Jose Eber

Everything I've read says there will be no 'twilight zone' theme, from Joe's Tokyo Disney Photo Site BACKGROUND INFORMATION Welcome to the Glorious "Hightower Hotel" and the "Hightower Trust". Mr. Hightower welcomes you to his humble, but peculiar establishment filled with antiques and artifacts from his travels around the world. The Hotel is located on 1st Park Avenue in New York City across the street from Waterfront Park. Inside the Hightower Hotel, guests will enter the hotel establishment which has been abandoned since the mysterious disappearance of Mr. Hightower. The hotel lobby is filled with various artifacts and murals depicting Hightower's various travels around the world. In one of the murals, it depicts a visit to the Lost River Delta to a mysterious ruins, ala Raging Spirits. As guests venture deeper into the hotel's dilapidating innards, they arrive at Hightower's private office. Inside, guests are greeted by a mysterious Cast Member dressed as a bellhop inviting them to come inside. When guests enter the room, they will notice various books, maps, objects and paperwork scattered around through the room. The real focal point within Hightower`s office is several stain-glassed windows. As the guests are finally situated in the office, the mysterious bellhop exclaims to the them that Mr. Hightower has left them all an important and most urgent message. The bellhop cranks up an old time phonograph and mysteriously the room darkens leaving the only illumination in the room through the stained glass windows. As the record plays, Mr. Hightower explains what happened to his glorious empire and establishment and the doom to come if his warnings are not abided. He discusses a certain ancient idol which he collected (read: stole) from a certain far-off expedition. This particular idol is, of course, cursed! A little further into the recording, something appears out of thin air on an adjacent bookshelf. It's the idol itself! The idol's eyes turn ablaze! A frightening laugh can almost be made, as the darken room transforms into a star-field leaving still the stained-glass windows in view. Lightning can be heard and eventually it hits the windows. They are shattered to pieces as the room goes completely dark. Seconds later, the light comes back on, but the idol has not disappeared, and only one window is gone (replaced with an entryway into Hightowers private trust or so-called vault. As guests walk through the vault, they will notice different individual areas dedicated to certain locations around the world. They are filled with corresponding artifacts and booty along with opened and closed boxes filled with Mr. Hightower's personal collection. Guests come to a merging point to where they are escorted in groups to these individual areas. Unbeknownst to the guests, no mention of an elevator or even elevator doors are present upon entering the loading areas. They virtually are looking at a wall in front of them. Hightower's voice is once again heard, ala safety spiel, and the wall in front of them slides away revealing a cargo elevator. Once in the elevators, your friendly bellhop gives you a warning or two before your journey. The elevator doors close. Virtually, the ride at this point is almost identical to DCA's version. The elevator pulls back, it travels up to scene one. Scene one consists of the mirror effect, but directly in front of the mirror stands the idol, which zaps your elevator making the guests disappear. The lift then travels up to the corridor scene. Hightower's ghost appears and next to him on a table is the cursed idol. He reaches over to pick it up and he get's zapped by the idol! He's thrown into an empty elevator across the hallway which then drops! The idol then turns to the elevator with the guests and they get zapped. What comes next is.....AHHHHHHH! When the ride ends, you hear Hightower's deep voice explain how lucky you were surviving this time, but perhaps not the next time. The bellhop, not necessarily knowing what has just taken place, opens the door and greets the thrilled guests not necessarily knowing what has just taken place.

More info: 21 billion yen invested, i.e. just under 200 million u.s. (and BOY does it look it). Also: great sites: Tower Of Terror dot Org More construction pictures from beginning, more detailed photos from September 3: jtcent

I'm sorry, but this is just amazing. Is anyone counting the 'stories'...? This building is 2x the size of California's. Probably 1.5 times Florida's mass. On size alone, I'm impressed...that on top of ACTUAL stone work -- my word -- our castle is made out of fiber glass . . .I'm just astounded every time I see photos. the scale is huge...just that top element is 10 levels... even if its using forced perspective, how many levels on this 'top element'

You first Shepp. Cancel your plans. Be the model human being that you are. My gawd you're baggin on someone half your age but won't put up and lead by example This year it looked like Universal had a solid line up. When I was at GF the other night, you could hear the music well across the lake. A friend of mine vip toured mercy me around the parks (last year was Stryper).

I saw your specs, and I think its looks great. A friend and I were looking at Vaio's for him just today at the sony store! I'm surprised by all the Mac users! (I'm on a 12" PowerBook right now).

That's a huge assumption that all companies are doing it for the wrong motivation. How rude. And you have no idea whether and how long the money is held! Apple is as granola as it comes for a large electronics company...trust me, these sorts of actions are in their blood. They did the same thing (actually bigger) for us with Charlie. I think its really tacky judging others motives as being all bad or dishonest.

