre-show video is not the Tower you see in the park. 🙂   Here’s a few fun differences to look for each time you watch the pre-show:

Sign Location

Look closely at the “Hollywood Tower Hotel” sign during the library pre-show. The sign is positioned above – way above – the soon-to-be-destroyed elevator shafts.  On the physical building, the sign letters are much lower and overlap the destroyed elevator shafts.

tower of terror mistakes and bloopers

tower of terror mistakes and bloopers

tower of terror mistakes and bloopers

The sign placemnt was corrected in the California and Paris versions of the ride.  The Tokyo DisneySea version does not include a hotel name sign.

Building Details

Look closely at the side of the Tower’s tallest structure.  Down the side are three columns of windows in the video, but there are just two columns on the real tower.

The video shows a large pointy-roofed building in front of the tower, but that building is absent in the real version.

TOT_HS_front

Photo credits: YouTube video by macattack5545

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Tower of Terror Background Music

October 11, 2013 by

The Tower of Terror’s spooky queue and pre-show atmosphere is enhanced by a one-hour loop of otherworldly background music from the jazz era.

Listen to the entire Tower of Terror background music loop on YouTube.

Background Songs

“Alabamy Home” by Gotham Stompers Tower of Terror background music

“Another World” by Johnny Hodges

“Can’t Get Started” by Bunny Berigan

“Dear Old Southland” by Noble Sissle

“Deep Purple” by Turner Layton

“Delta Mood” by Cootie Williams

“Inside” by Fats Waller

“Jeep’s Blues” by Johnny Hodges

“Jitterbug’s Lullaby” by Johnny Hodges

“Jungle Drums” by Sidney Bechet

“Mood Indigo” by Duke Ellington

“Pyramid” by Johnny Hodges

“Remember” by Red Norvo

“Sleepy Time Gal” by Glenn Miller

“There’s a House in Harlem (for Sale)” by Henry Allen

“There’s No Two Ways About It” by Frankie Newton

“Uptown Blues” by Jimmy Lunceford

“We’ll Meet Again” by Vera Lynn

“When the Sun Sets Down South” by Sydney Bechet, Noble Sissle’s Swingsters

“Wishing (Will Make it So)” by Vera Lynn

Disclosure: If you enjoy the Tower’s queue music, your purchase through these Amazon affiliate links helps support this site!

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Minecraft Tower of Terror Models & Videos

October 1, 2013 by

I’ve been kind of avoiding Minecraft, being both easily addicted to addicting things and short on free time. But then I found several Minecraft Tower of Terror recreations and my jaw dropped through my keyboard. These Minecraft Tower of Terror recreations are amazing! I picked a few of the best and linked ’em here for your enjoyment.

First up is TwistaaGaming’s awesome Minecraft Tower of Terror. Don’t miss the cube ghosts around 1:40. He even built the gift shop.

TwistaaGaming also built a beautiful replica of the Tokyo DisneySea Tower of Terror, complete with the unique preshow elements.

Another Minecraft artisan, GenLawrence, re-created the TOT preshow video using Minecraft elements, with eerie attention to detail.

IPyrrHaX16’s video might be 20 minutes long (and in French), but it’s incredible.   He built the outside (looks amazing, by the way), the Library video room, even the numbers you stand on while waiting to board the elevator.  The ride experience itself falls a little flat without the ghosts, but drop, even though it’s in Minecraft, manages to be almost as thrilling as the real ride thanks in part to the sound effects.

HOLY COW HE ALSO MADE A VIDEO OF THE FRENCH TOT INAUGURATION!

Okay, wow.

This TOT Minecraft video by Team WDW is more of a set than a functional Minecraft ride (if the comments are to be believed), but the attention to detail is a treat to watch.

And finally, this video by McMagic depicts the entire ride experience (including the pre-show) in great detail using only Minecraft pieces.

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Tower of Terror 10 Miler Event & History

October 1, 2013 by

tower_of_terror_10_miler_posterHosted by runDisney, the Tower of Terror 10 Miler is an annual nighttime race held at Walt Disney World in Florida in late September/early October.  The race ends near the Tower of Terror, and the race’s name and promotional material are Tower-themed.  Alas, it is not a race through or up the Tower, it’s just near the Tower!  This is not an easy race – even if 10 miles is no problemo for you in your hometown, the sweltering Florida heat and stifling humidity add an extra bit of challenge to the run.

