The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

Seen through a thin web of overhead Trolley wires, the supernaturally twisted Tower of Terror rises above Hollywood Land at DCA.

It's the only ride at Disneyland resort that still scares me every single time I climb aboard. The anticipation during the story scenes--knowing what's coming--creates one of the most awesomely tense, nerve-wracking first moments of any ride I can think of.

And when the drops begin, the whole elevator cabin echoes with passengers' screams and laughter (a perfect combination of both) at an intensity you'll find nowhere else on property. This ride plugs directly into everyone's instinctive fear of falling, and somehow makes the sensation fun and terrifying at the same time. When it all finally ends, I always find myself grateful it's over, yet glad I went.

An import from Disney's Hollywood Studios in Florida, DCA's version of ToT lacks the original's horizontal track Fifth Dimension corridor, opting instead for an extra scene inside the main drop shaft. I hope to someday try the Florida original to compare the adventures; I'm sure I'll be every bit as scared dropping faster than freefall on the East coast as on the West.

Photo by Lana Whitham

Mater & the Tower of Terror

Our favorite tow truck heads for the Twilight Zone!

Mater, fresh from a half hour of meetin' n' greetin', rumbles out of Cars Land along Cross Street under the watchful eye of his bodyguard entourage. He looks like he's aiming for a ride on Tower of Terror.

Actually, he'll soon take a right turn backstage. Although Tow Mater and Lightning McQueen usually enter and exit Cars Land by driving past Radiator Springs Racers, that ride's overflow queue can turn the road into a tight squeeze for automoblies. On those busiest days, the car celebs vamoose along this less-congested detour.