Sunset Boulevard
Trip Ideas
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The two marquee attractions at Hollywood Studios are located within yards of each other at the end of Sunset Boulevard, so expect considerable congestion when making your way through the turkey-leg vendors and gift shops along this route. Your persistence will pay off, though, as The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and the Aerosmith-themed Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster are not just the two best rides at Hollywood Studios, they may be the two best rides on Disney property.
The Tower of Terror puts riders on a ghostly malfunctioning elevator inside the seen-better-days Hollywood Tower Hotel. The theming of this ride is incredibly impressive and detailed down to the last cobweb on the lobby’s registration desk.
While the Twilight Zone references may be lost on some generations of riders, there is a thrill in making your way through the hotel’s 13 floors and then dropping like a stone when your elevator malfunctions, only to be jerked back up when it recovers…only to fall again and again; the drops are randomized, so riders never know when and how often they’ll plummet.
The Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster is an extremely fast indoor coaster that would be a screaming success even without the presence of aging rockers Aerosmith. The combination of the high-volume soundtrack, the 0-to-60-in-3-seconds launch, and a series of high-speed loops and corkscrews, all in neon-flecked darkness, makes for a chart-topping (groan) coaster experience.
For the less thrill-inclined, Sunset Boulevard is also home to Beauty and the Beast — Live on Stage, an extravagant stage production that distills the highlights of the animated film into a half-hour cavalcade of live action, songs, and dance.
© Jason Ferguson from Moon Florida, 1st Edition
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Moon Travel Guides make independent travel and outdoor exploration fun and accessible. With expert and adventurous travel writers delivering a mix of honest insight, first-rate strategic travel advice, insider travel tips and an essential dose of humor, Moon Travel Guides ensure that travelers have an uncommon and entirely satisfying experience. Each travel book is filled with unique trip ideas, easy-to-use maps, and detailed information on sights, restaurants, and accommodations. Moon Travel Guides not only point you in the right direction, they inspire new ideas and adventure. Whether you are seeking a relaxing beach trip to Hawaii, or an adventure travel trip to the rainforests of Costa Rica, Moon guidebooks—and Moon.com—are with you every step of the way. Founded in 1973, the Moon Travel Guides series includes Moon Handbooks, Moon Outdoors, Moon Metro, Moon Living Abroad and Moon Spotlight travel books. Moon is based in Berkeley, California and is a proud member of the Perseus Books Group.