As Halloween approaches, the ominous and spooky pair of ghostly attractions, the Haunted Mansion and the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, take on an all new aura of creepiness. While the Haunted Mansion takes center stage during Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, its newer (and far taller) cousin has its own spooky secrets to share. Here are some of our favorites!

Elevating to a New Dimension

The heart and soul of the Tower of Terror are of course the “elevators,” and there are eight elevators inside the Tower, each with a capacity of 21 Guests. However, in the tower’s early days, this was not the case. When the Tower first opened, each elevator had room for 22. But in 2002, the lap bars in the elevators were replaced with seatbelts. As a result of the change, each elevator lost one seat.

Faster Than Gravity

So are you really falling when your elevator drops? Actually, no. There are cables attached to the bottom of each elevator (not just at the top as you might expect), and it’s these cables that create that “free-falling” feeling. Here’s how it works: When the elevators reach the top, the cables pull the elevators down at a faster speed than you’d experience during an actual free-fall. Even though it feels like you are falling 13 stories, the reality is that the cables are creating that feeling by pulling you down at a speed faster than gravity! Two motors located at the top of the tower bring it all together. The motors are 12 feet tall, 35 feet long, and weigh more than 130,000 pounds each. Speeds inside the Tower can reach 39 mph, and it takes the motors just 1.5 seconds to climb to that maximum speed!

One Foot Short

The Tower of Terror soars 199 feet above Sunset Boulevard. Wait, why not go that extra, er, mile and make it an even 200? Well, local ordinances require that any structure 200 feet or higher be affixed with a red light at the top as a warning for low-flying aircraft. The Imagineers felt that would detract from the eerie exterior of the hotel, so 199 feet it was.

Long Overdue for Inspection

The inspection plaque inside the elevator includes the number 10259, which is a nod to October 2, 1959, the date “The Twilight Zone” TV series first aired. The plaque also states the elevator was checked by Mr. Cadwallader, the deal-maker from the Twilight Zone episode “Escape Clause.” Speaking of the TV show, the Imagineers who worked on the attraction watched each and every episode of “The Twilight Zone” (all 156 of them) at least twice as part of their research.

Hollywood Tower Hotel

Be sure to look for the large tapestry that hangs above the fireplace in the queue. It bears the “HTH” logo, which stands for Hollywood Tower Hotel. This is a prime example of how much attention is paid to every little detail when it comes to the theming and backstory for an attraction. Disney Imagineers actually created a logo for the fictional Hollywood Tower Hotel! You’ll find the HTH logo scattered throughout the attraction.