Tower of Terror is slowly emerging from its months-long renovation at Walt Disney World Resort.
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror has dominated Sunset Boulevard at Disney’s Hollywood Studios since July 1994. At 199 feet tall, the Hollywood Tower Hotel remains one of Walt Disney World’s most recognizable landmarks, towering above the park’s Hollywood-inspired streets.
Based on Rod Serling’s classic television series, the attraction takes guests inside a supposedly abandoned luxury hotel. Its story revolves around five people who mysteriously disappeared during a lightning storm on Halloween night in 1939.
That fictional disaster is reflected in the building’s appearance. Crumbling walls, damaged balconies, and unusual streaks across its pink exterior help recreate a hotel supposedly frozen in time for nearly nine decades.
However, the building’s appearance has been changing throughout 2026, with Disney undertaking one of its most extensive exterior refurbishments in years.
Disney World Begins Revealing Tower of Terror’s New Look
Work on Tower of Terror began in May, initially focusing on the attraction’s outdoor queue. By July, Disney had started installing scaffolding above the gift shop, with the metal structures gradually spreading across the hotel’s exterior.
In August, additional scaffolding appeared across the front of the building. The project continued expanding until September, when much of the Hollywood Tower Hotel’s facade was concealed behind construction platforms.
Despite the dramatic changes outside, Tower of Terror has remained open throughout the refurbishment. Guests can still experience its randomized elevator drops, with gaps in the scaffolding preserving views from the attraction’s upper-level doors.
More scaffolding has come down around the Tower of Terror revealing the refreshed paint job. #waltdisneyworld pic.twitter.com/0xvrWiILgH
— LaughingPlace.com (@laughingplace) October 23, 2026
Now, five months after work began, another major section of the Hollywood Tower Hotel has been revealed.
Disney has now removed additional scaffolding from the upper facade, exposing newly restored details above the enormous Hollywood Tower Hotel sign.
The biggest difference is the return of Tower of Terror’s original lightning strike damage.
Bright blue, purple, black, and white streaks now stretch across the building, recreating the fictional damage caused by the storm that supposedly struck the hotel in 1939.
These details had gradually faded over the attraction’s 32-year history, with the original purple coloring becoming noticeably grayer. The refurbishment has restored the more colorful appearance that guests would have encountered when Tower of Terror first opened.
The lightning damage is particularly significant to the attraction’s backstory. According to Disney, every clock inside the Hollywood Tower Hotel stopped at precisely 8:05 p.m. on October 31, 1939, when the fictional lightning strike occurred.
Other sections of the building have also received attention. Crews have refreshed decorative cracks, aging effects, and architectural details, while several balconies and exterior walls remain covered in primer.
However, Tower of Terror’s transformation is not complete.
Scaffolding still surrounds parts of the lower facade and the hotel’s sides. Sections of the lightning damage beneath the main sign also remain unfinished, while protective coverings are visible around several windows.
Disney Confirms Tower of Terror’s Next Holiday Transformation
The latest progress comes just weeks before Disney’s Hollywood Studios begins its Christmas celebrations.
Disney has confirmed that Sunset Seasons Greetings will return for the 2026 holiday season, transforming the Hollywood Tower Hotel with colorful projections after dark.
The nighttime experience gives Tower of Terror several temporary appearances, including a Muppets-themed gingerbread hotel, a Toy Story-inspired building, a snowy scene from Frozen (2013), and a village inspired by Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983).
The show makes the building’s exterior particularly important during the holidays, when guests gather along Sunset Boulevard to watch the projections.
Disney has also confirmed that Jollywood Nights will return to Hollywood Studios on November 7, 2026, with the separately ticketed Christmas event running on select evenings through January 5, 2027.
The event features exclusive entertainment, character appearances, themed food and beverages, and access to popular attractions. Tickets for the five-hour celebrations range from $169 to $199 before tax.
While Disney has officially confirmed the return of Tower of Terror’s holiday projections, it has not announced when the remaining scaffolding will be removed.
That leaves some uncertainty over whether the entire Hollywood Tower Hotel will be visible when the celebrations begin.
The newly exposed facade suggests the exterior refurbishment is advancing, although substantial work remains elsewhere on the building.
Disney has not announced any permanent changes to the attraction’s storyline, drop sequence, or Twilight Zone theme as part of the ongoing project.
Are you looking forward to seeing Tower of Terror’s restored appearance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios?
