That said, despite being promoted as a Halloween ride, Disney's treatment of the Tower during the spooky season was rather uneven. In sharp contrast to significant makeovers like Ghost Galaxy and Monsters after Dark, Tower got extra decorations and effects and some subtle new details... that only appeared in 2006 and 2007. They were rather nice, though, for being so understated and unused.
One of the most notable decorations was the dramatic bat arch over the entry gates, which was even featured on promotional materials:
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| Advertisement for Tower with bat arch at the Mickey and Friends tram loading area. Photo by Mrbellcaptain |
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| Ad poster on the side of a ticket booth near Downtown Disney. Photo by Mrbellcaptain |
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| The bat arch itself. Photo by Mrbellcaptain |
There were also stained glass decorations on the lampposts in the Tower grounds.
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| Photo by Mrbellcaptain |
The building itself also received unique lighting projections at night, featuring bat and spider web designs as well as additional lightning flashes.
There also was apparently a small show wherein victims of the lightning strike disaster told their story:
According to Mrbellcaptain, Disney also added wind and rain sound effects to the garden areas, in addition to adding a soundtrack of a little girl playing. There was also a meet and greet with hotel staff characters, such as a doorman and a maid.
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| Photo by Mrbellcaptain |
Inside the building, the lobby got a slew of Halloween decorations, all indicating that a lively Halloween party was underway when everyone suddenly disappeared. In-story, the Twilight Zone disaster happened on October 31, 1939, and for once the decorations matched.
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| Festive orange jack o' lantern garland ran throughout the room. Photos by Mrbellcaptain |
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| Melted candles and some pumpkin and cat decorations on the fireplace. Photo by Mrbellcaptain |
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| Witch-themed ring toss game by the main seating area. Photo by Mrbellcaptain |
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| Decorations on the tea table scene. Photo by Mrbellcaptain |
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| Decorations by the dragon statue. Photo by Mrbellcaptain |
Two of the more notable lobby decorations were the Halloween gala poster and the banner over the check-in desk.
The poster read:
The Hollywood Tower Hotel
Halloween Gala 1939
Join us on the 13th floor at the Tip Top Club for a spooky good time!
Now Appearing: Anthony Fremont and his Orchestra
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| Note the little paper witches on the table next to the poster, which confirm this was next to the dragon statue. Photo by Mrbellcaptain |
It appears that this poster was placed next to the table with the dragon statue in 2006 (see photos above), but in 2007 it was moved to a much more visible spot directly next to the queue's final turn that passed in front of the seating area.
The banner over the check-in desk read:
Charms of the Witching Hour
Happy Halloween
Hollywood Tower Hotel
1939
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| Photo by Mrbellcaptain |
The gift shop display window also had special decorations, including an orange dress replacing the usual black one.
The Halloween decorations were nice little details that were sadly underutilized. Arguably, the ride itself was underutilized too as it received no alterations during Halloween time... at least until its final Halloween.
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| Photo taken 30 September 2016 by a reader. This was the only consistently returning Halloween decoration at the Tower. |
The Halloween decorations were nice little details that were sadly underutilized. Arguably, the ride itself was underutilized too as it received no alterations during Halloween time... at least until its final Halloween.
For Disney’s 2016 HalloweenTime promotion, the Tower finally got a true Halloween mode. Called “Late Check-out”, it was advertised as a chance to ride the Tower in complete darkness. As such, “Late Check-out” wasn’t the mode most suitable for video presentation, but here is a link to a recording nonetheless:
Personally, I got the sense that, yes, this was a good start for a Halloween mode that could be built upon and improved in later years. I can't help but wonder how much of the surprisingly fun Monsters After Dark evolved from potential future concepts for a Tower Halloween mode.
Who were the Silver Lake Sisters? They were actually characters from the lore that was infused into Buena Vista Street during the DCA 2.0 remodel. They’re the fictional owners of the Fiddler, Fifer, and Practical Café, a quick-service eatery on Buena Vista Street. Guests could trace the Sisters’ careers by looking at the “memorabilia” on the walls of the dining area. Included were advertisements indicating that the gals used to sing at the Tip Top Club at the Hollywood Tower Hotel. The official Disneyland website entry for the cafe stated, "All over the cafe's walls, you'll see memorabilia from the Silver Lake Sisters' heyday, from black-and-white publicity photos to posters of venues they've played, including the Hollywood Tower Hotel ballroom." ([link]; quote retrieved 11/20/16)
For more information about these characters, here is an official Disney Parks blog entry on them: https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2015/02/the-magic-of-disney-parks-storytelling-fiddler-fifer-practical-cafe-at-disney-california-adventure-park/
Indeed, two specific HTH-themed posters did decorate the cafe's walls, and indicated that the Sisters not only played at the hotel, but that they were scheduled to perform there on the night of the Twilight Zone disaster. The posters were displayed together on a wall, one on the right, one on the left.
Indeed, two specific HTH-themed posters did decorate the cafe's walls, and indicated that the Sisters not only played at the hotel, but that they were scheduled to perform there on the night of the Twilight Zone disaster. The posters were displayed together on a wall, one on the right, one on the left.
