Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
243
Tune Time
Tips
Weekdays from noon to 4pm, you can watch BB Good broadcast her Radio Dis-
ney show live from a studio next to Sounds Dangerous Starring Drew Carey. You
can tune into the show and others on Radio Disney at 990 on your AM dial.
Star Tours
Frommer's Rating:
B+
Recommended Ages:
8-adult
Cutting-edge when it opened,
Star Tours,
based on the original
Star Wars
trilogy (George
Lucas collaborated on the ride), is now a couple of rungs below the latest technology but
is still fun. The preshow has R2-D2 and C-3PO running an intergalactic travel agency
(it offers some of the best detailing of any preshow at Disney World). After boarding a
40-seat “spacecraft,” you're off with a whoosh on a journey that takes you through some
of the more famous scenes from the movies, full of sudden drops, crashes, and oncoming
laser blasts as you seemingly careen out of control.
Note:
The virtual-simulator may go
nowhere at all, but it sure feels like you do. Riders must be at least 40 inches tall. Also,
expectant mothers and people with neck, back, and heart problems or those prone to
motion sickness shouldn't ride. There are, however, plenty of places to focus your vision
other than the screen (unlike some of the newer simulator rides) if you begin to feel a bit
green.
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Moments
Frommer's Rating:
A+
Recommended Ages:
10-adult
This is a truly stomach-lifting (and dropping) ride, and Disney continues to fine-tune it
to make it even better. The legend says that during a violent storm on Halloween night
1939, lightning struck the Hollywood Tower Hotel, causing an entire wing and an eleva-
tor full of people to disappear. And you're about to meet them as you become the star in
a special episode of . . .
The Twilight Zone.
En route to this formerly grand hotel, guests
walk past overgrown landscaping and faded signs that once pointed the way to stables
and tennis courts; the vines over the entrance trellis are dead; and the hotel is a crumbling
ruin. Eerie corridors lead to a dimly lit library, where you can hear a storm raging outside.
After various spooky adventures, the ride ends in a dramatic climax: a 13-story free-fall
in stages. The ride features random drop sequences, allowing for a real sense of the
unknown (and a different experience every time you ride), and visual, audio, and olfac-
tory effects make the experience even more frightening. Because it's a different experience
every time you dare to ride, it's far better than any other ride of its kind. Some believe
this rivals (even exceeds) Rock 'n' Roller Coaster in the thrill department (one of the
Imagineers who designed the tower admitted that he's too scared to ride his own cre-
ation). At 199 feet, it's the tallest ride in WDW, and it's a grade above Dr. Doom's
Fearfall at Islands of Adventure (and has far better atmosphere—it's one of Walt Disney
World's best attractions in the theme department).
Note:
You must be at least 40 inches
tall to ride, and expectant moms and people prone to motion sickness or those with
heart, neck, or back problems shouldn't try to tackle it. Your stomach may need a few
minutes to find its way back to where it belongs after it's all over.
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