Alternate Tower Spotlight: The Paris Tower of Terror, Part 3--Lobby Waiting Areas, Libraries, and Pre-show

Beyond the cast member's podium was the crashed elevators and directory sign.  Unfortunately I don't have a photo of the whole scene from Paris, but I do have this detail of the directory:

April 2017, by Pyrokenesis

Based on this detail photo, it appears that Paris had different light fixtures next to the crashed elevators.  DCA's lights were round, while the lamp visible in the upper left of this photo appeared more cylindrical and had a vine-like detailing along the bottom.  The directory itself, however, appeared to be the same between the two versions of the ride.  The font for the word "directory" was Rubens, which most Disney fans probably know as "the Haunted Mansion font".  The Haunted Mansion and Phantom Manor used slightly elongated versions of Rubens font for their logos.

The cast member directed guests to one of two waiting areas.  For my DCA walkthrough, I referred to these as the "King's side" and the "Queen's side."  However, such labels would be inaccurate for the Paris Tower.  While the left-side waiting area did feature a portrait of a queen (well, actually an empress--more about her in a moment), the right side waiting area had a large emergency exit door!  Apparently French safety codes required that there be another emergency exit, which thus took the place of the King's portrait and display case.

If a group of guests was directed to the left side waiting area, they had to pass through the small hallway formed by the crashed elevators and the back of the check-in desk.  On the left side of the hallway (that is, the wall that formed the back of the desk) was the "22" door and a clock on a desk (set to 8:05, of course).  These referenced the Twilight Zone episode "Twenty-Two", the opening scenes of which seemed to have influenced the ride.

A painting of a stormy coast hung above the clock in the Paris Tower.

April 2017, Pyrokenesis.

In contrast, California Adventure's Tower had a Greek-style relief of children carrying books instead.

In the left-side waiting area, there was a large framed portrait displayed high on the wall, and beneath it was a display case with vases, a telephone, a bronze statue, some glass bottles, hand mirrors, and a variety of other small objects I can't quite identify in this photo.

April 2017, Pyrokenesis

That portrait was "Portrait of Empress Maria Alexandrovna" by Franz Xaver Winterhalter.  Winterhalter was also the artist who painted the portraits of Napoleon III and Eugenie that decorated the DCA lobby.

Here's a clearer photo of the original portrait from wikiart.org

I have no explanation for why this portrait or the others appeared in the Tower of Terror. 19th century European royalty does not seem to fit the Hollywood or Twilight Zone themes of the ride. Was someone at Disney just a big fan of Franz Xaver Winterhalter? Did these people/paintings/artist appear in The Twilight Zone in some capacity? If you have any ideas, let me know!

After waiting in the waiting areas for a bit, guests would hear an announcement about the library doors opening, done in a ghostly voice.  It was in both French and English, and stated:

"Mesdames et Messieurs, bienvenue au Hollywood Tower Hotel. D'ici quelques instants, les portes de la bibliothèque se trouvant devant vous vont s'ouvrir. Veuillez vous tenir à distance de ces portes, car elles s'ouvriront vers vous. Merci.

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the Hollywood Tower Hotel. 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."

(Transcript from here)

Guests then made their way into the libraries.  Though they followed the same layouts as the DCA libraries, Paris' versions of course had their own unique traits.  One notable difference was that Paris' libraries still had carpet in the center, while California's started with carpet but switched to all wood floors partway through its run.  The cast members instructed guests to stand on the carpet during the pre-show.

Desk in the Queen's side/Left side library.  April 2017, Pyrokenesis

I only have a desk photo from the left/queen's side room, but based on this photo of the desk alone one can spot Paris vs DCA.  While they had the same Egyptian lamp, they had different chairs, and Paris' has a book and a bronze dog statue rather than California's mahjong game.

For the curious, here's California's:

by land-of-manors-and-beans

Unfortunately, photographing the Paris libraries was plagued by the same issues as California's.  The rooms were very dark, you were given very little time to explore them, and the pre-show took up most of your time and attention in the room.  Presumably, the Paris version had the same Twilight Zone Easter Eggs here that I detailed in the DCA version, although likely with slightly different placement.

Pyrokenesis did managed to get these lovely photos of one of the back table lamps, which was a design not found at the ride's American counterpart:

April 2017, Pyrokenesis

That white lamp in the back looks unique to Paris' design too.  April 2017, Pyrokenesis

Regarding the pre-show itself, it had identical visuals to the DCA version.  Notably, the exterior view was actually correct for the Paris one, as in the video the Tower had the round fins on the sides that differentiated the Paris from the California exterior.  Regarding the audio, it was, of course, dubbed in French.  You can listen to the source audio for the French dub in this post by Dlp Sounds:

If for some reason that link doesn't work, here is the transcript:

"Vous ouvrez cette porte avec la clef de l’imagination. Au delà, c’est une autre dimension. Une dimension sonore. Une dimension visuelle. Une dimension de l’esprit. Vous pénétrez dans le domaine de l’ombre et de la matière, des objets et des idées. Vous venez d’entrer dans… La Quatrième Dimension.

