Favorite Dark Ride

[fatdaddy]

^Pretty much most dark rides are to dazzle children, I mean a good part of the magic of Disneyland is their awesome dark rides, which are mostly for kids.

 

But, on the subject of scarey dark rides, you can't beat a carnival haunted buggy ride that has real people inside to scare you, nothing scarier than a drunken carnie in a Frankenstein mask popping out from behind a curtain. I think this is probably the inspiration for all the Halloween scare events you see now.

 

Oh and Mr. Toad at Disneyland is awesome.

[Bearcat89]

Deleted post.

Edited September 21, 2010 by Bearcat89

[Trumple]

The Adventures of Spiderman, Revenge of the Mummy, Journey to the Center of the Earth and (by the look of it) Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey are all brilliant dark rides.

 

Because of its amazing atmosphere, music and charm, I really like the Fata Morgana too:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAPAB_cAMfw

[thrillrider]

That ride with all it's theming and great music, does not even come close to the witches castle.

Just look at this masterpiece.

A tunnel of doom and a witch. How can you top that?

craftsmanship at it's best.

[bgwfreak777]

 

This one has to beat that. It looks like a haunted house type ride, then you get on it and turn right into a semi-dark room and all the ride does is criss cross down a path of S-turns and every time your turn you hear a mouse trap sound. That's it! Outstanding ride.

 

As far as dark rides, I love them. I especially like the interactive ones like Sally makes. One of the bigger surprises was the one at Family Kingdom. I've never been on one with an outside loading platform.

 

Kennywood's Noah's Ark is awesome as well as KD's Treasure Cave for pure 70s cheesy goodness.

[jynx242]

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.

 

 

The little bit I've gotten to "know" you over the past few months tells me that the Old Dark Rides will DEFINITELY be your cup of tea.

 

I love dark rides. Journey into Imagination at EPCOT in the 80's was AWESOME. Also - the boat ride in Mexico at EPCOT is just a blast. Love Monster Plantation (it will always remain MP to me) at SFoG is awesome, as was its predecessor, Tales of the Okeefanokee Swamp. Knoebels Haunted House was AMAZING also. I like dark rides with a cheese factor of 10 or better

Edited August 2, 2011 by Moose

[bgwfreak777]

Totally forgot one of my favorites, Monster Plantation/Mansion.

 

"Ya darn fools! You'r going the wrong way!"

 

I really like the makeover they did on it. It's the same ride for the most part, but the special effects and the swamp are so much better.

[BigDipper 80]

The one dark ride that I really wish that I had the chance to experience was Horizons. The irony is, when my family headed down to Walt Disney World in 1998, it was during that short period of time when Horizons had reopened as an apology for Test Track's delays. Of course, I was destined not to ride Horizons because my parents felt that EPCOT was too grown up for the little six-year old me, and I missed out on my first and last chance to ever ride it But now I have come to realize how amazing Epcot still is, and I find plenty of time to ride Spaceship Earth

[palmerleeberry]

^ That's true, dear BigDipper80, but I did ride Horizons when I visited EPCOT in 1990 and the one part that blew me away (BIG TIME!!!) was when your car passed in front of a giant screen and you see these images projected, and you are so engrossed you forget that the car is actually moving until a black wall shows up and and you move into the next scene (that happened twice during the ride).

 

"Hey, it's a movie of a rocket ship blasting into space. That is so cool! Now I see the moon, and now it's . . . Hey! That wall is blocking my view. Oh yeah, I forgot; I'm on a moving ride, but being in front of that giant movie screen made me forget that I was actually moving!

 

I do hope that whenever Walt Disney builds up a new attraction they would incorporate that aspect so that feeling I felt when I rode Horizons can be duplicated.

 

"If you what to dream about amusement parks, then I'm the one for the job."

[Geauga Dog]

Phantom Theater was a good ride.

 

I always loved the old Earthquake ride at CP when I was a kid. Thought it was better than the Pirate Ride.

 

Currently my favorites are Indiana Jones at Disneyland, Ghostwood Estate at Kennywood, and Scooby Doo and the Scary Swamp at SFStL.

[Vigil]

I don't know if it counts but did anybody ever ride ExtraTERRORestrial Encounter in Tomorrowland at WDW. It looked like one of the most disturbing, sick things Disney has ever come up with. Cool...but very weird. My family and relatives always swore it was the scariest ride and that every time without fail some idiotic parent would take there little kid on it who would end up screaming bloody murder the entire time (not to mention being scarred for life and having trust issues with his parents).

 

It closed before I was ever old enough to ride, and I can't decide if that's a good thing or not. I love being scared but not really the idea of doing it.

[Velo_editor]

Dark rides are a great break from the heat of the day and a break between riding coasters. Two of my favorites aren't around anymore:

 

The Speelunker's Cave (at least I think that's what it was called) at Six Flags over Texas

Flooded Man - Dollywood

 

Both of those rank well with nostalgia. Who knows if I rode them today how I'd feel.

[thrillrider]

I thought you guys might like to see this.

 

It's some old blueprints for a haunted attraction that we did years ago. It was designed to be a walk thru attraction, but was almost turned into a dark ride.

[AltonTowersNerd]

My favourite darkride or darkrides for me would be

*The Black Hole- AT

*Haunted House- AT

*Haunted Mansion- MK

*Duel- AT

*Toyland Tours- AT

*Revenge Of The Mummy- US, FL

*ET- The Ride- US, FL

and so on... I have loads of darkride favs.

