Tower of Terror's Voice of Rod Serling Visits Imagineering and Says 'Could Be' to New Disney Work, as a Lightning Scar Appears on the Hotel

Three words in an Instagram comment have some Tower of Terror fans speculating: "well.... could be."

They came from Mark Silverman, the actor whose voice has stood in for Rod Serling's in The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror since the ride's 1994 debut at what is now Disney's Hollywood Studios. According to WDWMagic, Silverman shared on Instagram that he had made a return trip to Walt Disney Imagineering in Glendale, California. Under that post, a follower wanted to know, "Are we getting to hear something new from you at Disney?!" Silverman's answer: "well.... could be."

Mark Silverman outside Walt Disney Imagineering, in a photo published by WDWMagic. Image: WDWMagic

What we know, and what we do not

Blog Mickey, which also reported the post, says the visit was last week and that Silverman "didn't name a project, a park, or a timeline in his reply." Disney has not announced any show changes for the attraction. Blog Mickey put it plainly: "Disney hasn't said what brought Silverman into WDI campus, or whether the visit involves the attraction at all."

WDWMagic agrees there is "no confirmation yet" of what the visit involved, and suggests the trip could relate to a refurbishment update, fresh material for one of the existing Tower of Terror attractions, or a brand-new project.

Blog Mickey also raises another possibility. Silverman's Serling work is not limited to the parks (he performed the voice in the 2019 revival of The Twilight Zone), so the Imagineering trip could be tied to something else. Still, as Blog Mickey points out, Tower of Terror is the most famous credit he has, which is why fans are looking toward the end of Sunset Boulevard first.

The library pre-show room, where Serling first greets guests from the television. Image: WDWMagic

The voice behind the voice

Serling died in 1975, 19 years before Tower of Terror opened on July 22, 1994. To make him the host anyway, Imagineers combined archival film of Serling with a sound-alike performance. According to WDWMagic, the pre-show pairs real Serling footage from "It's a Good Life," an episode of The Twilight Zone, with a voice track Silverman recorded for it.

Silverman has told WDWMagic that the final pick was made by Rod's widow, Carol Serling, herself. WDWMagic reports that he recorded his original narration in one three-hour session at Imagineering in Glendale before the 1994 opening, and he later returned to record new lines for the attraction's former Disney California Adventure version.

Serling's voice runs through the whole ride: he sets up the story on the library TV and comes back in the elevator just before the doors part. Blog Mickey floats the idea that new recordings could bring revised lines for either of those moments, or new scenes altogether, while making clear that this is only speculation.

Meanwhile, outside: a lightning scar

The tease lands in the middle of a long exterior refresh of the Hollywood Tower Hotel, which we last covered in early October, when the repainted southeast side came out from behind scaffolding still cracked, stained and rusty on purpose.

The latest detail is painted right onto the tower. In an October 18 report, WDW News Today shared photos of a lightning-strike scar cutting a diagonal path across the pink exterior, partly visible through gaps in the scaffolding. "Dark purple shading surrounds brighter white sections, creating a branching pattern across the building," the site wrote. High on the tower, it covers a stretch of wall just left of a small round window, and more of it angles down a neighboring wall. Much of it is still behind scaffolding.

Purple and white streaks spread across the tower beside the small round window. Image: WDW News Today

The purple-and-white detail near the top of the tower, with painted cracks on the lower wall. Image: WDW News Today

WDW News Today reported that scaffolding still wraps the main tower, including around the hotel's sign and up to the roof, and that a tall ladder for crew access remains out front. Tower of Terror has kept operating throughout the refurbishment.

The interior has had attention too. Blog Mickey reported that on the ride's 30th anniversary in July 2024, scorch marks from the story's lightning strike were back around the lobby elevators, an effect that longtime Cast Members told the site had been covered with paint roughly two decades before.

The Hollywood Tower Hotel lobby, photographed by Blog Mickey in July 2024. Image: BlogMickey.com

So what do you think "could be" means: a fresh line or two in the elevator, a bigger show update, or a project that has nothing to do with the hotel at all?

Sources

• WDWMagic, Is the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror Getting an Update? Rod Serling Voice Actor Visits WDI (October 18, 2026)
• Blog Mickey, Are Changes Coming to Tower of Terror? Original Voice Actor Visits Imagineering (October 18, 2026)
• WDW News Today, Lightning Strike Scarring Takes Shape During Tower of Terror Refurbishment at Disney's Hollywood Studios (October 18, 2026)
• Parks Magic, More of Tower of Terror's Repainted Facade Is Uncovered, and the Cracks, Stains and Rust Are Still There, on Purpose (October 5, 2026)

Image credits: WDWMagic (featured image, Silverman photo, library); WDW News Today (lightning-strike photos); BlogMickey.com (lobby).