Hollywood, 1939. Dans le strass et les paillettes d’un Hollywood à l’apogée de son âge d’or, le Hollywood Tower Hotel était une star à part entière… Le lieu de rencontre de l’élite du show business…

Mais quelque chose allait se produire qui allait changer tout ça…

(Les visiteurs assistent alors à la disparition de l'ascenseur)

Nous voici aujourd’hui par une soirée en tout point semblable à celle dont nous venons d’être témoins.

L’histoire de ce soir dans la Quatrième Dimension est quelque peu unique et réclame une introduction d’un autre ordre. Vous aurez sûrement reconnu ce que l'on appelle un ascenseur de service, il est toujours en état de marche et il vous attend. Nous vous invitons, si vous l’osez, à l’emprunter car dans l’épisode de ce soir, VOUS êtes la vedette, et cet ascenseur conduit directement dans… La Quatrième Dimension !"

(Translation from here)

 I have also seen videos of the pre-show that feature the English dub but with French subtitles.  Here is one such example, posted by Jundy Comer on YouTube:

This may or may not be an alternate presentation actually used at the Paris Tower.  When I rode the Paris version back in 2012 I recall everything being in French, so I do not know if or when the English audio-French subtitles setup was used.  Perhaps someone more familiar with Disneyland Paris can enlighten me?

After viewing the pre-show, the previously-hidden sliding door at the back of the library opened, and guests made their way into the boiler room.

Alternate Tower Spotlight: The Paris Tower of Terror, Part 2-- The Exterior Queue and Lobby Show Scenes

The exterior queue layout at the Paris Tower was the same as DCA.  Upon entering the gates, guests found themselves in an open-air foyer with a chandelier and an HTH mosaic in the center of the floor.

April 2017 photo by Pyrokenesis

Paris had more permanent fencing protecting the HTH mosaic, while DCA simply used some posts with a single draping chain around the design.  In addition, although I do not have any clear photos of the corners, I also think that Paris lacked the extra planters with fan-leafed plants in the entry corners of the foyer.  This omission could be due to the different landscaping needs of the Paris location, which I discussed in part 1 of my Paris Tower coverage.

Foyer ceiling and chandelier, April 2017, Pyrokenesis

Other than the more substantial fencing around the mosaic and the lack of planters, the California and Paris foyers were the same.

Like DCA, the Paris Tower had an exterior fastpass garden queue to the right and a standby garden queue to the left.  Unfortunately, I don't have any photos from within the fastpass garden, but I do have photos taken through the fence from the outside which confirm that Paris had the same female statue in this part of the queue as DCA.

Unlike California, she didn't have a bench in front of her.  April 2017, Pyrokenesis

Pyrokenesis also confirmed that the "pool" directional sign was in the Paris fastpass garden, but was unable to get a photo of it.

Paris' date plaque, presumably in the same location as California's date plaque.  Note the different landscaping.  April 2017, Pyrokenesis

As for the standby queue, it followed the same layout as its DCA counterpart, with one notable difference: there were no vines!  Aside from the long overhang at the start of the exterior queue, the Paris standby exterior queue was open-air, without the wood scaffolding and vines that shaded DCA's.

Under the long overhang, April 2017, Pyrokenesis

Broken urn in the border planter, April 2017, Pyrokenesis

Looking at the queue switchbacks from the end of the overhang.  April 2017, Pyrokenesis

Another vine-less view, April 2017, Pyrokenesis

I suspect that this change to the exterior queue was also due to the weather differences between Anaheim and Paris.  In California, the vines and wood scaffold provided much-needed shade from the sun, while in Paris such a structure might get bogged down with snow in the winter.

Having gone through either the fastpass or standby sections of the exterior queue, guests proceeded through the glass doors into the lobby.

Looking out the entry doors from within the lobby.  The fact that I don't see any planters in the background of the picture is why I think Paris' foyer didn't have them.  April 2017, Pyrokenesis

The lobby doors were the same as California's, with the exception of having green European-style exit signs above them.  The ghostly exterior/lobby music loop echoed through the room.

The ceiling featured a geometric tile design crossed with beams, with speakers for the background music hidden among the tiles.

April 2017, Pyrokenesis

As far as I can tell, the ceiling and chandeliers were the same as the DCA Tower, albeit slightly less dusty.  Notably, this wasn't always the case; California's lobby got a dustier, more web-covered treatment around 2010, while Paris retained the original look.

Although the Paris lobby had the same setup and scenes as its Anaheim counterpart, a variety of details differentiated them from each other.  Indeed, once one notices the differences, it is surprisingly easy to determine which Tower a photo depicts.

The first scene on the left as guests entered was an abandoned card game, set up as if the players had suddenly vanished.

April 2017, Pyrokenesis

For those curious, here is my May 2016 photo of the equivalent scene in DCA:

DCA Tower

As you can see, Paris had a different, more wildly patterned carpet, different chairs, a different lamp and glasses on the table, and different curtains.  Paris also had an additional painting above the dusty potted plant.

Detail of Paris' table.  April 2017, Pyrokenesis

Another view of the card game scene, April 2017, Pyrokenesis

It also appears that Paris lacked the champagne bottle prop in this scene.