Sarah over at Running at Disney wrote an excellent recap of her experience running in the TOT 10 Miler.

2012

Date: September 29, 2012
Entrance fee: $90

The inaugural Tower of Terror 10 Miler!  The TOT 10 Miler replaces the Tower of Terror 13k.

tower_of_terror_10_miler_start

2013

Date: October 5th, 2013
Entrance Fee: $135

The second Tower of Terror 10-Miler sold out, with 10k runners admitted.

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The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10 Miler

October 1, 2013 by

tot_10_miler_logoBeginning in 2012, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10-Miler (official site here) is an annual late September/early October night-time running event beginning and ending at Hollywood Studios, Florida.  The TOT 10-Miler is a reincarnation of the now-retired Tower of Terror 13k.  Numerous other events and parties accompany the TOT 10-Miler, including kids’ races, a til-4am villains bash, and access to Hollywood Studio rides.  Better save some energy after that run!

And in case you were wondering just how many people would sign up for a night time run through Florida’s late-summer mugginess:

Tower of Terror 10 miler crowd start line

Photo credit: The Walt Disney Company

All 10,000 spots in the race sold out for the 2013 run.

The Course

The course starts at the Hollywood Studios entrance, marches down Osceola Parkway, turns around at Animal Kingdom, runs back over Osceola Parkway, winds through the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex, and returns to Hollywood Studios for a grand finale jog through the park towards the finish line.

tot_10miler_race_course

Race map credit: runningatdisney.com

Running at Disney provided excellent coverage of 2013’s Tower of Terror 10 Miler.

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Tower of Terror Narration Scripts

September 29, 2013 by

Twilight Zone Tower of Terror voice-over narration scripts.

Lobby

Message heard before entering the library

“Ladies and gentlemen, in just a few moments, the library doors in front of you will be opening. Please stand back from the doors as they will be opening toward you. Thank you.”

Library

Video narration by Rod Serling and Mark Silverman

“You unlock this door with the key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension. A dimension of sound. A dimension of sight. A dimension of mind. You’re moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas. You’ve just crossed over into…The Twilight Zone.

Hollywood, 1939. Amid the glitz and the glitter of a bustling, young movie town at the height of its golden age, The Hollywood Tower Hotel was a star in its own right; a beacon for the show business elite. Now, something is about to happen that will change all that. The time is now on an evening very much like the one we have just witnessed.

Tonight’s story on The Twilight Zone is somewhat unique and calls for a different kind of introduction. This, as you may recognize, is a maintenance service elevator still in operation, waiting for you. We invite you, if you dare, to step aboard because in tonight’s episode, you are the star. And this elevator travels directly to…The Twilight Zone.”

Elevator

Elevator starts moving

WDW version

“You are the passengers on a most uncommon elevator about to ascend into your very own episode of… The Twilight Zone. One stormy night long ago, five people stepped through the door of an elevator and into a nightmare.

That door is opening once again, and this time it’s opening for you. “

DCA version

“You are the passengers on a most uncommon elevator about to take the strangest journey of your lives. Your destination, unknown, but this much is clear; a reservation has been made in your name for an extended stay.”

(DCA only) Mirror Scene

“Wave goodbye to the real world, for you have just entered… The Twilight Zone. What happened here to dim the lights of Hollywood’s brightest showplace is about to unfold once again.”

Before the drop sequence begins

“You are about to discover what lies beyond the fifth dimension, beyond the deepest, darkest corner of the imagination… in the Tower of Terror. “

After drop sequence

WDW version

“A warm welcome back to those of you who made it and a friendly word of warning; something you won’t find in any guidebook. The next time you check into a deserted hotel on the dark side of Hollywood, make sure you know just what kind of vacancy you’re filling. Or you may find yourself a permanent resident of… The Twilight Zone”

DCA version

“The next time you check into a deserted hotel on the dark side of Hollywood, make sure you know just what kind of vacancy you’re filling. Or you may find yourself a permanent resident of… The Twilight Zone”

Waiting for seat belts to unlock

“Ladies and gentlemen, please gather your belongings and watch your head and step as you exit through the elevator doors. We trust your stay at The Hollywood Tower Hotel has been a pleasant one, and please do come back and see us again.

Thank you.”

Filed Under: Trivia