12th Years of Mysterious: The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (Disneyland Resort Paris)

(One Day in Disneyland Paris history) The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror: a memorable grand opening

Today’s story takes us back 12 years (and even more…) to the launch of the iconic Tower of Terror at Walt Disney Studios Park. On the evening of April 5, 2008, guests expected a traditional inauguration with an official speech and ribbon, but they certainly didn’t expect to travel to… The Twilight Zone!

Indeed that evening, nobody inaugurated the Tower. Instead, it told its own story of a hot spot during the heyday of Hollywood struck by fate on Halloween night in 1939, when five people mysteriously disappeared without a trace in one of its elevators…

Thanks to spectacular video projections on the building’s façade and a little magic from the park’s cast members, guests of that unlikely evening were literally transported to 1930s Hollywood with its luxury cars, millionaires and starlets in period costumes. But the experience became even more incredible as cast were transformed into pale ghosts who led the guests to their unforgettable first ride.

That special evening would mark the history of Disneyland Paris not only because of its unique atmosphere, but because of the first use of video mapping technology allowing the projection of animated pictures on the building’s façade to tell stories in a grand way. That first night would open the (elevator) door to spectacular shows to come, such as Disney Illuminations and Star Wars: A Galactic Celebration, just to name a few of them.