Secrets from the Van Eaton Gallery Exhibit!

I'm quite late in getting this post together, as the holidays and first month of this year have been quite busy for me.  I apologize for that, but I figure quality is worth it over getting posts out quickly... right?

Anyways, the Van Eaton Gallery auctioned off several significant set pieces from DCA's Tower of Terror in December 2017, and put them on free public exhibit before the auction.  I of course took the opportunity to finally see these props up close... even if it was rather sad, as the auction was proof that DCA Tower is 100% officially gone for good.

The first thing I noticed was the sheer size of the lobby props.  I always vaguely felt that the lobby felt a bit too small to be the lobby of a large hotel, but apparently that was a bizarre optical illusion caused by filling what must have been a gigantic space with equally gigantic furniture.  I'd estimated that the lamps by the fireplace, for example, were about my height.  Instead, they towered (no pun intended) over me (they were 80 inches tall, according to the gallery's description), and the key cabinet was even taller (107 inches tall, to be exact)!  Likewise, the fireplace grating was suitably large for the scale.  Even the "small" lobby lamps, which hung over the side scenes such as the card table, were far, far larger than expected... these "small" lamps would easily dwarf the average dining room chandelier.

View of the majority of the Tower props on display.  Sharp-eyed viewers will notice the fireplace lamps are turned the wrong way; this was to hide the fact that a glass panel on each one's lampshade was broken.

This "small" lobby lamp measured 38 inches tall, not including the chain, according to the official gallery description.  Just behind it you can see one of the "dragon" lamps from the vines area of the outdoor queue; interestingly, the gallery's catalog says that the head on the lamp is that of a Foo Dog and not a dragon.

Hilariously, the key cabinet still had blue painters tape on it from when it was installed in 2004!  While my photos didn't show the tape, some photos by Daveland do show that this painters tape was on the key cabinet for the entirety of Tower's run.

Painter's tape on the bottom of the key cabinet

More painter's tape along the side.

The televisions used for the pre-show were likewise unexpectedly large.  The TVs themselves weren't for auction, but the decorative "HTH"-logoed casings that housed them were.  The gallery's measurements for the casings didn't include the size of the screen cutout, but the casing dimensions were 28.5 x 46.5 inches.  Based on my own visual estimate, screens would have been considered "large screen" for 1994 and even 2004, much less 1939!  I suppose they were situated high enough on the shelf of the library that their anachronistic sizing wasn't apparent to guests.

Queen's library TV case

King's library TV casing

Perhaps more interesting than the size of the props, however, were some fascinating Easter Eggs that I managed to miss while the attraction was in operation.  The most notable were the messages on the bulletin board which used to hang in the boiler room hallway that led from the libraries.  I'd never heard anyone mention any Easter Eggs on the board, and I never really lingered long enough in that hallway to actually read it.  My photos of the board in situ were too blurry to note the details.  In the brightly-lit gallery, however, I was finally able to examine it.

Overall view of the board on display

The board was divided into three panels, so I'll delve into them from left to right.  Since a lot of the items on the board were made to look handwritten, they were very difficult to read.  Words that I have attempted to guess are followed by "(???)", while words I could not decipher at all are marked as "[unreadable]".

The left panel.  Click on image or open it in a new tab to zoom in and examine the entries!

The topmost item on the left panel was a note written on yellow paper reading:

Staff Meeting Thursday

9pm Boiler Room

Refreshments will be served

Below that was a handwritten note on white paper, reading:

Lost-- reading glasses, horn rim, thick lenses  AD-0405

Obviously, this second memo referenced the broken glasses Easter Egg found in the library, which in turn were from the Twilight Zone episode "Time Enough To Last".

The next note was on yellow paper again, and also looked handwritten.  It read:

Lost--silver thimble, slight scratch Call Ives (???) yo-7169 (???)

This referenced the dented thimbles from the lobby, which were from the episode "The After Hours".

The next item down was thankfully easier to read, thanks to being typed.  It was an announcement for a fictitious play, which read:

The Tower Players Present

"Where is Everybody?"

Open Auditions for our next production

Tonight

7:00 to 11:00 PM

Volunteers needed for the following technical positions:

Director

Stage Manager,

Set Designer

Lighting Director

Costume Designer.

No experience necessary--but helpful.

Note that the random comma and period in the list was on the actual list on the board.  This was perhaps the most significant Easter Egg I found on the board.  "Where is Everybody" was the very first Twilight Zone episode!  I've never found record of anybody else discovering this reference in the Tower before either!

