SUBMITTED FOR YOUR APPROVAL A NEW DIMENSION IN THRILLS OPENS UP AT DISNEY'S CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE.

Byline: Jerry Rice Staff Writer

Cue the music.

You're traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. That's the signpost up ahead. Your next stop: The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, which opened Wednesday.

The new attraction at Disney's California Adventure is considered by its creators a lost episode of the classic sci-fi television series, which first ran on CBS from 1959 to 1965 (not counting several updates since then).

``We want you to feel like you're not watching the show anymore, but you're a part of it and it's actually happening to you,'' says Michael Sprout of Long Beach, a key member of the elevator-drop ride's creative team at Walt Disney Imagineering. ``That's where we thought we could go one better than (TV writer and host) Rod Serling. He put on a big production, but he couldn't let you step in through that front door.''

The setting for the attraction, built for a reported $60 million to $75 million, is the once-ritzy Hollywood Tower Hotel, a fictional 1930s playground for the rich and famous. But all of that came to an end one dark and stormy night, Oct. 31, 1939. After lightening struck the hotel tower, an elevator carrying five passengers plunged down its shaft. But before it reached the basement, it vanished.

``We thought 'The Twilight Zone' offered up exactly the right kind of spirit - literally - and approach to the supernatural and mysterious that we wanted,'' says Cory Sewelson, the chief creative executive on the project. ``This is not a haunted house. It's not about ghosts and goblins. It really is that eerie supernatural (place) where these folks are trapped in another dimension, if you will. And now guests can explore the hotel and follow in their footsteps and take their own journey into 'The Twilight Zone.' ''

The hotel is left as it would have been on that fateful night. Riders enter the lobby, which has a set of luggage near the check-in desk. On a nearby table, there's a deck of cards left in the middle of a game. A Shirley Temple doll sits on a couch.

``It had to look like a real hotel, so we went out of our way to make sure it was realistic,'' says Sprout, who wrote the attraction's script. ``Every detail that we could think of contributes to the story. If you look at the newspapers, books and magazines, they're all from that era. Even the background music you hear as you're waiting was selected from songs that you would have heard in 1939.''

Throughout the attraction are dozens and dozens of references to ``The Twilight Zone.'' There's a fortune-telling machine in the library, re-created from the ``Nick of Time'' episode starring William Shatner. On one wall in the boiler room is a chalk design taken from the ``Little Girl Lost'' episode. Listen close and you can hear her call, ``Mommy, where are you? I can't see you.''

``The 'Twilight Zone' references ... are a special feature for the fan,'' says Sprout, who has seen just about every episode at least four or five times. ``Every time there was a marathon, I would tape it and watch it all day and night. Sometimes I just watched the opening because I wanted to learn Rod's style. He had a great style with those introductions.''

Of course, Tower of Terror is more than just atmosphere. It's also what Sewelson describes as an E-ticket thrill ride.

``There are several terrific drops - and equally high-speed rushes to the top of the tower with these magnificent views out over the park and over Anaheim,'' says the longtime Pasadena-area resident. ``And then we also throw in some surprise moves. It does not act like any elevator anyone has ever experienced.''

The attraction - at least the 10-year-old version at Disney-MGM Studios in Orlando, Fla. - has a huge fan in Mark Hansen, operator of the Web site ThemeParkCritic.com.

``It's one of the best rides at any of the Disney parks, and one of their most innovative,'' he says. ``It's an interesting ride, and it's a great thrill ride. It has both elements.''

The California Adventure version is largely a technological update of the Florida edition, with an improved sound system and special effects. One of the most obvious changes is the architecture of the new hotel. On the East Coast, Disney used a Spanish Baroque style, while it's a Pueblo Deco vintage here, more in keeping with 1930s Southern California.

There are no rooms available to rent at either location, although California Adventure has received numerous calls from people with the hopes of reserving one.

``It certainly is a nice-looking building - except for maybe the hole in the side of it,'' quips Sprout, adding that early in the development of the Florida attraction there was talk of including a real hotel.

``That idea didn't last too long because we thought it would be a bit noisy,'' he says, referring to the constant parade of screaming riders.

Sewelson believes the Tower of Terror will be a popular addition to the 4-year-old California Adventure because it closely follows the classic definition of a thrill ride.

``We want you to believe you're going to die, and then there's this great feeling of accomplishment because you've actually survived it,'' he says. ``We want to play on that. We go to terrific lengths to make sure those experiences come out that way.''

THE TWILIGHT ZONE TOWER OF TERROR RIDE

Where: Disney's California Adventure, 1313 Harbor Blvd., Anaheim.

When: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays to Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m Fridays, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

Tickets: Park admission is $49.75 for ages 10 and older; $39.75 for ages 3 to 9. Information: [phone]; www.disneyland.com

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) Hotel guests, uh, er, passengers take the elevator ride of their lives at the new Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney's California Adventure.

(2) The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror is much the same as the 10-year-old version at Disney-MGM Studios in Orlando, Fla., except for some tech tweaking and a Pueblo Deco design.

Keith Durflinger/Staff Photographer