The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™ is a re-creation of the mysterious, suspenseful world of the classic Twilight Zone®, a popular television series that ran in the U.S. from 1959 to 1964 on the CBS network.

Rod Serling, who makes a special appearance at the beginning of the attraction, was host and creator of the revered series and a six-time Emmy® winner. He wrote 92 of the original 156 sci-fi/fantasy parables.

TV viewers became familiar with the series' opening narration: "You are traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land of imagination. Next stop, the Twilight Zone!"

At Disneyland Paris, as guests are led through the lobby of the hotel, past the ruined elevator doors and into a library, they view the opening moments of an episode of The Twilight Zone®. This "lost episode," featuring Serling, was never broadcast. It tells a story unique to "Tower of Terror -- The Twilight Zone" and was created specifically for the attraction.

The episode from which Serling's appearance was taken is entitled "It's A Good Life," written by Serling, and tells the story of a little boy who can read minds and control people.

"On a dark and stormy night in 1929, lightning struck the landmark Hollywood Tower Hotel and five hotel guests in an elevator were forever transported into The Twilight Zone. Today's guests retrace those footsteps," explains Theron Skees, show producer for Walt Disney Imagineering.

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™ combines powerful storytelling with an exhilarating experience. According to Disney legend, the Hollywood Tower Hotel first opened its doors in 1928 and quickly secured a place of honour in the booming Hollywood film community. This star among stars was at the height of its popularity in 1939 when a mysterious occurrence forced it to close.

The Hollywood Tower Hotel was boarded up on the evening of October 31, 1939, and so it remained until its grand reopening in the spring of 2008. Though the grounds are weed-choked, the walkways cracked, and the fountains dry, the hotel seems largely unchanged within. Unread mail waits at the front desk. A forgotten set of luggage stands nearby. On a table by a window sits a deck of cards, a dusty wine glass, an unfinished post card. Aside from the layer of dust and the patina of age, the lobby is just as it was on the last night the hotel was open for business, over 60 years ago.

There is something peculiar about the elevators, however. Behind the "Out of Order" sign, the doors are damaged and bent. The force responsible was obviously very great. The elevator indicator registers off the scale, below the basement level. It was here the mysterious occurrence took place one stormy, rain-drenched evening. As the elevator ascended, lightening struck the tower. The elevator plunged, carrying its five terrified passengers to certain doom.

But this was no ordinary storm, no ordinary stroke of lightning. Before it reached the bottom of the shaft, the elevator and its passengers simply vanished, along with a large section of the hotel. The hotel immediately emptied staff and guests utterly unable to contend with the baffling incident. No one ever came back. The hotel remained as it was, untouched, undisturbed until now...

Disneyland Paris is Europe's leading tourist destination with over 200 million visits since the resort's opening in 1992. The resort includes two spectacular theme parks, Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios Park, seven Disney-owned and operated themed hotels with approximately 5,800 hotel rooms, and an additional 2,400 hotel rooms operated by partner hotels, two full-service convention centres and a 27-hole world-class golf course. In addition the resort is home to Disney Village, one of the largest entertainment districts in the Ile de France Region. Spanning over 30000 m2 Disney Village offers, themed restaurants, shops, nightclub and a cinema multiplex. In all Disneyland Paris includes 54 attractions, 56 shops, and 69 themed restaurants. The resort celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2007 with the addition of iconic attractions and unique slows and welcomed a record 14.5 millions visits (FY07).