This announcement overlapped with a group photo of a large amount of people.  Were these supposed to be the Tower Players?

The lowest items on the left panel were a Works Progress Administration (WPA) poster reading "Work Promotes Confidence" and a 4th place ribbon.  4th place for what?  We may never know.

Now, on to the center panel.

The center panel; once again, click or open in new tab to view larger!

The first item on this panel was another WPA poster, reading "Work Pays America".

The item below it was a photo of a house.  I have no idea if this house has any significance, or if it was merely a stock photo chosen as a filler image.

Next was a large printed announcement.  On yellow paper it read, "TONIGHT" while on blue it read:

Annual Costume Ball

Employees and their families Ballroom C

Dance Contest

Door Prizes

This mention of an annual costume ball reinforced that the Twilight Zone disaster happened on Halloween Night.

Costume ball flyer detail, photo by Mrbellcaptain

At the bottom of the center panel was a series of "For Rent" ads printed on yellow paper.  They were rather abbreviation-heavy and unfortunately light glare prevented me from getting a clear photo of some of the words, but from what I can tell it read:

For Rent

325 MODERN dbl. Apt, Sep, Ent, Frig, Gar 412 S. Norton SC-24718

327.50 4-RM & sleeping porc, X bed, Redec. 2111 Magnolia

332.50 4-Rm Upper 2607 Orchard ave, Just S. of Adams

Avail. Nov. 1st, 380- Unfurn., 3br., 12 baths, deck, porch, 9947 Young Dr. CR-17048

335, Nr., New May co, 4-rm, sleep porch, Frig, Gar, Nr School, Child welcome, 4261 W. Olympic PA- 5827

"For Rent" posting detail, photo by Mrbellcaptain

I have no idea if any of this has any significance, or even what some of it means.  I am, however, particularly intrigued by the listing that seems to state that some place to rent has three bedrooms, but TWELVE bathrooms.  Perhaps that mysterious house picture is meant to be one of these places for rent?  If so, is it the one with twelve bathrooms?

Below the for rent sign, crumpled at the bottom, was a 3rd place ribbon.  I know from my photos of the ride that this was originally pinned next to the 4th place ribbon on the left panel.  This still gives no answer as to why there are even ribbons there in the first place.  Third and fourth place for what?

The right panel was the most frustrating.  It had many notes, but they are all handwritten, or alternately done in a messy font made to look handwritten.  I absolutely cannot decipher many of them, or can only figure out one or two words.  I've transcribed what I can; please comment if you've figured one out!

Overall view of the right panel; once again click or open in new tab to view larger and see details

The first note was a large square paper, reading,

One of the finest cooks in [unreadable] [unreadable] Salary open TR-4429

Detail of the first note, half of the second note, and the third note.  Photo by Mrbellcaptain

The next note read:

NURSE, companion, unencumbered, will travel, ref TR-4429

Detail better showcasing the second note.  Photo by Mrbellcaptain

The next read:

Want-- intell. Reliable steno-typist to earn tuition for pt time work in costume design school HE 4067

Beneath that note were two pinned side by side.  The smaller one on the left read:

Mother's helper, Sal, Put Rm (???), Thurs & Sun off (???) NO-11567

The larger note to the right read:

Cook, husband as gardener, Apt furn, CA-16354

Cook, husband as gardener, Apt furn, CA-16354

No, that wasn't an error--this note actually had the exact same text repeated twice!

The next paper had two notes written on it.  Sadly, the first note is basically unreadable, and the second half was a copy of another note already on the board:

[unreadable] new or used furniture, [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable], MO 11057

Mother's helper, Sal, Put Rm (???), Thurs & Sun off (???) NO-11567

The next note read:

Young girl, mother's helper, no (???) washers (???), Call [unreadable] [unreadable] CR [unreadable]

The next note was approximately the size of a post-it and had three short lines of handwritten-looking text.  Unfortunately, none of the photos I have available were clear enough to decipher ANY of this message.

The final message on the right side was arguably the most interesting on this panel:

LOST-- pocket watch, substantial value, broken dial (???) [unreadable] call HE-4067

This, of course, referenced the broken stopwatch in the lobby, which in turn referenced the Twilight Zone episode "A Kind of a Stopwatch".

Detail of the lower section of the right panel by Mrbellcaptain

I was ecstatic to find new (well, new to me) Easter Eggs on the bulletin board!  Furthermore, the thimble, glasses, and stopwatch Easter Eggs added an internal continuity to the Tower.  However, given that the thimble and watch were placed next to gift shop advertisements in the lobby, it seemingly implies that the staff were pranksters--putting lost items on display!

