Scaffolding Reaches the Tower of Terror's Corner as Grey Paint Spreads Across the Facade

By entgrove · September 3, 2026

Scaffolding on The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror has extended onto the corner beside the tower shaft and now covers most of the facade above the Hollywood Tower Hotel sign, with new grey paint visible on the balcony and chimney stack. The exterior refurbishment began in the outdoor queue in May, and the ride has remained open throughout.

Scaffolding on The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror has spread onto the corner beside the tower shaft, and the fresh grey paint on the balcony and chimney stack is now clearly visible from the ground. The exterior refurbishment at Disney's Hollywood Studios has been running since May, and the ride has stayed open through all of it.

Where the Scaffolding Stands Now

On September 2, scaffolding was seen encroaching onto the corner to the right of the tower shaft, which is new. It had already been extended above the Hollywood Tower Hotel sign on August 22, and most of the facade above that sign is now covered.

Scaffolding has also been raised on the right side of the building to keep the refurbishment moving around the structure. The progression has been steady and clockwise rather than a single wrap: gift shop end first, then above the sign, then the corner, then the right flank.

A Refurbishment That Started in the Queue in May

This project is longer-running than the scaffolding alone suggests. Work began in the outdoor queue in early May. Later that month, the flags came down from the gift shop exit and scrim went up over some facade details. Crews began installing scaffolding on the far right of the facade above the gift shop in early July, and repainting parts of the facade above the gift shop started earlier this month.

That sequence matters for anyone planning photographs. The Tower of Terror is the visual anchor of Sunset Boulevard and the most photographed building at Disney's Hollywood Studios, and the work has now reached the part of the silhouette that appears in almost every wide shot of the street. A clean, scaffolding-free view of the Hollywood Tower Hotel is not available right now, and has not been since roughly midsummer.

The Ride Has Stayed Open Throughout

The important practical point is that this is a facade project, not a ride closure. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror has remained open, and the scaffolding has been built with gaps at the ride's window positions so that guest views during the drop sequence are not obscured.

That is a deliberate piece of planning. The moment when the elevator doors open on the Hollywood skyline is the show beat that would have been ruined by a solid scaffold wrap, and designing around it means Disney can keep one of the park's two Sunset Boulevard headliners in service through months of exterior work.

It also means the refurbishment can take as long as it needs. There is no closure clock forcing the pace, which is generally good for the quality of the finish and less good for anyone hoping the scaffolding comes down soon.

No Completion Date Announced, and the Drop Still Runs

Disney has not announced when the exterior refurbishment will be finished, and the current pace suggests the scaffolding has more of the building left to cover before it starts coming down.

For a trip in the next few months, plan on riding it and plan on the facade being partly obscured. The ride experience is unaffected, including the window views, and the only real loss is the photograph. If the Tower of Terror facade is on your shot list, the wide view from the top of Sunset Boulevard is the one to give up on for now.