Tower of Terror Gets a New Mystery as Rod Serling Voice Actor Hints at Possible Disney Recording
Mark Silverman visited Imagineering and teased possible new Disney work, raising fresh questions around Tower of Terror.
Tower of Terror fans suddenly have a new detail to puzzle over. Mark Silverman, the longtime voice used for Rod Serling inside the Disney's Hollywood Studios attraction, posted about a visit to Walt Disney Imagineering and gave a coy answer when asked if Disney guests would hear something new from him.
Silverman did not say what project, if any, the visit involved. When asked on his post, “Are we getting to hear something new from you at Disney?!”, he replied, “well... could be.” That is the only direct clue so far, and Disney has not announced any changes to The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.
Even so, the comment has obvious appeal for park fans because Silverman has been part of the attraction for more than three decades. His Rod Serling voice is heard throughout the experience, including the library television pre-show and the elevator sequence before the doors open onto the fifth dimension. If new material is being recorded for this attraction, it could point to updated narration or other show adjustments inside the hotel, though that remains unconfirmed.
Silverman has a long history with the role. Rod Serling died in 1975, well before Tower of Terror opened on July 22, 1994. Imagineers combined archival footage of Serling with newly recorded narration, and Silverman was chosen for the job with the approval of Serling’s widow, Carol Serling. He also recorded additional lines for the Disney California Adventure version of the ride and has voiced Serling outside the parks, including for the 2019 revival of The Twilight Zone. That leaves open the possibility that his Imagineering visit was tied to something other than the Florida attraction.
What is actually changing right now
The one visible update at Tower of Terror is on the outside. Crews are continuing a refresh of the Hollywood Tower Hotel facade while the attraction stays open. Scaffolding first went up on the southeast side of the building this summer, then spread to the front below the hotel sign in August.
The refreshed exterior now shows scenic work that re-ages the tower by hand, including the pink stucco, teal shutters and rust streaks. The ride has also seen other restoration work in recent years, including the return of lightning scorch marks at the lobby elevators and mood lighting in the lobby and the hallway past the library.
For guests, that means one change is already in progress, the exterior refurbishment. Any possible new Tower of Terror audio remains only a tease, with no project name and no timeline announced.
