The Construction and Opening Ceremony

            In 2002 I took my first trip to Disney World in Florida.  Upon return, I had a certain ride as my #1 pick to add to Disneyland in California: the Tower of Terror, of course!  It was an instant favorite of mine, and I thought it would be the perfect addition to the then-new California-themed park in Anaheim.  Upon going to California Adventure, I proceeded to freak out when I saw this rising above the new park's skyline:

Images dated October 2002 and taken by Disneygeek.com (image credit 1) (image credit 2)

            "No way," I thought.  "That looks like... no... I hope it is!..."  Basically, I freaked out with enthusiasm the way one might expect a then-very-young thrill ride enthusiast to do.  I asked my parents about the conspicuous new construction so much that they finally asked an employee about it.  The employee, of course, confirmed that it was indeed the Tower of Terror.  I remember jumping around with excitement for the rest of the day, which probably annoyed people a bit.

            Apparently, plans for the Tower had been officially announced on February 8, 2002, DCA’s first anniversary.[1]   The same announcement stated plans for the addition of A Bug's Land.  This was the first ride where I really watched the construction progress and excitedly awaited the results.  I couldn't wait for it to open for previews.

            Here is a video tribute from YouTube that shows a slideshow of the construction process:

             The Tower had a variety of pre-opening riders. In addition to employees being used as test riders, there was at least one “preview day” for Annual Passholders, which I attended (although I do not remember the exact date). We had to pick up special tickets and line up in the abandoned "Hollywood and Dine" food court before being led past construction walls to experience the ride. I may have received that promotional doorknob hanger at this event. I also vaguely remember there being other “soft openings” to the public before the May 5th official date. However, I so far have been unable to find exact dates for when these events or soft openings took place.  Maybe readers can help me out here?

             Here is the only clip I could find of the DCA Opening Ceremony:

            EDIT: Much more footage of the DCA Opening Ceremony has turned up in Martin Smith's DCA and Paris Tower documentary, viewable [HERE] /EDIT
             According to the official Disney Parks Blog, there was also a red carpet premiere down the Hollywood Pictures Backlot’s main street. The ceremony itself was hosted by Carol Serling (wife of the late Rod Serling) and “Buddy the Bellhop”, a character from a 2004 ad campaign promoting the Tower.[2] 

              I also recall there being at least one TV spot (part of an actual special, not a commercial) pre-opening that promoted the Tower’s addition to California Adventure. I specifically remember that it involved a comedian previewing the Tower and joking about how Disneyland lines always did a ton of crisscrosses before entering the ride. Since the exterior queue hadn’t been fully fenced in yet, the comedian walked back and forth repeatedly in front of the door to simulate the presumed “Disneyland line” experience. I have no idea what this TV clip was called and do not know if it is available online.
            EDIT: Mrbellcaptain at Tumblr provided some more information on pre-opening events.  According to him, in Mid-March 2004 Disney held a sign-lighting ceremony featuring watermelon-smashing comedian Gallagher.  The crowd was encouraged to scream to "power up" the sign (Monster's Inc. style?).  There was also a preview dinner on 23 April 2004 where attendees recieved a gold pocket watch and a decorative tile depicting the Tower. /EDIT

             For those who wish to see a really elaborate Opening Ceremony, Tower fans might also enjoy the ceremonies for the Paris version, which are readily available in HD on YouTube. What a difference a few years in video recording and sharing technology makes!

            On a side note, it’s amazing to see how early in DCA history those DisneyGeek Tower construction photos are. In the second one, you can see part of the Soap Opera Bistro signage towards the bottom of the photo. That restaurant was a very early feature of DCA that was quickly swapped out for Playhouse Disney and later Disney Junior (indeed, the Bistro would close a month after this photo was taken, and be gone completely before the Tower opened). For those curious about it, see here: http://www.yesterland.com/soapopera.html

[1] http://www.yesterland.com/farmmural.html

[2] https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2014/05/a-look-back-grand-opening-of-the-twilight-zone-tower-of-terror-at-disney-california-adventure-park/  I HIGHLY recommend readers look at this link!  It has really nice pictures of the DCA Opening Ceremony events.