I don't have much in particular to say about the rest of the items on display, but figured I'd include photos of them here anyways:

Attraction poster.  Photo by Mrbellcaptain

Elevator dial and "service elevator" sign.  The dial was actually from one of the lobby elevators, photo by Mrbellcaptain

Anthony Fremont poster, photo by Mrbellcaptain

The "broken chair" and some gauges from the boiler room, photo by Mrbellcaptain

Lobby chair, possibly from the card game scene, Photo by Mrbellcaptain

Wooden display cabinet from one of the lobby waiting areas

Men's bellhop uniform.  The gallery specifically noted that this costume was from the Floridian version of the ride.

"Picture if you will..." sign

Wide view showing the "Tower Hotel Gifts" sign

HTH logo Club 33 Opening Date keychain

If anyone manages to spot any more Easter Eggs on that bulletin board, or can decipher the remaining posts on it, please comment!

One Year of the Hollywood Tower Hotel!

Today marks the first anniversary of this blog!

It's been a wild ride, from Guardians of the Galaxy rumors, to DCA's loss, to Star Wars projection shows, and Monsters After Dark.  In the midst of this whirlwind, I've proudly managed (with the invaluable assistance of others) to produce a "walkthrough" of DCA's Tower, give an overview of Paris' version of the ride, review Mission Breakout and Monsters After Dark, and begin a "walkthrough" of the original Floridian Tower of Terror.

Of course, there's more to come in the next year and beyond!  In addition to completing the Florida walkthrough, I plan on updating and expanding my coverage of DCA and Paris, with new information and resources that have come to light about those locations.  I may also expand my writing into the thematic origins of aspects of the Tower of Terror, and even possible real-life design influences.

Thank you so much for the great first year, readers!  Here's to many more!

Alternate Tower Spotlight: The Florida Tower of Terror--The Lobby

Notably, the lobby doors were much less grand than their Californian and Parisian counterparts.  The DCA and Paris Towers had wide stained-glass entryways with a striking art deco sun ray pattern over the top.  Not so with Florida's: The doorway seemed narrower, and was made of dark metal and extremely frosted glass.  The glass barely let any light in or out, similar to the lobby windows under the colonnade.  Rather than the sun ray window, the Florida lobby's entryway had a very tall arch above the door, made out of extremely frosted glass blocks that extended almost the full height of the lobby.

Approaching the doors, June 28, 2017

The window above the doors, June 28, 2017

Glass block entry window as seen from inside, July 2, 2017

The view, once inside, was incredibly striking.  The lobby was packed with different details to reward the curious.  Unfortunately, guests had very little time to actually explore the lobby.

Lobby entry view, June 28, 2017

Unlike the DCA and Paris versions, both the fastpass and standby queues only went through the lobby once; standby did not have switchbacks like DCA/Paris.  In the days before fastpass, the line went slowly enough that this one pass through the lobby gave guests plenty of time to take in the artistry of the scene.  However, thanks to the fastpass system rushing large groups through all at once, now guests only have a few seconds to glance at the scene before rushing through to a library waiting area.  Presumably, the addition of standby switchbacks to the later Towers was to compensate for this issue, since they were built after the implementation of fastpass.  Furthermore, due to not having the switchbacks, Florida's lobby felt much more spacious.

One of the more noticeably unique features of the Florida lobby was its massive vaulted ceiling with intricate geometric patterns.  This showed some Moroccan influence on the interior; one need not go further than Epcot's Moroccan Pavilion to see similar ceilings.

Moroccan pavilion ceilings, July 1, 2017

The layout of the scenes in the lobby was the same as in the other Twilight Zone Towers, but of course the details in them were unique to Florida's version.  I'll tackle each scene going clockwise, starting from the right side by the door.

In addition to the ceiling, a fan of DCA or Paris might have spotted another immediately noticeable difference as they entered the lobby: the concierge desk scene.  This was to the right as one entered the doors, and was most closely viewed from the fastpass side of the queue.  It was situated between the fastpass queue and the right side library waiting area; the queue wasn't simply separated from the waiting area by a gate as it was in later Towers.

