Dark ride
 |
This article needs additional citations for verification. (August 2007) |
A dark ride or ghost train (United Kingdom and Australia) is an indoor amusement ride where riders in guided vehicles travel through specially lit scenes that typically contain animation, sound, music, and special effects.
A dark ride does not have to be dark. They are enclosed, so all illumination is artificial, and most use special lighting to achieve theatrical effects. Selective use of darkness helps hide the ride mechanisms and increase the visual drama of the experience. Disney's "It's a Small World" is an example of a brightly lit dark ride.
History
The first dark rides appeared in the late 19th century and were called "scenic railways" and "pleasure railways". A popular type of dark ride, commonly referred to as an Old Mill or tunnel of love, used small boats to carry riders through water-filled canals. A Trip to the Moon began operation at the 1901 Pan-American Exposition. Leon Cassidy of the Pretzel Amusement Ride Company patented the first single-rail electric dark ride in 1928. Historically notable dark rides include Futurama at the 1939 New York World's Fair and Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland.
Modern attractions in this genre vary widely in their use of technology. Smaller-scale rides often feature the same sorts of simple animation and sounds that have been used since the genre's early days, while more ambitious projects can feature complex animatronics, special effects and ride vehicles.
To improve the effect and give a sense of journey, passages in dark rides frequently change direction. Sudden curves give a sense of surprise and allow new scenes to surprise the rider. The rides may also feature sudden ascents or descents to further the excitement.
United Kingdom and Australia
In the United Kingdom and Australia, dark rides with a scary theme are called ghost trains. This name is usually reserved for mobile funfair type dark rides.
The first ride to use the name "ghost train" was that of Blackpool Pleasure Beach. The name came from The Ghost Train, a popular play of the time[citation needed]. Pleasure Beach Blackpool is also home to Valhalla, the world's largest indoor dark ride, known for its many complicated effects.
Notable UK dark rides include: Fifth Dimension, (later rethemed as Terror Tomb, and now a laser ride named Tomb Blaster) and Bubbleworks, both at Chessington World of Adventures; Duel (formerly the Haunted House) at Alton Towers; Valhalla at Blackpool Pleasure Beach.
In Australia there is a dark ride named The Ghost Train at Luna Park, Melbourne, and a similarly named ride was destroyed by fire in 1979 at Luna Park Sydney.
Shooting dark ride
A shooting dark ride is an interactive type of dark ride where riders aim for targets throughout the ride. Each vehicle is equipped with hand-held or vehicle-mounted light guns. Successfully "shooting" a target usually triggers special animation such as flashing lights or moving the target. The more targets a rider hits, the higher their score at the end of the ride.
Some conventional dark rides have been converted to shooting dark rides to increase popularity, such as the case with Duel: The Haunted House Strikes Back! at Alton Towers. Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin at Disney's Magic Kingdom uses facilities that previously housed If You Had Wings (sponsored by Eastern Airlines in the 1970s and 1980s), Delta Dreamflight and Take Flight before it was converted into its current interactive form, which combines new show elements and vehicles with the former ride's layout and track system.
Popular culture
On The John Larroquette Show, Larroquette's character hung a carnival sign in his office during the first episode: "This is a Dark Ride." He suggested the sign should also be posted "at the end of the birth canal."
The German power metal band Helloween has a song and album called The Dark Ride.
The 2006 horror movie Dark Ride, starring Jamie-Lynn Sigler, focused on an escaped killer haunting an amusement park ride.
