Favorite Dark Ride

[milst1]

The best Darkride I ever did was in a Museum here in Holland (Yes, in a museum!)

 

It's just wonderfull, nice theming (Trains, it is in a train museum, so real trains...) and some nice suprise effects, Speedups, vertical drops and heat effects.

 

There sould be more like that one

 

Tell us where it is Mystery! No clue what you're referring to.

 

Thanks for posting the DAFE info, Rastus. We've joined in the last year.

 

I think dark rides are a key amusement park experience, right along with coasters and flumes.

 

My two favorite dark rides are outside of the U.S.

 

"Pooh's Hunny Hunt" at Disneyland Tokyo was the most incredible dark ride I've ever been on. They took an ordinary Pooh dark ride (I think the one at Disneyland in CA), used the same story line, and then injected the ride with heroin. I don't know how else to describe it.

 

Another great one is "Droomvlucht" (Dreamflight) at Efteling in The Netherlands. That's a work of incredible beauty, and it even has its own original soundtrack. (Ironically, we heard the Droomvlucht soundtrack being used in a fairy tale dark ride at Liseberg, in Sweden, a couple of weeks ago!)

 

I still love the old monster houses with crash doors from the days of my youth. They're awesome.

 

I too was scarred by the Great Adventure fire in the late 80's. That had been an attraction I'd visited, naturally. That incident, caused by one shmuck's cigarette lighter, turned me off of parks for years, but I realize today that most parks take safety very seriously and most are working to constantly improve safety, maybe to a fault (like forcing you to empty your pockets before riding a coaster - sheesh).

[wumwip]

Ooooh! A dark ride topic! I have to say I love dark rides... yes, even the cheesey ones.

Speaking of which, anyone ride the new Haunted Castle dark ride at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk? It opened today...

[DrEmmettBrown88]

My favorite dark ride has to be the haunted mansion at Knoebels' in Elysburg, PA. It's got a very simple home made feel to it but yet get's the job done. Speaking of small family parks, I really think that Holiday World should build a hanted mansion themed dark ride, espically since they have a Halloween section.

[mwm1444]

I prefer dark rides to rollercoasters; I count dark rides in the same way as I do coaster credits - on fact, since I prefer them, I'm as likely to go out of my way for a dark ride 'credit', as credit whores are for coaster 'credits'.

 

My (sentimental) favourite dark ride is probably Pirate Boats at Legoland Billund. ^^^, oddly enough, I think some of the best 'out there' dark rides are found in museums/visitor attractions, rather than parks.

[noticias24]

My favorite is Indiana Jones at Disneyland, the first time I rode it was just AMAZING, specially since there's no use of screens and that kind of stuff.

[Capitalize]

Gotta love all the amazing rides in Orlando, unfortunately some of my favorites are no more. The old Journey into Imagination at EPCOT was my absolute favorite Disney ride growing up. Horizons was pretty awesome, as well.

 

I loved the haunted house at Knoebels. That thing really freaked me out, slowly going around in the dark all by myself, very unnerving. That ride made it painfully clear that I need to get out and visit more of the classic parks out there and get on more of the vintage dark rides, I love the borderline cheesy old stuff I've experienced thus far.

[gisco]

The best Darkride I ever did was in a Museum here in Holland (Yes, in a museum!)

 

It's just wonderfull, nice theming (Trains, it is in a train museum, so real trains...) and some nice suprise effects, Speedups, vertical drops and heat effects.

 

There sould be more like that one

 

Tell us where it is Mystery! No clue what you're referring to.

 

Martin. you do realize that the post your referring to is 5 years old?

[Guest]

Definately LOVING darkrides with a lean towards the classics of old times...Nothing beats the Knoebels Haunted Mansion with it's scare around every corner, lots of variety and loud noises, and just creativity and classic charm! Add to that everything is right in your face and hardly any fences or wire is used...it's so close you could reach out and touch it! There's just something retro and unique about the old-school dusty, dark, and creepy feel of the darkrides made in the past! It's kinda like watching an old creepy horror movie from like the 50s...it's got a certain magic to it!

 

My favorites would be:

 

Knoebels' Haunted Mansion (the best of the CLASSICS)

Kennywood's Ghostwood Estates (newer but not filled with cardboard cutouts!)

Waldameer's Whacky Shack

Kennywood's Noah's Ark

 

 

And I'm SO looking forward to Knoebels newest attraction (Black Diamond) cause the sign lists it as a darkride FIRST and a coaster second...and this is from the legendary Knoebels team that brought us the Haunted Mansion!!

 

I NEVER pass up the chance to ride a darkride...Banging through the doors and entering the darkness...love them!!

[Guest]

And I highly recommend these websites for more info on vintage darkrides...

 

www.dafe.org

www.laffinthedark.com

 

 

Both amazing sites with tons of pictures, maps, and behind-the-scenes info on the best classic rides!! Great people and great websites!!

[thrillrider]

I love dark rides. As someone else said, I think there should be a dark ride at every park.

 

Some of the more notable dark rides I have been on.

