Part of the Hollywood Tower Hotel at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is out from under its scaffolding, and the repainted southeast side of The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror can be seen for the first time. That stretch of the facade, with its balustrade and arched windows, is where scaffolding first went up this summer, and the work there now looks finished.
The top of the building is still covered, with scaffolding wrapped around the upper floors near the Hollywood Tower Hotel sign.
Refurbishment scaffolding near the themed sign of Tower of Terror.
– bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) October 3, 2026
What The Uncovered Side Looks Like
Up close the uncovered walls show fresh paint, but from farther back the building still reads as grimy and old.
All of that aging is painted by hand. On the newly exposed walls, fake cracks run through the pink stucco, the shutters and downspouts have a blue-green verdigris finish, and the chimneys carry rust-colored streaks. Up on the roofline the dormers’ green spires still look weathered, and the lower part of the hotel, with its carved archway over twisted columns, shows the same kind of detail.
Some spots still look unfinished. Protective wrap remains on a few ornamental pieces, and sections of wall and balustrade show a lavender-toned base coat that looks like it still needs its final layer of weathering.
Why The Hotel Has To Look Abandoned
The worn exterior is part of the ride’s story. In the pre-show, Rod Serling tells guests that a storm hit the hotel on Halloween night in 1939 while a group of guests was riding the elevator, that those riders vanished, and that the hotel has been shut ever since.
How The Work Has Spread Since Spring
This refresh began with smaller jobs. In the spring, the flags by the Tower Hotel Gifts shop came down and part of the facade was covered with scrim. By July 9, scaffolding had spread across the southeast side of the hotel, and by August 4 it had started to rise up the face of the building.
Crews are still working on the platforms around the top of the tower, and several windows are covered with black plastic and tape. Disney has not said when the exterior work will be finished.
Tower Of Terror Is Still Running
The ride has stayed open throughout the project. Tower of Terror is open today, October 4, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., with Early Theme Park Entry starting at 8:30 a.m. Guests on Sunset Boulevard will see scaffolding overhead, but the drop itself is running as usual.
Tower of Terror is not the only haunted house at Walt Disney World getting fresh paint this year. Magic Kingdom’s Haunted Mansion was hidden behind scrim until its refreshed facade came back out in late July.
For the latest news and updates make sure to follow us on social media! Facebook | Twitter | Threads | Instagram | TikTok