Concierge desk, June 28, 2017

This scene, as one might presume from its title, featured a small, intricately carved concierge desk with a chair.  A lamp with a painted landscape scene sat on the desk and lit the area.  Papers littered the desk, and a man's hat, cane, and suitcase sat on and under the desk. A strange, finely carved cabinet sat against the same wall as the door.  On top of the cabinet were a set of small flags, flanked by statues of a samurai and a knight.  To the left of the cabinet (when facing it) was the Florida hotel's version of the 13-diamond AAA plaque.  Behind the desk stood the Anthony Fremont poster on an easel.  This reference to the episode "It's a Good Life" was one of the easy-to-spot Twilight Zone references in this version of the attraction.

Plaque detail, July 3, 2017

Next to the scene, in front of a column, sat a dead potted plant.  Such plants were placed in front of the columns throughout the lobby.

Meanwhile, on the left side of the door was the mahjong game scene.  A set of chairs surrounded a mahjong game on a table, which sat abandoned in the middle of a match.  This was unique to the Florida Tower; Paris and DCA replaced this with an abandoned card game instead.  Supposedly, to create the effect of an abandoned mahjong game, Disney actually hired a group of professional players to start a game and then abandon it.  A tea cart also sat next to the table.  In addition to the tea set, the cart also held a pot of dead flowers and a folded-up old newspaper.  I couldn't quite discern any specific relevant information on the newspaper.

The mahjong scene, June 28, 2017

Lamp and ceiling details above the mahjong scene, July 3, 2017

Beneath the next arch over from the mahjong scene, along the left side of the lobby, was a table with a bronze statue on it.  Unlike DCA and Paris, this statue was of a horse and rider rather than a dragon, and it did not have lamps next to it.

Looking down the left side of the lobby, June 28, 2017

Clear view of the table and statue, July 2, 2017

Beyond the statue scene was the "lunch table" scene.  This table seemed set up for some type of meal, but the lack of a tea tray next to it makes me hesitate to call it a "tea scene" like the DCA/Paris one (instead, obviously, WDW's tea tray is by the mahjong game).  The queue setup of WDW's lobby made it very difficult to see, let alone photograph, this scene, and thus I can't really go into much further detail.

The clearest view I have of the scene, July 2, 2017

You can see the lunch table scene at the left of this photo, partially hidden by the column and plant. June 28, 2017

Beyond the lunch table was yet another table with a bronze statue.  This one featured a person mountain climbing, while holding a rifle. The odd, back-corner placement of this art piece made photography difficult.  The best view I have out of my own photos is this one, taken from across the room while waiting for one of the pre-show libraries:

July 2, 2017

However, this photo, taken from the now-defunct towerofterror.org, shows the statue clearly:

Retrieved from here

All of the preceding scenes along the left wall were set in front of the lobby windows that connected to the colonnade.  Although these were real windows, they were so frosted that it made no difference.  While later Towers made great use of natural light in the lobby, Florida's purposely frosted their windows so that day and night in the lobby were indistinguishable from each other.  This not only made the building feel spookier and more decayed, it also helped disguise some fake windows that made it seem like the lobby went further into the building than in reality, which I shall discuss shortly.

All of the arched windows had red drapery.  The embroidery on the drapery was unique to the Florida Tower, just as DCA and Paris had exclusive designs.

July 2, 2017

Compare these designs to the photo above.  Paris photo by Pyrokenesis, DCA by Mrbellcaptain

This brings us, of course, to the brilliant main show scene of the lobby: the fireplace and sitting area.

July 2, 2017

July 2, 2017

The scene consisted of a sitting area in front of a grand fireplace, with an owl statue surrounded by dried flowers in front.

It's impossible at this point for me to describe it without comparison to its counterparts in California Adventure and Walt Disney Studios Paris.

One notable difference is that the WDW fireplace has twisted columns, while DCA/Paris went for a straight, squared off design.  The fireplace grating featured a Gothic spiral design with a face above it, unlike the art deco sun rays of the other versions.  The two light fixtures framing the fireplace were two giant candelabras rather than lamps.  Two chairs sat in the arches on either side of the fireplace wall.  Furthermore, the banner on the fireplace was once again unique, with this version sporting Florida's "dragons and crown" HTH crest rather than the later "shield" design.

A view showing the fireplace grating and face detail.  July 2, 2017

Lobby banner detail, July 3, 2017

The sitting area was comprised of two couches of a greenish print, rather than being a couch and chairs set like the other Towers.  Both couches were covered in dust and cobwebs, and surrounded by old luggage.  Drink cups and lamps sat on the end tables next to the couches.  A coat and a newspaper were draped over the arms of the left side couch couch.  The right side couch was apparently empty.  The newspaper was the same one as in other versions of the lobby, but was rendered unreadable via a thick layer of dust.  However, other clues in Florida's Tower gave a much clearer representation of the intended plot date.  The couches sat upon a red area rug with a dark colored border.