List of dark rides
| Title | First introduced | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abenteuer Atlantis | 2007 | Europa-Park | |
| Alice In Wonderland | 1958 | Disneyland | |
| Apirama | 1972 | Meli Park | 8 minute boat dark ride - Closed in 1999, transformed by new owner into Bos van Plop (Plopsaland) |
| Bermuda Triangle | 1994 | Sea World | Closed in 2010 |
| Boo Blasters on Boo Hill | 2010 | which is currently housed in the aforementioned Scooby-Doo ride at the Paramount Parks (Now a part of Cedar Fair) | |
| (Het) Bos van Plop | 1999 | Plopsaland | 8 minute boat dark ride - On track of formerly Apirama |
| Buzz Lightyear attractions | 2000 | all of Disney's Magic Kingdom/Disneyland-style parks | |
| Carnival Festival | 1984 | Efteling | |
| Challenge of Mondor | 2008 | Enchanted Forest (Oregon) | |
| Challenge of Tutankhamon | 2001 | Walibi Belgium | |
| Ciao Bambini | 1982 | Europa-Park | after 2011 refurbishment Piccolo Mondo |
| The Curse of DarKastle | 2005 | Busch Gardens Williamsburg | |
| Droomvlucht | 1993 | Efteling | |
| Dinosaur | 1998 | Disney's Animal Kingdom | |
| Fata Morgana | 1986 | Efteling | |
| Geisterschloss | 1982 | Europa-Park | |
| Ghost Blasters | 2006 | Nickelodeon Universe | |
| Ghost Hunters | 1998 | Segaworld Sydney | |
| Ghostwood Estate | 2008 | Kennywood | |
| Gobbler Getaway | 2005 | Holiday World | |
| Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey | 2010 | Islands of Adventure | |
| Hartenhof | 2015 | Efteling | |
| The Haunted Mansion | 1969 | Disneyland/Magic Kingdom/and Tokyo Disneyland | |
| Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye | 1995 | Disneyland | |
| It's a Small World | 1966 | Disneyland/Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom/Tokyo Disneyland/Disneyland Park (Paris)/and Hong Kong Disneyland | |
| Justice League: Alien Invasion 3D | 2012 | Warner Bros. Movie World | |
| Kingdom of the Dinosaurs | 1987 | Knott's Berry Farm | |
| Knott's Bear-y Tales | 1975 | Knott's Berry Farm | Closed in 1987 |
| Labyrinth of the Minotaur | 1999 | Terra Mitica Theme Park, Spain. | |
| Looney Tunes River Ride | 1991 | Warner Bros. Movie World | Closed in 2011 |
| Magical Powder | Lagunasia | ||
| The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh | 1999 | Magic Kingdom | was Mr. Toad's Wild Ride until 1998 |
| Marionette Ride | Hamanako Pal Pal | ||
| Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! | 2006 | Disney California Adventure | |
| Men in Black: Alien Attack | 2000 | Universal Studios Florida | |
| Monster Mansion | 2010 | Six Flags Over Georgia | "Tales of the Okefenokee" 1967-1980; "Monster Plantation" 1981-2009 |
| Mr. Toad's Wild Ride | 1955 | Disneyland | |
| Musical Circus | Parque Espana | ||
| Mystic Manor | 2013 | Hong Kong Disneyland | |
| Peter Pan's Flight | 1955 | Disneyland/Magic Kingdom/Tokyo Disneyland/and Disneyland Park (Paris) | |
| Phantom Manor | 1992 | Disneyland Park (Paris) | |
| Phantom Theater | 1972 | Kings Island | |
| Piraten in Batavia | 1987 | Europa-Park | |
| Reese's Xtreme Cup Challenge | 2000 | Hersheypark | |
| Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin | 1994 | Disneyland/Tokyo Disneyland | |
| Sanrio Character Boat Ride | Harmonyland | ||
| Scooby-Doo! Ghostblasters | 2000 | rides at all former Paramount Parks (Now a part of Cedar Fair Entertainment Company) | |
| Shootout at the Flooded Mine | 2004 | Silver Dollar City | |
| Spaceship Earth | 1995 | Epcot | |
| Splash Mountain | 2003 | Disneyland, Magic Kingdom, and Tokyo Disneyland | |
| Toy Story Midway Mania! | 2008 | Disney California Adventure Park and Disney's Hollywood Studios | |
| Transformers: The Ride | 2011 | Universal Studios Singapore/Universal Studios Hollywood | |
| Universum der Energie | 1994 | Europa-Park | |
| The Whacky Shack | 1982 | Joyland Amusement Park | |
| Wacky Factory | 2010 | Lake Winnepesaukah | Formerly "Castle" |
| Rama Shita a legend of the future (Dark boat ride) | 1994 | Dunia Fantasi,Jaya Ancol | closed in 2001 due to fire incident Replaced with Ice age Sid's arctic tours |
| Bima and the dragon/Puri misteri | 1992 | Dunia Fantasi,Jaya Ancol | Closed in 1996 due to fire incident. replaced with Perang Bintang in 2004 |
| Istana Boneka | 1985 | Dunia Fantasi,Jaya Ancol | |
| Ice Age Sid's arctic Tours | 2013 | Dunia Fantasi,Jaya Ancol | Replacing the Rama Shita former building |
| Perang bintang | 2004 | Dunia Fantasi,Jaya Ancol | |
| Living with the Land | 2009 | Walt Disney World Resort's Epcot | |
| Snow White's Scary Adventures | 1993 | Disneyland California, Disneyland Paris, Tokyo Disneyland and Magic Kingdom | MK Version Closed in 2012 replaced by Princess Fairytale Hall and relocated to Seven Dwarfs Mine Train |
External links
|
- Laff In The Dark: Information and history of the dark ride and funhouse amusement industry
- The Darkride and Funhouse Enthusiasts (DAFE)
- The Haunted Report, blog covering the haunted attraction/dark ride industry
- Autumn Chill, an international directory of dark rides, haunted attractions and ghost tours
- Haunted Attraction magazine, trade publication for the haunted attraction industry
- The Bill Tracy Project: Dark Ride Builder
- Sally Corporation: Dark Ride Builder
- Haunted House Canada: Haunted House In Ontario Canada
- Chuck's Dark Rides: This page is for those interested in amusement park dark rides past & present around the country
