Guests enter into the Lobby of a very swanky office building where decorations are set up for a Holiday Party. This is where the main switchbacks and overflow queue are located and the Cast Members are dressed as Door Men. While the security guard at the front desk is missing, guests can hear John McClane talking through his walkie talkie. It seems that John is here as hired security on his day off from the NYPD.
The main room of the queue features a large wrap around balcony that uses cleverly disguised screens to create a pre-show for the ride. An Eastern European Terrorist is trying to break into the safe hidden in the office on the top level of the building, but luckily the safe has a handprint security lock on it. He knows that one of the guests here for the Holiday Party can open the safe, but since no one will admit to it he orders his goons to bring the guests up to the top floor using the freight elevators so he can make them try to open it or toss them out the windows!
From here on out, cast member are dressed as the villains goons ushering the "captives" to the elevators. They all wear walkie talkies, through which guests can hear about John McClane working his way through the building, taking out the bad guys. Guests can also hear John grumbling about how he always gets caught up in these messes through a few air vents in the later part of the queue, setting up the fact that he is using the vents to get around.
Eventually, guests make it to the front of the line and board the Freight Elevators to start their adventure!