Well, there is an Idlewild campsite in colorado...

Great! Don't forget the Alvey's are a moving target --- look what they can do in Europe in a short time -- they could be moving all over the place!

yah, nothing on the whole site (20 minutes down the drain).

Actually, you can check each proprietor online at Carrabas. You have to click through each location for times. It gives a name.

^lol. I wonder if someone would do that. What's up for grabs? Themeparkreview pride?

Oh, I'm totally for State Line -- very funny, and crass -- what could be better?

You know what? I might be wrong. It could be Idlewild Campground in California. There is China Gulch there (the chinese food thingy) And for the blue water -- maybe it was something about the Big Blue Lake there. Edit: Also, Thrillville (with Enchanted forrest nearby) I believe are close by. Edit 2: I think I remember seeing a Blue OX (Paul Bunyon style) in that area? I could be soooooo far off. I'm going to shut up now...for now.

Was the Pizza Hut in Silverthorne?

I'm going to guess Idlewild campground in Colorado. Don't Robb and E do great camping trips? That's my guess. EDIT: Lots of water there -- or lakes. Also Blue Lake is nearby -- hence maybe the color of blue water. that's my guess -- that area.

The kiddy rides you've mentioned are only refurbs --- tearing down old maybe unsuccessful attractions and putting up new ones. That's not new construction on new land. EE, RNR, TOT, Soarin -- that's new territory new attractions. If you look at the attractions at the opening of Disneyland and you look at the attractions of opening the latest Disneyland in Hong Kong -- you'll see how the rides differ in that HK has considerably more height restrictions. Its o.k to admit things have changed. We don't have a culture that caters to kids as much. There just aren't as many around (in ratio) to adults -- so that's why Disney builds for teens and young adults more than infants etc. things have changed.

^ I think what people are complaining about (or at least me) is the Alice in Wonderland, the Casy jr. Circus Train, Story book Canal, the Small world caliber of ride that everyone can be in, and everyone gets a kick out of. Those sorts of rides are not being built. They have no age restriction for the most part and nearly anyone can ride it. A playground is hardly an attraction like that. No moving parts, no evolving story etc. Philharmagic is one such newer attraction, but it still lacks. I mean, that's hardly innovative, even if its wraparound 3d Disney (to me) was about innovation and entertainment for everyone. It just isn't that anymore. A good chunk of rides even adults won't ride because it is too intense.

I think 911 is hard to compare -- 911 seemed personal. Hurricanes, well, that's just....nature and reality. At least we don't get Tsunami's? p.s. why don't you like iTunes Coasterlicious?

I like your title: Katrina is a ho!

Jeez you were quick to jump on getting at the opening. I think these are the first pics I've seen (nothing on WDW magic I believe). I would agree with the one poster how everything is getting very segregated. There are no more new rides for the whole family anymore. Big picture thinking has been gone for a long time at Disney. Pooh? you can be too old Stitch? too scary for the young-ins Soarin? too short Stunt show -- o.k. that's one attraction . . . more of a show Cinderellabration -- o.k. that's another....more of a show...note how these shows totally cater to very specific audiences. Mission Space? You've got to be kidding me. Test track -- defn for a broader segment, still a major height restriction RNR -- ouch. How far back do we need to go? I think a playground is fairly unimaginative. I would have loved to see a serious overhaul of 20 000 leagues. i miss it so. the last thing this (disney) world needs are more attractions that make your ears bleed (because its so loud) or give you a heart attack (because its so intense). Whatever happened to entertainment. Instead we substitute intensity. Big difference. Rant off (which thread was this?) edit: this is an aerial pre construction. yes there is a lot of space...but no submarines!! (If disneyland gets refurbs, why not us?) Overview of MK, see castle bottom left. Its a very big area.

That is some seriously slick web work. Wow. Great find. Jose "I swear I saw a golf course up there too" Eber

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! The hot tub! Glad you are ok. You got hit worse than some people I know who lived nearby New Orleans (Houma, LA). At least power is back on! (come to think of it, you got a worse affect than I did after three hurricanes -- must be the disney magic). p.s. really think your cell phone pic is cool. Glad you are o.k. -- you got hit bad.

I'm a Cancer. . . In more ways than one.

I thought is pretty clever on Apple's home page that when you clicked on their image that looks like: iTunes opened up and you could donate to them with just 'one click' a certain dollar amount (5,10,25,50,100,200) You try it if you have iTunes: click here.

The character was too obnoxious for me. I don't want to say much more because I might come across as racist. Basically, the character reminds me of a stereotype. In fact that is all it is, and that annoys me for some reason. Very cheap marketing ploy.