Most of the third-party “fake” Twilight Zone Tower of Terror merchandise has been removed from the ride’s gift shop at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Third-Party Tower of Terror Merchandise Gone
Earlier this month, we reported on third-party Tower of Terror merchandise available at Tower Hotel Gifts. Third-party merchandise isn’t uncommon at Disney Parks. They usually include clothing or souvenirs also available at Target, Walmart, or tourist-area shops, as well as generic items like pirate merch at the Pirates of the Caribbean gift shop or Mount Everest merch at Expedition Everest.
What made the Tower of Terror items strange was that they were obviously based on the attraction — unlike the pirate or Everest merch — but didn’t use any Disney branding, licensed material, or ride imagery. They just had vague references to the ride that one would normally see on merch trying to avoid a Disney lawsuit.
Two weeks later, all the third-party items are gone except the baseball cap (below). A Cast Member told us the items sold out but it’s also possible Disney pulled them from the shelves.
We still aren’t sure why exactly the third-party merchandise was available in the first place. We speculated it could have something to do with the real Hollywood Tower in Los Angeles or supply chain issues, but nothing explains why Disney wouldn’t put their own branding on the merch.
The bizarre event came a few years after Disney started introducing merchandise that didn’t reference “The Twilight Zone” to avoid extra CBS licensing fees.
Did you purchase any of the third-party merchandise while it was available? Let us know in the comments and on social media.
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I don’t understand why it as “bizarre”. It was merchandise designed for a specific type of Disney guest — ones who want to show their fandom without having to have “Disney” splashed all over themselves.
Most tower of terror merchandise has historically not featured characters nor Disney branding, so what would be the difference?