A look at the newspaper before it was so thickly dust-coated, via the now-defunct towerofterror.org.  You can tell it's Florida's couch via the fabric design.  LINK

Left couch detail, July 2, 2017.  Photo taken from one of the pre-show waiting areas.

The main rug, July 3, 2017

As for the owl statue, it was the same statue as at California and Paris. However, the wooden stand on which the statue and flowers sat was of a different design.

For those wishing to visually compare this scene, here is DCA's:

See HERE for more detail

And here is Paris':

See HERE for more detail

Beyond the main sitting area was the check-in desk.

July 2, 2017

A look behind the desk, June 28, 2017.  Taken from the right side of the desk, where the standby line waits to be diverted to one of the pre-show waiting areas.

Sharp-eyed fans might immediately notice that Florida's desk featured a different, more intricate wood carving design on the front of the desk, rather than DCA's geometric diamond pattern.  Florida's design had a rounded design with quarter circles in the corners and a shield-like design in the center.  In general, this intricate-and-rounded versus sharply geometric design was a consistent difference between the two versions of the Twilight Zone Tower, with Florida's Gothic stylings featuring more intricate woodwork than DCA or Paris' art deco.

On the front counter of the desk was a sign reading:

Guest Registration

Cashier

Information

I don't know what font this sign was in, but it wasn't the Banhof Regular used at DCA and Paris.  In fact, that very art deco font, which was everywhere at DCA and Paris, was completely absent from the Florida Tower.

The desk also had a large book laid out on the front of it-- the guest registration book.  There was also a bell next to the sign, as well as some pens for signing the guest book.  At each end of the front of the desk was a lamp with the HTH logo on the lampshade.  Interestingly, the version of the logo on the lamps was the "shield" design later adopted as the HTH logos for the DCA and Paris Towers, rather than Florida's "dragon crest" design.

Official Disney photo showing details on the front of the desk.

The left side of the desk had a bowl-like object (an ashtray?) and a small Greek-style statue of a woman and a cherub.  On the inside of the left wing of the desk was a filing system filled with envelopes, presumably mail for the hotel guests.  In front of the mail was a small weight balance scale.  There was also a pen-holder type cup on the left side of the desk, but it isn't visible in my photos.  On the inside front of the desk was some other kind of bowl or ashtray and a dropped pen, once again not visible in my photos.  On the right side of the desk was a man's hat and coat, along with a newspaper with a room key sitting on top.

Along the back wall behind the desk were the access door, a clock, the room key cabinet, and a mailbox.  The access door had a carved pattern that matched the pattern on the front of the desk, and likewise differed from the DCA and Paris designs.  The clock was, naturally, set to 8:05, like the rest of the visible clocks in the attraction.  The cabinet was a similar, but not identical design to the one found in later Towers; the DCA version had a geometric design on it in addition to the scrolls at the top.  Interestingly, Florida's key cabinet displayed a random assortment of numbered keys; it did not emphasize room numbers featuring "13" like the Californian version.

The post box appeared to be a fairly standard US mailbox.  Under it, however, was some sort of tray, filled with coins.  I'm not sure if it was supposed to be a coin tray or if guests just liked putting spare change there.  Older photos I've found show that there was once an old rotary phone on the desk next to this coin tray, but as you can tell from my photo, it was gone when I visited in 2017.

In the middle of the arch between the check-in desk and the concierge desk scenes was a carved wooden podium where a bellhop cast member stood.  The podium, which was carved with a simple square design on the front, had a green and bronze lamp on top.  On the fastpass side were two more fastpass readers, identical to the ones outside, where guests had to scan their wristband or tickets.  The cast member would ask the number of guests in the party, and then direct them to one of two waiting areas.

Cast member standing at the podium, July 2, 2017

Detail of the podium lamp, June 28, 2017

Photo showing the front of the podium, undated.  From wdwtourguide.com here

Behind the podium was an important, but unfortunately hard to photograph scene: the crashed lobby elevators.

July 3, 2017

The scene featured the hotel's two main elevators, now completely inoperable.  The wall was severely cracked, with chunks of plaster coming off.  The stone borders around the doors were likewise cracked, and the metal doors were bent wildly out of shape.  In front of each was an "out of order" sign... although all of the other details already clearly stated these elevators weren't moving anytime soon.  The indicators on the dials pointed towards "basement".

