Orlando-based news station WFTV-9 reported Friday afternoon that Reedy Creek Fire Department had rescued 28 guests stuck on The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but this wasn’t the case. Firefighters were not used in the standard ride evacuation.

In a since-deleted update, WFTV-9 wrote that RCFD reached out to them to clarify that they did not assist in the ride evacuation.

Tower of Terror Evacuation

It was previously reported that guests had been stuck on the ride for 45 minutes, sparking a 145-minute wait time to be listed on the My Disney Experience app. This was actually the case — guests were stuck and the wait time was inflated, but firefighters were not needed to assist with the evacuation. The ride was evacuated by Cast Members following standard procedures.

After its initial report, WFTV updated its article to clarify that RCFD firefighters were not used in the evacuation. The outlet has since removed the story entirely; the link that previously went to the report now prompts an error message.

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror first opened its doors and elevator shafts to guests at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (then Disney-MGM Studios) in 1994. Presented as an episode of the anthology horror television series “The Twilight Zone,” guests traverse through the immensely-themed Hollywood Tower Hotel before getting stuck in its elevator, the ride itself consisting of a series of stomach-flipping drop sequences that became randomized in 2003.

The attraction proved to be popular with guests, prompting similar attractions to open around Disney’s global parks. An altered version of the attraction opened at Disney California Adventure in 2004, and that model of the ride was replicated for Walt Disney Studios Park in Paris in 2007. The Disney California Adventure version of the attraction closed in 2017 and was re-themed as Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!, a ride based on the popular Marvel franchise.

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror also inspired the Tower of Terror at Tokyo DisneySEA, which opened in 2006. Unlike its American and European counterparts, the Tokyo DisneySea tower does not take place in Hollywood; that version of the ride instead takes place in New York City at the Hotel Hightower. The attraction centers around hotel owner and namesake Harrison Hightower III, with guests witnessing his downfall firsthand at the proverbial hands of Shiriki Utundu, an idol that the eccentric adventurer had taken during a trip to Africa.

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