Beyond the card game was a decorative table set up in front of the next window, with a dragon statue and two lamps on it.

April 2017, Pyrokenesis

Once again, the carpet and curtains differed from DCA.  Although the setup of having a dragon statue and two lamps was the same, which dragon statue and which lamps differed between the two versions of the attraction.  For those curious, here's California's:

DCA Tower, May 2016

Regarding those curtains, the geometric pattern on the top part of the curtain was also unique to each Tower.

Lower photo by Pyrokenesis, upper photo by Mrbellcaptain

After the table with the dragon was the tea table scene.  This was set up as if two people were enjoying some tea while writing letters before disappearing.  A black sweater was still draped over the chairs, tea equipment remained on a serving tray nearby, and dusty envelopes lay on the table.  One of the lobby's emergency exits was just beyond this scene.

April 2017, Pyrokenesis

Zooming in on this picture, it appears that Paris lacked the bizarre half-written postcard that DCA had.  This unusual Easter egg, consisting of a postcard that stopped half-written because the writer disappeared, would only have been visible to guests if they had to use the emergency exit.  It makes sense that Paris would omit this strange detail, as it would never have been part of the normal guest experience.

The postcard was far from the only difference in this scene between Paris and DCA.  Although the general description of the scene was the same, they featured different tables, chairs, carpets, curtains, and table setups.  Paris also had a flower vase on the table, and another vase next to the emergency exit.  Here's my (unfortunately blurry) photo of the sparser Californian version for comparison:

DCA Tower, May 2016

Following the tea set scene, guests encountered the main scene of the lobby: the main sitting area and grand fireplace.

This scene consisted of the grand art deco fireplace along the back wall, with an HTH banner above it and a cracked, crumbling wall behind it, as well as a fancy couch on the left and two matching chairs on the right.  In front of the whole scene was a carved owl statue set among dead plants.  Everything was covered in dust and cobwebs... although not quite so many cobwebs as its Californian counterpart.

April 2017, Pyrokenesis

The owl statue.  April 2017, Pyrokenesis

That owl statue, by the way, has been identified as "Great Horned Owl" by French sculptor Jules Moigniez. (Thanks to Mrbellcaptain for identifying it!)

On the left side of the sitting area, on the couch, was a creepy abandoned doll and a book.  The doll may or may not have been a reference to the Twilight Zone episode "Living Doll."  On the right side of the sitting area, draped over one of the chairs, was the October 31, 1939 edition of The Los Angeles Examiner, which thus provided the ride's story date.

April 2017, Pyrokenesis

For those of you wondering how this differed from DCA, it was very much the same case as the tea set scene: The text description was the same, but the details differed greatly.  One of the most notable differences was the color scheme of the carpet and couches.  Paris' color scheme here was primarily blue-green, with blue floral patterned couches/chairs and a wildly patterned carpet that contained many blue and green hues.  By contrast, DCA's color scheme tended toward red, having red floral patterned upholstery and a red carpet with a more subdued pattern.

DCA (albeit with its owl statue missing) for comparison.  October 2016 photo by knocturnalliewitchstew

Comparing the Paris and DCA photos, one can also tell that Paris' fireplace wall had a much larger chunk of plaster missing from its upper-right corner.  The Paris couches were also less cluttered and dusty than the DCA versions as well.  For comparison:

DCA Tower, May 2016

DCA Tower, 2016 by Dusty Sage

The banners above the fireplace also differed in design.  Comparing the photos above, one can tell that DCA's was much more faded than Paris', that they had different tassels along the sides, and that DCA's HTH logo was smaller and higher up on the banner than Paris'.

Here's another interesting view of the Paris main sitting area, from inside the scene:

I think this is a Disney stock photo

Continuing clockwise from the sitting area, guests encountered the check-in desk.

April 2017, Pyrokenesis

This dusty carved desk was still littered with the hat, coat, and umbrella of the person checking in when the lightning struck.  The lamps on either side of the desk had HTH logos on the lampshades, and the sign read

Guest Registration

Cashier

Information

in Banhof Regular font.

The clock behind the desk read 8:05, because 8+5=13, and the Tower imagineers seemed to be trying to reference the "13 is an unlucky number" trope whenever they could.  Oddly, according to this photo, the Paris Tower lacked the "13 diamond rating" plaque on the wall behind the desk.

Overall, this scene differed very little from the version at DCA.  The only differences I could spot were the plaque, exact prop placement, dust levels, and the glimpses of the different queen paintings visible behind the desk.

Here's the inevitable DCA picture for comparison purposes.  May 2016

At this point, a cast member sorted guests into the pre-show waiting areas.  The CM did so while standing at the cast member podium next to the check-in desk.

A cast member directing guests.  April 2017, Pyrokenesis

The podium was identical to DCA's with the exception of the design on the lamp.  DCA used the same Egyptian-patterned lamp both on the podium and in the libraries, while Paris' podium lamp had a simpler orange and green cover.

***

I had initially planned to cover the lobby entirely in one post, but this one was getting incredibly long already.  Therefore, the next post will begin with the coverage of the lobby elevators and waiting areas!