Detail of the left crashed elevator, and its "out of order" sign.  July 3, 2017

In between the two elevators was a lighted directory sign, with letters on the directory listings missing or askew.  The font for the word "Directory" was Farquharson.  There used to be an Easter Egg featuring the missing letters in the directory; when the Tower opened, if one looked at the fallen letters at the bottom of the directory case, they would spell out "EVIL TOWER UR DOOMED".  It is unclear when this Easter Egg was removed, but it certainly wasn't there by 2017.

July 3, 2017

No Easter Eggs in the bottom of the Directory.  July 3, 2017

Guests passed the crashed elevators on the way to one of two waiting areas, which I will henceforth refer to as the King's waiting area (right side) and Queen's waiting area (left side).  This isn't just a holdover from my DCA walkthrough, either.  On the wall of each waiting area was a window (real but extremely frosted on the King's side, false on the Queen's side) with a table and a large bronze bust in front of it.  On the king's side, the statue depicted a male figure in luxurious clothing, while the queen's side featured a woman in clothing of the same style.  Interestingly, the figures were both dressed in outfits that looked vaguely Middle Eastern.

First, the King's waiting area.

This was basically just a vaguely square waiting area to the right of the crashed elevator scene.  In the front were the intricately carved library doors, marked as such by a plaque above them.  To the right (as one faced the library) was the window to the front of the building, covered with drapery.  In front of the window stood a table with the bust of a man.  At the back of the waiting area, guests could view the back side of the concierge desk scene.

Overall view of the waiting area, June 28, 2017

"King" statue, June 28, 2017.  Note the real window behind him.

The top of the drapery and a look at the ceiling, June 28, 2017

Ceiling and chandelier, June 28, 2017

The crashed elevators as seen from the back of the King's waiting area, June 28, 2017

The concierge desk as seen from the King's waiting area, June 28, 2017

To reach the Queen's waiting area, guests had to walk down a small hallway formed by the back wall of the check-in desk and the crashed elevators.

Much like the other Towers, even this small area was filled with detail.  On the back wall of the check-in desk was a lighted display cabinet, a small ledge with a rotary phone, and a carved door.

The lighted display cabinet, which was placed rather high on the wall (its upper edge was level with the top of the door), contained a statue of a woman in an ancient Greek-style dress, some empty perfume bottles, and some handbags with a set of ladies' gloves draped over them.  On top of the cabinet were two candlesticks and another Roman-style statue.

June 28, 2017

The ledge with the rotary phone was very easy to miss; you can barely see it in my July 3 photo highlighting the crashed elevator scene.  I wonder if this was the rotary phone that used to be on the side of the check-in desk.

Lastly, there was the door to the check-in desk itself.  It featured a carved wood design that matched the check-in desk.  However, unlike its Californian counterpart, it did not feature "22" or any other number.

June 28, 2017

Finally, guests arrived at the Queen's waiting area.

Entering the Queen's waiting area, June 28, 2017

The "Queen's" statue.  June 28, 2017

To match the King's waiting area, there was also a window with drapery behind the statue--in this case, a fake one.  The heavy tinting on the other lobby windows made the false window less obvious.  Interestingly, this window also had implications for the intended scale of the lobby.  This window implied that Florida's lobby was meant to span the entire length of the building, being able to have windows on both ends.  This also explained how both libraries could have windows to the outside.  Meanwhile, DCA and Paris' lack of false windows on this side implied that their lobbies didn't go all the way through, thus turning their Queen's side library windows into discontinuities.

The back of the Queen's waiting area gave guests another view into the main lobby show scene, with views of the check-in desk and seating area.  On the right was a door, which apparently really opened into some sort of backstage area.

A look at the fireplace from the back of the Queen's waiting area.  That door I just mentioned is just out of frame to the right; you can see the edge of the door frame.  June 28, 2017

A look at the check-in desk from the Queen's waiting area.  July 2, 2017

The library doors.  The doors were the same for either library, but this photo is of the doors on the Queen's side.  July 2, 2017  

Eventually, after waiting for a few minutes, guests heard the following announcement:

"Ladies and Gentlemen, in just a few moments the library doors in front of you will be opening.  Please stand back from the doors.  Thank you."

Despite following a similar script to DCA's pre-library spiel, Florida's had a different announcer.  The voice, though still ghostly, sounded distinctly deeper.  Here is a link to a live recording, captured via WayBack Machine from the now-defunct towerofterror.org.

At this point, the library doors opened, and guests continued onward into the pre-show.