[palmerleeberry]

Wow, I nearly forgotten about this post concerning dark rides (I guess it happens when you submit to thousands of posts, you tend to forget some posts or another).

 

While we have been listing our favorite dark rides, how about I throw in another related topic: Can you list a park that doesn't have a dark ride, but could benefit with one? My answer would be Clementon Park in Berlin, New Jersey (if you asked me, that park could benefit by adding a dark ride - heck - it could benefit by adding more rides - period!).

 

Or how about this one: the most lamest dark ride you've ever ridden? I could name one: Castle Nightmare at Jolly Rogers Park on 30th street in Ocean City, Maryland (For the record, they have two parks: 30th Street and On the Pier). This ride could use a few more exhibits, and few more noises, and have a few holes patched up so it'll look and act like a decent dark ride and not some old junky trailer-base ride.

 

Recently, I visited Knoebels and rode their Haunted House - twice. That is how to do a dark ride.

 

"I have a dark ride too: it's called 'going to bed'!"

[BigDipper 80]

^Cedar Point always pops into my mind. Even a Boo Blasters would be welcomed. Of course, that will probably never happen.

 

While I hesitate to call it the "lamest" dark ride (the ride vehicles are pretty neat), I was pretty underwhelmed with Ghostwood Estate. It was just too bright and difficult to shoot the targets for any of the animations to really work effectively.

[RoCo]

I don't know if it counts but did anybody ever ride ExtraTERRORestrial Encounter in Tomorrowland at WDW. It looked like one of the most disturbing, sick things Disney has ever come up with.

 

I totally loved the ExtraTERRORestrial Encounter; my guess is that it was about as disturbing as a Disney attraction will ever get (and I truly hope I'm wrong on that.) The 3D audio effects were incredible. My question is to anyone who's experienced both it and the "Stitch Encounter" revamp: how different is the Stitch thing?

 

But overall, I'm a complete sucker for dark rides, from Spidey all the way down to cheesy traveling carney spook houses. No joke: I will someday own one. Going to make that happen, come hell or high water.

[Nibbler]

Stitch is pretty much the same only..Disney'ized to be way more family friendly..

[RoCo]

^ Figured as much.

[Stitch_101]

ExtraTERRORestrial Encounter was very clever, and very scary my first time... well, even my 6th time really unnerved me. The Stitch replacement, like Nibbler said, was disney's way of making it more family friendly... only I don't think it exactly worked. Is it scary... well for me, I would say no. But for the many kids I've heard screaming and crying the last few times I've visited, I would say overall yeah, it maybe a little to scary for some kids. (I will say that not all children are alike and I have seen many really love it). Its not thrilling enough to be considered a adult or even teenage experience... but it may be a little to intense for some to be considered a family friendly. I think it would have served the place better to maybe just do an updated ExtraTERRORestrial Encounter... Stitch's Great Escape doesn't do it for me... and thats coming from a HUGE Stitch fan! lol

[harper83087]

I think I can honestly say I've never been on a dark ride. Maybe one or two when I was younger but I dont remember any. I can see the appeal to most people but having never been on one it's not on my mind while at a park seeing as I'm there primarily for the coasters.

[the ghost]

^

 

I want to say I've ridden most of the best Dark Rides America has to offer... although my parents didn't let me go on alien when it was there cause we went when I was in 1st grade and my friend's family who went a few months before us advised my parents it was not for kids...BOO! Of course, I was a wuss back then for horror things... still kinda am despite the fact that I love to be scared and love horror things even though I am crazy jumpy. The only other notable one I haven't ridden is forbidden journey, which wsa under construction when I was in Orlando last.

 

My favorites are:

#1. Spidey- Some say Indy and some say Spidey. I love both, but I love Spiderman... the first 2 movies ruled and I have ridden Indy so many times... if I had ridden Spidey as much as Indy this could be very different... but I've only been on Spider once... so it is my favorite.

 

#2. Indy: Love the vehicles, effects, and technology. If they ever update every effect... it could head to the #1 spot as I love this ride to death.

 

#3. Men In Black: Crazy fun and I think pretty under rated... this thing was awesome!

 

#4. Haunted Mansion/Haunted Holiday: Yell at me all you want, but both versions of the ride kick equal amounts of ass. This is by far the best overlay EVER and I love it just as much as the original. I am a huge Nightmare fan and truly believe that the overlay does the original justice as well as gives it an awesome holiday makeover!

 

5. Jungle Cruise(Diseyland): This ride for some reason seems to have some haters... but I love it. This ride fascinates me because it is truly an outdoor darkride... but the outdoor setting gives it a VERY unique edge. The real jungle plants give the ride a completely unmatched atmosphere, and considering their age the animals looks very realistic and the whole thing feels so real do to the unique setting,

 

6.Pirates(DL VERSION ONLY!!!!!) This is an awesome ride... a true Disney classic. What more needs to be said?

 

Honorable mention to all the fantasy land dark rides... my favorite being Toad... as well as to Astor Blasters.

 

This list does not include dark coasters or log flumes.

[Electerik]

^ I pretty much agree with this list. (With the exception that I don't personally consider Jungle Cruise to be a dark ride.)

[Stitch_101]

Yeah, Jungle Cruise is not a dark ride, although that doesn't make it a bad ride! haha

[outbackjack]

Busch Gardens Tampa needs a dark ride big time!!!!!!!!