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| The left-hand poster. Photo by Mrbellcaptain |
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| The right-hand poster. Photo by Mrbellcaptain |
After the opening of Mission Breakout, all Tower of Terror references were scrubbed from Buena Vista Street, thus denying the Hollywood Tower even Easter Egg status. This included the Silver Lake Sisters losing their most illustrious venue. I haven't seen the new decor myself yet, but I've h
eard that posters now indicate that the Sisters performed at the Carthay Circle instead.
Due to not having a pass I was unable to see the Silver Lake Sisters in person. According to comments by those who did see them, the singers were very talented but they were shorted by the venue. Rather than getting a proper sound system, they had to sing through the same speakers meant to transmit only quiet background music. Also, they were situated in the lobby, where guests were generally funneled through quickly without much of a chance to enjoy the performance.
Based on photos and video, I also had another slight gripe with the Sisters. Namely, that they looked like normal 1930s-1940s women. The Tower was supposed to have a haunted, abandoned vibe, especially in the ultra-dusty lobby. And yet there the girls were, performing as if nothing was amiss! This was an easily fixable issue too; Disney simply needed to give the girls a ghostly makeover, similar to how the Dapper Dans are given ghost makeup and perform as the Cadaver Dans during Halloween events. I’d say this would be an improvement Disney could make next year…except there would be no “next year” for the Tower.
The addition of the Silver Lake Sisters highlighted the loss of lore brought about by the Tower’s removal. The designers of Buena Vista Street made sure to integrate the Tower with their new, detailed environment, only to have it disappear. It is also disappointing that the only time this lore was actually put to use was for a one-time Halloween event that can never be repeated.
It’s worth noting that, on the micechat forums at least, there was a rumor that these Halloween events were not intended to be special “final year sendoff” events, and that the Tower was not even supposed to last through to Halloween 2016! According to these rumors, Imagineering had long been planning on creating a Halloween mode for the Tower and Disney’s marketing department was planning on centering the 2016 Halloween ad campaign around the Tower and its new Halloween mode. The Guardians of the Galaxy news shocked both departments, as did supposed original closure date of August 2016. A combination of fans begging for a longer chance to get one last ride and marketing/ride development begging for a chance to implement their Halloween mode and ad strategies made the execs extend the Tower’s run until January 2017. That said, these are RUMORS and I don’t really have solid information on this.
The fact that exterior demolition work on the Tower began on October 1, 2016, right at the start of the Halloween season, does add credence to that original closure date, however. The combination of demolition and the simultaneous promotion of “Late Checkout” also felt like an awkward compromise between fans, Imagineering, and the execs who wanted GOTG ASAP. I have no evidence that the rumors were true, but the timing seems fishy enough to lend tenuous credence to them.
eard that posters now indicate that the Sisters performed at the Carthay Circle instead.
Due to not having a pass I was unable to see the Silver Lake Sisters in person. According to comments by those who did see them, the singers were very talented but they were shorted by the venue. Rather than getting a proper sound system, they had to sing through the same speakers meant to transmit only quiet background music. Also, they were situated in the lobby, where guests were generally funneled through quickly without much of a chance to enjoy the performance.
Based on photos and video, I also had another slight gripe with the Sisters. Namely, that they looked like normal 1930s-1940s women. The Tower was supposed to have a haunted, abandoned vibe, especially in the ultra-dusty lobby. And yet there the girls were, performing as if nothing was amiss! This was an easily fixable issue too; Disney simply needed to give the girls a ghostly makeover, similar to how the Dapper Dans are given ghost makeup and perform as the Cadaver Dans during Halloween events. I’d say this would be an improvement Disney could make next year…except there would be no “next year” for the Tower.
The addition of the Silver Lake Sisters highlighted the loss of lore brought about by the Tower’s removal. The designers of Buena Vista Street made sure to integrate the Tower with their new, detailed environment, only to have it disappear. It is also disappointing that the only time this lore was actually put to use was for a one-time Halloween event that can never be repeated.
It’s worth noting that, on the micechat forums at least, there was a rumor that these Halloween events were not intended to be special “final year sendoff” events, and that the Tower was not even supposed to last through to Halloween 2016! According to these rumors, Imagineering had long been planning on creating a Halloween mode for the Tower and Disney’s marketing department was planning on centering the 2016 Halloween ad campaign around the Tower and its new Halloween mode. The Guardians of the Galaxy news shocked both departments, as did supposed original closure date of August 2016. A combination of fans begging for a longer chance to get one last ride and marketing/ride development begging for a chance to implement their Halloween mode and ad strategies made the execs extend the Tower’s run until January 2017. That said, these are RUMORS and I don’t really have solid information on this.
The fact that exterior demolition work on the Tower began on October 1, 2016, right at the start of the Halloween season, does add credence to that original closure date, however. The combination of demolition and the simultaneous promotion of “Late Checkout” also felt like an awkward compromise between fans, Imagineering, and the execs who wanted GOTG ASAP. I have no evidence that the rumors were true, but the timing seems fishy enough to lend tenuous credence to them.
Thus concludes my summary of Halloween celebrations at the DCA Hollywood Tower Hotel--sadly, a tale of missed opportunities and good ideas implemented on too-rare of occasions. At least, for now, we can enjoy Monsters After Dark as we wonder what could have been.
I've found that most of the Halloween decorations were from Bethany Lowes Design.
ReplyDeleteThat's cool to know! It's cool that they're commercially available decorations. Thanks for commenting!
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