 

1.Knobels dark ride

2.spiderman.IOA

3.All disney dark rides

4.wacky shack at waldameer

5.monster mansion sfog also deserves some love

 

Some of the bad ones....

 

1.castle at lake winnie

2....

3......

4.......

That's all I can think of.

 

Most missed dark rides.

1.pirate ride at cedar point

2.earthquake at cedar point

3.the old mill(pre garfield)

4.knights in white satin(never got to ride it, but hear it was great)

[cal1br3tto]

Wow, it seems like I may end up becoming a dark ride enthusiast. I'm totally not one now, because I only associate good dark rides with Disney where I just take them for granted, but it sounds like the really old ones are possibly just my kind of ride.

 

Somehow I've only been on three non-Disney dark rides, and all are newer.

Challenge of Mondor at Enchanted Forest--Unique and very fun shooting dark ride.

Haunted Mine at Oaks Park (defunct)--Nowhere near as good as the Enchanted Forest walk-through haunted house, but had a couple of acceptably scary moments.

Lewis & Clark Great Adventure at Oaks Park--Delightfully creepy, yet underdeveloped. It doesn't have a very good rep, but looking back I guess it was a pretty neat experience.

[SFA Regular]

I have to say mine is Flight of Fear at Kings Dominion.

[Emiroo]

I can sum up the main reason I love dark rides in two words: AIR CONDITIONING!

[jazzimm]

Disney's Haunted Mansion was my first ever dark ride, and that's probably the reason why it's my long time favourite. No matter how many times I ride it, it always seems as magical as the first time! Not many things you can say that about, haha.

[SFA Regular]

I actually like Dark Rides because, I like the dark. There is nothing better than pure adrenaline in speed, in the pitch black. I don't know why most parks are still stuck on build outdoor coasters. Everytime it storms or rains they have to shut them down and people end up unhappy because they did not get to ride. With dark rides, you don't have to shut them down at all.

[mwm1444]

^ With all due respect, I don't think we're talking about the same thing..

[SharkTums]

^It's okay Mike, he's just confused since he's not posting nonsense in the SFA thread!

[mwm1444]

^ Fair point. And kudos should be given when he posts at least once without actually mentioning Flight of Fear or SFA.

 

[larrygator]

Challenge of Mondor at Enchanted Forest--Unique and very fun shooting dark ride.

 

This is an awesome dark ride that not many people know about.

[BigDipper 80]

I've always been a sucker for a good dark ride. Except when I was five and went on WDW's Mr. Toad. That thing scared me like no other, and I wouldn't touch another dark ride until I finally got the courage to go on the Haunted Mansion a few years later. For whatever reason, I've had a love affair with the Omnimover ever since I discovered its glorious existence, so any ride that uses it is OK in my book . Haunted Mansion, Spaceship Earth, and POTC are probably my favorites on my pitifully short dark ride list, but I enjoy Whacky Shack a lot as well.

[Kingsislandfreak]

Trimpers Rides in Ocean City Maryland hoplds some of the best dark rides ever

[6flagsbrad]

Revenge of the Mummy is by far the best, although I really miss Kingdom of the Dinosaurs at Knotts Berry Farm.

[SFA Regular]

I have to say I think dark rides are the rides of the future. They protect the rides from harsh elements, provide room for theme, offer great story, and create a lot of suspense. It's better when you can't see the course, because you don't know what to expect.

[palmerleeberry]

#1 - Favorite Dark Ride

 

That has to be Spider-Man the ride at Islands of Adventure ('Nuff Said).

 

#2 - Favorite Walk-throught

 

It has be Noah's Ark at Kennywood.

 

#3 - Should we even care about dark rides anymore?

 

Of course we should care and there should be more dark rides. Regardless if it's a walk-thought, a ride through, an indoor flat ride, or an interactive dark ride, every park should have at least two or more of these rides. Take my homepark of Kings Dominion, for example, they have two dark rides: Treasure Cave (a walkthough, now sporting a pirate theme) and Blasters on Boo Hill (an interactive dark ride).

 

Having an indoor ride can change a rider's experience. Take the classic Scrambler ride, for instance. Ride it outside and it's a regular scrambler ride. However, put the Scrambler inside and add music and lights, and that Scrambler ride offers a different experience for the rider. One more example, The Dark Knight at Six Flags Great Adventure. The coaster is a Wild Mouse, but adding a theme with scenery, sound, and different types of lights, and that ordinary Wild Mouse ride becomes something different. Plus, being indoors, you can ride it when there's bad weather outside.

 

"And that's all I have to say on that; it's nap time.

[wumwip]

^

Well, the best dark ride I've seen would be the Haunted House one that they had at Alton Towers (before they changed it to Duel).

 

Anyway, I went on the one at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk in California, and it was... different... but not the least bit scary... it was sort of like they didn't even try to scare you. It's mainly a ride through that allows you to get an eyefull of special effects that are pretty self explainitory... meaning you can see the wires and projectors that make the "magic" happen. However, kids will be dazzled by it, but I don't think dark rides were created to dazzle children, but to put fictional fears into everyone who rides through.