Scaffolding has come down from the upper facade of Tower of Terror at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, giving us a clear view of the freshly painted lightning scar. Purple, blue, and indigo streaks now stretch across the tower just above its sign, restoring the opening day look. When we first spotted the new paint on October 19th, scaffolding hid most of it. Here’s the latest!
Tower of Terror Lightning Scar Revealed at Hollywood Studios
IN THIS ARTICLE:
- Scaffolding has come down from the upper facade of the Hollywood Tower Hotel, revealing the lightning scar.
- Painted cracks, broken stonework, and rusty railings around the sign are now visible in detail.
- Scaffolding still wraps the sides and lower floors, and the attraction has stayed open throughout the refresh.
The upper levels of the Hollywood Tower Hotel look very different from what they did in our October 19th photos. Crews have removed the scaffolding that hid most of the lightning strike scar, so the paint is now more clearly visible from Sunset Boulevard. We photographed the tower from several spots along the street. Our shots range from wide views down the palm-lined walkway to tight crops of the scar.
The Lightning Scar Reaches Across the Upper Facade
Deep violet and indigo airbrushing sweeps across the center of the tower, just above the Hollywood Tower Hotel sign. Dark painted cracks cut through the color, and the edges blur softly into the pink stucco. Teal-green spires and shuttered arched windows sit right above it. The cool purple stands out against the warm pink walls.
On the upper right side of the tower, a lighter violet streak climbs the wall beside a small round window. It fades out below the roofline. That streak looks like scorching left by the bolt, and it gives the scar a clear definition.
Other details support the look. Below the cracks, chunks of stucco appear to have broken away from the corners, exposing layered stone underneath. A metal ladder leans up to a small railed balcony above the sign. A broken chunk of stone and roof tile sits at the sign’s right edge. Paint and rubble tell the same story, and the hotel looks like lightning struck it.
The sign itself sits right below the scar, with weathered red and gray lettering and rusty railings behind it. Scaffolding still crosses the left side of the lettering from the angles we shot, though “The” and “Hotel” read clearly.
Scaffolding Still Covers the Sides and Lower Floors
The cleared section of facade sits above a much busier scene. Scaffolding wraps both sides of the tower and fills the front below the sign. Stair towers and working platforms stack up the lower floors. Since our first look at the refreshed southeast side on October 3rd, the work has moved across the building. Disney has not confirmed a completion date.
The scar marks the lightning strike at the center of the attraction’s story. Backstory for the attraction blames a storm on Halloween night, October 31st, 1939. Tower of Terror opened on July 22nd, 1994, and this paint brings back the look guests saw that summer. Some early photos shared by Walt Disney Imagineering can be seen below.
The ride has stayed open throughout the exterior refresh.
Story So Far
- Spring: Refurbishment work began in the exterior queue, and scrim covered part of the facade near Tower Hotel Gifts.
- July 9: Scaffolding expanded along the southeast side of the Hollywood Tower Hotel.
- August 4: Scaffolding began climbing the front of the tower, and we spotted repainting on the right side.
- October 3: Scaffolding came down from the southeast side, giving us our first look at the refreshed exterior.
- October 19: Saturated purple paint became visible on the upper facade through gaps in the scaffolding.
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!